The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, Alain René le Sage [most read books .txt] 📗
- Author: Alain René le Sage
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promise I wrote immediately to Don Alphonso, to let him know that
our kitchen wanted a prime minister; and on the following day he
filled up the vacancy in so worthy a manner, as reconciled Scipio
at once to the change in culinary politics.
Though my adroit and active secretary had assured me of Antonia’s
secret self-congratulation on the conquest of her landlord’s
heart, I could not venture to rely solely on his report. I was
fearful lest he should have been entrapped by false appearances.
To be more certain of my bliss, I determined on speaking in
person to the fair Antonia. I therefore went to Basil’s house,
and confirmed to him what my ambassador had announced. This
honest peasant, of patriarchal simplicity and golden-aged
frankness, after having heard me through, did not hesitate to own
that it would be the greatest happiness of his life to give me
his daughter; but, added he, you are by no means to suppose that
it is because you are lord of the manor. Were you still steward
to Don Caesar and Don Alphonso, I should prefer you to all other
suitors who might apply: I have always felt a sort of kindness
towards you: and nothing vexes me, but that Antonia has not a
thumping fortune to bring with her. I want not the vile dross,
said I; her person is the only dowry that I covet. Your humble
servant for that, cried he; but you will not settle accounts with
me after that fashion; I am not a beggar, to marry my daughter
upon charity. Basil de Buenotrigo is in circumstances, by the
blessing of Providence, to portion her off decently; and I mean
that she should set out a little supper, if you are to be at the
expense of dinners. In a word, the rental of this estate is only
five hundred ducats: I shall raise it to a thousand on the
strength of this marriage.
Just as you please, my dear Basil, replied I; we are not likely
to have any dispute about money matters. We are both of a mind;
all that remains is to get your daughter’s consent. You have
mine, said he, and that is enough. Not altogether so, answered I;
though yours may he absolutely necessary, no business can be done
without hers. Hers follows mine of course, replied he; I should
like to catch her murmuring against my sovereign commands.
Antonia, rejoined I, with dutiful submission to paternal
authority, is ready without question to obey your will implicitly
in all things; but I know not whether in the present instance she
would do so without violence to her own feelings; and should that
be the case, I could never forgive myself for being the occasion
of unhappiness to her; in short, it is not enough that I obtain
her hand from you, if her heart is to heave a sigh at the
decision of her destiny. Oh, blessed virgin! said Basil, all
these fine doctrines of philosophy are far above my reach; speak
to Antonia your own self, and you wilt find, or I am very much
mistaken, that she wishes for nothing better than to be your
wife. These words were no sooner out of his mouth than he called
his daughter, and left me with her for a few short minutes.
Not to trifle with so precious an opportunity, I broke my mind to
her at once: Lovely Antonia, said I, it remains with you to fix
the colour of my future days. Though I have your father’s
consent, do not think so meanly of me as to suppose that I would
avail myself of it to violate the sacred freedom of your choice.
Rapturous as must be the possession of your charms, I waive my
pretensions if you but tell me that your duty and not your will
complies. It would be affectation to put on such a repugnance,
answered she; the honour of your addresses is too flattering to
excite any other than agreeable sensations, and I am thankful for
my father’s tender care of me, instead of demurring to his will.
I am not sure whether such an acknowledgment may not be contrary
to the rules of female reserve in the polite world; but if you
were disagreeable to me, I should be plain-spoken enough to tell
you so; why, then, should I not be equally free in owning the
kind feelings of my heart?
At sounds like these, which I could not bear without being
enraptured, I dropped on my knee before Antonia, and in the
excess of my tender emotions, taking one of her fair hands,
kissed it with an affectionate and impassioned action. My dear
Antonia, said I, your frankness enchants me; go on, let nothing
induce you to depart from it; you are conversing with your future
husband; let your soul expand itself, and reveal all its inmost
emotions in his presence. Thus, then, may I entertain the
flattering hope that you will not frown on the union of our
destinies! The coming in of Basil at this moment prevented me
from giving further vent to the delightful sensations which
thrilled through me. Impatient to know how his daughter had
behaved, and ready primed for scolding in case she had been
perverse or coy, he made up to me immediately. Well, now! said
he, are you satisfied with Antonia? So much so, answered I, that
I am going this very moment to set forward the preparations for
our marriage. So saying, I left the father and daughter, for the
purpose of taking counsel with my secretary thereupon.
CH. IX. — Nuptials of Gil Blas with the fair Antonia; the style
and manner of the ceremony; the persons assisting thereat; and
the festivities ensuing there upon.
THOUGH there was no occasion to consult with the lords of Leyva
about my marriage, yet both Scipio and myself were of opinion
that I could not decently do otherwise than communicate to them
my purpose of connecting myself with Basil’s daughter, and just
pay them the compliment of asking their advice, after the act was
finally determined on.
I immediately went off for Valencia, where my visit was a matter
of surprise, and still more the purport of it Don Caesar and Don
Alphonso, who were acquainted with Antonia, having seen her more
than once, wished me joy on my good fortune in a wife. Don
Caesar, in particular, made his speech upon the occasion with so
much youthful fire, that if there had not been reason to suppose
his lordship weaned, by that icy moralist, time, from certain
naughty propensities, I should have suspected him of going to
Lirias now and then, not so much to look after his concerns
there, as after his little empress of the dairy. Seraphina, too,
with the kindest assurances of a lively interest in whatever
might befall me, said that she had heard a very favourable
character of Antonia; but, added she, with a malicious fling, as
if to taunt me with my supercilious reception of Sephora’s
amorous advances, even though her beauty had not been so much the
talk of the country, I could have depended on your taste, from
former experience of its delicacy and fastidiousness.
Don Caesar and his son did not stop at cold approbation of my
marriage, but declared that they would defray all the expenses of
it. Measure back your steps, said they, to Lirias, and stay
quietly there till you hear further from us. Make no preparation
for your nuptials, for we shall make that our concern. To meet
their kind intentions with becoming gratitude, I returned to my
mansion, and acquainted Basil and his daughter with the projected
kindness of our patrons. We determined to wait their pleasure
with as much patience as falls to the lot of poor human nature
under such circumstances. Eight long days dragged out their
tedious measure, and brought no tidings of our bliss. But the
rewards of self-control are not the less assured for being slow:
on the ninth, a coach drawn by four mules drove up, with a cargo
of mantua-makers for the bride, and an assortment of rich silks
on which to exercise their art. Several livery servants, mounted
on mules, accompanied the cavalcade. One of them brought me a
letter from Don Alphonso. That nobleman sent me word that he
would be at Lirias next day with his father and his wife, and
that the marriage ceremony should he performed on the day after
that, by the vicar-general of Valencia. And just so it came to
pass: Don Caesar, his son, and Seraphina, with that venerable
dignitary, were punctual to their appointment; all four of them
in a coach and six; none of your mules, like the mantua-makers!
preceded by an other coach and four, with Seraphina’s women; and
the rear was brought up by a company of the governor’s guards.
The governor’s lady had hardly entered the house before she
testified an ardent longing to see Antonia, who on her part no
sooner knew that Seraphina was arrived, than she ran forward to
bid her welcome, with a respectful kiss upon her hand, so
gracefully and modestly impressed, that all the company were
enchanted at the action. And now, madam! said Don Caesar to his
daughter-in-law, what do you think of Antonia? Could Santillane
have made a better choice? No, answered Seraphina, they are
worthy each of the other; there can be no doubt but their union
will be most happy. In short, every one was lavish in the praise
of my intended; and if they felt her beams so powerfully under
the eclipse of a stuff gown, what must they not have endured from
her brightness, in the meridian sunshine of her wedding finery?
One would have fancied she had been clothed in silks, jewels, and
fine linen from her cradle, by the dignity of her air and the
ease of her deportment.
The happy moment which was to unite two fond lovers in the bands
of Hymen being arrived, Don Alphonso took me by the hand and led
me to the altar, while Seraphina conferred the like honour on the
bride elect. Our procession had marched in fit and decent order
through the hamlet to the chapel, where the vicar-general was
waiting to go through the service; and the ceremony was performed
amidst the heartfelt congratulations of the inhabitants, and of
all the wealthy farmers in the neighbourhood, whom Basil had
invited to Antonia’s wedding. Their daughters too came in their
train, tricked out in ribbons and in flowers, and dancing to the
music of their own tambourines. We returned to the mansion under
the same escort: and there, by the provident attentions of
Scipio, who officiated as high steward and master of the
ceremonies, we found three tables set out; one for the principals
of the party, another for their household, and the third, which
was by far the largest, for all invited guests promiscuously.
Antonia was at the first, the governor’s lady having made a point
of it; I did the honours of the second, and Basil was placed at
the head of that where the country people dined. As for Scipio,
he never sat down, but was here, there, and everywhere, fetching
and carrying, changing plates and filling bumpers, urging the
company to call freely for what they wanted, and egging them on
to mirth and jollity.
The entertainment had been prepared by the governor’s cooks; and
that is as much as to say, that there were all the delicacies
imaginable, in season or out of season. The good wines laid in
for me by master Joachim, were set running at a furious rate; the
guests were beginning to feel their jovial influence, pleasantry
and repartee gave a zest
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