The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, Alain René le Sage [most read books .txt] 📗
- Author: Alain René le Sage
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be duly honoured and punctually paid at doom’s-day. With this I
left him, and skulked out of the town, not paying my respects to
my other benefactors; but giving them a thousand blessings from
my heart.
The little chorister had reason for speaking modestly of his
purse, it was not orthodox. By good luck, I had been used for
these two months to a very slender diet, and had still a little
small change left when I reached Ponte de Mula, not far from
Burgos. I halted there to inquire after Donna Mencia. The hostess
of the inn I put up at was a little withered, spiteful, emaciated
bit of mortality. I saw at a glance, by the mouths she made at me
aside, that my frock did not hit her fancy; and I thought it a
proof of her taste. So I sat myself down at a table; ate bread
and cheese, and drank a few glasses of execrable wine, such as
innkeepers technically call cassecoquin. During this meal, which
was of a piece with the outward appearance of the guest, I did my
utmost to come to closer quarters with my landlady. Did she know
the Marquis de la Guardia? Was his castle far out of town? Above
all, what was become of my lady marchioness? You ask many
questions in a breath, replied she, bridling with disdain. But I
got out of her, though by hard pumping, that Don Ambrosio’s
castle was but a short league from Ponte de Mula.
After I had done eating and drinking, as it was night, I thought
it natural to go to bed, and asked for my room. A room for you!
shrieked my landlady, darting at me a glance of contempt and
pride; I have no rooms for fellows who make their supper on a bit
of cheese. All my beds are bespoke. There are people of fashion
expected, and our accommodations are all kept for them.
But I will not be unchristian: you may lie in my barn: I suppose
your soft skin will not be incommoded by the feel of straw. She
spoke truth without knowing it. I took it all in silence, and
slunk to my roosting-place, where I fell asleep like a man, the
excess of whose labours are his ready passport to the blessings
of repose.
CH XIV. — Donna Mencia’s reception of him at Burgos.
I WAS no sluggard, but got up the next morning betimes. I paid my
bill to the landlady, who was already stirring, and seemed a
little less lofty and in better humour than the evening before; a
circumstance I attributed to the endeavours of three kind
guardsmen belonging to the holy brotherhood. These gentlemen had
slept in the inn: they were evidently on a very intimate footing
with the hostess: and doubtless it was for guests of such note
that all the beds were bespoke.
I inquired in the town my way to the castle where I wanted to
present my. self. By accident I made up to a man not unlike my
landlord at Pegnaflor. He was not satisfied with answering my
question to the point; but informed me that Don Ambrosio had been
dead three weeks, and the marchioness his lady had taken the
resolution of retiring to a convent at Burgos, which he named. I
proceeded immediately towards that town, instead of taking the
road to the castle, as I had first meant to do, and flew at once
to the place of Donna Mencia’s retreat. I besought the attendant
at the turning-box to tell that lady that a young man just
discharged from prison at Astorga wanted to speak with her. The
nun went on the message immediately. On her return, she showed me
into a parlour, where I did not wait long before Don Ambrosio’s
widow appeared at the grate in deep mourning.
You are welcome, said the lady. Four days ago I wrote to a person
at Astorga, to pay you a visit as from me, and to tell you to
come and see me the moment you were released from prison. I had
no doubt of your being discharged shortly: what I told the
corregidor in your exculpation was enough for that. An answer was
brought that you had been set at liberty, but that no one knew
what was become of you. I was afraid of not seeing you any more,
and losing the pleasure of expressing my gratitude. Never mind,
added she, observing my confusion at making my appearance in so
wretched a garb; your dress is of very little consequence. After
the important services you have rendered me, I should be the most
ungrateful of my sex, if I were to do nothing for you in return.
I undertake, therefore, to better your condition: it is my duty,
and the means are in my power. My fortune is large enough to pay
my debt of obligation to you, without putting myself to
inconvenience.
You know, continued she, my story up to the time when we both
were committed to prison. I will now tell you what has happened
to me since. When the corregidor at Astorga had sent me to
Burgos, after having heard from my own lips a faithful recital of
my adventures, I presented myself at the castle of Ambrosio. My
return thither excited extreme surprise: but they told me that it
was too late; the marquis, as if he had been thunderstruck at my
flight, fell sick; and the physicians despaired of his recovery.
Here was a new incident in the melancholy tragedy of my fate. Yet
I ordered my arrival to be announced. The next moment I ran into
his chamber, and threw myself on my knees by his bedside, with a
face running down with tears and a heart oppressed with the most
lively sorrow. Who sent for you hither? said he as soon as he saw
me; are you come to contemplate your own contrivance? Was it not
enough to have deprived me of life? But was it necessary to
satisfy your heart’s desire, to be an eye-witness of my death? My
lord, replied I, In�s must have told you that I fled with my
first husband; and, had it not been for the sad accident which
has taken him from me for ever, you never would have seen me
more. At the same time, I acquainted him that Don Alvar had been
killed by banditti, whose captive I had consequently been in a
subterraneous dungeon. After relating the particulars of my story
to the end, Don Ambrosio held out to me his hand. It is enough,
said he affectionately, I will make no more complaints. Alas!
Have I in fact any right to reproach you? You were thrown once
more in the way of a beloved husband; and gave me up to follow
his fortunes: can I blame such an instance of your affection? No,
madam, it would have been vain to resist the will of fate. For
that reason I gave orders not to pursue you. In my rival himself
I could not but respect the sacred rights with which he was
invested, and even the impulse of your flight seemed to have been
communicated by some superior power. To close all with an act of
justice, and in the spirit of reconciliation, your return hither
has re-established you completely in my affection. Yes, my dear
Mencia, your presence fills me with joy: but, alas! I shall not
long be sensible to it. I feel my last hour to be at hand. No
sooner are you restored to me, than I must bid you an eternal
farewell. At these touching expressions, my tears flowed in
torrents. I felt and expressed as much affliction as the human
heart is capable of containing. I question whether Don Alvar’s
death, doting on him as I did, had cost me more bitter
lamentations. Don Ambrosio had given way to no mistaken presage
of his death, which happened on the following day; and I remained
mistress of a considerable jointure, settled on me at our
marriage. But I shall take care to make no unworthy use of it.
The world shall not see me, young as I still am, wantoning in the
arms of a third husband. Besides that such levity seems
irreconcilable with the feelings of any but the profligate of our
sex, I will frankly own the relish of life to be extinct in me;
so that I mean to end my days in this convent, and to become a
benefactress to it.
Such was Donna Mencia’s discourse about her future plans. She
then drew a purse from beneath her robe, and put it into my
hands, with this address: Here are a hundred ducats simply to
furnish out your wardrobe. That done, come and see me again. I
mean not to confine my gratitude within such narrow bounds. I
returned her a thousand thanks, and promised solemnly not to quit
Burgos, without taking leave of her. Having given this pledge,
which I had every inclination to redeem, I went to look out for
some house of entertainment. Entering the first I met with, I
asked for a room. To parry the ill opinion my frock might convey
of my finances, I told the landlord that, however appearances
might be against me, I could pay for my night’s lodging as well
as a better dressed gentleman. At this speech, the landlord,
whose name was Majuelo, a great banterer in a coarse way, running
over me with his eyes from top to toe, answered with a cool,
sarcastic grin, that there was no need of any such assurance; it
was evident I should pay my way liberally, for he discovered
something of nobility through my disguise, and had no doubt but I
was a gentle man in very easy circumstances. I saw plainly that
the rascal was laughing at me; and, to stop his humour before it
became too convulsive, gave him a little insight into the state
of my purse. I went so far as to count over my ducats on a table
before him, and perceived my coin to have inclined him to a more
respectful judgment. I begged the favour of him to send for a
tailor. A broker would be better, said he; he will bring all
sorts of apparel, and you will be dressed up out of hand. I
approved of this advice, and determined to follow it; but, as the
day was on the point of closing, I put off my purchase till the
morrow, and thought only of getting a good supper, to make amends
for the miserable fare I had taken up with since my escape from
the forest.
CH. XV. — Gil Blas dresses himself to more advantage, and
receives a second present from the lady. His equipage on setting
out from Burgos.
THEY served me up a plentiful fricassee of sheep’s trotters,
almost the whole of which I demolished. My drinking kept pace
with my eating: and when I could stuff no longer, I went to bed.
I lay comfortably enough, and was in hopes that a sound sleep
would have the kindness without delay to commit a friendly
invasion on my senses. But I could not close an eye for
ruminating on the dress I should choose. What shall I do, thought
I? Shall I follow my first plan? Shall I buy a short cassock, and
go to Salamanca to set up for a tutor? Why should I adopt the
costume of a licentiate? For the purpose of going into orders? Do
I feel an inward call? No? If I have any call, it is quite the
contrary way. I had rather wear a sword than an apron: and push
my fortune in this world, before I think of the next.
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