The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, Alain René le Sage [most read books .txt] 📗
- Author: Alain René le Sage
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their cost. At last I sallied out of the ready-furnished lodging,
unencumbered, heaven be praised, with baggage or attendance. The
first thing I did was to go and see if my mules were still at the
inn where we alighted the evening before. It was not to be
supposed that Ambrose would have neglected a due attention to
them; and it would have been well for me if I had always taken
such exact measure of his character. I learned that he had not
waited for the morning, but had been careful to fetch them by
over-night. Under the circumstances, satisfied I should never see
them again, any more than my portmanteau, I walked sulkily along
the streets, musing on the future plans I should adopt. I was
tempted to go back to Burgos, and once more have recourse to
Donna Mencia; but, regarding this as an abuse of that lady’s
goodness, and being aware, moreover, what a fool I should look
like, I thought it best to forego that idea. I made a vow too for
the future to be on my guard against women. I could have sent the
chaste Susanna to the house of correction. From time to time my
ring caught my eye, it was a present from Camilla! and I was
ready to burst with anguish. Alas! thought I, I am no judge of
jewellery, but I shall be, by experience of these hucksters who
exchange without a robbery. I need not go to a jeweller to be
told I am an ass! I can see my own face in my ruby.
Yet I did not neglect to know the truth respecting the value of
my ring, and showed it to a lapidary, who rated it at three
ducats. At such an estimate, though as much as I expected, I made
a formal surrender to the devil, of the Philippine isles, the
governor and his niece; or rather, I only restored his own
subjects to their lawful sovereign. As I was going out of the
lapidary’s shop a young fellow brushed by me, and on looking
round, made a full stop. I could not recollect his name at first,
though his features were perfectly familiar to me. How now, Gil
Blas, said he, are you ashamed of an old acquaintance? or have
two years so altered the son of Nunez the barber, that you do not
know him? Do not you recollect Fabricio, your townsman and
schoolfellow? How often have we kept, before Doctor Godinez, upon
universals and metaphysics!
These words did not flow so fast as my recollection, and we
embraced with mutual good will. Well, my friend, resumed he, I am
overjoyed to meet with you. Words fall short — But how is this?
Why, you look like — as heaven is my judge, you are dressed
like a grandee! A gentleman’s sword, silk stockings, a velvet
doublet and cloak, embroidered with silver! Plague take it! this
is getting on in the world with a vengeance. I will lay a wager
you are in with some old monied harridan. You reckon without your
host, said I, my affairs are not so prosperous as you imagine.
That will not do for me, replied he, I know better things; but
you have a mind to be close. And that fine ruby on your finger,
master Gil Blas, whence comes that, if I may be so bold? It
comes, quoth I, from an infernal jade. Fabricio, my dear
Fabricio, far from being point, quint, and quatorze with the
ladies of Valladolid, you are to know, my friend, that I am their
complete bubble.
I uttered these last words so ruefully, that Fabricio saw plainly
that some trick had been played upon me. He was anxious to learn
why I was out of humour with the lovely sex. I had no difficulty
in satisfying his curiosity; but as the story was a long one, and
besides we had no mind to part in a hurry, we went into a coffee-house to be a little more at ease. There I recounted to him,
during breakfast, all that had happened to me since my departure
from Oviedo. My adventures he thought whimsical enough; and
testifying his sympathy in my present uneasy circumstances, added
— We must make the best, my good lad, of all our misfortunes in
this life. Is a man of parts in distress? he waits patiently for
better luck. Such an one, as Cicero truly observes, never suffers
himself to be humbled so low, as to forget that he is a man. For
my own part, that is just my character; in or out of favour there
is no sinking me; I always float on the surface of ill-luck. For
example, I was in love with a girl of some family at Oviedo, and
was beloved by her in return. I asked her of her father in
marriage, he refused. Many a young fellow would have died of
grief; but no! mark my spirit, I carried off the little baggage.
She was lively, heedless, and coquettish: pleasure consequently
was always uppermost to the prejudice of duty. I took her with me
for six months backwards and forwards about Galicia; thence,
adopting my taste for travelling, she had a mind to go to
Portugal, but in other company — more food for despair. Yet I
did not give in under the weight of this new affliction; but,
improving on Menelaus, thought myself much obliged to the Paris
who had whispered in the ear of my Helen, for ridding me of a bad
bargain; I therefore determined to keep the peace. After that,
not finding it convenient to return to the Asturias and balance
accounts with justice, I went forward into the kingdom of Leon,
spending between one town and another all the loose cash
remaining from the rape of my Indian princess; for we had both of
us birdlimed our fingers at our departure from Oviedo. I got to
Palencia with a solitary ducat, out of which I was obliged to buy
a pair of shoes. The remainder would not go far. My situation
became rather perplexing. I began already to be reduced to short
allowance; something must be done. I resolved to go out to
service. My first place was with a woollen-draper in a large way,
whose son was a lad of wit and fashion; here was a complete
antidote to fasting, but then there was a little awkwardness. The
father ordered me to dog the son, the son begged my assistance in
imposing on the father; it was necessary to take one side or
other. Entreaties sound more musical than commands, and my taste
for music got me turned out of doors. The next service I entered
into was with an old painter, who undertook, as a matter of
favour, to teach me the principles of his art; but he was so busy
in feeding me with knowledge, that he forgot to give me any meat.
This neglect of substance for shadow disgusted me with my abode
at Palencia. I came to Valladolid, where, by the greatest good
luck in the world, I was hired by a governor of the hospital; I
am with him still, and delighted with my quarters. My master,
Signor Manuel Ordonnez, is a man of profound piety. He always
walks with his eyes cast downwards, and a large rosary in his
hand. They say that from his early youth, having been a close
inspector of the poor, he has interested himself in their affairs
with unwearied zeal. Charity draws down a blessing on the
charitable, everything has prospered with him. What a favourite
of heaven! The more he does for the poor, the richer he grows.
As Fabricio was going on in this manner, I interrupted him. It is
well you are satisfied with your lot; but, between ourselves,
surely you might play your part better in the world. Do not you
believe it, Gil Blas, replied he; be assured that for a man of my
temper a more agreeable situation could not possibly have been
devised. The trade of a lacquey is toilsome, to be sure, for a
poor creature; but for a lad of spirit it is all enchantment. A
superior genius, when he gets a service, does not go about it
like a lumpish simpleton. He enters into a family as viceroy over
the master, not as an inferior minister. He begins by measuring
the length of his employer’s foot; by lending himself to his
weaknesses, he gains his confidence, and ends with leading him by
the nose. Such has been my plan of operation at the governor’s. I
knew the pilgrim at once by his staff; his wish was for an
earthly canonization. I pretended to believe him to be the saint
he wished to be taken for, hypocrisy costs nothing. Nay, I went
further, for I took pattern by him; and playing the same part
before him which he played before others, I out-cozened the
cozener, and by degrees got to be major-domo. I am in hopes some
day or other, under his wing, to have the fingering of the poor-box. It may bring a blessing upon me as well as another; for I
have caught the flame from him, and already feel deeply for the
interests of charity.
These are fine hopes, my dear Fabricio, replied I; and I
congratulate you upon them. For my part, I am determined on my
first plan. I shall straightway convert my embroidered suit into
a cassock, repair to Salamanca, and there, enlisting under the
banner of the university, fulfil the sacred duties of a tutor. A
fine scheme! exclaimed Fabricio, a pleasant conceit! What
madness, at your age, to turn pedant! Are you aware, you stupid
fellow, what you take upon yourself by that choice? As soon as
you are settled, all the house will be upon the watch, your most
trivial actions will be minutely sifted. You will lead a life of
incessant constraint; you must set yourself off with a
counterfeit outside, and affect to entertain a double set of the
cardinal virtues in your bosom. You will not have a moment to
bestow on pleasure. The everlasting censor of your pupil, your
days will pass in teaching grammar and administering saintly
reprehension, when he shall say or do anything against decorum.
After so much labour and confinement, what will be your reward?
If the little gentleman is a pickle, they will lay all the blame
on your bad management; and you will be kicked out of the family,
it may be without your stipend. Do not tell me then of a tutor’s
employment; it is worse than a cure of souls. But talk as much as
you will about a lacquey’s occupation, that is a sinecure, and
pledges you to nothing. Suppose one’s master not to be
immaculate? A servant of superior genius will flatter his vices,
and not unfrequently turn them to account. A footman lives at his
ease in a good family. After having ate and drank his fill, he
goes to bed peaceably, without troubling himself who pays the
bills.
I should never have done, my dear fellow, pursued he, were I to
enumerate all the advantages of service. Trust me, Gil Blas,
discard for ever your foolish wish of being a tutor, and follow
my example. So be it: but, Fabricio, replied I, governors like
yours are not to be met with every day; and if resolved to go to
service, I should like at least to get a good situation. Oh! you
are in the right, said he, and that shall be my concern. I will
get you a comfortable place, if it were only to snatch a fine
fellow from the jaws of the university.
The near approach
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