The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, Alain René le Sage [most read books .txt] 📗

>animal itself concealed within the folds of his drapery. He

stripped, but there was no pig. The assembly rang with more

furious applause than ever. A peasant, among the spectators, was

disgusted at this misplaced admiration. Gentlemen, exclaimed he,

you are in the wrong to be so delighted with this buffoon, he is

not so good a mimic as you take him for. I can enact the pig

better; if you doubt it, only attend here this time to-morrow.

The people, prejudiced in the cause of their favourite, collected

in greater numbers on the next day, rather to hiss the countryman

than to see what he could do. The rivals appeared on the stage.

The buffoon began, and was more applauded than the day before.

Then the farmer stooping down in his turn, with his head wrapped

up in his cloak, pulled the ear of a real pig under his arm, and

made it squeal most horribly. Yet this enlightened audience

persisted in giving the preference to their favourite, and hooted

the countryman off the boards; who producing the pig before he

went, said — Gentlemen, you are not hissing me, but the original

pig. So much for your judgment.

 

Cousin, said Don Alexo, your fable is rather satirical.

Nevertheless, in spite of your pig, we will not bate an inch of

our opinion. But let us change the subject, this is grown

threadbare. Then you set off to-morrow, do what we can to keep

you with us longer? I should like, answered his kinsman, to

protract my stay with you, but it is not in my power. I have told

you already that I am come to the court of Spain on an affair of

state. Yesterday, on my arrival, I had a conference with the

prime minister; I am to see him to-morrow morning, and shall set

out immediately afterwards on my return to Lisbon. You are become

quite a Portuguese, observed Segiar, and, to all appearance, we

shall lose you entirely from Madrid. I think otherwise, replied

Don Pompeyo, I have the honour to stand well with the King of

Portugal, and have many motives of attachment to that court; yet

with all the kindness that sovereign has testified towards me,

would you believe that I have been on the point of quitting his

dominions for ever. Indeed! by what strange accident? said the

Marquis. Give us the history, I beseech you. Very readily,

answered Don Pompeyo, and at the same time my own, for it is

closely interwoven with the recital for which you have called.

 

CH. VII. — History of Don Pompeyo de Castro.

 

DON ALEXO knows, that from my boyish days, my passion was for a

military life. Our own country being at peace, I went into

Portugal; thence to Africa with the Duke of Braganza, who gave me

a commission. I was a younger brother, with as slender a

provision as most in Spain; so that my only chance was in

attracting the notice of the commander-in-chief by my bravery. I

was so far from deficient in my duty, that the Duke promoted me,

step by step, to one of the most honourable posts in the service.

After a long war, of which you all know the issue, I devoted

myself to the court; and the King, on strong testimonials from

the general officers, rewarded me with a considerable pension.

Alive to that sovereign’s generosity, I lost no opportunity of

proving my gratitude by my diligence. I was in attendance as

often as etiquette would allow me to offer myself to his notice.

By this conduct I gained insensibly the love of that prince, and

received new favours from his hands.

 

One day, when I distinguished myself in running at the ring, and

in a bull fight preceding it, all the court extolled my strength

and dexterity. On my return home, with my honours thick upon me,

I found there a note, informing me that a lady, my conquest over

whom ought to flatter me more than all the glory I had gained

that day, wished to have the pleasure of my company; and that I

had only to attend in the evening, at a place marked out in the

letter. This was more than all my public triumphs, and I

concluded the writer to be a woman of the first quality. You may

guess that I did not loiter by the way. An old woman in waiting,

as my guide, conducted me by a little garden-gate into a large

house, and left me in an elegant closet, saying — Stay here, I

will acquaint my mistress with your arrival. I observed a great

many articles of value in the closet, which was magnificently

illuminated; but this splendour only caught my attention as

confirming me in my previous opinion of the lady’s high rank. If

appearances strengthened that conjecture, her noble and majestic

air on her entrance left no doubt on my mind. Yet I was a little

out in my calculation.

 

Noble sir, said she, after the step I have taken in your favour

it were impertinent to disown my partiality. Your brilliant

actions of to-day, in presence of the court, were not the

inspirers of my sentiments, they only urge forward this avowal. I

have seen you more than once, have inquired into your character,

and the result has determined me to follow the impulse of my

heart. But do not suppose that you are well with a Duchess. I am

but the widow of a captain in the King’s Guards; yet there is

something to throw a radiance round your victory … . the

preference you have gained over one of the first noblemen in the

kingdom. The Duke d’Almeyda loves me, and presses his suit with

ardour, yet without success. My vanity only induces me to bear

his importunities.

 

Though I saw plainly, by this address, that I had got in with a

coquet, my presiding star was not a whit out of my good graces

for involving me in this adventure. Donna Hortensia, for that was

the lady’s name, was just in the ripeness and luxuriance of youth

and dazzling beauty. Nay, more, she had refused the possession of

her heart to the earnest entreaties of a duke, and offered it

unsolicited to me. What a feather in the cap of a Spanish

cavalier! I prostrated myself at Hortensia’s feet, to thank her

for her favours. I talked just as a man of gallantry always does

talk, and she had reason to be satisfied with the extravagance of

my acknowledgments. Thus we parted the best friends in the world,

on the terms of meeting every evening when the Duke d’Almeyda was

prevented from coming; and. she promised to give me due notice of

his absence. The bargain was exactly fulfilled, and I was turned

into the Adonis of this new Venus.

 

But the pleasures of this life are transitory. With all the

lady’s precautions to conceal our private treaty of commerce from

my rival, he found means of gaining a knowledge, of which it

concerned us greatly to keep him ignorant: a disloyal chambermaid divulged the state secret. This nobleman, naturally

generous, but proud, self-sufficient, and violent, was

exasperated at my presumption. Anger and jealousy set him beside

himself. Taking counsel only with his rage, he resolved on an

infamous revenge. One night when I was with Hortensia, he waylaid

me at the little garden-gate, with all his servants provided with

cudgels. As soon as I came out, he ordered me to be seized, and

beat to death by these wretches. Lay on, said he, let the rash

intruder give up the ghost under your chastisement; thus shall

his insolence be punished. No sooner had he finished these words,

than his myrmidons assaulted me in a body, and gave me such a

beating, as to stretch me senseless on the ground: after which

they hurried off with their master, to whom this butchery had

been a delicious pastime. I lay the remainder of the night, just

as they had left me. At daybreak some people passed by, who,

finding that life was still in me, had the humanity to carry me

to a surgeon. Fortunately my wounds were not mortal; and, falling

into skilful hands, I was perfectly cured in two months. At the

end of that period I made my appearance again at court, and

resumed my former way of life, except that I steered clear of

Hortensia, who on her part made no further attempt to renew the

acquaintance, because the Duke, on that condition, had pardoned

her infidelity.

 

As my adventure was the town talk, and I was known to be no

coward, people were astonished to see me as quiet as if I had

received no affront; for I kept my thoughts to myself; and seemed

to have no quarrel with any man living. No one knew what to think

of my counterfeited insensibility. Some imagined that, in spite

of my courage, the rank of the aggressor overawed me, and

occasioned my tacit submission. Others, with more reason,

mistrusted my silence, and considered my inoffensive demeanour as

a cover to my revenge. The King was of opinion with these last,

that I was not a man to put up with an insult, and that I should

not be wanting to myself at a convenient opportunity. To discover

my real intentions, he sent for me one day into his closet, where

he said: Don Pompeyo, I know what accident has befallen you, and

am surprised, I own, at your forbearance. You are certainly

acting a part. Sire, answered I, how can I know whom to

challenge? I was attacked in the night by persons unknown: it is

a misfortune of which I must make the best. No, no, replied the

King, I am not to be duped by these evasive answers. The whole

story has reached my ears. The Duke d’Almeyda has touched your

honour to the quick. You are nobly born, and a Castilian: I know

what that double character requires. You cherish hostile designs.

Admit me a party to your purposes; it must be so. Never fear the

consequences of making me your confidant.

 

Since your majesty commands it, resumed I, my sentiments shall be

laid open without reserve. Yes, sir, I meditate a severe

retribution. Every man, wearing such a name as mine, must account

for its untarnished lustre with his family. You know the unworthy

treatment I have experienced; and I purpose assassinating the

Duke d’Almeyda, as a mode of revenge correspondent to the injury.

I shall plunge a dagger in his bosom, or shoot him through the

head, and escape, if I can, into Spain. This is my design.

 

It is violent, said the King: and yet I have little to say

against it, after the provocation which the Duke d’Almeyda has

given you. He is worthy of the punishment you destine for him.

But do not be in a hurry with your project. Leave me to devise a

method of bringing you together again as friends. Oh! sir,

exclaimed I with vexation, why did you extort my secret from me?

What expedient can … . If mine is not to your satisfaction,

interrupted he, you may execute your first intention. I do not

mean to abuse your confidence. I shall not implicate your honour;

so rest contented on that head.

 

I was greatly puzzled to guess by what means the King designed to

terminate this affair amicably: but thus it was. He sent to speak

with the Duke d’Almeyda in private. Duke, said he, you have

insulted Don Pompeyo de Castro. You are not ignorant that he is a

man of noble birth, a soldier who has served with credit, and

stands high in my favour. You owe him reparation. I am not of a

temper to refuse