The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, Alain René le Sage [most read books .txt] 📗
- Author: Alain René le Sage
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furniture and tasteful equipment.
What luxury! What magnificence! I thought myself in presence of a
vicequeen, or, to mend the poverty of the comparison, in a fairy
palace, where all the riches of the earth were collected. In
fact, there were the productions of many people and of many
countries, so that one might describe this residence as the
temple of a goddess, whither every traveller brought some rare
product of his native land, as a votive offering. The divinity
was reclining on a voluptuous satin sofa: she was lovely in my
eyes, and pampered with the fumes of daily sacrifices. She was in
a tempting dishabille, and her polished hands were elegantly busy
about a new head-dress for her appearance that evening. Madam,
said the abigail, here is that said steward; take my word for it,
you will never get one more to your liking. Arsenia looked at me
very inquisitively, and did not find me disagreeable. Why, this
is something, Laura, cried she; a very smart youth truly: I
foresee that we shall do very well together. Then directing her
discourse to me, Young man, added she, you suit me to a hair, and
I have only one observation to make: you will be pleased with me,
if I am so with you. I answered that I should do my utmost to
serve her to her heart’s content. As I found that the bargain was
struck, I went immediately to fetch in my own little
accommodations, and returned to take formal possession.
CH. X. — Much such another as the foregoing.
IT was near the time of the doors opening. My mistress told me to
attend her to the theatre with Laura. We went into her dressing-room, where she threw off her ordinary attire, and assumed a more
splendid costume for the stage. When the performance began, Laura
shewed me the way, and seated herself by my side where I could
see and hear the actors to advantage. They disgusted me for the
most part, doubtless because Don Pompeyo had prejudiced me
against them. Several of them were loudly applauded, but the
fable of the pig would now and then come across my mind.
Laura told me the names of the actors and actresses as they made
their entrances. Nor did she stop there, for the hussy gave some
highly seasoned anecdotes into the bargain. Her characters were,
crack-brain for this, impertinent fellow for that. That delicate
sample of sin, who depends on her wantonness for her attractions,
goes by the name of Rosarda: a bad speculation for the company!
She ought to be sent with the next cargo to New Spain, she may
answer the purpose of the viceroy. Take particular notice of that
brilliant star now coming forward; that magnificent setting sun,
increasing in bulk as its fires become less vivid. That is
Casilda. If from that distant day when she first laid herself
open to her lovers, she had required from each of them a brick to
build a pyramid, like an ancient Egyptian princess, the edifice
by this time would have mounted to the third heaven. In short,
Laura tore all character to pieces by her scandal. Heaven forgive
her wicked tongue! She blasphemed her own mistress.
And yet I must own my weakness. I was in love with the wench,
though her morals were not strictly pure. She scandalized with so
winning a malignity that one liked her the better for it. Off
went the jill-flirt between the acts, to see if Arsenia wanted
her; but instead of coming straight back to her place, she amused
herself behind the scenes, in laying herself out for the little
flatteries of all the wheedling fellows. I dogged her once, and
found that she had a very large acquaintance. No less than three
players did I reckon up, who stopped to chat with her one after
the other, and they seemed to be on a very improvable footing.
This was not quite so well; and for the first time in my life I
felt what jealousy was. I returned to my seat so absent and out
of spirits, that Laura remarked it as soon as she came back to
me. What is the matter, Gil Blas, said she with astonishment;
what blue devil has perched upon your shoulder in my absence? You
look gloomy and out of temper. My fairy queen, answered I, it is
not without reason, you have an ugly kick in your gallop. I have
observed you with the players … . So, so! An admirable
subject for a long face, interrupted she with a laugh. What! That
is your trouble, is it? Why really! You are a very silly swain;
but you will get better notions among us. You will fall by
degrees into our easy manners. No jealousy, my dear creature, you
will be completely laughed out of it in the theatrical world. The
passion is scarcely known there. Fathers, husbands, brothers,
uncles, and cousins, are all upon a liberal plan of community,
and often make a strange jumble of relationships.
After having warned me to take no umbrage, but to look at
everything like a philosophical spectator, she vowed that I was
the happy mortal who had found the way to her heart. She then
declared that she should love me always, and only me. On this
assurance, which a man might have doubted without criminal
scepticism, I promised her not to be alarmed any more, and kept
my word. I saw her, on that very evening, whisper and giggle with
more men than one. At the end of the play we returned home with
our mistress, whither Florimonde came soon after to supper, with
three old noblemen and a player. Besides Laura and myself, the
establishment consisted of a cook-maid, a coachman, and a little
footboy. We all laboured in our respective vocations. The lady of
the frying-pan, no less an adept than Dame Jacintha, was assisted
in her cookery by the coachman. The waiting-woman and the little
footboy laid the cloth, and I set out the sideboard,
magnificently furnished with plate, offered up at the shrine of
our green-room goddess. There was every variety of wines, and I
played the cup-bearer, to show my mistress the versatility of my
talents. I sweated at the impudence of the actresses during
supper; they gave themselves quality airs, and affected the tone
of high life. Far from giving their guests all their style and
titles, they did not even vouchsafe a simple “Your lordship,” but
called them familiarly by their proper names. To be sure, the old
fools encouraged their vanity by forgetting their own distance.
The player, for his part, in the habits of the heroic cast, lived
on equal terms with them; he challenged them to drink, and in
every respect took the upper hand. In good truth, said I to
myself, while Laura was demonstrating the equality of the Marquis
and the comedian during the day, she might have drawn a still
stronger inference for the night, since they pass it so merrily
in drinking together.
Arsenia and Florimonde were naturally frolicsome. A thousand
broad hints escaped them, intermingled with small favours, and
then a coquettish revolt at their own freedom, which were all
seasoned exactly to the taste of these old sinners. While my
mistress was entertaining one of them with a little harmless
toying, her friend, between the other elders, had not taken the
cue of Susanna. While I was contemplating this picture, which had
but too many attractions for a knowing youth like me, the dessert
was brought in. Then I set the bottles and glasses on the table,
and made my escape to sup with Laura, who was waiting for me. How
now! Gil Blas, said she, what do you think of those noblemen
above-stairs? Doubtless, answered I, they are deeply smitten with
Arsenia and Florimonde. No, replied she, they are old
sensualists, who hang about our sex without any particular
attachment. All they ask is some little frivolous compliance, and
they are generous enough to pay well for the least trifle of
amorous endearment. Heaven be praised, Florimonde and my mistress
are at present without any serious engagements; I mean that they
have no husband-like lovers, who expect to engross all the
pleasures of a house, because they stand to the expenses. For my
part, I am very glad of it: and maintain that a sensible woman of
the world ought to refuse all such monopolies. Why take a master?
It is better to support an establishment by retail trade, than to
confine one’s self to chamber practice on such terms.
When Laura’s tongue was wound up, and it was seldom down, words
seemed to cost her nothing. What a glorious volubility! She told
a thousand stories of the actresses belonging to the prince’s
company; and I gathered from her whole drift that I could not be
better situated to take a scientific view of the cardinal vices.
Unfortunately I was at an age when they inspire but little
horror; and this abigail had the art of colouring her corruptions
so lusciously as to hide their deformities and heighten their
meretricious lure. She had not time to open the tenth part of her
theatrical budget, for she did not talk more than three hours.
The senators and the player went away with Florimonde, whom they
saw safe home.
When they were gone, my mistress said to me — Here, Gil Blas,
are ten pistoles to go to market to-morrow. Five or six of our
gentlemen and ladies are to dine here, take care that we are well
served. Madam, answered I, with this sum there shall be a banquet
for the whole troop. My friend, replied Arsenia, correct your
phraseology; you must say company, not troop. A troop of robbers,
a troop of beggars, a troop of authors; but a company of
comedians, especially when you have to mention the actors of
Madrid. I begged my mistress’s pardon for having used so
disrespectful a term, and entreated her to excuse my ignorance. I
protested that henceforward, when I spoke collectively of so
august a body, I would always say the company.
CH. XI. — A theatrical life and an author’s life
I TOOK the field the next morning, to open my campaign as
steward. It was a fish day; for which reason I bought some good
fat chickens, rabbits, partridges, and every variety of game. As
the gentlemen of the sock and buskin are not on the best possible
terms with the church, they are not over-scrupulous in their
observance of the rubric. I brought home provisions more than
enough for a dozen portly gentlemen to have fasted on during a
whole Lent. The cook had a good morning’s work. While she was
getting dinner ready, Arsenia got up and spent the early part of
the day at her toilet. At noon came two of the players, Signor
Rosimiro and Signor Ricardo. Afterwards two actresses, Constance
and Celinaura; then entered Florimonde, attended by a man who had
all the appearance of a most spruce cavalier. He had his hair
dressed in the most elegant manner, his hat set off with a
fashionable plume, very tight breeches, and a shirt with a laced
frill. His gloves and his handkerchief were in the hilt of his
sword, and he wore his cloak with a grace altogether peculiar to
himself.
With a prepossessing physiognomy and a good person, there was
something extraordinary in the first blush of him. This
gentleman, said I to myself, must be an original. I was not
mistaken; his singularities were striking. On his entrance, he
ran with open arms and embraced the company, male and female, one
after another. His grimaces were more extravagant than any
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