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

the

right to claim a resemblance to her. I never saw more

correspondent features; the very same cast of countenance, the

eyes exactly alike, the mouth evidently a family feature, and the

tone of voice scarcely to be distinguished. The likeness,

however, goes no further, for Aurora is taller than you, she is

brown and you are fair, you are a jolly fellow, she has a little

touch of the demure; so that you are not altogether the male and

female Sosias. As for good sense, continued he, if an angel from

heaven were to whisper wisdom in one ear, and your cousin her

mortal chit-chat in the other, I am afraid the angel might

whistle for an audience. In a word, Aurora is all-accomplished.

 

Signor Pacheco uttered these last words with so earnest an

expression, that Don Felix said with a smile — My friend, I

advise you to stay away from Donna Kimena’s, it will be more for

your peace of mind. Aurora de Guzman may set your wits a

wandering, and inspire a passion … .

 

I have no need of seeing her again, interrupted he, to become

distractedly enamoured of her. I am sorry for you, replied the

pretended Mendoza, for you are not a man to be seriously caught,

and my cousin is not to be made a fool of; take my word for it.

She would never encourage a lover whose designs were otherwise

than honourable. Otherwise than honourable! retorted Don Lewis;

who could have the audacity to form such on a lady of her rank

and character? As for me, I should esteem myself the happiest of

mankind, could she be prevailed on to favour my addresses, and

link her fate with mine.

 

Since those are your sentiments, rejoined Don Felix, you may

command my services. Yes, I will go heart and hand with you in

the business. All my interest in Aurora shall be yours; and by

to-morrow morning I will commence an attack on my aunt, whose

good word has more influence than you may think. Pacheco returned

his thanks with the best air possible to this young go-between,

and we were all agog at the promising appearance of our

stratagem. On the following day we found the means of heightening

the dramatic effect by entangling the plot a little more. My

mistress, after having waited on Donna Kimena, as if to speak a

good word in favour of the suitor, came back with the result of

the interview. I have spoken to my aunt, said she, but it was as

much as I could do to make her hear your proposal with patience.

She was primed and loaded against you. Some good-natured friend

in the dark has painted you out for a reprobate; but I took your

part with some little quickness, and at length succeeded in

vindicating your moral character from the attack it had

sustained.

 

This is not all, continued Aurora. You had better enter on the

subject with my aunt in my presence, we shall be able to make

something of her between us. Pacheco was all impatience to

insinuate himself into the good graces of Donna Kimena; nor was

the opportunity deferred beyond the next morning. Our amphibious

Mendoza escorted him into the presence of Dame Ortiz, where such

a conversation passed between the trio as put fire and tow to the

combustible heart of Don Lewis. Kimena, a veteran performer, took

the cue of sympathy at every expression of tenderness, and

promised the enamoured youth that it should not be her fault if

his plea with her niece was urged in vain. Pacheco threw himself

at the feet of so good an aunt, and thanked her for all her

favours. In this stage of the business Don Felix asked if his

cousin was up. No, replied the Duenna, she is still in bed, and

is not likely to be down-stairs while you stay; but call again

after dinner, and you shall have a t�te-�-t�te with her to your

heart’s content. It is easy to imagine that so coming on a

proposal from the dragon which was to guard this inaccessible

treasure, produced its full complement of joy in the heart of Don

Lewis. The remainder of the long morning had nothing to do but to

be sworn at! He went back to his own lodging with Mendoza, who

was not a little enraptured to observe, with the scrutinizing eye

of a mistress under the disguise of a friend, all the symptoms of

an incurable amorous infirmity.

 

Their tongues ran on no earthly subject but Aurora. When they had

done dinner, Don Felix said to Pacheco — A thought has just

struck me. It would not be amiss for me to go to my aunt’s a few

minutes before you; I will get to speak to my cousin in private,

and pry, if it be possible, into every fold and winding of her

heart, as far as your interests are concerned. Don Lewis just

chimed in with this idea, so that he suffered his friend to set

out first, and did not follow him till an hour afterwards. My

mistress availed herself so diligently of the interval, that she

was tricked out as a lady from heel to point before the arrival

of her lover. I beg pardon … . said the poor abused

inamorato, after having paid his compliments to Aurora and the

Duenna … . I took it for granted Don Felix would be here. You

will see him in a few seconds, answered Donna Kimena, he is

writing in my closet. Pacheco was easily put off with the excuse,

and found his time pass cheerfully in conversation with the

ladies. And yet, notwithstanding the presence of all his soul

held dear, it seemed very strange that hour after hour glided

away but no Mendoza stepped forth from the closet! He could not

help remarking, that the gentleman’s correspondence must be

unusually voluminous, when Aurora’s features all at once assumed

the broader contour of a laugh, with a delightfully provoking

question to Don Lewis — Is it possible that love can be so

blind as not to detect the glaring imposition by which it has

been deluded? Has my real self made so faint an impression on

your senses, that a flaxen peruke and a pencilled eyebrow could

carry the farce to such a height as this? But the masquerade is

over now. Pacheco, continued she, resuming an air of gravity; you

are to learn that Don Felix de Mendoza and Aurora de Guzman are

but one and the same person.

 

It was not enough to discover to him all the springs and

contrivances by which he had been duped; she confessed the

motives of tender partiality that led her to the attempt, and

detailed the progress of the plot to the winding up of the

catastrophe. Don Lewis scarcely knew whether to be most

astonished or delighted at the recital; at my mistress’s feet he

thus uttered the transports of his fond applause — Ah! lovely

Aurora, can I believe myself indeed the happy mortal on whom your

favours have been so lavished? What can I do to make you amends

for them? My affection, were this life eternal, could scarcely

pay the price. These pretty speeches were followed by a thousand

others of the same quality and texture; after which the lovers

descended a little nearer to common sense, and began planning the

rational and human means of arriving at the accomplishment of

their wishes. It was resolved that we should set out without loss

of time for Madrid, where marriage was to drop the curtain on the

last act of our comedy. This purpose was executed in the spirit

of impatience which conceived it; so that Don Lewis was united to

my mistress in a fortnight, and the nuptial ceremonies were

graced with the usual accompaniments of music, feasting, balls,

and rejoicings, without either end or respite.

 

CH. VII — Gil Blas leaves his place and goes into the service of

Don Gonzales Pacheco.

 

THREE weeks after marriage, my mistress bethought herself of

rewarding the services I had rendered her. She made me a present

of a hundred pistoles, telling me at the same time — Gil Blas,

my good fellow, it is not that I mean to turn you away, for you

have my free leave to stay here as long as you please; but my

husband has an uncle, Don Gonzales Pacheco, who wants you very

much for a valet-de-chambre. I have given you so excellent a

character, that he would let me have no peace till I consented to

part with you. He is a very worthy old nobleman, so that you will

be quite in your element in his family.

 

I thanked Aurora for all her kindness; and, as my occupation was

over about her, I so much the more readily accepted the post that

offered, as it was merely a transfer from one branch of the

Pachecos to another. One morning, therefore, I called on the

illustrious Don Gonzales with a message from the bride. He ought

at least to have over-slept himself; for he was in bed at near

noon. When I went into his chamber, a page had just brought him a

basin of soup which he was taking. The dotard cherished his

whiskers, or rather tortured them with curling-papers; though his

eyes were sunk in their sockets, his complexion pale, and his

visage emaciated. This was one of those old codgers who have been

a little whimsical or so in their youth, and have made poor

amends for their freedoms by the discretion of their riper age.

His reception of me was affable enough, with an assurance that if

my attachment to him kept pace with my fidelity to his niece, my

condition should not be worse than that of my fellows. I promised

to place him in my late mistress’s shoes, and became the working

partner in a new firm.

 

A new firm it undoubtedly was, and heaven knows we had a strange

head of the house. The resurrection of Lazarus was an ordinary

event compared to his getting up. Imagine to yourself a long bag

of dry bones, a mere skeleton, a dissection, an anatomy of a man;

a study in osteology! As for the legs, three or four pair of

stockings one over the other, had no room to make any figure upon

them. In addition to the foregoing, this mummy before death was

asthmatic, and therefore obliged to divide the little breath he

had between his cough and his loquacity. He breakfasted on

chocolate. On the strength of that refreshment, he ventured to

call for pen, ink, and paper, and to write a short note, which he

sealed and sent to its address by the page who had administered

the broth. But this henceforth will be your office, my good lad,

said he, as he turned his haggard eyes upon me; all my little

concerns will be in your hands, and especially those in which

Donna Euphrasia takes an interest. That lady is an enchanting

young creature, with whom I am distractedly in love, and by whom,

though I say it who should not say it, I am met with all the

mutual ardour of inextinguishable and unutterable passion.

 

Heaven defend us! thought I within myself: good now! if this old

antidote to rapture can fancy himself an object on which the fair

should waste their sweets, is it any wonder that among our young

folks each fancies himself the Adonis, for whom every Venus

pines? Gil Blas, pursued he with a chuckle, this very day will I

take you to this abode of pleasure; it is my house of call almost

every evening for a bit of supper. You will be quite petrified at

her modest appearance,