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

it. Let us join our forces, let

us travel the same road, let us make a joint-stock out of our

neighbours’ purses, let us rob, let us cheat, let us avail

ourselves of every opportunity that may offer of exemplifying our

theory, and improving our practice, in the noble art on which our

skill is employed.

 

The proposal was made in so candid a spirit, so like a citizen of

the world, untainted with the selfishness of your honest men,

that I closed in with it at once. My confidence was surrendered

at the first summons to the frankness with which he volunteered

his own. We spoke our free hearts each to the other. I dilated

all my pilgrimage, and he spake of most disastrous chances, of

moving accidents through which he had passed even from his boyish

days to this very moment of his ripe and rampant roguery. It

appeared that he was on his way from Portalegre, whence he had

been obliged to decamp with the utmost expedition on account of a

little swindling transaction in which his luck happened not to

keep pace with his ingenuity. The habit he wore was

sacrilegiously adopted as a cloak to his person and real

character, since he thought it safest to be near the church,

however far from God. Thus did we two share all our counsel, and

pledge our brother’s vows, till we grew together like a double

cherry, and determined, with two seeming bodies but one heart, to

incorporate our voices and minds in some masterstroke at Merida.

If it took, well and good; if not, we had only to cut and run.

From this moment, community of goods, that pure and simple

feature of patriarchal life, was enacted as a law between us.

Moralez, it is true, for that was my fellow-traveller’s name, did

not find himself in the most splendid condition possible. His

funds were limited to five or six ducats, with a few little

articles in a bag. I therefore was the monied man of the firm;

but then there was brass in his forehead for an inexhaustible

coinage, and the seeming of a saint when he played the devil

most. So on we journeyed on the ride-and-tie principle, and

arrived in humble cavalcade at Merida.

 

We put up at an inn near the skirts of the town, where my comrade

changed his dress. When he had rigged himself in layman’s attire,

we took a turn up and down, to reconnoitre the ground, and see if

we could pick out some opportunity of labouring in our vocation.

Had it been our good fortune to have lived before Homer, that old

apologist for sharping by wholesale would have dignified our

excursion with a simile.

 

Not half so keen, fierce vultures of the chase

Stoop from the mountains on the feathered race, &c.

 

To descend into plain prose, we were ruminating on the chapter of

accidents, and hammering out some theme for the employment of our

industry, when we espied a grey-headed old gentleman in the

street, sword in hand, defending himself against three men who

were thrusting at him with all their might and main. The

unfairness of the match was what stuck in my throat; so that

flying, with the spirit of a prize-fighter, to see fair play, I

made common cause with the old man. Moralez followed up my blows.

We proved ourselves match for the three assailants, and put them

completely to the rout.

 

Our rescued friend was profuse in his acknowledgments. We are in

rapture, said I, at our good luck in being here so seasonably for

your assistance: but let us at least know to whom we have been so

fortunate as to be serviceable; and what inducement those three

men could possibly have for their murderous attempt. Gentlemen

replied he, my obligations are too great to hesitate about

satisfying your curiosity; my name is Jerome de Moyadas, a

gentleman of this town, living on my means. One of these cut-throat rascals, from whom you have rescued me, professes to be in

love with my daughter. He asked her of me in marriage within

these few days; and for want of gaining my consent in a quiet

way, has just attempted to force himself into my daughter’s good

graces, by sending me into the other world. And may we take the

liberty, rejoined I, of inquiring farther, why you were so

obdurate to the proposals of this enamoured swain? I will explain

the whole to you at once, said he. I had a brother, a merchant in

this town; his name was Austin. Two months ago he happened to be

at Calatrava, and took up his abode with his correspondent, Juan

Velez de la Membrilla. They got to be as loving as turtles; and

my brother, to clench the connection, engaged my daughter

Florence to his good friend’s son, not doubting but he had

influence enough with me to redeem his pledge when he returned to

Merida. Accordingly, he no sooner opened himself on the subject

than I consented out of pure fraternal affection. He sent

Florence’s picture to Calatrava; but, alas! he did not live to

put the finishing hand to his own work. We laid him with his

forefathers three weeks ago! On his death-bed, he besought me not

to dispose of my girl but in favour of his correspondent’s son. I

satisfied his mind on that point; and this is the reason why I

have refused Florence to the suitor by whom I was assaulted,

though the match would have been a very desirable one. But my

word is my idol; and we are in daily expectation of Juan Velez de

la Membrilla’s heir, who is to be my son-in-law, though I know no

more of him, nor of his father neither, than if they were just

imported from an undiscovered island. But I beg pardon; this is

an old man’s garrulity. Yet you yourselves led me into the

scrape.

 

This tale did I swallow with a greedy ear; and pouncing at once

upon a part to play, which my fruitful imagination suggested, I

put on an air of inordinate surprise, and ventured at all hazards

to lift my eyes upward to a purer region. Then turning to my

father-in-law, with an expression of feeling which nothing but

hypocrisy could personate: Ah! Signor de Moyadas, is it possible

that, on my arrival at Merida, I should enjoy the heartfelt

triumph of rescuing from foul assassination the honoured parent

of my peerless love? This exclamation produced all the

astonishment it was levelled to excite in the old citizen. Even

Moralez himself stared like an honest man, and shewed by his face

that there was a degree of impudence to which his conceptions had

not hitherto risen. What! do not my ears deceive me? exclaimed

the old gentleman. And are you really the son of my brother’s

correspondent? Really and truly, Signor Jerome de Moyadas,

rejoined I with impregnable effrontery, and a hug round his neck

that had nearly sent him after his brother. Behold the selected

mortal of his species, to whose arms the adorable Florence is

devoted! But these nuptial anticipations, transporting as they

are, must yield to the anguish of my soul for the demise of their

founder. Poor Austin! He is gone, and we must all follow! I

should be ingratitude personified, if my heart was not lacerated

and rent by the death of a man to whom I owe all my hopes of

bliss. At the term of this period, I squeezed good Jerome’s

wezand once more, and drew the back of my hand across my eyes, to

wipe away the tears it had not been convenient to shed. Moralez,

who by this time had conned over the pretty pickings to be made

out of this juggle, was not wanting to play his underpart. He

passed himself off for my servant, and improved upon his master

in lamentation for the untimely death of Signor Austin. My

honoured master Jerome, exclaimed he, what a loss have you

sustained, since your brother is no more! He was such an honest

man. Honest men are not to be met with every day. A superfine

sample of commerce! A dealer in friendship without a percentage!

A dealer in merchandise without an underhand advantage! A dealer

who dealt as dealers very seldom do deal!

 

We had our hands to play against a man who was a novice at the

game. Simple and cullible, so far from smelling out the rat, he

took his stink for a nosegay. And why, said he, did you not come

straight to my house? It was not friendly to put up at an inn. On

the footing we are likely to be upon, there should be none of

those punctilios. Sir, said Moralez, helping me out of the

scrape, my master is a little too much given to stand upon

ceremony. Though to be sure, in the present instance, he is in

some degree excusable for declining to appear before in this

uncouth trim. We have been robbed upon the road, and have lost

all our travelling equipage. My lad, interrupted I, has let the

cat out of the bag, Signor de Moyadas. This unlucky accident has

prevented me from paying my respects sooner. True love is

diffident; nor could I venture in this garb into the presence of

a mistress who was unacquainted with my person. I was therefore

waiting the return of a servant whom I have sent to Calatrava.

Such a trifle, rejoined the old man, must not deprive us of your

company; and I insist upon it, that you make my house your home

from this very moment.

 

With such sort of importunity, he forced me into his family: but

as we were on our way, the pretended robbery was a natural topic

of conversation; and I should have made light of my baggage,

though the loss was very considerable, had not Florence’s picture

unluckily formed a part of the booty! The old codger chuckled at

that, and observed, that such a loss was easily repaired: the

original was worth five hundred per cent. more than the copy. To

make me amends, as soon as we got home, he called his daughter, a

girl of not more than sixteen, with a person to have reclaimed a

libertine, if beauty ever possessed that power except in romance.

You behold, said he, the bale of goods my late brother has

consigned to you. Oh! my good sir, exclaimed I in an impassioned

tone, words are not wanting to assure me that this must be the

lovely Florence: those bewitching features are engraven on my

memory, their impression is indelible on my heart. If the

portrait I have lost, the mere outline of these embodied charms,

could kindle passion by its cold and lifeless likeness, judge

what must be my agitation, my transport at this moment. Such

language is too flattering to be sincere, said Florence; nor am I

so weak and vain as to be persuaded that my merits warrant it.

That is right! interchange your fine speeches, my children! This

was a good-natured encouragement from the father, who at once

left me alone with his daughter, and taking Moralez aside, said

to him; My friend, those who made so free with your baggage,

doubtless did not stand upon any ceremony with your money. Very

true, sir, answered my colleague; an overpowering band of robbers

poured down upon us near Castil-Blazo, and left us not a rag but

what we carry on our backs: but we are in momentary expectation

of receiving bills of exchange, and then we shall appear once

more like ourselves.

 

While you are waiting for your bills of exchange, replied the old

man, taking a purse out of his pocket, here are a hundred

pistoles with which you may do