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

which

the god of love inspired me. I must at the same time declare that

a trick is at the best but a mean thing, and, however sanctified

by the motive, my conscience recoiled at the delusion. Yet I

could not but think that my pardon would be granted on the

discovery, when it should come out that I was an Italian prince

travelling through this country as a private gentle man. My

father reigns supreme over a nest of inaccessible valleys, lying

between Switzerland, the Milanese, and Savoy. It could not but

occur to me that you would be agreeably surprised when I should

unfold to you my birth, and having married Florence under my

fictitious character, should announce to her the rank she had

attained, with all the rapture of an enamoured husband, and all

the stage effect of a hero in tragedy or romance. But heaven,

pursued I, with an hypocritical softening down of my accents, has

visited my sins by cutting me off from such a perennial stream of

joy. Pedro de la Membrilla was introduced upon the scene; he must

have his name back again, whatever the restitution may cost me.

Your promise binds you hand and foot to fix upon him for your

son-in-law; it is your duty to give him the preference, without

taking my rank and station into the account; without mercy on the

forlorn condition to which you are going to reduce me. To be

sure, it might be said, but then I should say it who ought not to

say it, that your brother had only the authority of an uncle over

your daughter, that you are her father, and that there is more

right and reason in discharging an actual debt of gratitude

towards your preserver, than in being mealy-mouthed about a

verbal promise which would press but lightly on the conscience of

the most scrupulous casuist.

 

Yes, without doubt, that argument is indisputable, exclaimed

Jerome de Moyadas; and on that ground there can no longer be any

question between you and Pedro de la Membrilla. If my brother

Austin were still living, he would not think it bad morality to

give the preference to a man who has saved my life, nor a bad

speculation to close the bargain with a prince who has not

disdained to court our alliance. It were an absolute suicide on

the part of all my opening prospects; the frantic desperation of

an acknowledged incurable, not to dispose of my daughter so

illustriously, not to solicit your highness’s acceptance of her

hand. And yet, sir, resumed I, these things are not to be

determined without due deliberation; look at your own interests

and safety with a microscopic eye, for though the illustrious

channel through which my blood has flowed for ages … . You

are scarcely serious, interrupted he, in supposing that I can

hesitate for a moment. No, may it please your highness; it is my

most humble and earnest request that you will deign, on this very

evening, to honour the happy Florence with your hand. Well, then!

said I, be it so; go yourself and be the bearer of the unlooked-for tidings, announce to her the brilliant career of her exalted

destiny.

 

While the good citizen was putting his best foot foremost, to

instil into his daughter that she had made the conquest of a

prince, Moralez, who had taken in the whole conversation with

greedy ear, threw himself upon his knees before me, and did

homage in these bantering terms. Most potent, grave, and august

Italian prince, son of a sovereign, supreme over a nest of

inaccessible valleys, lying between Switzerland, the Milanese,

and Savoy, permit me to humble myself at your highness’s feet, in

humble acknowledgment of the ecstasy into which you have thrown

me. By the honour of a swindler, you are one of the wonders of

our world. I always thought myself the first man in the line; but

in good truth I doff my bonnet before you, whose genius seems to

supersede the lessons of experience. Then you are no longer

uneasy about the result, said I to my colleague in iniquity. Oh!

as to that, not in the least, answered he. I no longer care a fig

for Master Pedro; let him come as soon as he pleases, we are a

match for him. Here we are, then, Moralez and myself, safe seated

on the saddle, and rising in our stirrups. We even went so far as

to begin settling the course we should pursue with the fortune,

on which we reckoned so securely, that if it had already been in

our pockets, we could not have chuckled more triumphantly over

the proverb of “a bird in the hand.” Yet we were not in actual

possession, which is more than legal right: and the sequel of the

adventure proved to us, that manythings fall out between the cup

and the lip.

 

We very soon saw the young man of Calatrava returning. He was

accompanied by two citizens and by an alguazil, whose dignity was

as much supported by his whiskers, and by the lowering overcast

of his swarthy aspect, as by the weight of his official

character. Florence’s father was of the party. Signor de Moyadas,

said Pedro to him, here are three honest people come to answer

for me; they are acquainted with my person, and can tell you who

I am. Yes, undoubtedly, exclaimed the alguazil, I can depose to

the fact. I certify to all those whom it may concern, that you

are known to me: your name is Pedro, and you are the only son of

Juan Valez de la Membrilla: whosoever dares to maintain the

contrary is an impostor. I believe you implicitly, master

alguazil, said the good creature Jerome de Moyadas, rather drily.

Your evidence is gospel to me, as well as that of these fair and

honest tradesmen you have brought with you. I am fully satisfied

that the young gentleman on whose behalf you come is the only son

of my brother’s correspondent. But what is that to me? I am no

longer in the humour to give him my daughter, so there is an end

of that.

 

Oh! then it is quite another matter, said the alguazil. I only

come to your house for the purpose of assuring you that this

young man is no impostor. You have the authority of a parent over

your child, and no one has any right to dictate to you how you

are to marry her, and whether you will or no. Neither do I, on my

part, interrupted Pedro, pretend to lay any force on the

inclinations of Signor de Moyadas; but he will perhaps allow me

to ask him why he has so suddenly changed his resolution. Has he

any reason to be dissatisfied with me? Alas! let me at least

understand, that in losing the sweet hope of becoming his son-in-law, my promised bliss has not been wrested from me by any

misconduct of my own. I have no complaint to make of you,

answered the old man; nay, I will even tell you more; it is with

sincere sorrow that I find myself under the necessity of breaking

my word with you, and I heartily beseech you to forgive me for

having done so. I am persuaded that you are too generous to bear

me any ill-will for having thrown the balance into the scale of a

rival, who has saved my life. You see him here, pursued he,

introducing my noble self, this is the illustrious personage who

threw round me the shield of his protection in my great peril:

and, the better still to apologize for my seemingly harsh

treatment of yourself, you are to know that he is an Italian

prince.

 

At these last words, Pedro was dumbfounded, and looked as if he

could not help it. The two tradesmen opened their eyes as wide as

they could stare, with surprise at finding themselves for the

first time in princely society. But the alguazil, in the habit of

looking at things with the cross eye of suspicion, divined most

perspicuously that this marvellous adventure must be a complete

humbug; and the verification of the prophecy was calculated to

put money into the pocket of the prophet. He therefore conned

over my countenance with a very inquisitive regard; but as my

features, which were new to justice, threw him out most cruelly

from hunting down the game he was in chase of, he had no

alternative but to try his luck on my companion. Unfortunately

for my highness of the inaccessible valleys, he knew again the

hangdog features of Moralez; and recollecting to have seen him

within the purlieus of a gaol, Ay, ay! exclaimed he, this is one

of my established customers. This gentleman is a particular

acquaintance of mine, and you may take his character from me for

one of the rankest rascals within the kingdoms and principalities

of Spain. Softly, look before you leap, most adventurous

alguazil, said Jerome de Moyadas; this lad, of whom you draw so

unfavourable a picture, is in the travelling retinue of a prince.

So much the better, retorted the alguazil; a man would not desire

clearer evidence on which to bring in his verdict. If we can but

hang the servant, we shall soon send the master to the devil. The

case is as undeniable as a feed counsel’s plea; these pleasant

sparks are a couple of fortune-hunters, who have laid their heads

together to take you in. I am an old hound upon this scent; so

that, by way of proof presumptive that these merry vagabonds are

within the contemplation of the law in that case provided, I

shall lodge them where they will be well taken care of. They will

have plenty of time for meditation under the chastising

philosophy of a turnkey; or should confinement fail to mend their

morals, we have a sort of tangible discipline, which insinuates

reformation by the inlet of a smarting hide. Stop there, and

bethink you in good time, master officer, rejoined the old

gentleman; we must not draw the cord tighter than it will bear.

You never make any bones, you hangers-on of the law, about

hurting the feelings of better men than yourselves. May not this

servant be a common cheat, without his master being a swindler?

Princes are persons of honour as a matter of course; yet the

retainers to a court are inordinate rascals; it requires no

conjurer to find that out. Are you playing into the hands of your

deluders, with your princes? interrupted the alguazil. This new

manufacturer of false pretences is a proficient, take my word for

it; but I shall quench his zeal in the service, and gravel the

ingenuity of his partner, with a whereas and a commitment in due

form. The scouts of justice are all round the door, who will

worry their game every inch of the chase, if they do not suffer

themselves to be taken quietly on their form. So come along, may

it please your serene highness, let us proceed to our

destination.

 

This upshot of the business was a death-blow to me, as well as to

Moralez; and our confusion did but infuse doubts into the mind of

Jerome de Moyadas, or rather burned, sunk, and destroyed us in

his esteem. He began rather to think, not without reason, that we

had some little design to impose on his credulity. Nevertheless

he acted on this occasion in the spirit of a man of honour and a

gentleman. My good friend and protector, said he to the alguazil,

your conjectures may be without foundation; on the other hand,

they may turn out to have too much truth in them. Whichever of

these alternatives may be the fact, let us not look too curiously

into their