Gil Blas, Alain-René Lesage [best romance ebooks .txt] 📗

“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 cutthroat 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 further, 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 Vélez de la Membrilla. They got to be as loving as turtles; and my brother, to clinch 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 Mérida. 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 deathbed, he besought me not to dispose of my girl but in favor 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 Vélez 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! Señor de Moyadas, is it possible that, on my arrival at Merita, I should enjoy the heartfelt triumph of rescuing from foul assassination the honored 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 showed 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, Señor 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 weasand 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 Señor Austin. ‘My honored 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 gullible, 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 you 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, Señor 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