The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane - Alain René le Sage (best fiction books of all time .txt) 📗

the lady’s favour. When do you mean to put me in

possession? Fair and softly, sir, answered he, the more haste the

worse speed. It will be necessary for me first to communicate the

affair to the father, and instil the advantage of it into his

capacity. Good! rejoined I with a burst of laughter; is it

thereabouts you are? The match is far advanced in its progress

towards consummation. Much nearer than you suppose, replied he.

But one hour’s conversation with the goldsmith, and I pledge

myself for his consent But, before we go any further, let us come

to an agreement, if you please. Supposing that I should transfer

a hundred thousand ducats to you, what would my commission be?

Twenty thousand! was my answer. Heaven be praised therefore! said

he. I guessed your gratitude at ten thousand; so that it doubles

mine in a similar case. Come on then! I will set this negotiation

on foot to-morrow morning; and you may count upon its success, or

I am little better than one of the foolish ones.

 

In fact, he said to me two days afterwards, I have spoken to

Signor Gabriel Salero, my friend the goldsmith. On the loud

report of your high desert and credit, he has lent a favourable

ear to my offer of you for a son-in-law. You are to have his

daughter with a hundred thousand ducats, provided you can make it

appear clearly that you are in possession of the minister’s good

graces. Since that is the case, said I confidently to Scipio, I

shall soon be married. But, not entirely to forget the girl, have

you seen her? is she pretty? Not quite so pretty as her fortune,

answered he. Between ourselves, this heiress’s looks are as hard

as her cash. Luckily, you are perfectly indifferent about that.

Stone blind, by the light of the sun, my good fellow! replied I.

As for us whimsical fellows about court, we marry merely for the

sake of marrying. When we want beauty, we look for it in our

friends’ wives; and if, by fates and destinies, the sweets are

wasted on our own, their flavour is so mawkish to our palate,

that there is some merit in their not carrying the commodity to a

foreign market.

 

This is not all, resumed Scipio: Signor Gabriel hopes for the

pleasure of your company to supper this evening. By agreement,

there is to be no mention of marriage. He has invited several of

his mercantile friends to this entertainment, where you will take

your chance with the rest, and to-morrow he means to sup with you

on the same terms. By this you will perceive his drift of looking

before he leaps. You will do well to be a little on your guard

before him. Oh! for the matter of that, interrupted I with an air

of confidence, let him scrutinize me as closely as he pleases,

the result cannot fail to be in my favour.

 

All this happened as it was foretold. I was introduced at the

goldsmith’s, who received me with the familiarity of an old

acquaintance. A vulgar dog, but warm; and as troublesome with his

civility as a prude with her virtue. He presented me to Signora

Eugenia his wife, and the youthful Gabriela his daughter. I

opened wide my budget of compliments, without infringing the

treaty, and prattled soft nothings to them, in all the vacuity of

courtly dialogue.

 

Gabriela, with submission to my secretary’s better taste, was not

altogether so repulsive; whether by dint of being outrageously

bedizened, or because I looked at her in the raree-shew box of

her fortune. A charming house this of Signor Gabriel! There is

less silver, I verily believe, in the Peruvian mines, than under

his roof. That metal presented itself to the view in all

directions, under a thousand different forms. Every room, and

especially that where we were entertained, was a fairy palace.

What a bird’s eye view for a son-in-law! The old codger, to do

the thing genteelly, had collected five or six merchants about

him, all plodding spirit-wearing personages. Their tongues could

only talk of what their hearts were set upon; it was high change

all supper-time; but unfortunately wit was at a discount.

 

Next night, it was my turn to treat the goldsmith. Not being able

to dazzle him with my sideboard, I had recourse to another

artifice. I invited to supper such of my friends as made the

finest figure at court; hangers-on of state noted for the

unwieldiness of their ambition. These fellows could not talk on

common topics: the brilliant and lucrative posts at which they

aimed were all canvassed in detail; this too made its way. Poor

countinghouse Gabriel, in amazement at the loftiness of their

ideas, shrunk into insignificance, in spite of all his hoards, on

a comparison with these wonderful men. As for me, in all the

plausibility of moderation, I professed to wish for nothing more

than a comfortable fortune; a snug box and a competence:

whereupon these gluttons of the loaves and fishes cried out with

one voice that I was wrong, absolutely criminal; for the prime

minister would do anything upon earth for me, and it was an act

of duty to anoint my fingers with birdlime. My honoured papa

lost not a word of all this; and seemed, at going away, to take

his leave with some complacency.

 

Scipio went of course the next morning, to ask him how he liked

me. Extremely well indeed, answered the knight of the ledger; the

lad has won my very heart. But, good master Scipio, I conjure you

by our long acquaintance to deal with me as a true friend. We

have all our weak side, as you well know. Tell me where Signor de

Santillane is fallible. Is he fond of play? does he wench? On

what lay are his snug little vices? Do not fight shy, I beset

you. It is very unkind, Signor Gabriel, to put such a question,

retorted the go-between. Your interest is more to me than my

master’s. If he had any slippery propensities, likely to make

your daughter unhappy, would I ever have proposed him as a sonin-law? The deuce a bit! I am too much at your service. But,

between ourselves, he has but one fault; that of being faultless.

He is too wise for a young man. So much the better, replied the

goldsmith; he is the more like me. You may go, my friend, and

tell him he shall have my daughter, and should have her though he

knew no more of the minister than I do.

 

As soon as my secretary had reported this conversation, I flew to

thank Salero for his partiality. He had already told his mind to

his wife and daughter, who gave me to understand by their

reception, that they yielded without disgust. I carried my

father-in-law to the Duke of Lerma, whom I had informed the

evening before, and presented him with due ceremony. His

excellency gave him a most gracious reception, and congratulated

him on having chosen a man for his son-in-law, for whom he

himself had so great a regard, and meant to do such great things.

Then did he expatiate on my good qualities, and, in fact, said so

much to my honour, that honest Gabriel thought he had met with

the best match in Spain. His joy oozed out at his eyes. On

parting, he pressed me in his arms, and said: My son, I am so

impatient to see you Gabriela’s husband, that the affair shall be

finally settled within a week at latest.

 

CH. II. — In the progress of political vacancies, Gil Blas

recollects that there is such a man in the world as Don Alphonso

de Leyva; and renders him a service from motives of vanity.

 

LET us leave my marriage to take care of itself for a season. The

order of events requires me to recount a service rendered to my

old master Don Alphonso. I had entirely forgotten that

gentleman’s existence; but a circumstance recalled it to my

recollection.

 

The government of Valencia became vacant at this time; and put me

in mind of Don Alphonso de Leyva. I considered within myself that

the employment would suit him to a nicety; and determined to

apply for it on his be half, not so much out of friendship as

ostentation. If I could but procure it for him, it would do me

infinite honour. I told the Duke of Lerma that I had been steward

to Don Caesar de Leyva and his son; and that having every reason

in the world to feel myself obliged to them, I should take it as

a favour if he would give the government of Valencia to one or

other of them. The minister answered: Most willingly, Gil Blas. I

love to see you grateful and generous. Besides, the family stands

very high in my esteem. The Leyvas are loyal subjects; so that

the place cannot be better bestowed. You may take it as a wedding

present, and do what you like with it.

 

Delighted at the success of my application, I went to Calderona

in a prodigious hurry, to get the patent made out for Don

Alphonso. There was a great crowd, waiting in respectful silence

till Don Rodrigo should come and give audience. I made my way

through, and the closet door opened as if by sympathy. There were

no one knows how many military and civil officers, with other

people of consequence, among whom Calderona was dividing his

attentions. His different reception of different people was

curious. A slight inclination of the head was enough for some;

others he honoured with a profusion of courtly grimace, and bowed

than out of the closet. The proportions of civility were weighed

to a scruple. On the other hand, there were some suitors who,

shocked at his cold indifference, cursed in their secret soul the

necessity for their cringing before such a monkey of an idol.

Others, on the contrary, were laughing in their sleeve at his

gross and self-sufficient air. But the scene was thrown away upon

me; nor was I likely to profit by such a lesson. It was exactly

the counterpart of my own behaviour: and I never thought of

ascertaining whether my deportment was popular or offensive, so

long as there was no violation of outward respect.

 

Don Rodrigo accidentally casting a look towards me, left a

gentleman, to whom he was speaking, without ceremony, and came to

pay his respects with the most unaccountable tokens of high

consideration. Ah, my dear colleague! exclaimed he, what occasion

procures me the pleasure of seeing you here! Is there anything we

can do for you? I told him my business; whereupon he assured me,

in the most obliging terms, that the affair should be expedited

within four-and-twenty hours. Not satisfied with these

overwhelming condescensions, he conducted me to the door of his

antechamber, whither he never attended any but the nobility of

first rank. His farewell was as flattering as his reception.

 

What is the meaning of all this palaver? said I while retreating;

has any raven croaked my entrance, and prophesied promotion to

Calderona by my overthrow? Does he really languish for my

friendship? or does he feel the ground giving way under his feet,

and wish to save himself by clinging to the branches of my favour

and protection? It seemed a moot point, which of these

conjectures might be the right. The following day, on my return,

his behaviour was of the same stamp; caresses and civilities

poured in upon me in torrents. It is true that other people who

attempted to speak to him, were ramped in exact proportion with

the blandishments of his face towards me. He snarled at some,

petrified