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

least as we supposed, could escape our prying

curiosity; and in every fresh room we went into, I had occasion

to admire the kindness of Don Caesar and his son towards me. I

was struck, among other things, with two apartments, which were

as elegantly furnished as they could be, without misplaced

magnificence. One of them was hung with tapestry, the celebrated

manufacture of the Low Countries; the velvet bed and chairs were

still very handsome, though in the fashion of the time when the

Moors possessed the kingdom of Valencia. The furniture of the

other room was in the same taste; to wit, an old suit of

hangings, made of yellow Genoa damask, with a bed and arm-chairs

to match, fringed with blue silk. All these effects, which would

have furnished but a sorry display in an upholsterer’s shop, made

no contemptible appearance in their present situation.

 

After having rummaged over every article of the paraphernalia, my

secretary and myself returned to the dining-room, where the cloth

was laid for two; we sat down; and in an instant they served up

so delicious an olla podrida, that we could not help revolving on

the various turns of the fate below which had parted the good

Archbishop of Valencia from his cook. We had in truth a most

catholic and ravenous appetite; a circumstance which added new

zest to our praises and enjoyments. Between every succeeding help

my servants, with all the alacrity of fresh and holiday service,

filled our large glasses to the brim with wine, the choicest

vintage of La Mancha. Scipio, not thinking it genteel to express

aloud the inward chucklings of his heart at our dainty fare,

winked and nodded his delight, and spoke by signs, which I

returned with the like dumb eloquence of overflowing

satisfaction. The remove was a dish of roast quails, flanking a

little leveret in high order, just kept long enough; for this we

left our hash, good as it was, and gorged ourselves to a surfeit

on the game. When we had eaten as if we had never eaten before,

and pledged one another in due proportion, we rose from table and

went into the garden to look out for some cool, pleasant spot,

and take our afternoon’s nap voluptuously.

 

If hitherto my secretary had goggled satisfaction at what he had

seen, he stared wider and grinned broader at this vista vision of

the garden. He scarcely allowed the comparison to be in favour of

the Escurial. The reason of its extreme niceness was that Don

Caesar, who came backwards and forwards to Lirias, took pleasure

in improving and ornamenting it. All the walks well gravelled and

lined with orange trees, a large reservoir of white marble, with

a lion in bronze spouting water like a dolphin’s deputy in the

middle, the beauty of the flower borders, the profusion and

variety of the fruit trees; such pretty particulars as these made

Scipio smack his lips and snuff the air; but his raptures reached

their summit at the gradual descent of a long walk, leading to

the bailiff’s cottage, and over-arched by the interwoven boughs

of the trees planted on each side. While eulogizing a place so

well adapted for a refuge from the intenseness of the heat, we

made a halt, and sat down at the foot of an elm, where sleep

required very little cunning to entangle two high-fed, half-tipsy

blades, just risen from so voluptuous and voracious a repast.

 

In about two hours we were startled out of our sleep by the

report of musketry, popping so near the head-quarters of our

repose that we apprehended the camp to be attacked. On the alert!

was the first idea that invaded our dozing minds. That we might

procure the most authentic intelligence, in what direction the

enemy was approaching, we directed our march towards the

bailiff’s tenement. There were collected eight or ten

clodhoppers, all friends and neighbours, assembled on the green

for the purpose of honouring my arrival, just communicated to the

vacant senses of the said clodhoppers, by a discharge of fire-arms, whose barrels and furniture might thank me for the unusual

favour of a thorough cleaning. The greater part of them were

acquainted with my person, having seen me more than once at the

castle, while engaged in the business of my stewardship. No

sooner did they set eyes on me, than they all shouted in unison:

Long life to our new lord and master! welcome to Lirias! Then

they loaded once again, and fired another volley in honour of the

occasion. My habits and manners were softened down to the most

condescending urbanity, though with a decorous infusion of

distance, lest any degrading constructions might he put upon too

unlimited a freedom of address. With respect to my protection, I

promised it according to the customary charter of newly-installed

possessors; and went so far as to throw them a purse of twenty

pistoles: and this, in my opinion, was the point of all others in

my conduct which touched their hearts most nearly. After this

benefaction, I left them at liberty to waste as much powder as

they pleased, and withdrew with my secretary into the wood, where

we walked to and fro till night-fall, without being at all tired

of our rural prospect: so many charms had the view of a

landscape, heightened by the substantial beauties of ownership in

fee-simple, to our elevated and delighted imaginations.

 

The cook, the under-cook, and the scullion were not resting upon

their oars all this time: they were working hard to fit up for us

an artifice of belly timber more magnificent that what we had

already demolished; so that we were over head and ears in

amazement, when on our return to the room where we had dined, we

saw on the table a dish of four roast partridges, with a

smothered rabbit on one side, and a fricasseed capon on the

other. The second course consisted of pigs’ ears, jugged game,

and chocolate cream. We drank deeply of the most delicious wines,

and began to think of going to bed, when it became a matter of

doubt whether we could sit up any longer. Then my people, with

lighted candles before me, led the way to the best bed-room,

where they were all most officious in assisting to undress me:

but when they had tendered me my gown and nightcap, I dismissed

them with an authoritative undulation of my hand, signifying that

their services were dispensed with for the remainder of that

night.

 

Thus I sent them all about their business, keeping Scipio for a

little private conference between ourselves; and I led to it by

asking him what he thought of my reception, as arranged by order

of my noble patrons. Indeed and indeed, answered he, the human

heart could not devise anything more delicious. I only wish we

may go on as we have begun. I have no wish of the kind, re plied

I: it is contrary to my principles to allow that my benefactors

should put themselves to so much expense on my account; it would

be a downright fraud upon their benevolence. Besides, I could

never feel myself at home with servants in the pay of other

people; it is just like living in a lodging or an inn. Then it is

to be remembered, that I did not come hither to live upon so

expensive a scale. What occasion have we for so large an

establishment of servants? Our utmost want, with Bertrand, is a

cook, a scullion, and a footman. Though my secretary would not

have been at all sorry to table for a continuance at the governor

of Valencia’s expense, he did not oppose his own luxurious taste

to my moral delicacy, but conformed at once to my sentiments, and

approved the reduction I was meditating to introduce. That point

being decided, he left my chamber, and betook himself to his

pillow in his own.

 

CH. IV. — A journey to Valencia, and a visit to the lords of

Leyva. The conversation of the gentlemen, and Seraphina’s

demeanour.

 

I GOT my clothes off as soon as possible, and went to bed, where,

finding no great inclination to sleep, I communed with my own

thoughts. The mutual attachment between the lords of Leyva and

myself was uppermost in the various topics of my contemplation.

With my heart full of their late kindness, I determined on

setting out for their residence the next day, and quenching my

impatience to thank them for their favours. Neither was it a

slender gratification to anticipate another interview with

Seraphina; though there was somewhat of alloy in that pleasure:

it was impossible to reflect without shuddering, that I should at

the same time have to encounter the glances of Dame Lorenza

Sephora, who might not be greatly delighted at the renewal of our

acquaintance, should her memory happen to stumble upon the

circumstances connected with a certain box on the ear. With my

mind exhausted by all these different suggestions, my eyelids at

length closed, and the sun had peeped in at my window long before

they turned upon their hinges.

 

I was soon out of bed; and dressed myself with all possible

expedition, in the earnest desire of prosecuting my intended

journey. Just as I had finished my hasty operations, my secretary

came into the room. Scipio, said I, you behold a man on the point

of setting out for Valencia. I ought to lose no time in paying my

respects to those noblemen to whom I am indebted for my little

independence. Every moment of delay in the performance of this

duty throws a new weight of ingratitude on my conscience. As for

you, my friend, there is no necessity for your attendance; stay

here during my absence; I shall come back to you within the space

of a week. Heaven speed you, sir! answered he — be sure you do

not slight Don Alphonso and his father — they seem to me to

thrill with the kindly vibrations of friendship, and to be

unbounded in their acknowledgment of obligation: gratitude and

benevolence are so uncommon in people of rank, that they deserve

to be made the most of where found. I sent a message to Bertrand,

to hold himself in readiness for setting out, and took my

chocolate while he was harnessing the mules. When all was

prepared, I got into my carriage, after having directed my people

to consider my secretary as master of the house in my absence,

and to obey his orders as if they were my own.

 

I got to Valencia in less than four hours, and drove at once to

the governor’s stables, where I alighted and left my equipage. On

going to the house, I was informed that Don Caesar and his son

were together. I did not wait for an introduction, but went in

without ceremony; and addressing myself to both of them,

Servants, said I, never send in their names to their masters;

here is an old piece of family furniture, not ornamental indeed,

but of a fashion when gratitude was neither out of date nor out

of countenance. These words were accompanied with an effort to

throw myself on my knees; but they anticipated my purpose, and

embraced me one after the other with all possible evidence of

sincere affection. Well, then, my dear Santillane, said Don

Alphonso, you have been at Lirias to take possession of your

little property. Yes, my lord, answered I; and my next request

is, that you would be pleased to take it back again. What is your

reason for that? replied he. Is there anything about it at all

offensive to your taste? Not in the place itself, rejoined I: on

the contrary, that is everything that my heart can wish; the only

fault I have