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

outcook all his fine cookery. According to my

promise I wrote immediately to Don Alphonso, to let him know that

our kitchen wanted a prime minister; and on the following day he

filled up the vacancy in so worthy a manner, as reconciled Scipio

at once to the change in culinary politics.

 

Though my adroit and active secretary had assured me of Antonia’s

secret self-congratulation on the conquest of her landlord’s

heart, I could not venture to rely solely on his report. I was

fearful lest he should have been entrapped by false appearances.

To be more certain of my bliss, I determined on speaking in

person to the fair Antonia. I therefore went to Basil’s house,

and confirmed to him what my ambassador had announced. This

honest peasant, of patriarchal simplicity and golden-aged

frankness, after having heard me through, did not hesitate to own

that it would be the greatest happiness of his life to give me

his daughter; but, added he, you are by no means to suppose that

it is because you are lord of the manor. Were you still steward

to Don Caesar and Don Alphonso, I should prefer you to all other

suitors who might apply: I have always felt a sort of kindness

towards you: and nothing vexes me, but that Antonia has not a

thumping fortune to bring with her. I want not the vile dross,

said I; her person is the only dowry that I covet. Your humble

servant for that, cried he; but you will not settle accounts with

me after that fashion; I am not a beggar, to marry my daughter

upon charity. Basil de Buenotrigo is in circumstances, by the

blessing of Providence, to portion her off decently; and I mean

that she should set out a little supper, if you are to be at the

expense of dinners. In a word, the rental of this estate is only

five hundred ducats: I shall raise it to a thousand on the

strength of this marriage.

 

Just as you please, my dear Basil, replied I; we are not likely

to have any dispute about money matters. We are both of a mind;

all that remains is to get your daughter’s consent. You have

mine, said he, and that is enough. Not altogether so, answered I;

though yours may he absolutely necessary, no business can be done

without hers. Hers follows mine of course, replied he; I should

like to catch her murmuring against my sovereign commands.

Antonia, rejoined I, with dutiful submission to paternal

authority, is ready without question to obey your will implicitly

in all things; but I know not whether in the present instance she

would do so without violence to her own feelings; and should that

be the case, I could never forgive myself for being the occasion

of unhappiness to her; in short, it is not enough that I obtain

her hand from you, if her heart is to heave a sigh at the

decision of her destiny. Oh, blessed virgin! said Basil, all

these fine doctrines of philosophy are far above my reach; speak

to Antonia your own self, and you wilt find, or I am very much

mistaken, that she wishes for nothing better than to be your

wife. These words were no sooner out of his mouth than he called

his daughter, and left me with her for a few short minutes.

 

Not to trifle with so precious an opportunity, I broke my mind to

her at once: Lovely Antonia, said I, it remains with you to fix

the colour of my future days. Though I have your father’s

consent, do not think so meanly of me as to suppose that I would

avail myself of it to violate the sacred freedom of your choice.

Rapturous as must be the possession of your charms, I waive my

pretensions if you but tell me that your duty and not your will

complies. It would be affectation to put on such a repugnance,

answered she; the honour of your addresses is too flattering to

excite any other than agreeable sensations, and I am thankful for

my father’s tender care of me, instead of demurring to his will.

I am not sure whether such an acknowledgment may not be contrary

to the rules of female reserve in the polite world; but if you

were disagreeable to me, I should be plain-spoken enough to tell

you so; why, then, should I not be equally free in owning the

kind feelings of my heart?

At sounds like these, which I could not bear without being

enraptured, I dropped on my knee before Antonia, and in the

excess of my tender emotions, taking one of her fair hands,

kissed it with an affectionate and impassioned action. My dear

Antonia, said I, your frankness enchants me; go on, let nothing

induce you to depart from it; you are conversing with your future

husband; let your soul expand itself, and reveal all its inmost

emotions in his presence. Thus, then, may I entertain the

flattering hope that you will not frown on the union of our

destinies! The coming in of Basil at this moment prevented me

from giving further vent to the delightful sensations which

thrilled through me. Impatient to know how his daughter had

behaved, and ready primed for scolding in case she had been

perverse or coy, he made up to me immediately. Well, now! said

he, are you satisfied with Antonia? So much so, answered I, that

I am going this very moment to set forward the preparations for

our marriage. So saying, I left the father and daughter, for the

purpose of taking counsel with my secretary thereupon.

 

CH. IX. — Nuptials of Gil Blas with the fair Antonia; the style

and manner of the ceremony; the persons assisting thereat; and

the festivities ensuing there upon.

 

THOUGH there was no occasion to consult with the lords of Leyva

about my marriage, yet both Scipio and myself were of opinion

that I could not decently do otherwise than communicate to them

my purpose of connecting myself with Basil’s daughter, and just

pay them the compliment of asking their advice, after the act was

finally determined on.

 

I immediately went off for Valencia, where my visit was a matter

of surprise, and still more the purport of it Don Caesar and Don

Alphonso, who were acquainted with Antonia, having seen her more

than once, wished me joy on my good fortune in a wife. Don

Caesar, in particular, made his speech upon the occasion with so

much youthful fire, that if there had not been reason to suppose

his lordship weaned, by that icy moralist, time, from certain

naughty propensities, I should have suspected him of going to

Lirias now and then, not so much to look after his concerns

there, as after his little empress of the dairy. Seraphina, too,

with the kindest assurances of a lively interest in whatever

might befall me, said that she had heard a very favourable

character of Antonia; but, added she, with a malicious fling, as

if to taunt me with my supercilious reception of Sephora’s

amorous advances, even though her beauty had not been so much the

talk of the country, I could have depended on your taste, from

former experience of its delicacy and fastidiousness.

 

Don Caesar and his son did not stop at cold approbation of my

marriage, but declared that they would defray all the expenses of

it. Measure back your steps, said they, to Lirias, and stay

quietly there till you hear further from us. Make no preparation

for your nuptials, for we shall make that our concern. To meet

their kind intentions with becoming gratitude, I returned to my

mansion, and acquainted Basil and his daughter with the projected

kindness of our patrons. We determined to wait their pleasure

with as much patience as falls to the lot of poor human nature

under such circumstances. Eight long days dragged out their

tedious measure, and brought no tidings of our bliss. But the

rewards of self-control are not the less assured for being slow:

on the ninth, a coach drawn by four mules drove up, with a cargo

of mantua-makers for the bride, and an assortment of rich silks

on which to exercise their art. Several livery servants, mounted

on mules, accompanied the cavalcade. One of them brought me a

letter from Don Alphonso. That nobleman sent me word that he

would be at Lirias next day with his father and his wife, and

that the marriage ceremony should he performed on the day after

that, by the vicar-general of Valencia. And just so it came to

pass: Don Caesar, his son, and Seraphina, with that venerable

dignitary, were punctual to their appointment; all four of them

in a coach and six; none of your mules, like the mantua-makers!

preceded by an other coach and four, with Seraphina’s women; and

the rear was brought up by a company of the governor’s guards.

 

The governor’s lady had hardly entered the house before she

testified an ardent longing to see Antonia, who on her part no

sooner knew that Seraphina was arrived, than she ran forward to

bid her welcome, with a respectful kiss upon her hand, so

gracefully and modestly impressed, that all the company were

enchanted at the action. And now, madam! said Don Caesar to his

daughter-in-law, what do you think of Antonia? Could Santillane

have made a better choice? No, answered Seraphina, they are

worthy each of the other; there can be no doubt but their union

will be most happy. In short, every one was lavish in the praise

of my intended; and if they felt her beams so powerfully under

the eclipse of a stuff gown, what must they not have endured from

her brightness, in the meridian sunshine of her wedding finery?

One would have fancied she had been clothed in silks, jewels, and

fine linen from her cradle, by the dignity of her air and the

ease of her deportment.

 

The happy moment which was to unite two fond lovers in the bands

of Hymen being arrived, Don Alphonso took me by the hand and led

me to the altar, while Seraphina conferred the like honour on the

bride elect. Our procession had marched in fit and decent order

through the hamlet to the chapel, where the vicar-general was

waiting to go through the service; and the ceremony was performed

amidst the heartfelt congratulations of the inhabitants, and of

all the wealthy farmers in the neighbourhood, whom Basil had

invited to Antonia’s wedding. Their daughters too came in their

train, tricked out in ribbons and in flowers, and dancing to the

music of their own tambourines. We returned to the mansion under

the same escort: and there, by the provident attentions of

Scipio, who officiated as high steward and master of the

ceremonies, we found three tables set out; one for the principals

of the party, another for their household, and the third, which

was by far the largest, for all invited guests promiscuously.

Antonia was at the first, the governor’s lady having made a point

of it; I did the honours of the second, and Basil was placed at

the head of that where the country people dined. As for Scipio,

he never sat down, but was here, there, and everywhere, fetching

and carrying, changing plates and filling bumpers, urging the

company to call freely for what they wanted, and egging them on

to mirth and jollity.

 

The entertainment had been prepared by the governor’s cooks; and

that is as much as to say, that there were all the delicacies

imaginable, in season or out of season. The good wines laid in

for me by master Joachim, were set running at a furious rate; the

guests were beginning to feel their jovial influence, pleasantry

and repartee gave a zest