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

in such delicate negotiations, to finish

as auspiciously as I had begun my undertaking.

 

I went to look for Carnero, and told him that it was his

excellency’s pleasure he should make out an order for the

admission of Estella and Lucretia, actresses from the Toledo

theatre, into his majesty’s company. Say you so, Signor de

Santillane? answered Carnero with a sarcastic leer; you shall not

be kept long in suspense, since you take so marked an interest in

the fortunes of these two ladies. He expedited the order in my

presence, and within a week the mother and daughter sent me

notice of their arrival. I immediately hastened to their lodging

near the theatre, and after an interchange of thanks on their

part, and assurances of continued support on mine, left them with

my best wishes for a bnlliant career of success.

 

Their names were announced in the bills as two new actresses,

engaged by the special mandate of the court. They made their

first appearance in a play, which they had been accustomed to

perform in at Toledo with loud and unanimous applause.

 

Novelty is the very life and soul of theatrical entertainments.

The house was uncommonly crowded, and I of course was among the

audience. I was rather frightened before the curtain drew up.

Prejudiced as I was in favour of the candidates, my alarm was in

proportion to my interest. But when once they were fairly on the

boards, the din of welcome quieted all my apprehensions. Estella

was considered as a first-rate actress in comic parts, and

Lucretia as a female Roscius in heroines and love-sick damsels.

But the love which she feigned herself, she really kindled in the

hearts of the spectators. Some admired the beauty of her eyes,

others were touched with the plaintive sweetness of her voice,

and all, bowing to the triumph of youth, vivacity, and elegance,

went away in raptures with her person.

 

My lord duke, who took an uncommon interest in this theatrical

event, was at the play that evening. I saw him leave his box at

the end of the piece, with evident approbation of our new

performers. Curious to know whether they equalled his

expectations, I followed him home, and into his closet, saying:

Well, my lord, is your excellency well pleased with little

Marialva? My excellency, answered he with a sly smile, must be

very difficult to be pleased, not to confirm the public voice:

yes, indeed, my good friend, I am enraptured with your Lucretia,

and firmly believe that the king will not see her without

emotion.

 

CH. III. — Lucretia’s popularity; her appearance before the

king; his passion, and its consequences.

 

GREAT was the noise about the court on this double acquisition to

the theatre; it became the topic of conversation next day at the

king’s levee. The young Lucretia was most in the mouths of the

nobility, who described her so feelingly, that his majesty could

not but imbibe the impression, though he was too politic to

express his interest either in words or by looks.

 

To make amends for that restraint, he questioned the minister as

soon as he was alone with him, who stated the success of a young

actress from Toledo on the evening before. Her name, added he, is

Lucretia; and it is really a pity that ladies of her profession

should ever have been christened by any less chaste appellative.

She is an acquaintance of Santillane, who spoke so highly of her,

that I thought it right to engage her for your majesty’s company.

The king smiled at the mention of my name, recollecting, perhaps,

through what channel he became acquainted with Catalina, and

foreboding a like assistance on the present occasion. Count, said

he to the minister, I mean to see this Lucretia act to-morrow,

and will thank you to let her know it.

 

I was of course sent with this intelligence to the two actresses.

Great news! said I to Laura, whom I saw first: you will have the

sovereign of the Spanish monarchy among your audience to-morrow,

as the minister has desired me to inform you. I cannot doubt but

you will both of you do your best to prove yourselves worthy of a

royal command; but I would advise you to choose a piece with

music and dancing, that all Lucretia’s accomplishments may be

displayed at one view. We will take your counsel, answered Laura,

and it shall not be our faults if his majesty is disappointed.

That can scarcely happen, said I, seeing Lucretia come into the

room in an undress, which shewed her person to more advantage

than all the wardrobe of the theatre: he will be the more

delighted with your lovely niece, because dancing and music are

his principal pleasures: he may even be tempted to throw her the

handkerchief. I do not at all wish, replied Laura, that he should

be that way inclined; all-powerful monarch as he is, he might not

find the accomplishment of his desires so easy. Lucretia, though

brought up behind the scenes, is not without virtuous principles;

whatever pleasure she may take in applause and professional

reputation, she had much rather preserve the character of a good

girl, than establish that of a great actress.

 

Aunt, said little Marialva, joining in the conversation, why

conjure up monsters only to lay them again? I shall never be at a

loss to repel the king’s advances, because his taste is too

refined to stoop so low. But, charming Lucretia, said I, if such

a thing should happen, would you be cruel enough to let him

languish like a common lover? Why not? answered she. Setting

virtue aside, my vanity would he more flattered by my own

resistance than by the tribute of his affection. I was not a

little surprised to hear a pupil of Laura’s school talk so

properly, and to find that with so free an education she imbibed

such unusual principles of morality.

 

The king, impatient to see Lucretia, went to the play next

evening. The piece was got up with music and dancing, to shew our

young actress off to the best advantage. My eyes were fixed on

his majesty; but he completely eluded my penetration by an

obstinate gravity. On the following day, the minister said:

Santillane, I have just been with the king, who has been talking

about Lucretia, with so much animation, that I doubt not but he

is smitten: and, as I told him that you had sent for her from

Toledo, he expressed a wish to confer with you in private on the

subject: orders are given for your admittance; run, and bring me

back an account of what passes.

 

I flew to the palace, and found the king alone. He was walking up

and down, in much apparent perplexity. He put several questions

to me about Lucretia, made me relate her history, and then asked

whether the little jade had not been tampering with chastity

already. I boldly assured him to the contrary, though such

pledges were somewhat hazardous in general; but mine was taken,

and gave the prince much pleasure. If so, replied he, I select

you for my agent with Lucretia; let her become acquainted with

her triumph from your lips. He then put a box of jewels into my

hand, worth fifty thousand crowns, with a message begging her

acceptance of them, and promising more substantial proofs of his

affection.

 

Before I went on my errand, I reported progress to my lord duke.

That minister, I thought, would be more vexed than rejoiced at

it; supposing that he had his own views of gallantry towards

Lucretia, and would learn with regret the rivalship of his

master; but I was mistaken. Far from appearing chagrined, his joy

was so excessive, that it would ooze out at his tongue, in words

which were not quite lost on the hearer. “Indeed, friend Philip!

then I have you in my clutches: while your pleasures lead you,

your business must be left to me!” This side speech explained to

me the plot; an amorous prince, and a long-headed minister! My

orders were to execute my commission as speedily as possible,

with the assurance that the first lord in the land would be proud

to stand in my shoes. Besides, there was no pimp of rank, as in

the former case, to seize the profit and leave the infamy with

me; the honour and emolument were now exclusively my own.

 

Thus did his excellency relish the ingredients of pandarism to my

palate; and I tasted them with the greediness, but not without

the qualms of an epicure; for since my imprisonment I had become

regenerate, and did not take pride in dirty work, because my

employer washed his hands in perfumed water. But though

conscience was awake, interest was not asleep. I was no longer a

villain for the fun of it; but my compliance would confirm my

footing with the minister, and him it was my duty, at all events,

to please.

 

My first appeal was to Laura in private. I opened the negotiation

delicately, and presented my credentials in the form of the

jewel-box. The lady was thrown off her guard by the display.

Signor Gil Blas, cried she, you are one of my oldest friends, and

I must not play the hypocrite: strait-laced morals are

inconsistent with the discipline of my sect. Nothing can be more

delightful to me than a conquest, which throws such a game into

our hands. But, between ourselves, I am afraid Lucretia is not so

enlightened as we are; though a daughter of Thalia, she has taken

the better-behaved goddesses for her school-mistresses, and given

a rebuff to two young noblemen of amiable manners and large

fortunes. They were not kings, you will say, and truly we may

hope that Lucretia’s virtue will be too undisciplined to stand a

royal siege; but you must remember the event is hazardous, and I

shall not interpose my authority to compel her. If, far from

thinking herself honoured by the fleeting passion of the king,

she should revolt from his advances with disdain, let not our

illustrious sovereign be offended at her reserve. But do you come

back hither to-morrow, and carry back either the jewels, or a

return of affection.

 

I had no doubt but Laura would tutor Lucretia in the school of

time-serving morality, and depended much on her instruction. It

was therefore no small surprise to find that Laura worked as much

against wind and tide to launch her daughter into the trade-wind

of evil, as other maternal pilots to set the sails of theirs in

the contrary monsoon of good; and what is still more

unaccountable, Lucretia, after tasting of royal delights, was so

completely surfeited with the banquet as to throw herself at once

into the arms of the church, where she professed, fell sick, and

died of grief. Laura, disconsolate for the loss of her daughter,

and the part she herself had acted in the tragedy, retired into a

convent of female penitents, and did penance for the unhallowed

pleasures of her former life. The king was affected by his sudden

loss, but soon found comfort in some other pursuit. The premier

talked little on the subject, but thought so much the more, as

the reader will easily believe.

 

CH. IV. — Santillane in a new office.

 

MY feelings were all alive to Lucretia’s ill fate, and my own

infamy in having contributed to it. The royal wants of the lover

were no excuse for my taking the post of cheapener, and I

determined to resign the staff of office in that department,

entreating the minister to employ me in some other. He was

charmed with my nice sense of honour, and promised to comply with

my scruples, laying open his