Gil Blas by Alain-René Lesage (best romance books of all time TXT) 📕

The pretended Mendoza opened it, and read the contents aloud to the following effect: “If your father and family still live in your remembrance, and you wish to hear of their concerns, do not fail, on the receipt of this, to call at the Black Horse, near the university.” “I am too much interested,” said he, “in these proffered communications, not to satisfy my curiosity at once. Without ceremony, Pacheco, you must excuse me for the present; if I am not back again here within two hours, you may find your way by yourself to my aunt’s; I will join the party in the evening. You recollect Gil Blas’ message from Doña Kimena; the visit is no more than what will be expected from you.” After having thrown out this hint, he left the room, and ordered me to follow him.

It can scarcely be necessary to apprise the reader, that instead of marching down to the Black Horse, we filed off to our other quarters. The moment that we got within doors, Aurora tore off her artificial hair, washed the charcoal from her eyebrows, resumed her female attire, and shone in all her natural charms, a lovely, dark-complexioned girl. So complete, indeed, had been her disguise that Aurora and Don Felix could never have been suspected of identity. The lady seemed to have the advantage of the gentleman even in stature, thanks to a good high pair of heels, to which she was not a little indebted. It was her first business to heighten her personal graces with all the embellishments of art; after which she looked out for Don Lewis, in a state of agitation, compounded of fear and hope. One instant she felt confident in her wit and beauty; the next, she anticipated the failure of her attempt. Ortiz, on her part, set her best foot foremost, and was determined to play up to my mistress. As for me, Pacheco was not to see my knave’s face till the last act of the farce, for which the great actors are always reserved, to unravel the intricacy of the plot; so I went out immediately after dinner.

In short, the puppet-show was all adjusted against Don Lewis’s arrival. He experienced a very gracious reception from the old lady, in amends for whose tediousness he was blessed with two or three hours of Aurora’s delightful conversation. When they had been together long enough, in popped I, with a message to the enamoured spark. “My lord, my master Don Felix begs you ten thousand pardons, but he cannot have the pleasure of waiting on you here this evening. He is with three men of Toledo, from whom he cannot possibly get away.”

“O! the wicked little rogue,” exclaimed Doña Kimena; “as sure as a gun, then, he is going to make a night of it.”

“No, madam,” replied I, “they are deeply engaged in very serious business. He is really distressed that he cannot pay his respects, and commissioned me to say everything proper to your ladyship and Doña Aurora.”

“O! I will have none of his excuses,” pouted out my mistress; “he knows very well that I have been indisposed, and might show some slight degree of feeling for so near a relation. As a punishment, he shall not come near me for this fortnight.”

“Nay, madam,” interposed Don Lewis, “such a sentence is too severe. Don Felix’s fate is but too pitiable, in having been deprived of your society this evening.”

They bandied about their fine speeches on these little topics of gallantry for some time, and then Pacheco withdrew. The lovely Aurora metamorphosed herself in a twinkling, and resumed her swashing outside. The grass did not grow under her feet while she was running to the other lodging. “I have a million of apologies to make, my dear friend,” said she to Don Lewis, “for not giving you the meeting at my aunt’s; but there was no getting rid of the tiresome people I was with. However, there is one comfort, you have had so much the more leisure to look about you, and criticise my cousin’s beauty. Well, and how do you like her?”

“She is a most lovely creature,” answered Pacheco. “You were in the right to claim a resemblance to her. I never saw more correspondent features: the very same cast of countenance, the eyes exactly alike, the mouth evidently a family feature, and the tone of voice scarcely to be distinguished. The likeness, however, goes no further, for Aurora is taller than you, she is brown and you are fair, you are a jolly fellow, she has a little touch of the demure; so that you are not altogether the male and female Sosias. As for good sense,” continued he, “if an angel from heaven were to whisper wisdom in one ear, and your cousin her mortal chitchat in the other, I am afraid the angel might whistle for an audience. In a word, Aurora is all-accomplished.”

Señor Pacheco uttered these last words with so earnest an expression, that Don Felix said with a smile: “My friend, I advise you to stay away from Doña Kimena’s; it will be more for your peace of mind. Aurora de Guzmán may set your wits a wandering, and inspire a passion⁠ ⁠…”

“I have no need of seeing her again,” interrupted he, “to become distractedly enamoured of her.”

“I am sorry for you,” replied the pretended Mendoza, “for you are not a man to be seriously caught, and my cousin is not to be made a fool of, take my word for it. She would never encourage a lover whose designs were otherwise than honorable.”

“Otherwise than honorable!” retorted Don Lewis; “who could have the audacity to form such on a lady of her rank and character? As for me, I should esteem myself the happiest of mankind, could she be prevailed on to favor my addresses, and link her fate with mine.”

“Since those are your sentiments,”