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

a mistress who was unacquainted with my person. I was therefore waiting the return of a servant whom I have sent to Calatrava.’

“ ‘Such a trifle,’ rejoined the old man, ‘must not deprive us of your company; and I insist upon it, that you make my house your home from this very moment.’

“With such sort of importunity, he forced me into his family: but as we were on our way, the pretended robbery was a natural topic of conversation; and I should have made light of my baggage, though the loss was very considerable, had not Florence’s picture unluckily formed a part of the booty! The old codger chuckled at that, and observed, that such a loss was easily repaired: the original was worth five hundred percent more than the copy. To make me amends, as soon as we got home, he called his daughter, a girl of not more than sixteen, with a person to have reclaimed a libertine, if beauty ever possessed that power except in romance. ‘You behold,’ said he, ‘the bale of goods my late brother has consigned to you.’

“ ‘O, my good sir!’ exclaimed I, in an impassioned tone, ‘words are not wanting to assure me that this must be the lovely Florence: those bewitching features are engraven on my memory, their impression is indelible on my heart. If the portrait I have lost, the mere outline of these embodied charms, could kindle passion by its cold and lifeless likeness, judge what must be my agitation, my transport at this moment.’

“ ‘Such language is too flattering to be sincere,’ said Florence; ‘nor am I so weak and vain as to be persuaded that my merits warrant it.’

“ ‘That is right; interchange your fine speeches, my children!’ This was a good-natured encouragement from the father, who at once left me alone with his daughter, and taking Moralez aside, said to him, ‘My friend, those who made so free with your baggage, doubtless did not stand upon any ceremony with your money.’

“ ‘Very true, sir,’ answered my colleague; ‘an overpowering band of robbers poured down upon us near Castil-Blazo, and left us not a rag but what we carry on our backs; but we are in momentary expectation of receiving bills of exchange, and then we shall appear once more like ourselves.’

“ ‘While you are waiting for your bills of exchange,’ replied the old man, taking a purse out of his pocket, ‘here are a hundred pistoles with which you may do as you please.’

“ ‘O, sir!’ rejoined Moralez, as if he were shocked, ‘my master will never take them. You do not know him. Heaven and earth! he is a man of the nicest scruples in money matters. Not one of your shabby fellows, always sponging upon his friends, and ready to take up money wherever he can get it! Running in debt is ratsbane to him. If he is to beg his bread or go into a hospital, why, there is an end of it! but as for borrowing, he will never be reduced to that.’

“ ‘So much the better,’ said the good burgess: ‘I value him the more for his independence. Running in debt is a mean thing; it ought to be ratsbane to him and everybody else. Your people of quality, to be sure, may plead prescription in their favor; there is a sort of privileged swindling, not incompatible with high honor, in high life. If tradesmen were to be paid, they would be too nearly on a level with their employers. But as your master has such upright principles, heaven forbid they should be violated in this house! Since any offer of pecuniary assistance would hurt his feelings, we must say no more about it.’

“As the point seemed to be settled, the purse was for steering its course back again into the pocket; but my provident partner laid hold of Señor de Moyadas by the arm, and delayed the convoy. ‘Stay, sir,’ said he: ‘whatever aversion my master may have to borrowing on a general principle, and considered as borrowing, yet there is a light in which, with good management, he may be brought to look kindly on your hundred pistoles. In fact, it is only in a mercantile point of view, as an affair of debtor and creditor between strangers, that he holds this formal doctrine; but he is free and easy enough where he is on a family footing. Why, there is his own father! It is only ask and have; and he does ask and have accordingly. Now you are going to be a second father to him, and are fairly entitled to be put on the same confidential footing. He is a young man of nice discrimination, and will doubtless think you entitled to the compliment.’

“By thus shifting his ground, Moralez got possession of the old gentleman’s purse. As for the girl and myself, we were engaged in a little agreeable flirting; but were soon joined by our honored parent, who interrupted our tête-à-tête. He told Florence how much he was obliged to me, and expressed his gratitude to myself, in terms which left no doubt of our being a very happy family. I made the most of so favorable a disposition, by telling the good man, that if he would bestow on me an acknowledgment the nearest to my heart, he must hasten my marriage with his daughter. My eagerness was not taken amiss. He assured me, that in three days at latest I should be a happy bridegroom, and that instead of six thousand ducats, the fortune he had promised to give my wife, he would make it up ten, as a substantial proof how deeply he felt himself indebted to me for the service I had rendered him.

“Here we were, therefore, quite at home with our good friend Jerome de Moyadas, sumptuously entertained, and catching every now and then a vista vision of ten thousand ducats, with which we proposed to march off abruptly from Mérida. Our transports, however, were not without their