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

if it was only to snatch a fine fellow from the jaws of the university.”

The near approach of poverty with which I was threatened, and Fabricio’s apparent good case, having more weight with me than his arguments, I determined to wear a livery. On which we sallied forth from the tavern, and my townsman said: “I am going to introduce you to a man, to whom most of the servants resort when they are on the ramble; he has eavesdroppers about him to pick up all that passes in families. He knows at once where the servants are going away, and keeps a correct register, not only of vacant places, but of vacant masters, with their good and bad properties. The fellow has been a friar in some convent or other. In short, he it was who got me my place.”

While we were conversing about so singular an office of intelligence, the son of Núñez the barber took me into a street which had no thoroughfare. We went into a mean house, where we found a man about fifty writing at a table. We wished him good day, with quite as much humility as became us: but, whether it was from natural pride, or that, from a habit of seeing none but lackeys and coachmen, he had got a trick of receiving his company with an easy freedom, without rising from his seat, he just gave a slight nod. He seemed surprised that a young man in embroidered velvet should want a place; he had rather expected me to have wanted a servant. However, he was not kept long in doubt, since Fabricio said at once: “Señor Arias de Londoña, give me leave to introduce one of my best friends. He is a youth of good connections, whom adverse circumstances have reduced to the necessity of going to service. Have the goodness to provide for him handsomely, and you may trust to his gratitude.”

“Gentlemen,” replied Arias cooly, “this is the way with you all; before you are settled, you make the finest promises in the world: but afterwards, Lord help us! your memories are very short.”

“The deuce!” replied Fabricio, “why, you do not complain of me? Have not I done the thing genteelly?”

“You ought to have done it much better,” rejoined Arias: “your place is better than a clerk in a public office, and you paid me as if I had quartered you upon a poor author.”

Here I interfered, and told Master Arias, that to convince him I was not a shabby fellow, I would make my acknowledgments beforehand; at the same time taking out two ducats, with an assurance of not stopping there if he got me into a good birth.

He seemed to like my mode of dealing. “There are,” said he, “some very good places vacant. I will give you a list of them, and you shall take your choice.” With these words, he put on his spectacles, opened a register on the table, turned over a few of the leaves, and began reading to this effect: “Captain Torbellino wants a footman; a hasty, harebrained, humorsome chap; scolds incessantly, swears, kicks his servants, and very often cripples them.”

“Go on to the next,” cried I, “at this picture; such a captain will never do for me.”

My sprightliness made Arias smile, and he went on with his catalogue thus: “Doña Menuela de Sandoval, a superannuated dowager, peevish and fantastical, is in want at this very time; she keeps but one, and him never for four and twenty hours. There has been a livery in the house for these ten years, which fits every newcomer, whether tall or short. They only just try it on; so that it is as good as new, though it has had two thousand owners. Doctor Alvar Fáñez wants a journeyman; an eminent member of the faculty! He boards his family very handsomely, has everything comfortable about him, and gives very high wages; but he is a little too fond of experiments. When he gets a parcel of bad drugs, which happens very often, there is a pretty quick succession of new servants.”

“O! I do not in the least doubt it,” interrupted Fabricio with a horselaugh. “Upon my word you give a fine character of your customers.”

“Patience,” said Arias de Londoña; “we have not yet got to the end: there is variety enough.” Thereupon he continued to read on: “Doña Alfonsa de Solis, an old devotee, who lives two thirds of her time at church, and always keeps her servant at her apron string, has been in want for these three weeks. The Licentiate Sédillo, an old prebendary of the chapter here, turned away his servant yesterday evening.⁠ ⁠…”

“Halt there, Señor Arias de Londoña,” cried Fabricio at that passage; “we will stick to the church. The Licentiate Sédillo is one of my master’s friends, and I am very well acquainted with him. I know he has for his housekeeper an old hypocrite, called Dame Jacintha, who is complete mistress of the family. It is one of the best houses in Valladolid. A very idle life, and plenty of excellent meat and drink. Besides, his reverence is an old, gouty, infirm man, likely soon to make his will; there is a legacy to be looked after. That is a delightful prospect for one of our cloth! Gil Blas,” added he, turning round to me, “let us lose no time, my friend, but go immediately to the licentiate’s house. I will introduce you myself, and give you a character.”

At these words, for fear of missing such an opportunity, we took a hasty leave of Señor Arias, who assured me, for my money, that if I failed here, he would do something as good for me elsewhere.

Book II I

Fabricio introduces Gil Blas to the licentiate Sédillo, and procures him a reception⁠—The domestic economy of that clergyman⁠—Picture of his housekeeper.

We were so dreadfully afraid of offending against the regular hours of