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Volume Three: VIII.12 373 chapter xii. Catalina’s real character. The perplexity and uneasiness of Gil Blas. The precaution he was obliged to take for his own quiet. Just as I entered my own house, I heard a great noise; and enquiring into the cause, was told, Scipio that evening treated half-a-dozen of his friends, who sung full throat, and frequently broke out in loud fits of laughter; so that assuredly this repast could not be properly stiled the banquet of the seven wise men. The master of the feast, advertised of my arrival, said to his company, “Gentlemen, ’tis only my master come home; be not disturbed, but continue your mirth; I will go and speak two words to him, and rejoin you in a twinkling.” So saying, he came to my apartment. “What a hubbub is this?1 (said I) what sort of people are those you entertain below? are they poets?” “No indeed, Sir, if you please, (he replied) it were pity to bestow your wine on such company. I make a better use of it. There is among my guests a very rich young fellow, who wants for his money an employment by your interest ; and for him alone I give this entertainment: at every draught he drinks, I raise the gratification you are to receive, ten pistoles, and will make him drink till day.” “If that be the case, (I replied) go back to thy friends, and don’t spare the wine in my cellar.” I did not think this a proper season to talk with him about Catalina; but next morning when I got up, I spoke to him in this manner: “Friend Scipio, thou knowest how we live together; I treat thee more like a comrade than a domestic; and of consequence thou wilt be to blame in deceiving me as a master. Let us then lay aside all reserve with one another. I will tell thee something that will surprise thee, and thou shalt disclose to me thy real sentiments of those two women with whom thou hast made me acquainted. Between thee and me, I suspect them to be two artful pusses,2 cunning in proportion to the simplicity which they affect. If my opinion does them justice, the prince of Spain has no great cause to be well pleased with me; for I confess it was for him that I wanted a mistress. I accordingly carried him to Catalina’s house, and he is become passionately fond of her.” “Signior, (answered Scipio) I am too well used by you, to be wanting in sincerity with my master. I had yesterday a private conversation with the maid of these two princesses, and she related their history, which to me seemed very diverting. You shall hear it in two words. “Catalina is daughter to a poor gentleman of Arragon, and finding herself at the age of fifteen an orphan, as handsome as poor, listened to an old commander, who conducted her to Toledo, where he died in six months, after having served as a parent rather than an husband to her. She secured his fortune, consisting of some moveables and three hundred pistoles in ready money, then joined herself to Signiora Mencia , who was still in fashion, tho’ already in the wane. These two good friends lived together, and began to behave so as to attract the notice of justice; at which the ladies being disgusted, hastily abandoned Toledo thro’ vexation, and settled in Madrid, 374 The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane where they have lived about two years, without visiting any person in the neighbourhood . But the best circumstance of the story is this, they have hired two small houses, separated only by a wall, having in the cellar a stair of communication from the one to the other. Signiora Mencia lives with a young maid-servant in one of these houses, and the commander’s widow possesses the other, with an old duenna who passes for her grandmother; so that our Arragonian is sometimes a niece brought up by her aunt, and sometimes a pupil under the wings of her grandame. When she acts the niece, she is called Catalina, and when she plays the grand-child her name is Sirena.” At the name of Sirena, I grew pale; and interrupting Scipio, said, “What do I hear! alas! I am afraid that this cursed Arragonian is no other than the mistress of Calderona .” “Truly, (he...

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