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Volume Two: IV.8 195 apt to encourage their masters in debauchery, than to reclaim them. I was in love with honour, and reflected, with pleasure, that I should pass for the Corypheus of all domestics .16 But this idea, agreeable as it was, vanished in a few hours; when my patron arriving, said, “Friend, I have had a very sharp conversation with Euphrasia, who af- firms, that thou hast misrepresented her, and art, if she is to be believed, no other than an impostor, altogether devoted to my nephews, out of regard to whom, thou sparest nothing to make me quarrel with her. I saw real tears trickle from her eyes, and she swore, by all that was sacred, that she never made any proposal to thee, nor ever sees a man; Beatrice, who seems to be a good girl, protested the same thing, in such a manner , that my anger was appeased, in spite of my teeth.”17 “How, Sir, (said I, interrupting him, in a sorrowful manner) do you doubt my sincerity ? do you distrust”——“No, child, (said he, interrupting me in his turn) I do thee all manner of justice: I don’t believe thee in a confederacy with my nephews. I am persuaded that thou art concerned for my interest only, and I am obliged to thee: but appearances are deceitful. Perhaps what thou sawest, existed only in thy own imagination ; and, in that case, thou mayest guess how disagreeable thy accusation must be to Euphrasia. Be it as it may, she is a person whom I cannot help loving. I must even make the sacrifice to her which she demands, and that sacrifice is thy dismission. I am sorry for it, my poor Gil Blas, (added he) and I assure thee, I consented to it with regret ; but I could not do otherwise. What ought to console thee is, that I shall not send thee away unrecompensed: and I intend, moreover, to settle thee with a lady, a friend of mine, where thou wilt live very agreeably.” I was very much mortified to see my zeal thus turned against myself: I cursed Euphrasia , and deplored the weakness of Don Gonzales, who allowed himself to be led by the nose.18 The good old man being very sensible, that in turning me away, merely to please his mistress, he did not behave in the most manly manner, made amends for his effeminacy, and gilded the pill I was to swallow, with a present of fifty ducats.19 Next day carrying me to the marchioness of Chaves, he told her, in my hearing, that I was a young man who possessed many good qualities; that he had a regard for me, but familyreasons not permitting him to keep me in his service, he begged she would admit me into her family. She received me that instant, into the number of her domestics; so that I found myself translated, all of a sudden, into a new place. chapter viii. The character of the marchioness of Chaves, and of those people who usually visited her. The marchioness of Chaves1 was a widow of five and thirty, handsome, tall, and well shaped, who enjoyed a yearly income of ten thousand ducats, without the care and incumbrance of children. I never saw a woman of more gravity, or one who 196 The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane spoke less, though this did not hinder her from being looked upon as the most witty lady in Madrid. The great concourse of people of quality, and men of learning, who daily frequented her house, contributed, perhaps, more than any thing she said, to give her this reputation. But this I will not undertake to decide: let it suffice to say, that her name imported the idea of a superior genius, and that her house was called, by way of excellence, the court of criticism. There was actually, some performance or other read here every day, sometimes new plays, and sometimes other pieces of poetry; but nothing except serious subjects were deemed worthy of attention, humorous pieces being despised; the best comedy, or the most ingenious and witty romance was looked upon as a feeble production, that deserved no praise; whereas, the least serious work, such as an ode, eclogue, or sonnet, passed for the greatest effort of human understanding. But it often happened that the public did not confirm the sentence of the court; on...

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