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Volume Three: VII.2 283 without injustice and ingratitude. But in short, she is a woman: she has a tender affection for Sephora, who brought her up; and that governante16 is a sort of mother to her, whose death she would reproach herself with, if she was not weak enough to satisfy this her desire: as for my part, notwithstanding the love that attaches me to Seraphina, I shall never have the base complaisance to adhere to her sentiments on this subject. Perish all the duennas in Spain, before I consent to the removal of a young man whom I consider more as a brother than a domestick.” Alphonso having spoke thus, I said to him, “Signior, I am born to be the sport of fortune: I thought she would have ceased to persecute me in your house, where every thing flattered me with quiet and happy days: but how agreeable soever my situation may be, I find I must give it up.” “Not at all! (cried the generous son of Don Caesar;) leave me to make Seraphina hear reason: it shall never be said, that you have been sacri ficed to the caprice of a duenna, to whom too much consideration has been paid in other respects.” “Sir, (said I) you will only provoke Seraphina, in resisting her will. I had much rather retire, than by a longer stay in this place, run the risk of breeding any division between such a happy pair: that would be a misfortune for which I should never be consoled.” Don Alphonso forbad me to take any such resolution; and I saw him so fixed in the design of supporting me, that Lorença would undoubtedly have met with a rebuff, if I had been minded to oppose her. At certain times, being piqued against the duenna, I was tempted to expose her; but when I came to consider, that in revealing her shame, I should stab the heart of a poor creature whose indisposition I was the occasion of; and that two incurable distempers visibly conducted her to the grave, my resentment was changed into compassion; and I concluded, that since I was such a dangerous mortal, I ought in conscience to re-establish, by my retreat, the tranquillity of the castle. This resolution I executed the very next morning before day, without bidding adieu to my two masters, lest, through friendship for me, they should oppose my departure. I contented myself with leaving in my chamber a writing, wherein was contained an exact account of my administration. chapter ii. The fate of Gil Blas, after he quitted the castle of Leyva, and the happy consequence that attended the bad success of his amours. Iwas mounted on a good horse of my own, with two hundred pistoles1 in my portmanteau ,2 the best part of which I had got by the banditti whom we slew, and the share of the three thousand ducats which had been stolen from Samuel Simon; for Don Alphonso, without making me restore what I had fingered, had made restitution of the whole sum out of his own pocket. Wherefore, considering my effects as wealth 284 The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane become lawful, I enjoyed it without scruple. I was in possession of a fund therefore, which did not allow me to be much concerned for the future, over and above the con- fidence which one of my age always has in his own merit: besides, Toledo presented an agreeable asylum; for I did not at all doubt that the Count de Polan would be pleased with an opportunity of obliging one of his deliverers with a kind reception, and an apartment in his house. But this nobleman I looked upon as my last resource,3 and resolved , before I should apply to him, to spend part of my money in travelling through the kingdoms of Murcia and Grenada, which I longed particularly to see. With this design, I set out for Almansa, whence continuing my journey, I went from city to city, as far as Grenada,* without meeting with any bad accident. Fortune, satisfied with having played me so many tricks, seeming willing at length to leave me in quiet: but for all that, she was then hatching a great many more, as will be seen in the sequel. One of the first persons I met in the streets of Grenada, was Signior Don Fernand de Leyva, who was, as well as Don Alphonso...

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