The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane

Chapter XV. Count Galiano invests Gil Blas with an employment in his house.

330 The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane low my steward, who has received orders concerning you.” I accordingly obeyed, leaving Fabricius with the Count and Cupid. The steward, who was a most subtle Messineze,8 conducted me to his apartment, where he loaded me with civilities; and sending for the taylor who had equipped the whole family, ordered him to make for me, with all dispatch, a suit of cloaths of the same magnificence as those of the principal officers. The taylor having taken measure of me, and retired, “As for your lodging, (said the Messineze) I know a chamber that will exactly fit you. But have you breakfasted?” (added he.) When I answered in the negative, “Ah, poor lad, (said he) why did not you speak? Come, I will shew you to a place where, thank heaven, you may have what you will for the asking.” So saying, he carried me down to the buttery,9 where we found the butler, a true Neapolitan,10 every whit as cunning as the Messenian. It might be said of him and the steward, These two make a pair. This honest butler, with five or six of his friends, were cramming themselves with ham, cold tongue, and other relishing bits,11 which obliged them to redouble their draughts. We joined these hearty cocks, and assisted them in their attacks upon the Count’s best wines. While this scene passed in the buttery, another such was acted in the kitchen: the cook also treated three or four tradesmen of his acquaintance, who filled their bellies with rabbit and partridge pies: the very scullions12 enjoyed themselves on what they could pilfer; so that I thought myself in a house abandoned to pillage: yet these were but trifles, in comparison to what I did not see. chapter xv. Count Galiano invests Gil Blas with an employment in his house. Iwent to fetch my baggage to my new habitation; and when I returned, the Count was at dinner, and several noblemen and the poet Nunnez, who called for what he wanted with an easy air, and mingled in the conversation. Nay, I observed that every word he spoke, afforded pleasure to the company. What a fine thing is genius! A man of wit can easily turn himself into all shapes. I dined with the officers, who were treated pretty much in the same manner as our patron; and in the afternoon retired to my chamber, where I began to reflect on my condition. “Well, Gil Blas, (said I to myself) thou art now in the service of a Sicilian Count, with whose real character thou art utterly unacquainted. If we may judge by appearance, thou wilt be in this family like a fish in the water: but we must swear to nothing; and thou ought’st to distrust thy fate, the malignity of which thou hast but too often experienced. Besides, thou dost not know for what employment thou art retained : he has already two secretaries and a steward; what service then does he expect from thee? It looks as if he intended to make thee his Mercury. In good time! One can- Volume Three: VII.15 331 not be on a better footing with a nobleman, in order to make his way to a good post. He who limits himself to honourable services only, moves slowly, step by step, and seldom gains his point at last.” While I was engrossed by these fine reflections, a lacquey came to tell me, that all the company who had dined at our house were gone home, and that the Count wanted to speak with me. I flew instantly to his apartment, where I found him lying on his couch, ready to take his afternoon’s nap with his baboon, which always bore him company. “Come hither, Gil Blas, (said he) take a chair, and listen to what I am going to say.” I obeyed his orders, and he spoke to me in these terms: “Don Fabricius has told me, that, among other good qualities, you possess that of attaching yourself to your masters ; and that you are a young man of incorruptible integrity. These two qualifications determined me to take you into my service; for I have great occasion for an affectionate domestick, who will espouse my interest, and employ his whole attention in husbanding my estate. I am rich, ’tis true, but my yearly expence greatly exceeds my income...