_Guzman’s amours continued, and in what manner they ended._
I could well have slept until very late in the morning; but as two
ladies had inquired for me below, one of whom was so richly dressed that
my lackey was quite dazzled by her magnificent appearance, he came up
to my chamber and awoke me to announce this visit. I presently guessed
this must be the waiting-woman whom I had conversed with the day before,
who had kept her promise, by prevailing on her mistress to accompany her
to call upon me. I had no sooner desired my lackey to shew them in, than
a lady of handsome mien and figure entered the room, who by her elegant
deportment and easy manners, could not in my judgment be less than a
Marchioness or Countess. She seated herself in a chair at my bed side. I
sat up in my bed and bowed to her as respectfully as my situation would
admit of, begging her to excuse me for receiving her in this manner, and
adding that I had much rather offend in that respect, than allow a lady
of her quality and merit to wait a moment at the door. “No more
apologies,” said she, “but let us come to the point and content my
curiosity: How long have you been in Toledo? what has brought you
hither? shall you make a long stay in this place?”
These questions, unexpected as they were, were by no means embarrassing
to me, for I had a most fruitful invention on such occasions; I,
therefore, made up so fine a story of my birth and prospects in life,
that I completely succeeded in convincing her of my high quality. One
truth, however, escaped me in the course of conversation, which spoiled
all the effect of my lies; instead of saying that I intended to stay at
least three or four months at Toledo, I told her that I had merely
visited it for a few days’ diversion. I instantly perceived that this
was not exactly agreeable to her hopes. She had evidently formed some
design upon me, which these words disconcerted; and looking upon me, in
consequence, as a mere bird of passage, whom she should soon lose sight
of for ever, she resolved to pluck me as well as she was able before we
parted.
To accomplish her object, therefore, the first thing she did was to
throw off her veil, in an easy and graceful manner, discovering a face
of perfect beauty, and taking great pains to display her delicate white
hands and a part of her neck. She then, with a negligent air, drew from
her pocket a fine coral rosary, to which were attached several relics,
gold crosses and precious stones, and without appearing to have any
design in it, kept playing with this rosary all the while she was
talking as though she were not aware of what she was doing, but all of a
sudden she left off speaking in the middle of a sentence, looked at me
with surprise, and began feeling her pockets with anxiety which seemed
to increase every moment. I inquired the cause of her uneasiness, but
instead of answering me she began to look on the floor, and every where
that she could think of; then calling her servant who was in waiting at
the chamber door: “Marcia,” said she, “I have lost the great cross
belonging to the chaplet which my husband gave me; how unfortunate I am!
he will certainly think I have made a present of it to some one.”
“Madam,” replied the waiting-woman, “you are perhaps premature in your
sorrow. You may possibly have left it at home, and I even fancy that I
recollect to have seen it in one of your drawers.” “I can never rest
until I be convinced of this,” replied the lady. “Let us therefore
return home immediately, for I cannot bear to remain in doubt on such a
subject.”
All my efforts to detain her were unavailing. I represented to her that
there might be found many similar rosaries at a Goldsmith’s, and that,
if she would allow me, I would presume to send her one as soon as
possible; but she would not accept of my offer, requesting me, in an
engaging manner, to allow her to depart; assuring me, that whether she
found her cross at home or not, she would not fail to pay me a visit the
next day at the same hour. Upon this she quitted my chamber, leaving me
well pleased with her figure, and much grieved at her so precipitate
departure.
It was no longer possible to think of sleeping after such an interview,
so that I lay and reflected on my good fortune, and the pleasures that I
anticipated, until it was time for dinner. I then rose and dressed
myself, after which I sat down to a small table, and partook of a
variety of dishes sufficient for six persons. In the middle of my
repast, Marcia returned, and informed me with a mournful countenance
that the golden cross could not be found; “and what is still more
vexatious,” added she, “my mistress accuses me of being the cause of
this misfortune, and I must allow that I was rather too pressing this
morning to make her dress herself quickly to come and see you. I have
been to a Goldsmith’s out of curiosity, to see if I could not find a
cross of the same description, and have been fortunate enough to meet
with one that resembles it as nearly as possible.” I soon understood her
meaning, and wishing to be thought generous, I answered, that if she
would wait until I had dined, I would accompany her to the Goldsmith’s,
and purchase the cross which she had seen. As this was, in fact, the
sole object of her coming, she replied, that she would do just as I
pleased; then beginning to praise her mistress, she told me all that was
charming of her.
After dinner we repaired to the Goldsmith’s together, and purchased the
aforesaid cross, which I gave to Marcia, requesting her to tell her
mistress, that as I considered myself in some degree the cause of her
loss, it was my duty to repair it. This faithful servant, overjoyed at
her good success, immediately departed, after having assured me that she
would make her lady acquainted with my generous way of proceeding, and
that she was sure her mistress would not fail to see me next day,
personally to return thanks for my kindness.
As soon as Marcia had left me, I determined to avail myself of this
opportunity to see my lady in St. Cyprian-street again; for although I
had such good reason to believe that she was a cheat and her brother a
bully, yet I should have been glad to have found myself mistaken;
forgetting, therefore, the scurvy trick they had played me, I hastened
towards their house, and perceived my charmer at a window, whence I was
soon remarked. She made signs to me that she had company, but that I was
not to go away; I stopped, and about a quarter of an hour after, saw her
go out alone. I followed her at a distance, and observed her enter the
great church to shorten her way to Patten street, whence she went into
Mercer’s-street, and entered a shop, making signs to me to follow her,
which I obeyed. How admirably did she then play her part! She burst into
tears, which, I suppose, she had always ready at command, and
complaining to Heaven that she had so troublesome a brother, she assured
me of the extreme pain she had suffered on my account, swearing over and
over again that it had not been her fault that so untoward an adventure
had occurred to me: she then told me, that she hoped to recompense me
for my late unpleasant night by assuring me of a pleasant one; that her
brother was to set out immediately for the country, where he would
remain for at least two days, and she trusted, therefore, that I would
not refuse her invitation to spend that evening with her. She then spoke
to me with so much tenderness, that I was completely convinced of her
sincerity, and was weak enough to promise to see her at her own house
again as soon as it was dusk.
As she had entered this shop, she could not make up her mind to leave
it, without asking the prices and cheapening some trifles, as is
customary with women; and she agreed to purchase some of them for a
hundred and fifty reals; but instead of paying for them, she said to the
shopkeeper, “you will be kind enough to allow me to take these articles
with me now, and give me credit until to-morrow, when I will send my
waiting-woman to pay you.” The shopkeeper, who either did not know her
at all, or possibly was but too well acquainted with her, refused to
trust her; upon which Signor Guzman, always ready to please the ladies,
stepped forward and said to him, “my good friend, do you not perceive
that the lady is only in jest; she has not this sum at hand, but I carry
her purse, and have the honour to be her steward:” thus saying, I drew
it from my pocket in the most graceful manner, and paid the shopkeeper
his demand. After this we parted. “Adieu, my chicken,” said she, in a
languishing and tender manner; “remember that I shall expect to see you
at nine in the evening, but I absolutely forbid you to provide any
supper, for I must insist on being allowed to treat you this time.”
The hour of rendezvous, which I expected with the greatest impatience,
having at length arrived, I set out towards my charmer’s house, at the
risk of passing another night there in the tub. I now approached her
door again with as much eagerness as I had ran from it in the morning. I
made the signal we had agreed upon; but no answer. I repeated it; but
neither saw nor heard any one. I then began to fancy that the brother
had been informed of his sister’s design, and had not set off for the
country. Thinking it possible, however, that I had not given the signal
loud enough, which was to knock with a stone at the bottom of the lower
window, I redoubled my strokes; but I might as well have attempted to
make the bridge of Alcantara hear me. I then knocked several times at
the door, and put my ear to the key-hole to listen; but finding that
there was not the least noise to be heard in the house, I remained in
the street until midnight, quite at a loss to account for so
extraordinary a silence.
My patience, however, began at length to fail me, and I was just on the
point of returning, when I observed a company of armed men coming
towards me; and took the precaution to retire to the end of the street,
that I might notice them unobserved. They stopped at the door of my
nymph’s house, and rapped loudly; and as the people in the house
persisted in not answering them, they began to thunder at the door with
their staves, and would soon have shivered it to atoms, if a servant had
not appeared at one of the windows, and asked what was their business.
“Open,” cried an Alguazil, “open, at the summons of Justice.” At these
terrible words, I felt so alarmed, that I was tempted to scamper off as
fast as my legs would carry me, not knowing but it was for me they
looked; a culprit cannot behold these sort of people without emotion. My
courage returned, however, when I reflected that I could only be
considered the dupe of my princess and her pretended brother, whose
laudable conduct, had, according to all appearance, attracted the
attention of justice.
I even ventured to approach the house, as soon as the Alguazil and his
myrmidons had entered it; and joining the crowd of neighbours who had
collected in the street to see what was going on, I heard one among them
say to the rest, “They call themselves brother and sister; but they must
trace their pedigree from Adam, for they are no otherwise related. The
man is an adventurer of Cordova, who for some months past, has lived
here at Toledo with this woman who was formerly an actress at Seville,
at the expence of such young fools as fell into their hands; but
unfortunately for these two honest folks, they have been practising
their knaveries upon a scrivener, who has played them this trick to be
avenged on them.
At this relation, all the neighbours laughed heartily at the expence of
the scrivener, whom they knew to be but newly married: but, although
they were so glad to find that this limb of the law had been duped, they
did not the less applaud his vengeance on that account, so true is it
that nobody ever pities persons who are detected in dishonesty. It
seemed even a most agreeable comedy for the witnesses of this adventure,
when they saw the Alguazil and his officers leading to prison the lady
all in disorder, accompanied by her gallant well bound with cords. For
my own part, though I could not well forget her scurvy treatment of me
in the tub, yet I could not feel any pleasure in seeing this miserable
woman in her present deplorable situation: I was the only one of all the
spectators who felt any pity for her, though I had most reason to feel
none. Rejoiced, however, that I could no longer be her dupe, I returned
to my inn, fool enough still to flatter myself that the other lady would
not deceive me; but I waited, in vain, the whole of the next day at home
for her: I did not even see her servant again: so that being no longer
able to doubt that I was also gulled in that quarter, I resolved that in
future I would be more upon my guard against the fair sex.