第11章

Thesetheymustseekelsewhere。

Fortherest，inmywayIamhonest。

Itaketheworldasitcomes，thatisall，and，aswomenwillbefools，Iprofitbytheirfollyandhavegrownrichuponit。

*Aboutsixty-threepoundssterling。

’Yes，Ihavegrownrich，andyetIcannotstop。

Ilovethemoneythatispower；butmorethanall，Ilovethewayoflife。

Talkofromancesandadventure！

Whatromanceoradventureishalfsowonderfulasthosethatcomedailytomynotice？

AndIplayapartineveryoneofthem，andnonethelessaleadingpartbecauseIdonotshoutandstrutupontheboards。’

’Ifallthisisso，whydoyouseekthehelpofanunknownlad，astrangerofwhomyouknownothing？’Iaskedbluntly。

’Truly，youlackexperience，’theoldmanansweredwithalaugh。

’DoyouthensupposethatIshouldchooseonewhowasNOTastranger——onewhomighthavetieswithinthiscitywithwhichIwasunacquainted。

Andasforknowingnothingofyou，youngman，doyouthinkthatIhavefollowedthisstrangetradeofmineforfortyyearswithoutlearningtojudgeatsight？

PerhapsIknowyoubetterthanyouknowyourself。

Bytheway，thefactthatyouaredeeplyenamouredofthatmaidwhomyouhaveleftinEnglandisarecommendationtome，forwhateverfolliesyoumaycommit，youwillscarcelyembarrassmeandyourselfbysufferingyouraffectionstobeseriouslyentangled。

Ah！haveIastonishedyou？’

’Howdoyouknow？’Ibegan——thenceased。

’HowdoIknow？

Why，easilyenough。

ThosebootsyouwearweremadeinEngland。

IhaveseenmanysuchwhenItravelledthere；

youraccentalsothoughfaintisEnglish，andtwiceyouhavespokenEnglishwordswhenyourCastilianfailedyou。

Thenforthemaid，isnotthatabetrothalringuponyourhand？

AndwhenIspoketoyouoftheladiesofthiscountry，mytalkdidnotinterestyouovermuchasatyourageithaddonewereyouheart-whole。

Surelyalsotheladyisfairandtall？

Ah！Ithoughtso。

Ihavenoticedthatmenandwomenlovetheiroppositeincolour，noinvariableruleindeed，butgoodforaguess。’

’Youareveryclever，senor。’

’No，notclever，buttrained，asyouwillbewhenyouhavebeenayearinmyhands，thoughperchanceyoudonotintendtostopsolonginSeville。

Perhapsyoucameherewithanobject，andwishtopassthetimeprofitablytillitisfulfilled。

Agoodguessagain，Ithink。

Well，sobeit，Iwillriskthat；objectandattainmentareoftenfarapart。

Doyoutakemyoffer？’

’Iinclinetodoso。’

’Thenyouwilltakeit。

NowIhavesomethingmoretosaybeforewecometoterms。

Idonotwantyoutoplaythepartofanapothecary’sdrudge。

Youwillfigurebeforetheworldasmynephew，comefromabroadtolearnmytrade。

Youwillhelpmeinitindeed，butthatisnotallyourduty。

YourpartwillbetomixinthelifeofSeville，andtowatchthosewhomIbidyouwatch，todropawordhereandahintthere，andinahundredwaysthatI

shallshowyoutodrawgristtomymill——andtoyourown。

Youmustbebrilliantandwitty，orsadandlearned，asIwish；youmustmakethemostofyourpersonandyourtalents，forthesegofarwithmycustomers。

Tothehidalgoyoumusttalkofarms，tothelady，oflove；butyoumustnevercommityourselfbeyondredemption。

Andaboveall，youngman’——andherehismannerchangedandhisfacegrewsternandalmostfierce——’youmustneverviolatemyconfidenceortheconfidenceofmyclients。

OnthispointI

willbequiteopenwithinyou，andIprayyouforyourownsaketobelievewhatIsay，howevermuchyoumaymistrusttherest。

Ifyoubreakfaithwithme，YOUDIE。

Youdie，notbymyhand，butyoudie。

Thatismyprice；takeitorleaveit。

Shouldyouleaveitandgohencetotellwhatyouhaveheardthisday，eventhenmisfortunemayovertakeyousuddenly。

Doyouunderstand？’

’Iunderstand。

FormyownsakeIwillrespectyourconfidence。’

’Youngsir，Ilikeyoubetterthanever。

Hadyousaidthatyouwouldrespectitbecauseitwasaconfidence，Ishouldhavemistrustedyou，fordoubtlessyoufeelthatsecretscommunicatedsoreadilyhavenoclaimtobeheldsacred。

Norhavethey，butwhentheirviolationinvolvesthesadandaccidentalendoftheviolator，itisanothermatter。

Wellnow，doyouaccept？’

’Iaccept。’

’Good。

YourbaggageIsupposeisattheinn。

Iwillsendporterstodischargeyourscoreandbringithere。

Noneedforyoutogo，nephew，letusstopanddrinkanotherglassofwine；thesoonerwegrowintimatethebetter，nephew。’

ItwasthusthatfirstIbecameacquaintedwithSenorAndresdeFonseca，mybenefactor，thestrangestmanwhomIhaveeverknown。

DoubtlessanypersonreadingthishistorywouldthinkthatI，thenarrator，wassowingaplentifulcropoftroublesformyselfinhavingtodealwithhim，settinghimdownasarogueofthedeepest，suchassometimes，fortheirownwickedpurposes，decoyyoungmentocrimeandruin。

Butitwasnotso，andthisisthestrangestpartofthestrangestory。

AllthatAndresdeFonsecatoldmewastruetotheveryletter。

Hewasagentlemanofgreattalentwhohadbeenrenderedalittlemadbymisfortunesinhisearlylife。

AsaphysicianIhavenevermethismaster，ifindeedhehasoneinthesetimes，andasamanversedintheworldandmoreespeciallyintheworldofwomen，I

haveknownnonetocomparewithhim。

Hehadtravelledfar，andseenmuch，andheforgotnothing。

Inparthewasaquack，buthisquackeryalwayshadameaninginit。

Hefleecedthefoolish，indeed，andevenjuggledwithastronomy，makingmoneyoutoftheirsuperstition；butontheotherhandhedidmanyakindactwithoutreward。

Hewouldmakearichladypaytengoldpesosforthedyeingofherhair，butoftenhewouldnursesomepoorgirlthroughhertroubleandasknocharge；yes，andfindherhonestemploymentafterit。

HewhoknewallthesecretsofSevillenevermademoneyoutofthembythreatofexposure，ashesaidbecauseitwouldnotpaytodoso，butreallybecausethoughheaffectedtobeaselfishknave，atbottomhisheartwashonest。

FormyownpartIfoundlifewithhimbotheasyandhappy，sofarasminecouldbequitehappy。

SoonIlearnedmyroleandplayeditwell。

ItwasgivenoutthatIwasthenephewofthericholdphysicianFonseca，whomhewastrainingtotakehisplace；andthis，togetherwithmyownappearanceandmanners，ensuredmeawelcomeinthebesthousesofSeville。

HereItookthatshareofourbusinesswhichmymastercouldnottake，fornowhenevermixedamongthefashionofthecity。

MoneyIwassuppliedwithinabundancesothatIcouldruffleitwiththebest，butsoonitbecameknownthatIlookedtobusinessaswellastopleasure。

Oftenandoftenduringsomegayballorcarnival，aladywouldglideuptomeandaskbeneathherbreathifDonAndresdeFonsecawouldconsenttoseeherprivatelyonamatterofsomeimportance，andIwouldfixanhourthenandthere。

Haditnotbeenformesuchpatientswouldhavebeenlosttous，since，forthemostpart，theirtimidityhadkeptthemaway。

InthesamefashionwhenthefestivalwasendedandIpreparedtowendhomewards，nowandagainagallantwouldsliphisarminmineandaskmymaster’shelpinsomeaffairofloveorhonour，orevenofthepurse。

ThenIwouldleadhimstraighttotheoldMoorishhousewhereDonAndressatwritinginhisvelvetrobelikesomespiderinhisweb，forthemostofourbusinesswasdoneatnight；

andstraight-waythematterwouldbeattendedto，tomymaster’sprofitandthesatisfactionofall。

BydegreesitbecameknownthatthoughIwassoyoungyetIhaddiscretion，andthatnothingwhichwentinatmyearscameoutofmylips；thatIneitherbrawlednordranknorgambledtoanylength，andthatthoughIwasfriendlywithmanyfairladies，therewerenonewhowereentitledtoknowmysecrets。

AlsoitbecameknownthatIhadsomeskillinmyartofhealing，anditwassaidamongtheladiesofSevillethattherelivednomaninthatcitysodeftatclearingtheskinofblemishesorchangingthecolourofthehairasoldFonseca’snephew，andasanyonemayknowthisreputationalonewasworthafortune。

ThusitcameaboutthatIwasmoreandmoreconsultedonmyownaccount。

Inshort，thingswentsowellwithusthatinthefirstsixmonthsofmyserviceIaddedbyonethirdtothereceiptsofmymaster’spractice，largeastheyhadbeenbefore，besideslighteninghislaboursnotalittle。

Itwasastrangelife，andofthethingsthatIsawandlearned，couldtheybewritten，Imightmakeataleindeed，buttheyhavenopartinthishistory。

Foritwasasthoughthesmilesandsilencewithwhichmenandwomenhidetheirthoughtsweredoneaway，andtheirheartsspoketousintheaccentsoftruth。

Nowsomefairyoungmaidorwifewouldcometouswithconfessionsofwickednessthatwouldbethoughtimpossible，didnotherstoryproveitself；

thesecretmurderperchanceofaspouse，oralover，orarival；

nowsomeageddamewhowouldwinahusbandinhisteens，nowsomewealthylow-bornmanorwoman，whodesiredtobuyanalliancewithonelackingmoney，butofnobleblood。

SuchIdidnotcaretohelpindeed，buttothelove-sickorthelove-deludedIlistenedwithareadyear，forIhadafellow-feelingwiththem。

IndeedsodeepandearnestwasmysympathythatmorethanonceIfoundtheunhappyfairreadytotransfertheiraffectionstomyunworthyself，andinfactoncethingscameaboutsothat，hadIwilledit，IcouldhavemarriedoneoftheloveliestandwealthiestnobleladiesofSeville。

ButIwouldnoneofit，whothoughtofmyEnglishLilybydayandnight。