GIL B L A S. 77
much as if I had made it before all the notaries of .’Madrid.” “ Madam (a'nfwered I) you may command your humble fervent. You; have nothing to do, but to preferibe my conduct, and you fhall be fatksfied.” “ Very well, (fhe replied) thou mult obfervethy matter, and give me an account of all his proceedings : when you talk to him in private, don’t fail to turn the converfation upon women, and from thence artfully take occafion to fpeak well of me. Ply him with Euphrafia as much at pofliLde ; and T . again recommend it to you, to be very attentive to what pafles in the family of the Pacheco’s : .if you perceive that any relation of Don Gonzales is extremely officious about him, and aims .at the fuccef- • lion to his eflatc, acquaint me with it immediately; that is all X aik, and 1 warrant 1 fhall fend hun a diift in a very little time ; for I know the differ'ent , charafters of his relations, and the ridiculous lights in which they may be reprefented to him : having already prejudiced him pretty fuccefsfully againft all his nephews and coufins.”
By thefe inftru&ions, and others which Euphrafia added, I concluded, that this lady was one of thofc who attach themfelves to generous oilmen. She had lately prevailed upon Don Gonzales to tdl an eftatc, the price of which fhe had converted to her own ufe ; fhe extorted from him valuable, moveables every day, , and, befides, had reafon>.to hope that fhe would not fre forgotten in his will. I pretended to engage willingly, to. do ail that fhe defiled; and, diflimulation apart, doubted within myfelf, on ray return home, whether I fhould contribute to impole upon my maf- v ter, or undertake to detach him from his miftrefs.
The 1 aft of thefe refolutions feemed more honourable : than the other, and I felt myfelf more inclined to fulfil than betray my duty; befides, Euphrafia had made me no pofitive promife, and that, pci baps, was /the occafion of my fidelity’s remaining uncorrupted. 1 rcfglved, therefore, to ferve Don Gonzales with
D 3