One night having returned home rather late to bed, as I crossed a corridor which led to my chamber, I heard the voice of a young lady accompanying a harp. I stopped to listen to this little concert, for it was very near my own room, and felt an extreme curiosity to know who were the fair performers. My landlady, who was going to send some sweetmeats and biscuits to refresh the singer, happened to pass by just at this moment, and told me that they were two ladies of Guadalaxara, who were but just arrived at her house, to solicit a law-suit at Madrid for a large sum of money. I gave her to understand that I had an extreme desire to hear them nearer, and that she would confer an obligation on me which I should remember all my life, if she could procure me admittance into their company. She replied that she would do all she could in my favour, but that she dared not promise me, for the mother was a very reserved sort of woman, who led a very retired life with her daughter, who was very pretty, and whom she never trusted out of her sight. This only made me the more anxious to see her. My landlady assured me that she would do all in her power. With this assurance, I allowed her to enter the apartment where the ladies were, and I walked up and down the corridor, expecting their answer; which was, that the ladies hoped I would excuse their declining at so late an hour to receive a visit from a gentleman with whom they were not acquainted.
I pretended to be very much afflicted at this refusal, which upon the whole vexed me indeed; so that my good landlady, who appeared on her side as much concerned as I was, went into the ladies’ apartment to try again what could be done, and at last she returned to let me know that the ladies consented to grant me an interview, on condition that I would only stay a quarter of an hour with them. I desired no more; sure that once admitted, the condition as to time would not be strictly observed. I presented myself then with the air of a man of quality, first to the mother, whom I saluted with great respect, then to the daughter, and they both received me as it became persons who knew the world. They were both so neatly dressed, considering they were just come off a journey, that I was quite astonished. The mother appeared to me very handsome, though there was in her looks something bold and shy. As for the daughter, she had a soft and expressive countenance, and appeared to me a young lady about seventeen or eighteen years old. I remarked in their room two large silver candlesticks on a table, and two toilets elegantly set out. I saw also three large travelling trunks, and a lackey in a very rich livery attended them with the most profound respect. I had not the least doubt, therefore, that they must be of one of the first families of Guadalaxara, so that I began my compliments by apologizing for the liberty I had taken: and the better to justify my impatience, added that I had been so enchanted with their concert, that I could not resist the desire of expressing my satisfaction. The mother replied to my compliment with much wit and modesty. Our conversation naturally ran upon music, and I soon let them see clearly enough that I understood that science; then entreating them to renew their concert, I even offered to sing with them.
The ladies, curious to hear me, agreed to it; so the mother took up the harp, and the young lady began to sing an air I knew. I endeavoured to display the full power of my voice, and it produced the same effect here as at Florence, or at the Abbey near Saragossa, and the ladies seemed transported with pleasure; they forgot the condition of a quarter of an hour, for it had already struck twelve, and none of us thought of retiring. The mother, however, as decency required she should give me notice of it, at length did it in the most obliging manner, adding how happy they should be to pass some more agreeable moments with me, during their stay at Madrid. I then took my leave, and let the young lady see by my looks that I was not insensible to her charms; and indeed it was more true than I thought, for during all the night sleep did not close my eyelids.
The next morning my hostess, who usually drank a dish of chocolate every day with me, came into my room smiling, and said: “I have just left the apartment of your fair neighbours, and you cannot conceive how much pleased they are with you. Besides that they find your person altogether pleasing, they are also delighted with your agreeable and cheerful conversation, and if you are inclined to carry it on, I have not the least doubt of your success; the mother and daughter are equally pleased with you.” I swallowed these sweet words as if they had been honey, and pleased to have in so short a time made so lively an impression, I answered, that I was equally satisfied with them; that the mother appeared to me to be still very attractive, but as for the daughter, no woman was to be compared with her, and I was willing to undertake her conquest, if any well-disposed person would help me in the attempt. “I understand you,” replied the hostess; “you wish me to render you that service. I have no objection; but how shall we begin the business?” “I will this evening,” said I, “prevail on the ladies to take a walk, and order an elegant repast for them, in some house.” “Not for the world,” cried out my hostess; “that would affront the mother, who would soon see into your design, and break off your acquaintance altogether. Let us do something better,” continued she; after having paused a little, “this entertainment must be given in my name. I will have the collation prepared according to your desire, in a garden that I have on the banks of the Mançanares, where I will invite the ladies to pass the evening; you will come and surprise us, as if chance only had brought you thither, and we shall be more to ourselves in that place than in any other.” I approved of the idea, and my hostess took upon herself the charge of inviting the mother to the entertainment.
My confidante went immediately to make the proposal to the ladies, with whom she remained nearly an hour, by which I judged that she had trouble enough to persuade them to accept of it: and indeed, when she returned she told me that the mother had been very hard to be prevailed upon, and that she had for a long time despaired of inducing her to accept my invitation. “All that I require of you is to behave so that nothing appear to have been concerted between us. When you come to the garden, pretend to be astonished to meet us there. In a word, let your coming seem purely accidental.” I answered, that she might be sure I would spoil nothing, and we then agreed how things should be managed to render the entertainment as agreeable as possible.
We succeeded. The entertainment was like that of a young lover who was desirous to please, and the guests received it as if ignorant of any bad motive. We were extremely well amused. As the mother had not her harp with her, her daughter and I were obliged to sing without music, sometimes together, and sometimes alternately, exchanging slily the most tender looks; mine with the view of expressing my passion, and hers to increase it. Night insensibly surprised us in the garden, and whilst the hostess, out of complaisance for me, held the mother in conversation, I courted the daughter, who did not seem to listen with indifference to my empassioned declaration: at last, being obliged to return to town, I waited on the ladies to their lodgings, where, as a special favour, they granted me half an hour’s conversation, after which I took my leave, as much in love, as I thought, with my new mistress, as I had been with any other before.
The next day I sent the young lady a most pathetic billet-doux by my hostess, but she returned no answer; to have received it, however, unknown to her mother, was a favour of itself. I wrote another, which I gently put into her own hand in the evening when the ladies were again treated at my expence. This time I had an answer; very short indeed, for there were but two lines of no real import, but in which I fancied I discovered an infinite deal of wit. Thus they made me dispute every inch of ground to increase my desires, or, to tell the truth, all the parts were so well acted in this intrigue, by my good hostess, that she knew how to manage each party to her own advantage, just as she pleased. However, I became every day more and more intimate with my fair neighbour. I scarcely ever stirred out of the house, so charmed was I with her company. The mother often went out, as she said, to make interest respecting her law-suit, and when that happened, my officious confidante gave me notice of it, and without ceremony would conduct me to the daughter, with whom I staid while she was at her toilet; and lest the facility of enjoying such favourable opportunities should lessen the charms of them, she would every now and then disturb us by false alarms of the mother’s return.
When my landlady thought I was completely in love, she proposed to me to marry Donna Helena de Melida, which was the young lady’s name. This proposal put me upon my guard against my worthy hostess, and I now began to see into the plot which had been laid against me. She had hitherto represented the lady to be too rich, and of too high a rank for me to encourage any hope that she would consent to give her hand to an adventurer. My landlady from this time became suspected by me, and to rid myself at once of her importunities, I told her in plain terms that I was engaged in another quarter. No sooner had I expressed myself in this manner, than the ladies changed their batteries. Hitherto they had constantly refused the presents I had ventured to send them by mine hostess; but they now adopted a plan entirely different, resolving to fleece the bird while they had it in their power, and they did in reality pluck many good feathers out of my plumage. In proportion, however, as I acted with generosity towards her, the less my fair Helena became reserved; so that after several familiar and interesting tête-à-têtes, my passion began to subside, and from that time nothing else passed between us but an interchange of civility and politeness.
A new incident completed my cure. One morning I saw coming out of the Dominican’s Church a lady of a majestic deportment and richly dressed, whom I took for a woman of quality; and as she passed near me, though I dared not bow to her, I shewed her so much respect, that she took notice of it, and viewed me with so much attention, that I thought myself highly honoured; in Spain even the look that a lady bestows on a man being considered a favour. My curiosity induced me to inquire who she was, and I accordingly followed her. She observed me, but walked on at a slow pace. She was followed by two duennas and a valet, which confirmed me in the opinion that I had of her being a lady of quality. When she was in the middle of the broad street, she stopped before a magnificent house and went in. I had not the least doubt that she lived there, and after some inquiries I learnt that she was the daughter of Signor Don Andrea, who assumed the title of Don in quality of the Court Banker, and that this young lady had the reputation of being very virtuous.
I could not get this adventure out of my head the whole of the morning; towards evening I walked up and down before the banker’s window again, and my trouble was not lost. I had a full view of the banker, who was conversing with his daughter on a balcony, who appeared to be a very personable man. As for the lady I cannot say that she was a perfect beauty, but she had an agreeable air and easy manners, which pleased me extremely, and prepossessed me in favour of her mind. If I had been charmed in the morning, how much more so was I in the evening. I returned home quite in love with her, and resolved to get acquainted with her father the very next day; which I accomplished in the manner I am about to relate to you. Since my arrival at Madrid, I had the precaution to have my diamonds all new set, for fear my relations should give advice to their correspondents, and cause me to be arrested. I had even run a great risk in showing them to the jeweller. I carried these to the amount of ten or twelve thousand franks to the banker, telling him at the same time, that I had others at home of more considerable value. He looked at them with an eager eye, valued them at twelve thousand franks, and offered to pay me that sum in six months, if I would allow him to sell them for me.