Guzman, after his wife’s elopement, resides for some time with his mother; but at length enters into the service of a lady of quality.
I was prudent enough to keep this affair secret, knowing that all the scandal of it would be reflected upon me. I sold what remained of my property, which consisted only of some of the worst of the furniture and moveables, which my wife had condescended to leave behind, and employed the money in making merry with my friends. My mother accommodated herself as long as she could to the life I led, but at last growing tired of it, she returned to the house where she had left Petronilla, telling me that she could now live more at her ease with her, than she could expect to do with me. I offered no opposition to her plans, and we parted again in perfect good will towards each other.
You will not be surprised that a continued train of expenditure without any income, soon reduced me to my original condition of life; but an adventurer, in whatever state it may please fortune to place him, should always find resources in his wits. Mine did not now abandon me. I learnt one day that there resided in the town a rich widow, whose husband had been Governor of a city in the West Indies, and died there, leaving his lady in great affluence. This widow, who affected great devotion, had no children, but several relations of consequence; and was at this time in search of a man, to whom she could confide the management of her affairs, well knowing that places of this description are not always filled by men of probity.
This post was a great temptation to me, and I resolved to spare nothing to obtain it, knowing that my fortune was made if I could succeed. After having tormented my brains for some time to invent some stratagem to attain my ends, I learnt that her Father Confessor was a Dominican Friar, who had an absolute dominion over all her wishes, and that he must be gained over to my interest. To this end, I bought a purse, and put eight pistoles, and twenty ducats of gold in it, to which I added a ring of trifling value, and a gold seal which my mother had presented to my wife the first day she saw her. After which I laid by my sword, and put on a very plain suit of clothes. In this state I repaired to the Convent of the Dominicans, where I asked leave to speak to the Reverend Father before mentioned, who was a very favourite preacher, and had converted many. I was taken for one of his penitents, and was conducted immediately to his chamber, which I entered with an hypocritical countenance, as if afraid to cast my eyes on so sacred a person, and in a low and soft voice: “Most Reverend Father,” said I; “I have just picked up this purse which appears to be full of gold and silver coins, and although I am but a poor man, I know that I have no right to keep it. I have therefore taken the liberty of asking for you, that I might place it in the hands of your Reverence to dispose of it as you may think fit.”
The good father, charmed with so heroic an action in a person whose wants might have excused his appropriating it to himself, surveyed me from head to foot, and commended my disinterested and religious behaviour. He could not sufficiently extol me; and feeling, at the same time, a desire to render me some service, as a recompense for my virtue, he asked me a few questions as to my situation in life, and talents, that he might know what I was capable of. “Reverend Father,” said I, “I have now been at Seville for some time, entirely out of employment. I was Receiver of Taxes at Madrid; but finding myself inclined to spend my own money to assist rather than persecute the poor, I was compelled to resign that situation; from which I became steward to a nobleman, whose affairs were in great confusion. These might soon have been settled; but in proportion as I arranged them, he involved them afresh, so that after having served him four years with the utmost zeal and fidelity, I was obliged to leave him as much a beggar as when I first entered his service, and without even having received my wages.”
The Confessor listened to me with great attention; and surprised at hearing a man, whose dress did not much prepossess him in favour of his education, speak in such good terms, he asked me if I had ever studied. I told him that I had studied most assiduously with the intention of entering the church; but, that after having seriously reflected on a vocation which required so many virtues which I did not possess, I had given up such an idea. He was curious to ascertain how far I had gone in Theology; and as all my lessons were still fresh in my memory, I answered his questions in a manner which astonished him. My interview with him lasted two hours, and he was so well pleased with me, that he assured me of his friendship; and, in taking leave, told me, that on the Sunday following he would advertise the purse I had found, in his church, and that if I would call upon him on the Tuesday following, he hoped he might by that time hear of some place to suit me.
After having left his Reverence I repaired to my mother’s. “I have lost,” said I, “the purse you gave me, in which were your ring and casket, together with eight pistoles and twenty crowns in gold of my own. Happily, however, it has fallen into the hands of a Dominican Father, who will advertise it in his church on Sunday. You must therefore go there, and claim it as your property, as I do not wish to appear before his Reverence for certain reasons which I will afterwards explain.” After a little more instruction, the good woman did not fail to repair on the day fixed to the Dominican’s Church, where she heard the father publish the purse as he had promised, not forgetting to bestow the greatest eulogiums on the honesty of the poor man who had found it, and delivered it to him. My mother, who knew as well as I did the contents of the purse, had but little difficulty in getting it restored her, after leaving two pistoles with his Reverence as a reward for the honesty of the person who found it.
My purse then was restored to me with the loss of two pistoles only. Tuesday had no sooner arrived, than I waited upon the Dominican again, who received me very kindly: “My son,” said he, “a good old woman who has claimed the purse which you found, has left two pistoles with me in charge for you.” I affected to be scrupulous of receiving this present, as I had only done what was my duty, for which I did not deserve or desire to be remunerated: but the good father told me that he thought I well deserved it, and obliged me to accept of it; which, as you will suppose, I no longer refused, purely in obedience to his commands.
He then informed me that he had some better news to communicate; which was, that he had obtained for me the situation as steward in the family of one of the principal ladies in Seville. “You cannot but be happy in this family,” said he, “for the remainder of your days, if you perform your duty conscientiously, for which I entertain so good an opinion of you, that I have passed my word.” At words like these, so flattering to such a rogue, I prostrated myself at his reverence’s feet, and embraced his knees with transport. He assisted me to rise, and assured me of his protection. Then charging me with a letter to the lady, who proved to be the widow before mentioned, he told me that he had already prepared her to receive me.
I went immediately to pay my respects to my new mistress, and it was not difficult to perceive, by the reception I met with, that the Friar had told wonders of me. She addressed me, not as a man who was to be her servant, but as one of whom she already entertained the highest opinion. The good Father had also taken care to fix my salary and perquisites. She asked me if I was satisfied. I answered with a modest air, “that it was more than I deserved, but that I would endeavour to render myself worthy of her bounty by my care and fidelity in her service.” My person and conversation pleased her infinitely, and she desired me to consider myself in her service from that moment. Accordingly I had my trunk carried in that evening, in which was all I possessed.