Languages & literature > Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane > Volume 4

i9<S THE ADVENTURES
in fpite of the luftre of their diamonds, I toolc neither
the one nor the other for her whom I expedled. At
Jength, Lucretia-walked forwards from the bottom of
the ftage ; and her appearance was fkluted by a long'
and general clapping of hands. “ Ah! there fhe is,
“ (faid I to myfelf :) what a noble air ! what grace!
“ what fine eyes ! O the divine creature ! I was
“ actually very well pleafed, or rather paffionately
“ firuck with her perfun. On hearing her recite'
“ the iirft couplet, I found five had nature, fire, an-
“ underftanding above her age; and I willingly
“ joined my applaufe to that which (lie received
“ from the whole audience, during the whole per-
“ formance.” “ Well, (faid the Knight to me) you-
“ fee how Lucretia is carefltd by the public.” “ L
“ am not at all furprifcd at it,” (anfwered I.) “ You
“ would be lefs fo ftill, (faid he) if. you had heard"
“ her fing. She is a perfedl fyren. Woe be to
“ thofe who lifted! Her dancing is no lefs formidable!"
“ Her fteps, as dangerous as her voice, charm the
“ eye, and force the heart to yield.” If that be the-
“ cafe, (cried I) it muft be owned fhe is a prodigy!"
“ What happy mortal has the pleafure of ruining
“• himfelf for fueh an amiable creature ?”
“ She has no declared lover, (faid he) and even
“ fcandal has not as yet involved her in any private'
“ intrigue. Neverthelefs, (added he) this may foon"
*< be the cafe; for Lucretia is under the condudLof*
“ her aunt Eftella, who is certainly the mod expert1
«» of all the adtrefles.” At-the.name of Eftella, Is
interrupted the Knight with precipitation, to afk if
that Eftella was an adtrefis of the Toledo company.
“ She is one of the beft of them (faid he :) flio has
“ not a died to-day, and we have fuffcred by her ah*
“ fence : fhe ufually plays the part of the waiting-