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

THE ADVENTURES
44*
“ ble in the kingdom of Valencia.” “ I efteem his
“ nobility (cried Scipio) lefs than the qualities of
“ his heart and underftanding; and this Don Juan
“ will fuit us very well, provided he be a man of
“honour.” “ He has the reputation of one, (faid
Seraphina, joining in the converfation :) the inha-
“ bitants of Lirias, who know him, give him the heft
“ of characters.” At thefe words of my god-daugh¬
ter, I fmiled to her father; who having likewife ob-
ferved them, concluded that his daughter Was not
difpleafed at her gallant.
This cavalier foon got notice of our arrival at Li¬
rias ; and two day* after appeared at our caflle.
He faluted us gracefully : and, far from contradic¬
ting by his prefence what Beatrice had faid to his
advantage, his behaviour made us conceive an
high opinion of his metit. He told us, that, as our
neighbour, he had come.to congratulate us upon
our happy return ; and we received him with all the
courtefy in our power; but this vifit, which was
made out of pure civility, paired in mutual compli¬
ments : and Don Juan, without having mentioned
a fyllable of his paffion for Seraphina, retired, only
defiring our permiflionto profit by a neighbourhood
which he forefaw would be very agreeable to him.
When he was gone, Beatrice afking our opinions of
the gentleman, we anfwered, that he had prepoflef-
fed us in his, favour; and that, in all appearance,
fortune could not offer a better match for Seraphina.
The very next day I went out after dinner with
Cofcolina’s fon, to return the vifit which we owed
to Don Juan. We took the road to his caftle, con¬
duced by a guide, who, (when we had walked about
.-three quarters of an hour) faid, “ There is the caftle
41 of Don Juan dc Jutella.” In vain did we caff