Languages & literature > Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane > Volume 2

GIL BLAS.
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matter over with Basil and his daughter, declaring your
intentions without reserve. The father is delighted at
the idea of your asking his blessing as a son-in-law ;
and you may set your heart at rest about Antonia’s
taste in a husband.” “ Darts and flames! ” cried I in
an ecstasy of amorous transport: “ What! am I so
happy as to have made myself agreeable to that lovely
creature ? ” “ Never question it,” replied he: “ she
loves you already. It is true, she has not owned so
much by word of mouth; but my assurance rests on
the tale-telling sparkling of her eye, when your pro¬
posals were made known to her. And yet you have a
rival!” “Arival!" exclaimed I, with afaulteringvoice,
and a cheek blanched with fear.” “ Do not let that give
you the least uneasiness,” said he; “ your competitor
cannot bid very high, for he is no other than master
Joachim, your cook.” “Ah! the hangdog!” said I,
with an involuntary shout of laughter: “ this is the rea¬
son, then, why he had so great an objection to being
turned out of my service.” “ Exactly so,” answered
Scipio: “ within these few days he made proposals of mar¬
riage to Antonia, who politely declined them.” “ With
submission to your better judgment,” replied I, “it
would be expedient, at least so it strikes me, to get rid
of that strange fellow, before he is informed of my
intended match with Basil’s daughter: a cook, you are
aware, is a dangerous rival.” “ You are perfectly in the
right,” rejoined my trusty counsellor; “ we must clear
the premises of him : he shall receive his discharge from
me to-morrow morning, before he puts a finger on the
fricandeaus; thus you will have nothing more to fear
either from his poisonous sauces or bewitching tongue.
Yet it goes rather against the grain with me to part with
so good a cook: but I sacrifice the interests of my own
belly to the preservation of your precious person.”
“ You need not,” said I, “take on so for his loss: he
had no exclusive patent: and I will send to Valencia for
a cook, who shall outcook all his fine cookery.” Accord¬
ing to my promise, I wrote immediately to Don Alphonso,
to let him know that our kitchen wanted a prime minis-