Languages & literature > Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane > Volume 1

GIL B LAS. iSr
j ghboYirhood ; and fome of them, accullomed
make rafli inferences, concluded from thence,
- , t he was no better than he fhould be. They
, (it ftill farther, fufpe&ing him to be a fpy of
,- king of Portugal, and charitably advertifed
jj of the fufpicion, that I might take my mea-
.. fes accordingly. I was difturbed at this advice ;
ti refleded, that if the thing was fo, I ihould
i the rilk of vifiting the prifon of Madrid. I
i,aid not confide in my innocence, my pad mis-
.j tunes having taught , me to dread juftice ; for
If lad found by experience, that if fire does not
11 the innocent to death, fire at lead treats them
j th fo little hofpitality, that her lodgers are al-
■jj lys in a very melancholy lituation.
; In fuch a delicate conjuncture I confulted Me-
'(rdez, who did not know how to advife me, for
,»he could not believe my mader was a fpy, on
: p other hand, he had no certain reafdn to think
.. aerwife; fo that I refolved to obferve my pa-
• m narrowly, and to leave him, if I flrould p r-
jive that he was undoubtedly an enemy to the
ite ; but I thought prudende, and the eafinefs
■ .f my place, required that I ihould be fird per-
ijdtly fure ofdris practices. With this view, I
, tgan to keep a firiCt eye over his aCtions: and
,0! order to found him, “ Sir, (faid I„one even-
g, while 1 undreffed him) one does not know
J bw to live, fo as to avoid dander : the world is
' d fry malicious, and we among others, are very
kjittle obliged to our neighbours. You cannot
■ uefs in v/nat manner the malicious creatures
■ifdk of us.”—Kight, Gil Bias. ( mfwered he) but
. Hi at can they fay of us, child r” Ah ! truly (I
% ^plied) fcandal never wants matter. \ri ' ue
. dilelf furniines food ror it. Gur neighbours lay
.hat we are dangerous people, and deferve to be
C Vol. I. R taken