Languages & literature > Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane > Volume 3

j6S The ADVENTURES of
is Catalina, of a good family, and fav/hinf
beauty ; (lie lives under the tuition of her aun(
in a little houfe, where they fubftft in an honours
able.manner, on their'fortune, which is but fmail j
they, are ferved by a chambermaid of my ac-i
quaintance, who has alfuted me, that though their
door is (hut to every body at prefent, it would be
opened to a rich and liberal gallant, provided ho
were willing to avoid ftandal, by going in at nighrj
without any (hew. Whereupon I defcribed you as
a cavalier, who deferved to. find the door anlatched j i
and defired the maid to propofe you to the ladies, i:
She has promifed to do fo, and inform me of their ]
anfwer to-morroW morning, at a certain place.” c
“ That’s well (Ireplied) but I am afraid the chamd t
ber-maid impofes upon thee.” “No, no, (faidj it
he) lam not fo eafily perfoaded; I have already li
interrogated thb neiglibours, and conclude from it
what they fay, that Signiora Catalina is a Danae, on r
whom yon may defeend, like another Jupiter, ;t
in a (hower of gold.” Prejudiced as I was againft v
intrigues of this kind, I engaged in it for once ? ;
and as the chamber-maid came next day, and told! <
Scipio, that if I pleafed, I might be introduced that t
wry evening to her miff refs, I dole thither between,
eleven and twelve. The maid receiving me in the *
dark, took me by the hand, and led m* into a
pretty handfome hall, where I found the iadie* t
richly dreded, and feared on fattin couches. A«, !
foon as they perceived me, they got up, and falut- it
ed me in fuch a noble manner, that I took thenv t
for perfons of quality. The aunt (whofename wa* n
Signiora Mencia) though ftill agreeable, did not at- !t
trafl my attention, which was entirely engrofled. t
by the niece, who feemed a goddefs. To examine t
her minutely, however, (he could not be called a
pe.feit beauty j but (he had fuch graces, togethei*