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

G I L B L A 5. 191
at parting, and faid, “ My fon, I am fo impa¬
tient to fee you Gabriela’s hutband, that you thall
be married in eight days at fartheft.'*
CHAP. II.
Cil Bias, by accident, remembers DonAlfkonh de Leyva,
ard does him a piece of fervice, out of v inity.
THE order of my hiftory requires, tijat I
(hould leave my marriage for a moment, to
recount the fervice which I did to Don Alphbnfo
my old mailer, whom 1 had entirely forgotten till
now, that I remembered him on this occafion.
The government of the city of Valencia became
vacant; and when I heard this piece of news, I
thought of Don Alphonfo de Leyva. I reflected^
that this employment would fuit him admirably
welLj and not fo much through friendfliip as ollen-
tation, refolVed to alk it for him : reprefentirig to
myfelf, that if I Ihouid obtain the place, it would
do me infinite honour. Addreffing myfelf there¬
fore to the duke of Lerma, I told him that I had
been fleward to Don Caefar de Leyva and his Ton i
and that having all the reafon in the world to love
them, I took the liberty to beg the government of
Valencia for either the one or other. The mimller
anfwered, “ With all my heart, Gil Bias : I love
to fee thee grateful and generous. Befides, I efteem
the family thou fpeakeft of; the Leyvas have been
always good fervants to the king, and well deferv*
that place. Thou mayft difpofe of it at thy own
pleafure : I give it thee for a nuptial prefent.
Ravithed with my fuccefs, I went without lof*
of time, and defired Calderona to make cut letters
patents for Don Alphonfo. There I found a great
number of people attending in refpedtful filence,
until Rodrigo fliould give them audience: and
S » p reding