Thesetheymustseekelsewhere。
Fortherest，inmywayIamhonest。
Itaketheworldasitcomes，thatisall，and，aswomenwillbefools，Iprofitbytheirfollyandhavegrownrichuponit。
*Aboutsixty-threepoundssterling。
’Yes，Ihavegrownrich，andyetIcannotstop。
Ilovethemoneythatispower；butmorethanall，Ilovethewayoflife。
Talkofromancesandadventure！
Whatromanceoradventureishalfsowonderfulasthosethatcomedailytomynotice？
AndIplayapartineveryoneofthem，andnonethelessaleadingpartbecauseIdonotshoutandstrutupontheboards。’
’Ifallthisisso，whydoyouseekthehelpofanunknownlad，astrangerofwhomyouknownothing？’Iaskedbluntly。
’Truly，youlackexperience，’theoldmanansweredwithalaugh。
’DoyouthensupposethatIshouldchooseonewhowasNOTastranger——onewhomighthavetieswithinthiscitywithwhichIwasunacquainted。
Andasforknowingnothingofyou，youngman，doyouthinkthatIhavefollowedthisstrangetradeofmineforfortyyearswithoutlearningtojudgeatsight？
PerhapsIknowyoubetterthanyouknowyourself。
Bytheway，thefactthatyouaredeeplyenamouredofthatmaidwhomyouhaveleftinEnglandisarecommendationtome，forwhateverfolliesyoumaycommit，youwillscarcelyembarrassmeandyourselfbysufferingyouraffectionstobeseriouslyentangled。
Ah！haveIastonishedyou？’
’Howdoyouknow？’Ibegan——thenceased。
’HowdoIknow？
Why，easilyenough。
ThosebootsyouwearweremadeinEngland。
IhaveseenmanysuchwhenItravelledthere；
youraccentalsothoughfaintisEnglish，andtwiceyouhavespokenEnglishwordswhenyourCastilianfailedyou。
Thenforthemaid，isnotthatabetrothalringuponyourhand？
AndwhenIspoketoyouoftheladiesofthiscountry，mytalkdidnotinterestyouovermuchasatyourageithaddonewereyouheart-whole。
Surelyalsotheladyisfairandtall？
Ah！Ithoughtso。
Ihavenoticedthatmenandwomenlovetheiroppositeincolour，noinvariableruleindeed，butgoodforaguess。’
’Youareveryclever，senor。’
’No，notclever，buttrained，asyouwillbewhenyouhavebeenayearinmyhands，thoughperchanceyoudonotintendtostopsolonginSeville。
Perhapsyoucameherewithanobject，andwishtopassthetimeprofitablytillitisfulfilled。
Agoodguessagain，Ithink。
Well，sobeit，Iwillriskthat；objectandattainmentareoftenfarapart。
Doyoutakemyoffer？’
’Iinclinetodoso。’
’Thenyouwilltakeit。
NowIhavesomethingmoretosaybeforewecometoterms。
Idonotwantyoutoplaythepartofanapothecary’sdrudge。
Youwillfigurebeforetheworldasmynephew，comefromabroadtolearnmytrade。
Youwillhelpmeinitindeed，butthatisnotallyourduty。
YourpartwillbetomixinthelifeofSeville，andtowatchthosewhomIbidyouwatch，todropawordhereandahintthere，andinahundredwaysthatI
shallshowyoutodrawgristtomymill——andtoyourown。
Youmustbebrilliantandwitty，orsadandlearned，asIwish；youmustmakethemostofyourpersonandyourtalents，forthesegofarwithmycustomers。
Tothehidalgoyoumusttalkofarms，tothelady，oflove；butyoumustnevercommityourselfbeyondredemption。
Andaboveall，youngman’——andherehismannerchangedandhisfacegrewsternandalmostfierce——’youmustneverviolatemyconfidenceortheconfidenceofmyclients。
OnthispointI
willbequiteopenwithinyou，andIprayyouforyourownsaketobelievewhatIsay，howevermuchyoumaymistrusttherest。
Ifyoubreakfaithwithme，YOUDIE。
Youdie，notbymyhand，butyoudie。
Thatismyprice；takeitorleaveit。
Shouldyouleaveitandgohencetotellwhatyouhaveheardthisday，eventhenmisfortunemayovertakeyousuddenly。
Doyouunderstand？’
’Iunderstand。
FormyownsakeIwillrespectyourconfidence。’
’Youngsir，Ilikeyoubetterthanever。
Hadyousaidthatyouwouldrespectitbecauseitwasaconfidence，Ishouldhavemistrustedyou，fordoubtlessyoufeelthatsecretscommunicatedsoreadilyhavenoclaimtobeheldsacred。
Norhavethey，butwhentheirviolationinvolvesthesadandaccidentalendoftheviolator，itisanothermatter。
Wellnow，doyouaccept？’
’Iaccept。’
’Good。
YourbaggageIsupposeisattheinn。
Iwillsendporterstodischargeyourscoreandbringithere。
Noneedforyoutogo，nephew，letusstopanddrinkanotherglassofwine；thesoonerwegrowintimatethebetter，nephew。’
ItwasthusthatfirstIbecameacquaintedwithSenorAndresdeFonseca，mybenefactor，thestrangestmanwhomIhaveeverknown。
DoubtlessanypersonreadingthishistorywouldthinkthatI，thenarrator，wassowingaplentifulcropoftroublesformyselfinhavingtodealwithhim，settinghimdownasarogueofthedeepest，suchassometimes，fortheirownwickedpurposes，decoyyoungmentocrimeandruin。
Butitwasnotso，andthisisthestrangestpartofthestrangestory。
AllthatAndresdeFonsecatoldmewastruetotheveryletter。
Hewasagentlemanofgreattalentwhohadbeenrenderedalittlemadbymisfortunesinhisearlylife。
AsaphysicianIhavenevermethismaster，ifindeedhehasoneinthesetimes，andasamanversedintheworldandmoreespeciallyintheworldofwomen，I
haveknownnonetocomparewithhim。
Hehadtravelledfar，andseenmuch，andheforgotnothing。
Inparthewasaquack，buthisquackeryalwayshadameaninginit。
Hefleecedthefoolish，indeed，andevenjuggledwithastronomy，makingmoneyoutoftheirsuperstition；butontheotherhandhedidmanyakindactwithoutreward。
Hewouldmakearichladypaytengoldpesosforthedyeingofherhair，butoftenhewouldnursesomepoorgirlthroughhertroubleandasknocharge；yes，andfindherhonestemploymentafterit。
HewhoknewallthesecretsofSevillenevermademoneyoutofthembythreatofexposure，ashesaidbecauseitwouldnotpaytodoso，butreallybecausethoughheaffectedtobeaselfishknave，atbottomhisheartwashonest。
FormyownpartIfoundlifewithhimbotheasyandhappy，sofarasminecouldbequitehappy。
SoonIlearnedmyroleandplayeditwell。
ItwasgivenoutthatIwasthenephewofthericholdphysicianFonseca，whomhewastrainingtotakehisplace；andthis，togetherwithmyownappearanceandmanners，ensuredmeawelcomeinthebesthousesofSeville。
HereItookthatshareofourbusinesswhichmymastercouldnottake，fornowhenevermixedamongthefashionofthecity。
MoneyIwassuppliedwithinabundancesothatIcouldruffleitwiththebest，butsoonitbecameknownthatIlookedtobusinessaswellastopleasure。
Oftenandoftenduringsomegayballorcarnival，aladywouldglideuptomeandaskbeneathherbreathifDonAndresdeFonsecawouldconsenttoseeherprivatelyonamatterofsomeimportance，andIwouldfixanhourthenandthere。
Haditnotbeenformesuchpatientswouldhavebeenlosttous，since，forthemostpart，theirtimidityhadkeptthemaway。
InthesamefashionwhenthefestivalwasendedandIpreparedtowendhomewards，nowandagainagallantwouldsliphisarminmineandaskmymaster’shelpinsomeaffairofloveorhonour，orevenofthepurse。
ThenIwouldleadhimstraighttotheoldMoorishhousewhereDonAndressatwritinginhisvelvetrobelikesomespiderinhisweb，forthemostofourbusinesswasdoneatnight；
andstraight-waythematterwouldbeattendedto，tomymaster’sprofitandthesatisfactionofall。
BydegreesitbecameknownthatthoughIwassoyoungyetIhaddiscretion，andthatnothingwhichwentinatmyearscameoutofmylips；thatIneitherbrawlednordranknorgambledtoanylength，andthatthoughIwasfriendlywithmanyfairladies，therewerenonewhowereentitledtoknowmysecrets。
AlsoitbecameknownthatIhadsomeskillinmyartofhealing，anditwassaidamongtheladiesofSevillethattherelivednomaninthatcitysodeftatclearingtheskinofblemishesorchangingthecolourofthehairasoldFonseca’snephew，andasanyonemayknowthisreputationalonewasworthafortune。
ThusitcameaboutthatIwasmoreandmoreconsultedonmyownaccount。
Inshort，thingswentsowellwithusthatinthefirstsixmonthsofmyserviceIaddedbyonethirdtothereceiptsofmymaster’spractice，largeastheyhadbeenbefore，besideslighteninghislaboursnotalittle。
Itwasastrangelife，andofthethingsthatIsawandlearned，couldtheybewritten，Imightmakeataleindeed，buttheyhavenopartinthishistory。
Foritwasasthoughthesmilesandsilencewithwhichmenandwomenhidetheirthoughtsweredoneaway，andtheirheartsspoketousintheaccentsoftruth。
Nowsomefairyoungmaidorwifewouldcometouswithconfessionsofwickednessthatwouldbethoughtimpossible，didnotherstoryproveitself；
thesecretmurderperchanceofaspouse，oralover，orarival；
nowsomeageddamewhowouldwinahusbandinhisteens，nowsomewealthylow-bornmanorwoman，whodesiredtobuyanalliancewithonelackingmoney，butofnobleblood。
SuchIdidnotcaretohelpindeed，buttothelove-sickorthelove-deludedIlistenedwithareadyear，forIhadafellow-feelingwiththem。
IndeedsodeepandearnestwasmysympathythatmorethanonceIfoundtheunhappyfairreadytotransfertheiraffectionstomyunworthyself，andinfactoncethingscameaboutsothat，hadIwilledit，IcouldhavemarriedoneoftheloveliestandwealthiestnobleladiesofSeville。
ButIwouldnoneofit，whothoughtofmyEnglishLilybydayandnight。
