"I will, since you desire it," answered Candide. "Come then, enter," says the Persian. They went in accordingly, and Candide could not forbear admiring the respectful treatment shown him by his host. The slaves prevented his desires; the whole house seemed to be busied in nothing but contributing to his satisfaction. "Should this last," said Candide to himself, "all does not go so badly in this country." Three days were past, during which time the kind proceedings of the Persian were all of a piece; and Candide already cried out, "Master Pangloss, I always imagined you were in the right, for you are a great philosopher." CHAPTER II. What befell Candide in this House; and how he got out of it. CANDIDE, being well-fed, well-clothed, and free from chagrin, soon became again as ruddy, as fresh, and as gay as he had been in Westphalia. His host, Ismael Raab, was pleased to see this change. He was a man six feet high, adorned with two small eyes extremely red, and a large nose full of pimples, which sufficiently declared his infraction of Mahomet's law. His whiskers were the most famous in the country; and mothers wished their sons nothing so much as a like pair. Raab had wives, because he was rich. But he thought in a manner that is but too common in the East and in some of our colleges in Europe. "Your excellence is brighter than the stars," says one day the cunning Persian to the brisk Candide, half smiling and half suppressing his words; "you must have captivated a great many hearts; you are formed to give and receive happiness." "Alas!" answered our hero," I was happy only by halves, behind a screen, where I was but so-so at my ease. Mademoiselle Cunegund was handsome then" "Mademoiselle Cunegund! poor innocent thing. Follow me, my lord," says the Persian. And Candide followed accordingly. They came to a very agreeable retreat, where silence and pleasure reigned. |
|||||||||
|
