12

MENDOZA.

house of the Comendador, and was commanded,

under the severest penalties, never to receive Zayde
into her presence again. Not to make matters worse,
my mother fulfilled the obligation of the sentence, and
to avoid danger, as well as to escape further scandal,
she engaged herself to serve the guests at the inn of
the Solana, where, notwithstanding she suffered a
thousand inconveniences, she managed to rear my
little brother. As to myself, I went on errands, and
endeavoured to make myself as useful as possible.
About this time a blind man came to lodge at the
house, and thinking that I should do very well to
lead him about, asked my mother to part with me
for that purpose. My mother recommended me
strongly, stating that t was the son of an excellent
man who died in battle against the enemies of our
faith, and " I trust in God," added she, " that he will
never make a worse man than was his father." She
confided me to his care as an orphan boy, and entreated him to use me with kindness. The old man
promised to receive me, not as a servant, but as a
son; and thus I commenced service with my new
though blind and aged master. We remained in
Salamanca some few days, but my master finding his
gains in that city to be very inconsiderable, determined to seek greater profits elsewhere. When we
were ready to depart, I went to take leave of my
mother, who, with an abundance of tears, from which
I, too, could not refrain, gave me her blessing, and
said, " My son, this may probably be the last time I
shall ever see you; endeavour then for my sake to

LAZARILLO DE TORMES.

13

be good, and may the Almighty assist you. I have

reared you from childhood, and now provide you with
a kind master; look to yourself for the future, and
farewell." I then went to rejoin my master, who
was waiting for me at a short distance.
We left Salamanca, and having arrived at the
bridge, my master directed my attention to an
animal carved in stone in the form of a bull, and
desired me to take him near it. When I had placed
him close to it, he said, " Lazaro, if you put your ear
close to this bull, you will hear an extraordinary
noise within." In the simplicity of my heart, believing it to be as he said, I put nay ear to the stone,
when the old man gave my head such a violent thump
against it, that I was almost bereft of sense, and for
three days after I did not lose the pain I suffered
from the blow. My old master laughed heartily at
the joke : "You rogue/' said he, t( you ought to know
that a blind man's boy should have more cunning
than the very devil himself."
It seemed to me as though that moment had
awakened me from the simplicity of childhood, and I
said to myself, " The old man says truly. I am now
alone, and if I do not keep a sharp look-out for myjself, I shall find none to assist me." We commenced
our journey, and in a very few days I began to reap
the benefit of my master's instruction. As he found
me an apt scholar, he was much pleased, and would
say,t( I have no silver or gold to give you; but, what
is far better, I can impart to you the result of my
experience, which will always enable you to live;