CANDIDE AND MARTIN SUP WITH SIX SHARPERS. WHOTHEY WERE
One evening as Candide, with his attendant Martin, was going to sit down to supper with some foreigners who lodged in the same inn where they had taken up their quarters, a man with a face the color of soot came behind him, and taking him by the arm, said, "Hold yourself in readiness to go along with us; be sure you do not fail."Upon this, turning about to see from whom these words came, he beheld Cacambo. Nothing but the sight of Miss Cunegonde could have given him greater joy and surprise. He was almost beside himself, and embraced this dear friend.
"Cunegonde!" said he, "Cunegonde is come with you doubtless!
Where, where is she? Carry me to her this instant, that I may die with joy in her presence.""Cunegonde is not here", answered Cacambo; "she is in Constantinople.""Good heavens! in Constantinople! but no matter if she were in China, Iwould fly thither. Quick, quick, dear Cacambo, let us be gone.""Soft and fair", said Cacambo, "stay till you have supped.
I cannot at present stay to say anything more to you; I am a slave, and my master waits for me; I must go and attend him at table: but mum! say not a word, only get your supper, and hold yourself in readiness."Candide, divided between joy and grief, charmed to have thus met with his faithful agent again, and surprised to hear he was a slave, his heart palpitating, his senses confused, but full of the hopes of recovering his dear Cunegonde, sat down to table with Martin, who beheld all these scenes with great unconcern, and with six strangers, who had come to spend the Carnival at Venice.
Cacambo waited at table upon one of those strangers. When supper was nearly over, he drew near to his master, and whispered in his ear:
"Sire, Your Majesty may go when you please; the ship is ready"; and so saying he left the room.
The guests, surprised at what they had heard, looked at each other without speaking a word; when another servant drawing near to his master, in like manner said, "Sire, Your Majesty's post-chaise is at Padua, and the bark is ready." The master made him a sign, and he instantly withdrew.
The company all stared at each other again, and the general astonishment was increased. A third servant then approached another of the strangers, and said, "Sire, if Your Majesty will be advised by me, you will not make any longer stay in this place; I will go and get everything ready"; and instantly disappeared.
Candide and Martin then took it for granted that this was some of the diversions of the Carnival, and that these were characters in masquerade.
Then a fourth domestic said to the fourth stranger, "Your Majesty may set off when you please"; saying which, he went away like the rest. A fifth valet said the same to a fifth master. But the sixth domestic spoke in a different style to the person on whom he waited, and who sat near to Candide.
"Troth, sir", said he, "they will trust Your Majesty no longer, nor myself neither; and we may both of us chance to be sent to jail this very night; and therefore I shall take care of myself, and so adieu."The servants being all gone, the six strangers, with Candide and Martin, remained in a profound silence. At length Candide broke it by saying: