[A] Alluding to his having taken the Turban. This rascal of a correspondent was not content with having destroyed my father’s reputation by divulging his two bankruptcies; his malignity went so far, that he endeavoured to make him appear ridiculous in the world, by giving out that he took more pains with his person than an antiquated coquette, and that his face was always covered with red and white paint. I grant you that my father curled his hair, and perfumed himself, and took a vast deal of pains with his teeth and hands. But what of this? he loved himself, and not hating women, he neglected nothing that he thought would make his person agreeable to them. This afforded fine sport for our correspondent, who at first did some harm; but as soon as my father became somewhat better known at Seville, he contrived to efface all the bad impressions that slander had made, for he conducted himself in so plausible a manner, and made a show of so much uprightness and sincerity in all his actions, that he gained the esteem and friendship of the first merchants in that city. With the sum of money that he had brought with him from Algiers, added to what he had recovered from his correspondent, my father now found himself worth about 40,000 livres, which was not an inconsiderable sum for him, who knew well how to conduct his business as a wholesale trader. Nobody made greater noise than he on the Exchange: so well did he get on, that after some years he purchased a house in town and another in the country; he furnished them both in a magnificent manner, especially his house of pleasure at St. Juan d’Alfarache, whence I derive my title. But, as he loved pleasure, this house was the cause of his ruin, by the very frequent expences he was led into; so that he insensibly neglected his affairs and trusted to his clerks; and to keep up appearances he was obliged to have recourse to play with rich merchants whom he invited and entertained for that purpose, and of whom he generally won. CHAP. III. _Guzman relates how his Father makes an acquaintance with a Lady, with the consequences thereof._ Such was the life my father led, when being one day on ’Change among other merchants, he discovered afar off a christening which seemed to belong to persons of distinction; every body hastened to see it pass, especially as it was whispered that it was the child of some person of quality, whose baptism was wished to be as private as possible.