These last words presented an opportunity to Don Bertrand to make inquiries respecting my mother and her children. I replied that I was her only son, and it had almost escaped me that I had two fathers; but I restrained my tongue in time, and praised my mother up to the skies. My uncle, impatient to relate to me what I knew quite as well as him, interrupted my eulogium, saying: “I must tell you, my dear nephew, an adventure which happened to us six or seven years ago. A little rascal made his appearance in Genoa half naked. He ran about the streets telling all those who were fools enough to listen to him, that he was the son of your father; and this young beggar, who could not be mistaken for any thing but what he was, flattered himself that some of our family would be weak enough to believe him on his word, and humane enough to have compassion on his misery. I threw myself in his way with the intention of being revenged on him for the discredit he brought upon the family, and I was fortunate enough to meet him. I allured him into my house by soft words, and by promising that I would the next day introduce him to a gentleman who would not fail to be of service to him. When I got him home, I put some questions to him, which soon convinced me that he was a little scape grace. I accordingly determined that he should be punished for his presumption, and perceiving that he was dying with hunger, I sent him to bed without any supper in a magnificent chamber, where I caused him to be tormented all night long by certain devils in masks, who tossed him in a blanket to his heart’s content.” In relating this story to me the old rascal laughed with all his might, and it was with the greatest difficulty that I could restrain the rage I felt. I however, managed to dissemble, and forcing a sort of grin, I agreed with him that the adventure was comical enough. “All that I regret,” continued my uncle, “is, that he disappeared the next morning, and is still at large. Could I have secured him, it was my intention to have inflicted a much severer punishment on him for his presumption, in daring to assert that he bore any affinity to our family.” After this declaration I changed the subject, and a quarter of an hour after the old gentleman took his leave, and I accompanied him to the street door, paying him all the respect due to my father’s elder brother. CHAP. XLIV. _Guzman gives a grand entertainment to his relations, and makes them pay pretty handsomely for it._