“That is but just my Lord,” said I, “and I agree to the alternative. Yes,” continued I, “if I do not perform my task in four and twenty hours, for I ask not eight days for so trifling an affair, I will submit to any punishment Signor Nicola may be pleased to sentence me to, who, after the affair of the mosquitos and that of the turpentine, is not likely, you will allow, to be too lenient a judge.” The Cardinal laughed at these last words, and it was finally agreed that I should be punished or rewarded on the following day.
What precautions did not his Eminence take to secure his barrels from my clutches! besides keeping the key of the closet in his own possession, he set some of his most confidential domestics to be most constantly on the watch. The next day at dinner the good prelate, fancying me a little thoughtful, said with a smile: “Guzman, I see plainly what makes you so dull; you are reflecting on the luxury of receiving a hundred lashes from the vigorous arm of Signor Nicola.” “Indeed my Lord” replied I, “nothing was farther from my thoughts; for the sweetmeats are already in my possession.”
The Cardinal, fully persuaded that no one could possibly have gained access to his closet or touched his sweetmeats, seemed surprised at my effrontery, and rallied me all dinner-time on the strapping that was justly my due. I allowed him to divert himself as long as he pleased, but when the dessert was about to be served up, I stole privately out of the dining room up to my own chamber, and drew out of my barrel some of the sweetmeats, with which I filled a basin I had taken off the sideboard for that purpose, and carried them to his Eminence’s table. He was so strangely surprised at sight of them, that he could scarcely believe his own eyes, “Here,” said he to the chamberlain, giving him the key of the closet, “go and count the barrels attentively; there must be one short.” The chamberlain returned with an assurance that they were all safe. “Ah, ah!” said the Cardinal, “I now see through your finesse, my poor Guzman. You have purchased some of the same merchant who sold me these fruits, and now hope to make me believe that you have stolen them; but it will not do, Mr. Guzman; your undertaking was to open and pilfer one of my barrels and take out some of the sweetmeats; this was our wager as you will be pleased to recollect; you cannot, therefore, escape the punishment.” “Come, Signor Nicola,” continued he, “seize this rash youth, and inflict on him such chastisement as he may appear to you to deserve.” “Softly, my Lord,” said I, at these last words; “I confess that I amply deserve all this if the sweetmeats that I have just laid before you are not some of those your Eminence bought yesterday; but you must allow also that I have won if I prove the contrary, by convincing you that I have at this moment in my own chamber one of the twelve barrels that were yesterday brought into your palace.”