"And where is the Reverend Father Provincial?" said Cacambo.
"He has just come from Mass and is at the parade", replied the sergeant, "and in about three hours' time you may possibly have the honor to kiss his spurs.""But", said Cacambo, "the Captain, who, as well as myself, is perishing of hunger, is no Spaniard, but a German; therefore, pray, might we not be permitted to break our fast till we can be introduced to His Reverence?"The sergeant immediately went and acquainted the Commandant with what he heard.
"God be praised", said the Reverend Commandant, "since he is a German Iwill hear what he has to say; let him be brought to my arbor."Immediately they conducted Candide to a beautiful pavilion adomed with a colonnade of green marble, spotted with yellow, and with an intertexture of vines, which served as a kind of cage for parrots, humming birds, guinea hens, and all other curious kinds of birds. An excellent breakfast was provided in vessels of gold; and while the Paraguayans were eating coarse Indian corn out of wooden dishes in the open air, and exposed to the burning heat of the sun, the Reverend Father Commandant retired to his cool arbor.
He was a very handsome young man, round-faced, fair, and fresh-colored, his eyebrows were finely arched, he had a piercing eye, the tips of his ears were red, his lips vermilion, and he had a bold and commanding air; but such a boldness as neither resembled that of a Spaniard nor of a Jesuit. He ordered Candide and Cacambo to have their arms restored to them, together with their two Andalusian horses. Cacambo gave the poor beasts some oats to eat close by the arbor, keeping a strict eye upon them all the while for fear of surprise.
Candide having kissed the hem of the Commandant's robe, they sat down to table.
"It seems you are a German", said the Jesuit to him in that language.
"Yes, Reverend Father", answered Candide.
As they pronounced these words they looked at each other with great amazement and with an emotion that neither could conceal.
"From what part of Germany do you come?" said the Jesuit.
"From the dirty province of Westphalia", answered Candide.
"I was born in the castle of Thunder-ten-tronckh.""Oh heavens! is it possible?" said the Commandant.
"What a miracle!" cried Candide.
"Can it be you?" said the Commandant.
On this they both drew a few steps backwards, then running into each other's arms, embraced, and wept profusely.
"Is it you then, Reverend Father? You are the brother of the fair Miss Cunegonde? You that was slain by the Bulgarians! You the Baron's son!
You a Jesuit in Paraguay! I must confess this is a strange world we live in.
O Pangloss! what joy would this have given you if you had not been hanged."The Commandant dismissed the Negro slaves, and the Paraguayans who presented them with liquor in crystal goblets. He returned thanks to God and St. Ignatius a thousand times; he clasped Candide in his arms, and both their faces were bathed in tears.
"You will be more surprised, more affected, more transported", said Candide, "when I tell you that Miss Cunegonde, your sister, whose belly was supposed to have been ripped open, is in perfect health.""In your neighborhood, with the Governor of Buenos Ayres;and I myself was going to fight against you."Every word they uttered during this long conversation was productive of some new matter of astonishment. Their souls fluttered on their tongues, listened in their ears, and sparkled in their eyes. Like true Germans, they continued a long while at table, waiting for the Reverend Father; and the Commandant spoke to his dear Candide as follows.
