Page:The Story of Manon Lescaut and of the Chevalier des Grieux.pdf/102

106 had the name of being a man of generosity. He was careful not to tell me that this had been at his advice, nor that he had paved the way before taking her.

"I took her to see him this morning," he continued, "and the worthy man found her so attractive, that he at once invited her to accompany him to his country-house, where he has gone to spend a few days. I," added Lescaut, "quickly realizing how this might be turned to your advantage, gave him adroitly to understand that Manon had suffered considerable losses; and I so spurred his generosity that he made her a present of two hundred pistoles to begin with. I told him that this would do very well for the present; but that the future would bring many wants upon my sister; that she had, moreover, undertaken the care of a young brother who had been left on our hands by the death of our father and mother; and that if he thought her worthy of his regard, he would not permit her to suffer through this poor child, whom she looked upon as a part of herself. This story did not fail to touch him. He promised to take a comfortable house for you and Manon; for you, of course, are the poor little orphan brother. He agrees to furnish it suitably, and to allow you a round four hundred livres every month, which, if I