Page:The Story of Manon Lescaut and of the Chevalier des Grieux.pdf/111

Rh "Oh, sir!" I answered, "I have seen a great many of the world in our churches at home, and I dare say that I shall find some in Paris with no better wits than my own."

"Come!" he exclaimed, "that's an excellent sally for a country lad!"

All our conversation during supper was of much the same kind. Manon, who was in the merriest of moods, came more than once within an ace of spoiling all by her uncontrollable outbursts of laughter. Before we left the table I found an opportunity of telling the old dupe his own story, not omitting even the sorry fate that was in store for him. Lescaut and Manon were on thorns while I was recounting it—especially when I drew his portrait to the life; but his vanity prevented his recognizing himself in my description, and I gave it such an adroit turn as I concluded, that he was the first to declare it very droll.

I have good reasons, as you will see, for dwelling at such length upon this ludicrous episode.

As bed-time drew near he began to grow eloquent on the subject of his passion and his impatience. Lescaut and I thereupon took our leave, and he was shown to his room. Manon, finding some pretext for leaving it, ran to