Page:The Story of Manon Lescaut and of the Chevalier des Grieux.pdf/134

138 haps, impress me even more—that the sweeter and more enchanting they are, the more bountiful will Heaven be in rewarding a sacrifice so hard to make; but at least admit that, while human hearts beat in our bosoms, these same joys of love constitute the most perfect felicity we can know upon this earth !"

These concluding words of mine restored Tiberge's good humor. He owned that my views were not altogether unreasonable, and advanced no objection to them beyond asking me why it was that I did not at least follow out my own principles, by sacrificing my love for the hope of that reward which, according to my conceptions of it, would be so great.

"Ah! my dear friend," was my reply, "that is just where I recognize my own miserable weakness. Alas, yes! It is my duty to act in accordance with my reasoning; but to do so requires a strength I do not possess; and powerful, indeed, must be the aid which would make it possible for me to banish Manon's charms from my memory!"

"Another of the Jansenist brood, as I live!" exclaimed Tiberge.

"I do not know what I am," was my reply; "nor is it very clear to me what one ought to be; but I am now ex-