Page:The Story of Manon Lescaut and of the Chevalier des Grieux.pdf/144

148 without further delay. As an essential preliminary to my project, I inquired whether any of the gentlemen he had mentioned had children. He replied that he could not be certain about all of them, but he knew that M. de T, one of the principal Guardians, had a son of marriageable age, who frequently came to the Hôpital with his father.

This information sufficed for my purpose, and I soon after brought the conversation to a close. On our way home I confided my newly conceived plan to Lescaut.

"I may fairly assume," said I, "that this M. de T's son, who is rich and well-connected, has, in common with most young fellows of his age, more or less taste for pleasure. He is hardly likely to be a woman-hater, or such a milksop as to refuse his aid in a love affair. It is my design to enlist his interest in Manon's release. If he be a man of honor and feeling, he will lend us his assistance out of pure generosity. Even if he cannot be influenced by such motives, he will, at all events, do something to help a beautiful girl, if only in the hope of obtaining a share of her favors. I mean to see him," I added, "to-morrow, at the latest." I drew a good omen from the fact that the very project afforded me great consolation. Even Lescaut admitted that my expectations were not unreasonable, and that we might allow ourselves to hope that something would come of my proposed attempt. I passed a more cheerful night in consequence.

The next morning I dressed myself as presentably as my poverty-stricken condition would admit, and drove in a hackney-coach to the residence of M. de T——. He was somewhat surprised at receiving a visit from a perfect stranger; but I augured well from his face and the courtesy of his manner.

I frankly explained my object in coming to see him, and, with a view of exciting in him an even warmer inter-