Page:The Story of Manon Lescaut and of the Chevalier des Grieux.pdf/165

Rh teachings which I had received there, and return to my vicious courses.

He told me that he had gone to pay me a visit at St. Lazare the day after my escape, and had been inexpressibly shocked to hear of the way in which I had left it. He had had a conversation on the subject with the Superior. That worthy Father had not as yet recovered from the effects of his fright; but he had, nevertheless, been generous enough to conceal the circumstances of my departure from the Lieutenant-General of Police, and had prevented the death of the porter from being noised abroad. I had thus nothing to fear from that quarter, continued Tiberge, but he added, if I had not lost all sense of rectitude, I would take advantage of the happy turn which Providence had given to my affairs, and begin a new life by writing to my father and effecting a reconciliation with him. He concluded by saving that, if I would for once be governed by his advice, he was of opinion that my wisest course would be to leave Paris and return to the bosom of my family.

I heard him patiently to the end. There was a great deal in what he said that gave me no little satisfaction. I was delighted, in the first place, to find that I need have no fears as far as St. Lazare was concerned. This made the streets of Paris free ground for me again. In the sec-