Page:The Story of Manon Lescaut and of the Chevalier des Grieux.pdf/18

22 whenever I take a step towards her. Only a moment since, upon my venturing to approach her in spite of their threats, they had the insolence to raise the butts of their muskets against me. In order to satisfy their greed and to fit myself for continuing the journey on foot, I now find myself forced to sell my horse, which, sorry animal though it is, has carried me so far on the way."

Although he related all this with apparent calmness, tears stood in his eyes as he concluded. The whole incident struck me as strange and pathetic in the extreme.

"I will not press you," I said, "to confide your secret affairs to me; but if I can be of assistance to you in any way, I gladly offer you my services."

"Alas!" he replied, "I have abandoned all hope. There is nothing left for me but to resign myself to my fate, cruel as it is, and go to America, where my love and I will at least be free together. I have written to one of my friends, who will send me some money to Havre-de-Grace. My only anxiety is as to how I am to reach there, and as to how I can procure that poor girl," he added, glancing sadly at his mistress, "some little comfort on the way."