Page:The Story of Manon Lescaut and of the Chevalier des Grieux.pdf/190

194 for another. I am in a position to see that she wants for nothing, and I have every reason to believe that my fortunes will improve from day to day. There is but one thing I fear," I added, "and that is that G M may avail himself of his knowledge of our whereabouts to do us some ill-turn."

M. de T assured me that I need be under no apprehension on that score. G M, he said, was capable of any folly in the name of love, but not of an act of baseness. "Were he to stoop so low as to commit one," continued M. de T, "I would myself be the first to punish him for it, and so atone for my unfortunate share in occasioning it."

"I am obliged to you for this kind expression of your feeling," I replied, "but the mischief would have been done, and the remedy would be of doubtful benefit to us. I think, therefore, that our wisest plan is to avoid any such trouble by leaving Chaillot and taking up our residence elsewhere."

"No doubt," responded my friend; "but you will be hard put to it to get away as speedily as the circumstances require; for G M is to be here by noon to-day. He told me so yesterday, and that was my reason for coming at such an early hour to apprise you of his intentions. He may arrive at any moment."

With such short warning, the case became urgent, and forced me to consider it in a more serious light. To escape G M's visit was manifestly impossible; and it would doubtless be no less impossible for me to prevent his declaring his passion to Manon. In this dilemma, I decided to put her on her guard myself against the designs of this new rival. I imagined that if she knew me to be aware of the proposals which he was about to make to her, and received them under my very eyes, she would have