Page:The Story of Manon Lescaut and of the Chevalier des Grieux.pdf/196

200 it was spent, so that she should always have it available in ready money. Her installation was not to be long delayed. He only asked her for two days in which to make the necessary preparations, and gave her the address of the house, promising to be there to meet her on the afternoon of the second day following, if she could succeed in giving me the slip.

This last was the only point as to which he begged her to set his mind at rest. He seemed to be quite sure of everything else, but he added that if she anticipated any difficulty in eluding my vigilance, he would find some mean of facilitating her escape.

G M was more wary than his father; he evidently meant to have his prey securely in his grasp before he loosened his purse-strings.

We held a consultation as to the course Manon should pursue. I endeavored once more to dissuade her from carrying out her project, but nothing could shake her purpose.

She wrote a short reply to G M, assuring him that she would have no difficulty in getting to Paris on the day he named, and that he might expect her without fail. We then arranged that I should start out at once to engage new lodgings in some village on the other side