Page:The Story of Manon Lescaut and of the Chevalier des Grieux.pdf/218

222 questioned me as to the spirit in which I thought you would take my desertion of you, especially when it came to your knowledge that I was in his hands. I replied that our love was now an affair of such long standing that its first ardor had had time to cool a little; and that you were, besides, somewhat straitened for money, and probably would not regard the loss of me as a great misfortune—since it would relieve you of a burden which you could ill support.

"I added that I had been so sure of your taking the affair in good part, that I had felt no hesitation in telling you that I was coming to Paris on some business of my own; you had raised no objections, I told him; and, having occasion to come to town yourself, you had shown no great uneasiness when I parted from you.

If I thought,' he then said, 'that the Chevalier des Grieux were disposed to be on friendly terms with me, I should be the first to pay my respects to him and place myself at his service.'

"I assured him that, knowing your character as I did, I had no doubt that you would respond cordially to any advances on his part; especially, I added, if he were willing to assist you in extricating yourself from the pecuniary embarrassment in which you had become involved since you had been at variance with your family.

"He interrupted me to assure me that he would do anything in his power to serve you; and would even, if you felt inclined to engage in another love affair, procure you a charming mistress, whom he had deserted for my sake. I applauded this proposal warmly, in order to leave him absolutely no grounds for suspicion; and being now more determined than ever to put my scheme into execution, my one thought was as to how I could communicate it to you, for I was afraid that you might be needlessly