Page:The Story of Manon Lescaut and of the Chevalier des Grieux.pdf/39

Rh for deceiving me? But three hours ago she had lavished her tenderest caresses upon me, and had welcomed mine with rapturous delight. I knew my own heart no better than I knew hers. "No! No!" I said again; "Manon cannot be false; it is impossible! She knows too well that I live only for her—that I worship her; these, surely, cannot be reasons for depriving me of her love!"

Argue as I would, however, I could not stifle my uneasiness at Monsieur de B's visit and his stealthy departure. I called to mind, also, Manon's little purchases, which seemed to me beyond our present means. They were certainly suggestive of the liberality of a new lover. And then, again, the confident manner in which she had alluded to resources which were unknown to me? I found it difficult to interpret all these enigmas in as favorable a sense as my heart desired.

On the other hand, I considered that she had scarcely been out of my sight since we had come to Paris. In all our occupations, our walks, and our amusements, we were invariably together. Great Heavens! a moment's separation would have been an intolerable affliction for us. It had become a necessity of our lives to be constantly interchanging assurances of our mutual love; to forego