Page:The Story of Manon Lescaut and of the Chevalier des Grieux.pdf/74

78 for his violence. He had, he explained, been under the impression that she was leading a dissolute life, and this idea had aroused his indignation; but, having made inquiries about me from one of our servants, he had received such favorable accounts of me that they had made him desirous of being on good terms with us. Grotesque and offensive as was the recommendation thus obtained from one of my own lackeys, I acknowledged his intended compliment courteously, thinking that it would please Manon for me to do so. She appeared delighted, for her part, to find that he was willing to effect a reconciliation. We invited him to remain to dinner; and, before many minutes had elapsed, he had placed himself on a footing of such familiarity with us that, hearing us speak of returning to Chaillot, he insisted on accompanying us thither. There was nothing for it but to give him a seat in our carriage. This was tantamount, on his part, to entering into possession; for he soon fell into the way of finding so much pleasure in our society, that he made our house his own, and installed himself as virtual master of all that belonged to us.

He called me his brother, and, under the pretext of fraternal intimacy, took upon himself to invite all his friends