Page:The Story of Manon Lescaut and of the Chevalier des Grieux.pdf/88

92 of hand; for Tiberge was anything but well supplied with ready money. I have already said that he was not a rich man. His living brought him in a thousand crowns, but as this was the first year of his incumbency he had not as yet received any of the revenue from it; and it was on his prospective emoluments that he made me this advance.

I appreciated his generosity to the full, and was so deeply affected by it as to deplore the blindness of a fatal love, which forced me to violate all the dictates of duty. For a few brief moments Virtue gathered sufficient strength in my heart to rebel against the tyranny of my passion; and I realized, at least during that instant of light, the shame and indignity of the fetters by which I was bound. But the struggle was a feeble one, and of short duration. The sight of Manon would have made me fling myself down from heaven itself; and I was amazed to think, when I found myself once more at her side, that I had been capable for one moment of regarding as shameful so justifiable an affection for so lovely an object.

Manon's character was a singular one. Never had a girl less attachment to money than she; yet she could not know a moment's peace when confronted by the fear