Manon Lescaut - The Abbé Prévost (best free ebook reader .txt) 📗

my politeness at least, of making some reparation for this little outrage. But recovering his self-possession with the ease of a man accustomed to the world, he put an end to my feelings of pity by his reply, which was, in my opinion, rude enough.

“`Young lady! young lady!’ said he to her, with a sardonic smile, ‘my eyes in truth are opened, and I perceive that you are much less of a novice than I had pictured to myself.’

“He immediately retired without looking at her again, muttering to himself that the French women were quite as bad as those of Italy. I felt little desire, on this occasion, to change his opinion of the fair sex.

“Manon let go my hand, threw herself into an armchair, and made the room resound with her shouts of laughter. I candidly confess that I was touched most sensibly by this unexpected proof of her affection, and by the sacrifice of her own interest which I had just witnessed, and which she could only have been induced to make by her excessive love for me. Still, however, I could not help thinking she had gone rather too far. I reproached her with what I called her indiscretion. She told me that my rival, after having besieged her for several days in the Bois de Boulogne, and having made her comprehend his object by signs and grimaces, had actually made an open declaration of love; informing her at the same time of his name and all his titles, by means of a letter, which he had sent through the hands of the coachman who drove her and her companions; that he had promised her, on the other side of the Alps, a brilliant fortune and eternal adoration; that she returned to Chaillot, with the intention of relating to me the whole adventure, but that, fancying it might be made a source of amusement to us, she could not help gratifying her whim; that she accordingly invited the Italian prince, by a flattering note, to pay her a visit; and that it had afforded her equal delight to make me an accomplice, without giving me the least suspicion of her plan. I said not a word of the information I had received through another channel; and the intoxication of triumphant love made me applaud all she had done.

IX

‘Twas ever thus;—from childhood’s hour I’ve seen my fondest hopes decay;—

I never loved a tree or flower,

But it was sure to fade away;

I never nursed a dear Gazelle,

To glad me with its dark-blue eye, But, when it came to know me well,

And love me, it was sure to die.

MOORE.

“During my life I have remarked that fate has invariably chosen for the time of its severest visitations, those moments when my fortune seemed established on the firmest basis. In the friendship of M. de T–-, and the tender affections of Manon, I imagined myself so thoroughly happy, that I could not harbour the slightest apprehension of any new misfortune: there was one, nevertheless, at this very period impending, which reduced me to the state in which you beheld me at Passy, and which eventually brought in its train miseries of so deplorable a nature, that you will have difficulty in believing the simple recital that follows.

“One evening, when M. de T–- remained to sup with us, we heard the sound of a carriage stopping at the door of the inn.

Curiosity tempted us to see who it was that arrived at this hour.

They told us it was young G–- M–-, the son of our most vindictive enemy, of that debauched old sinner who had incarcerated me in St. Lazare, and Manon in the Hospital. His name made the blood mount to my cheeks. `It is Providence that has led him here,’ said I to M. de T–-, that I may punish him for the cowardly baseness of his father. He shall not escape without our measuring swords at least.’ M. de T–-, who knew him, and was even one of his most intimate friends, tried to moderate my feelings of anger towards him. He assured me that he was a most amiable young man, and so little capable of countenancing his father’s conduct, that I could not be many minutes in his society without feeling esteem and affection for him. After saying many more things in his praise, he begged my permission to invite him to come and sit in our apartment, as well as to share the remainder of our supper. As to the objection of Manon being exposed by this proceeding to any danger, he pledged his honour and good faith, that when once the young man became acquainted with us, we should find in him a most zealous defender. After such an assurance, I could offer no further opposition.

“M. de T–- did not introduce him without delaying a few moments outside, to let him know who we were. He certainly came in with an air that prepossessed us in his favour: he shook hands with me; we sat down; he admired Manon; he appeared pleased with me, and with everything that belonged to us; and he ate with an appetite that did abundant honour to our hospitality.

“When the table was cleared, our conversation became more serious. He hung down his head while he spoke of his father’s conduct towards us. He made, on his own part, the most submissive excuses. `I say the less upon the subject,’ said he, `because I do not wish to recall a circumstance that fills me with grief and shame.’ If he were sincere in the beginning, he became much more so in the end, for the conversation had not lasted half an hour, when I perceived that Manon’s charms had made a visible impression upon him. His looks and his manner became by degrees more tender. He, however, allowed no expression to escape him; but, without even the aid of jealousy, I had had experience enough in love affairs to discern what was passing.

“He remained with us till a late hour in the night, and before he took his leave, congratulated himself on having made our acquaintance, and begged permission to call and renew the offer of his services. He went off next morning with M. de T–-, who accepted the offer of a seat in his carriage.

“I felt, as I before said, not the slightest symptom of jealousy I had a more foolish confidence than ever in Manon’s vows. This dear creature had so absolute a dominion over my whole soul and affections, that I could give place to no other sentiment towards her than that of admiration and love. Far from considering it a crime that she should have pleased young G–- M–-, I was gratified by the effect of her charms, and experienced only a feeling of pride in being loved by a girl whom the whole world found so enchanting. I did not even deem it worth while to mention my suspicions to her. We were for some days occupied in arranging her new wardrobe, and in considering whether we might venture to the theatre without the risk of being recognised. M.

de T–- came again to see us before the end of the week, and we consulted him upon this point. He saw clearly that the way to please Manon was to say yes: we resolved to go all together that same evening.

“We were not able, however, to carry this intention into effect; for, having taken me aside, `I have been in the greatest embarrassment,’ said he to me, `since I saw you, and that is the cause of my visiting you today. G–- M–- is in love with your mistress: he told me so in confidence; I am his intimate friend, and disposed to do him any service in my power; but I am not less devoted to you; his designs appeared to me unjustifiable, and I expressed my disapprobation of them; I should not have divulged his secret, if he had only intended to use fair and ordinary means for gaining Manon’s affections; but he is aware of her capricious disposition; he has learned, God knows how, that her ruling passion is for affluence and pleasure; and, as he is already in possession of a considerable fortune, he declared his intention of tempting her at once with a present of great value, and the offer of an annuity of six thousand francs; if I had in all other points considered you both in an equal light, I should have had perhaps to do more violence to my feelings in betraying him: but a sense of justice as well as of friendship was on your side, and the more so from having been myself the imprudent, though unconscious, cause of his passion in introducing him here.

I feel it my duty therefore to avert any evil consequences from the mischief I have inadvertently caused.

“I thanked M. de T–- for rendering me so important a service, and confessed to him, in a like spirit of confidence, that Manon’s disposition was precisely what G–- M–- had imagined; that is to say, that she was incapable of enduring even the thought of poverty. `However,’ said I to him, `when it is a mere question of more or less, I do not believe that she would give me up for any other person; I can afford to let her want for nothing, and I have from day to day reason to hope that my fortune will improve; I only dread one thing,’ continued I, `which is, that G–- M–- may take unfair advantage of the knowledge he has of our place of residence, and bring us into trouble by disclosing it.’

“M. de T–- assured me that I might be perfectly easy upon that head; that G–- M–- might be capable of a silly passion, but not of an act of baseness; that if he ever could be villain enough for such a thing, he, de T–-, would be the first to punish him, and by that means make reparation for the mischief he had occasioned. `I feel grateful for what you say,’ said I, `but the mischief will have been all done, and the remedy even seems doubtful; the wisest plan therefore will be to quit Chaillot, and go to reside elsewhere.’ `Very true,’ said M. de T–-, `but you will not be able to do it quickly enough, for G–- M–- is to be here at noon; he told me so yesterday, and it was that intelligence that made me come so early this morning to inform you of his intentions. You may expect him every moment.”

“The urgency of the occasion made me view this matter in a more serious light. As it seemed to me impossible to escape the visit of G–- M–-, and perhaps equally so to prevent him from making his declaration to Manon, I resolved to tell her beforehand of the designs of my new rival. I fancied that when she knew I was aware of the offers that would be made to her, and made probably in my presence, she would be the more likely to reject them. I told M. de T–- of my intention, and he observed that he thought it a matter of extreme delicacy. `I admit it,’ said I, `but no man ever had more reason for confiding in a mistress, than I have for relying on the affection of mine. The only thing that could possibly for a moment blind her, is the splendour of his offers; no doubt she loves her ease, but she loves me also; and in my present circumstances, I cannot believe that she would abandon me for the son of the man who had incarcerated her in the Magdalen.’

In fine, I persisted in my intentions, and taking Manon aside, I