L'Abbé Prévost

“ Religion brought its aid to my own reflections, and I conceived for this world a deep and unspeakable contempt. Can you divine," he added, "what it is that still keeps me in it, and prevents my seeking a life of solitude? It is solely my warm attachment to you. I know your excellent qualities of heart and mind. There is no goodness of which you might not make yourself capable. ”

“ He knew that I cherished principles of honor, and, being certain that Manon's treachery must have made me despise her, he arrived at the conclusion that my constancy was due less to my passion for her in particular than to a general fondness for women. He became so wedded to this view that, consulting only his tender affection for me, he came one day and broached it to me. "Chevalier," he said to me, "it has hitherto been my intention that you should wear the Cross of the Order of Malta, but I see that your inclinations do not lie in that direction. You have a taste for pretty women. ”

“ Several days went by, during which I ate nothing save in his presence and in obedience to his wishes. He continued to press upon my consideration every argument calculated to recall me to my senses and to inspire me with contempt for my faithless Manon. I certainly had lost all esteem for her; what esteem could I retain for the most fickle and perfidious of beings? But her image—the fair features which I bore imprinted on my inmost heart were not yet effaced. My own feelings were clear to me. "I may die," I said; "I ought to die, in truth, after so much shame and anguish ”

“ The fatal fascinations of pleasure have led you astray. How grievous a loss to the cause of virtue! Your flight from Amiens distressed me so deeply that I have not since enjoyed a moment's happiness. You may judge of this by the steps it led me to take."
He then told me how, on realizing that I had deceived him and fled with my mistress, he had set out on horseback in my pursuit; but, as I had the start of him by some four or five hours, it had been impossible for him to overtake me. He had reached St. Denis, however, only half an hour after I had left it. ”

“ He talked to me more like a grave and prudent adviser than a companion of my school-days—deploring the follies into which I had strayed, and congratulating me upon my reformation, which he supposed to be almost complete. ”

“ It is scarcely from a man of his stamp that one looks for such lofty sentiments, especially when, as it happens, he is a complete stranger to me. He learned from her that you were my son, and, wishing to rid himself of your inconvenient presence, he wrote and informed me of your whereabouts and of the life of irregularity you were leading, giving me to understand, at the same time, that forcible means would be necessary to secure you. ”

“ You are a pretty dupe! Your fine sentiments are vastly to your credit, on my word! 'Twill be a great pity, my poor Chevalier, to force you to join the Order of Malta, since you are so well fitted to make a husband of patient and accommodating disposition." He indulged in a long succession of similar sneers at what he called my folly and credulity.
At last, seeing that I remained silent, he went on to say that, according to the closest calculation he could make of the time since my departure from Amiens, Manon had loved me for about twelve days ”

“ Denis, taking the precaution of having the three lackeys sleep in the same room with me.
One thing was a cause of no slight distress to me; and this was to find myself in the same hostelry at which I had stopped with Manon on our way from Amiens to Paris. The landlord and servants recognized me, and at once divined the truth of my story. I overheard the landlord saying:
"Ah! That is the fine young gentleman who passed this way, some six weeks hence, with the lass whom he loved so dearly—as well he might, for a pretty lass she was! Poor youngsters. How they fondled one another! Egad! ”