L'Abbé Prévost

“ Love is an innocent passion; how has it been transformed for me into a source of sin and misery? Who was there to prevent my living peacefully and virtuously with Manon? Why did I not wed her before claiming any favors from her love? ”

“ I swear to you, my dear Chevalier, that you are the idol of my heart, and that in all this world there is not another man whom I could ever love as I love you. But do you not see, my poor dear soul, that in the plight to which we are now reduced, constancy is a foolish virtue? ”

“ I, who so willingly expose myself to its terrors for love of her, by renouncing my fortune and the comforts of my home! I, who have foregone all but the very necessaries of life, that I might indulge her slightest whims and caprices! ”

“ Lescaut assured him that I was of so virtuous a disposition that I talked of nothing but of becoming a priest, and that my chief amusement consisted in building miniature chapels.
"I think he is like Manon," remarked the old gentleman, raising my chin with his hand.
I replied, with affected stupidity, "That's because we are of the same blood and bone, sir; and, besides, I love my sister Manon just as if she were part of myself."
"Do you hear that?" he said to Lescaut. "He's a bright lad, and it's a pity that he has not seen enough of the world to give him a little better manner." ”

“ My successes were no secret to our servants—being especially well known to my own valet and Manon's maid, before both of whom we were in the habit of talking quite unreservedly and without any misgivings. The maid was a pretty girl, and my valet's sweetheart. They had to deal with young and lenient employers, whom they supposed that they would have no difficulty in deceiving. They conceived the design of doing so, and carried it into effect with results so disastrous to us that we were thrown into a plight from which we were never able to recover. ”

“ What claims did man ever have upon a heart that I have not upon hers? What more is there that I can do for her, after all that I have sacrificed for her sake? Yet she abandons me, and thinks, ungrateful girl, to shield herself from my reproaches by declaring that she has not ceased to love me! ”

“ It was one of those mental crises which stand out, separate and distinct, from all others in a man's life, to which his previous experience supplies no parallel, and the very conception of which it is impossible to convey to other minds, as they—from the nature of the case—can have no clue to guide them to it. Nor is it easy to analyze them clearly to one's self: for, being, as they are, solitary instances of their kind, they can be brought into relation with nothing in the memory, and cannot even be compared with any known feeling. ”

“ Manon could not refuse him a few kisses; they were the only title she acquired to the money he gave her. I was listening at the door and waiting for Lescaut to give me the signal to enter the room. He came and took me by the hand as soon as Manon had secured the money and the jewels, and leading me up to M. de G——— M———, he bade me make him a bow. I made two or three, bowing almost to the ground each time.
"You must excuse him, sir," said Lescaut; "the youngster is quite a greenhorn, and very far, as you can perceive, from having Parisian manners ”

“ We decided, also, that I should dress myself very shabbily on the first occasion that I was allowed the honor of paying my respects to him. He returned to town some three or four days after this; and himself installed Manon in the house which his steward had punctually prepared for her reception. She at once let Lescaut know of her return; and when he had brought me word of it, we went together to the house to see her. Her old gallant had already left her. ”

“ We then consulted as to how we should disarm the suspicions which Monsieur de G——— M——— might conceive as to the reality of our fraternal relationship when he found me taller and somewhat older than he probably expected. We could hit upon no better plan than for me to assume the manner of a countrified simpleton in his presence, while we led him to believe that I intended entering the Church, and was preparing myself for that career by daily attendance at college. ”

“ She added that all she asked of me was a little forbearance during the remainder of the day; explaining that she had already received two hundred pistoles from her old lover, and that he had promised to bring her, that evening, a handsome necklace of pearls, and other jewels, as well as one half of the annual allowance he had agreed to make her. ”