L'Abbé Prévost

“ After adding a great deal more in his favor, M. de T——— begged that I would permit him to go and invite his friend to join us, and to partake of what was left of our supper. He met the objection as to the risk to which we should be exposing Manon in making her whereabouts known to our enemy's son, by protesting on his faith and honor that when once young G——— M——— knew us, we should have no more zealous champion than he. In the face of such positive assurances I made no further difficulty. ”

“ I imagined that if she knew me to be aware of the proposals which he was about to make to her, and received them under my very eyes, she would have sufficient strength of mind to reject them. I confided my thoughts to M. de T———, who expressed his opinion that it would be an extremely delicate matter to manage successfully.
"I do not deny that it will be," said I; "but no man could have more reasons for being sure of his mistress than I have for relying on the affection of mine. If she could be tempted at all, it would be because she was dazzled by the splendor of the offers made to her ”

“ She wrote a short reply to G——— M———, assuring him that she would have no difficulty in getting to Paris on the day he named, and that he might expect her without fail. We then arranged that I should start out at once to engage new lodgings in some village on the other side of Paris, taking with me such few belongings as we had; and that early the following afternoon—which was the time appointed for their meeting—she would go into town, where, after receiving the presents from G——— M———, she was to beg him as a special favor to take her to the Comédie. ”

“ G——— M———, you see, is the son of our bitterest enemy. We must be revenged on the father, not, indeed, through the son himself, but through the son's purse. What I mean to do is to listen to his proposals, accept his presents, and then leave him in the lurch. ”

“ M. de T———, who knew him, and who, indeed, was one of his most intimate friends, endeavored to inspire me with more amicable sentiments towards him. He assured me that he was a young man of exceedingly amiable character ”