L'Abbé Prévost

“ I assured her that if she would but rely on my honor and on the deep affection with which she had already inspired me, I would lay down my very life to deliver her from the tyranny of her parents, and to secure her happiness.
Many a time have I wondered, in reflecting over this incident, how I succeeded in mustering up such boldness and facility of expression; but Love would not rank among the gods did he not often work miracles. ”

“ The very evening before I was to have left Amiens, as I was taking a walk with my friend, whose name was Tiberge, we stiw the Arras diligence arrive, and strolled after it to the inn at which these conveyances set down their passengers. We were actuated merely by idle curiosity. Some women alighted, and withdrew at once; but one, a very young girl, remained standing in the court-yard, while an elderly man, who appeared to be acting as her escort, busied himself in getting her baggage taken out of the boot. ”

“ The fair stranger was well aware that men are not deceivers at the age I had then reached. She frankly admitted that if I could think of any way of rescuing her from her impending fate, she would consider herself indebted to me for what was more precious than life itself—her liberty. ”

“ We then began to consider by what means we could gain the happiness of mutual possession.
After much discussion we concluded that there was no other course open to us but flight. We should have to elude the vigilance of her escort, who, though only a servant, was not a man to be trifled with. We arranged that I should order a postchaise during the night, and that I should return to the inn early in the morning, before he was awake, when we would steal away quietly, and make straight for Paris, getting married upon our arrival there. ”

“ However, love had sharpened my wits not a little during the last few hours, and, reflecting that I had not informed him that my plan was to be carried into effect the next day, I resolved to throw him off the scent by means of a slight equivocation.
"Tiberge," I said to him, "I have hitherto always believed you to be my friend, and I wished to put you to the test by confiding in you as I have done. It is true that I am in love ”

“ After having eaten my supper with greater zest than I had ever before felt for that meal, I withdrew to put our project into execution. My arrangements were the more easily made from the fact that what Uttle luggage I had was already packed in preparation for my intended return home the following day. I had thus nothing further to do than to have my trunk removed, and to hire a chaise, to be ready at five o'clock in the morning—at which hour the town gates would be opened. But I encountered an unforeseen obstacle, which came within an ace of defeating my whole scheme. ”