“Indignation and astonishment deprived me of the power of utterance.  She renewed her entreaties, and I could not find adequate expressions to convey my feelings of anger and contempt.  But hearing the door of the ante-chamber open, she grasped with one hand my locks, which were floating over my shoulders, while she took her toilette mirror in the other, and with all her strength led me in this manner to the door of the boudoir, which she opened with her knee, and presented to the foreigner, who had been prevented by the noise he heard inside from advancing beyond the middle of the ante-chamber, a spectacle that must have indeed amazed him.  I saw a man extremely well dressed, but with a particularly ill-favoured countenance.

“Notwithstanding his embarrassment, he made her a profound bow.  Manon gave him no time for speech-making; she held up the mirror before him:  `Look, sir,’ said she to him, `observe yourself minutely, and I only ask you then to do me justice.  You wish me to love you:  this is the man whom I love, and whom I have sworn to love during my whole life:  make the comparison yourself.  If you think you can rival him in my affections, tell me at least upon what pretensions; for I solemnly declare to you, that, in the estimation of your most obedient humble servant, all the princes in Italy are not worth a single one of the hairs I now hold in my hand.’

“During this whimsical harangue, which she had apparently prepared beforehand, I tried in vain to disengage myself, and feeling compassion for a person of such consideration, I was desirous, by 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