affections; but he is aware of her capricious disposition; he has learned, God knows how, that her ruling passion is for affluence and pleasure; and, as he is already in possession of a considerable fortune, he declared his intention of tempting her at once with a present of great value, and the offer of an annuity of six thousand francs; if I had in all other points considered you both in an equal light, I should have had perhaps to do more violence to my feelings in betraying him:  but a sense of justice as well as of friendship was on your side, and the more so from having been myself the imprudent, though unconscious, cause of his passion in introducing him here.  I feel it my duty therefore to avert any evil consequences from the mischief I have inadvertently caused.

“I thanked M. de T——­ for rendering me so important a service, and confessed to him, in a like spirit of confidence, that Manon’s disposition was precisely what G——­ M——­ had imagined; that is to say, that she was incapable of enduring even the thought of poverty. `However,’ said I to him, `when it is a mere question of more or less, I do not believe that she would give me up for any other person; I can afford to let her want for nothing, and I have from day to day reason to hope that my fortune will improve; I only dread one thing,’ continued I, `which is, that G——­ M——­ may take unfair advantage of the knowledge he has of our place of residence, and bring us into trouble by disclosing it.’

“M. de T——­ assured me that I might be perfectly easy upon that head; that G——­ M——­ might be capable of a silly passion, but not of an act of baseness; that if he ever could be villain enough for such a thing, he, de T——­, would be the first to punish him, and by that means make reparation for the mischief he had occasioned. `I feel grateful for what you say,’ said I, `but the mischief will have been all done, and the remedy even seems doubtful; the wisest plan therefore will be to quit Chaillot, and go to reside elsewhere.’ `Very true,’ said M. de T——­, `but you will not be able to do it quickly enough, for G——­ M——­ is to be here at noon; he told me so yesterday, and it was that intelligence that made me come so early this morning to inform you of his intentions.  You may expect him every moment.’”

“The urgency of the occasion made me view this matter in a more serious light.  As it seemed to me impossible to escape the visit of G——­ M——­, and perhaps equally so to prevent him from making his declaration to Manon, I resolved to tell her beforehand of the designs of my new rival.  I fancied that when she knew I was aware of the offers that would be made to her, and made probably in my presence, she would be the more likely to reject them.  I told M. de T——­ of my intention, and he observed that he thought it a matter of extreme delicacy. `I admit it,’ said I, `but no man ever had more reason for confiding in a mistress, than I have for relying on the affection of mine.  The only thing that could possibly for a moment blind her, is the splendour of his offers; no doubt she loves her ease, but she loves me also; and in my present circumstances, I cannot believe that she would abandon me for the son of the man who had incarcerated her in the Magdalen.’  In fine, I persisted in my intentions, and taking Manon aside, I candidly told her what I had learned.