“I reflected a moment on this suggestion; but seeing nothing around me but despair, I took a final and indeed desperate resolution:  this was to thank my companion for his services, and, far from attacking the police, to go up with submission and implore them to receive me among them, that I might accompany Manon to Havre-de-Grace, and afterwards, if possible, cross the Atlantic with her. `The whole world is either persecuting or betraying me,’ said I to the guardsman; `I have no longer the power of interesting anyone in my favour; I expect nothing more either from fortune or the friendship of man; my misery is at its height; it only remains for me to submit, so that I close my eyes henceforward against every gleam of hope.  May Heaven,’ I continued, `reward you for your generosity!  Adieu!  I shall go and aid my wretched destiny in filling up the full measure of my ruin!’ He, in vain, endeavoured to persuade me to return with him to Paris.  I entreated him to leave me at once, lest the police should still suspect us of an intention to attack them.

XII

The pauses and intermissions of pain become positive pleasures; and have thus a power of shedding a satisfaction over the intervals of ease, which few enjoyments exceed.—­Paley.

“Riding towards the cortege at a slow pace, and with a sorrowful countenance, the guards could hardly see anything very terrific in my approach.  They seemed, however, to expect an attack. `Be persuaded, gentlemen,’ said I to them, `that I come not to wage war, but rather to ask favours.’  I then begged of them to continue their progress without any distrust, and as we went along I made my solicitations.  They consulted together to ascertain in what way they should entertain my request.  The chief of them spoke for the rest.  He said that the orders they had received to watch the prisoners vigilantly were of the strictest kind; that, however, I seemed so interesting a young man, that they might be induced to relax a little in their duty; but that I must know, of course, that this would cost me something.  I had about sixteen pistoles left, and candidly told them what my purse contained. `Well,’ said the gendarme, `we will act generously.  It shall only cost you a crown an hour for conversing with any of our girls that you may prefer—­ that is the ordinary price in Paris.’

“I said not a word of Manon, because I did not wish to let them know of my passion.  They at first supposed it was merely a boyish whim, that made me think of amusing myself with these creatures but when they discovered that I was in love, they increased their demands in such a way, that my purse was completely empty on leaving Mantes, where we had slept the night before our arrival at Passy.