Manon Lescaut | Page 8

to me; I see it by your manner.' I answered him rather abruptly,
that I was not bound to render him an account of all my movements.
`Certainly not!' he replied; `but you have always, hitherto, treated me as
a friend, and that appellation implies a certain degree of confidence and
candour.' He pressed me so much and so earnestly to discover my
secret, that, having never up to that moment felt the slightest reserve
towards him, I confided to him now the whole history of my passion.
He heard it with an appearance of disapprobation, which made me
tremble; and I immediately repented of my indiscretion, in telling him
of my intended elopement. He told me he was too sincerely my friend
not to oppose every obstacle in his power to such a scheme; that he
would first try all other means of turning me from such a purpose, but
that if I refused to renounce so fatal a resolution, he assuredly would
inform some persons of my intention, who would be able to defeat it.
He held forth upon the subject for a full quarter of an hour, in the most
serious tone, and ended by again threatening to inform against me, if I
did not pledge him my word that I would return to the paths of
discretion and reason.
"I was in despair at having so awkwardly betrayed myself. However,
love having wonderfully sharpened my intellect during the last two or
three hours, I recollected that I had not yet told him of its being my
intention to execute my project on the following morning, and I at once
determined to deceive him by a little equivocation.
"`Tiberge,' said I to him, `up to the present moment I thought you were
my friend; and I wished to prove it by the test of confidence. It is true, I
am in love; I have not deceived you: but with regard to my flight, that
is a project not to be undertaken without deliberation. Call for me

tomorrow at nine o'clock: you shall see my mistress, if it be possible,
and then judge whether she is not worthy of any risk or sacrifice on my
part.' He left me, with a thousand protestations of friendship.
I employed the night in preparing for the journey, and on repairing to
the inn at early dawn, I found Manon waiting my arrival. She was at
her window, which looked upon the street, and perceiving my approach,
she came down and opened the door herself. We took our departure
silently, and without creating the least alarm. She merely brought away
a small portion of her apparel, of which I took charge. The chaise was
in readiness, and we were soon at a distance from the town.
"You will learn in the sequel what was the conduct of Tiberge when he
discovered that I had deceived him; that his zeal to serve me suffered
no diminution; and you will observe to what lengths his devotion
carried him. How ought I to grieve, when I reflect on the base
ingratitude with which his affection was always repaid!
"We made such speed on our journey that before night we reached St.
Denis. I rode alongside of the chaise, which gave us little opportunity
for conversation, except while changing horses; but when we found
ourselves so near Paris, and out of the reach of danger, we allowed
ourselves time for refreshment, not having tasted food since we quitted
Amiens. Passionately in love as I felt with Manon, she knew how to
convince me that she was equally so with me. So little did we restrain
our fondness, that we had not even patience to reserve our caresses till
we were alone. The postilions and innkeepers stared at us with wonder,
and I remarked that they appeared surprised at such uncontrollable love
in children of our age.
"Our project of marriage was forgotten at St. Denis; we defrauded the
Church of her rights; and found ourselves united as man and wife
without reflecting on the consequences. It is certain that with my easy
and constant disposition, I should have been happy for my whole life, if
Manon had remained faithful to me. The more I saw of her, the more I
discovered in her new perfections. Her mind, her heart, her gentleness
and beauty, formed a chain at once so binding and so agreeable, that I
could have found perfect happiness in its enduring influence. Terrible
fatality? that which has been the source of my despair, might, under a
slight change of circumstances, have constituted my happiness. I find
myself the most wretched of mankind, by the force of that very

constancy from which I might have fairly expected to derive the most
serene of human blisses, and the