more
than ever: your compliance now shall never, during my life, be
forgotten.'

"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