e. 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