enerous gift, amounted to the small sum of forty pistoles; I
expended eight in the purchase of some necessary articles for Manon;
and I put the remainder by, as the capital upon which we were to rest
our hopes and raise our fortunes in America. I had no difficulty in
getting admitted on board the vessel. They were at the time looking
for young men as voluntary emigrants to the colony. The passage and
provisions were supplied gratis. I left a letter for Tiberge, which
was to go by the post next morning to Paris. It was no doubt written
in a tone calculated to affect him deeply, since it induced him to form
a resolution, which could only be carried into execution by the
tenderest and most generous sympathy for his unhappy friend.

XIII

Sunt hie etiam sua proemia laudi,
Sunt lachrymae rerum, et mentem mortalia tangunt.
VIRGIL.

E'en the mute walls relate the victim's fame.
And sinner's tears the good man's pity claim.
DRYDEN.

"We set sail; the wind continued favourable during the entire passage.
I obtained from the captain's kindness a separate cabin for the use of
Manon and myself. He was so good as to distinguish us from the herd of
our miserable associates. I took an opportunity, on the second day, of
conciliating his attentions, by telling him part of our unfortunate
history. I did not feel that I was guilty of any very culpable
falsehood in saying that I was the husband of Manon. He appeared to
believe it, and promised me his protection; and indeed we experienced,
during the whole passage, the most flattering evidences of his
sincerity. He took care that our table was comfortably provided; and
his attentions procured us the marked respect of our companions in
misery. The unwearied object of my solicitude was to save Manon from
every inconvenience. She felt this, and her gratitude, together with a
lively sense of the singular position in which I had placed myself
solely for her sake, rendered the dear creature so tender and
impassioned, so attentive also to my most trifling wants, that it was
between us a continual emulation of attentions and of love. I felt no
regret at quitting Europe; on the contrary, the nearer we approached
America, the more did I feel my heart expand and become tranquil. If I
had not felt a dread of our perhaps wanting, by and by, the absolute
necessaries of life, I should have been grateful to fate for having at
length given so favourable a t