hat, take
eight and eleven from thirty-one days, the time between the 28th of one
month and the 29th of the next, there remains twelve, more or less!'
This joke was followed by shouts of laughter.

"I heard it all with a kind of sinking of the heart that I thought I
could not bear up against, until he finished. 'You must know then,'
continued my father, 'since you appear as yet ignorant of it, that M.
de B---- has won the affections of your idol; for he can't be serious
in pretending that it is his disinterested regard for me that has
induced him to take her from you. It would be absurd to expect such
noble sentiments from a man of his description, and one, besides, who
is a perfect stranger to me. He knew that you were my son, and in
order to get rid of you, he wrote to inform me of your abode, and of
the life you led; saying, at the same time, that strong measures would
be necessary to secure you.

"He offered to procure me the means of laying hold of you; and it was
by his direction, as well as that of your mistress herself, that your
brother hit upon the moment for catching you unawares. Now, you may
congratulate yourself upon the duration of your triumph. You know how
to conquer, rapid enough; but you have yet to learn how to secure your
conquests.'

"I could no longer endure these remarks, every one of which struck a
dagger to my heart. I arose from the table, and had not advanced four
steps towards the door, when I fell upon the floor, perfectly
senseless. By prompt applications they soon brought me to myself. My
eyes opened only to shed a torrent of tears, and my lips to utter the
most sorrowful and heartrending complaints. My father, who always loved
me most affectionately, tried every means to console me. I listened to
him, but his words were without effect. I threw myself at his feet, in
the attitude of prayer, conjuring him to let me return to Paris, and
destroy the monster B----. 'No!' cried I; 'he has not gained Manon's
heart; he may have seduced her by charms, or by drugs; he may have even
brutally violated her. Manon loves me. Do I not know that well? He
must have terrified her with a poniard, to induce her to abandon me.'
What must he not have done to have robbed me of my angelic mistress?
Oh Heaven! Heaven! can it be possible that Manon deceived me, or that
she has ceased to love me!

"As I continued to rave about returning at once to Paris, and was
perpetually starting up with that p