er of Paris: it even reached the ears of her who had
betrayed me. She had some difficulty in recognising it with the prefix
of Abbe; but curiosity, or perhaps remorse for having been faithless to
me (I could never after ascertain by which of these feelings she was
actuated), made her at once take an interest in a name so like mine;
and she came with several other women to the Sorbonne, where she was
present at my examination, and had doubtless little trouble in
recognising my person.

"I had not the remotest suspicion of her presence. It is well known
that in these places there are private seats for ladies, where they
remain screened by a curtain. I returned to St. Sulpice covered with
honours and congratulations. It was six in the evening. The moment I
returned, a lady was announced, who desired to speak with me. I went
to meet her. Heavens! what a surprise!

"It was Manon. It was she indeed, but more bewitching and brilliant
than I had ever beheld her. She was now in her eighteenth year. Her
beauty beggars all description. The exquisite grace of her form, the
mild sweetness of expression that animated her features, and her
engaging air, made her seem the very personification of love. The
vision was something too perfect for human beauty.

"I stood like one enchanted at beholding her. Unable to divine the
object of her visit, I waited trembling and with downcast looks until
she explained herself. At first, her embarrassment was equal to mine;
but, seeing that I was not disposed to break silence, she raised her
hand to her eyes to conceal a starting tear, and then, in a timid tone,
said that she well knew she had justly earned my abhorrence by her
infidelity; but that if I had ever really felt any love for her, there
was not much kindness in allowing two long years to pass without
enquiring after her, and as little now in seeing her in the state of
mental distress in which she was, without condescending to bestow upon
her a single word. I shall not attempt to describe what my feelings
were as I listened to this reproof.

"She seated herself. I remained standing, with my face half turned
aside, for I could not muster courage to meet her look. I several
times commenced a reply without power to conclude it. At length I made
an effort, and in a tone of poignant grief exclaimed: 'Perfidious
Manon! perfidious, perfidious creature!' She had no wish, she repeated
with a flood of tears, to attempt to justi