Page:The Story of Manon Lescaut and the Chevalier Des Grieux.djvu/32

I added much more in the wa}^ of urg"ent entreaty. The fan* stranger was well aware that men are not deceivers at the age I had then reached. She frankly admitted that if I could think of any way of rescuing her from her impending fate, she would consider herself indebted to me for what was more precious than life itself — her liberty. I once more declared that there was nothing I would not undertake on her behalf ; but, bemg too inexperienced to be able to hit upon a plan for aiding her then and there, I confined myself to this general assurance, which was not calculated to be of much assistance either to her or to myself. Her aged Argus now making his approach, my hopes would have been baffled , had she not been gifted with enough ready wit to make up for my own deficiencies in that respect. As her guardian joined us, I was not a little sur- prised to hear her address me as cousin, and tell me, with the utmost composure, that as she had been so fortunate as to meet me at Amiens, she would postpone her entrance into the convent until the following da}^ in order that she might have the pleasure of supping with me. I was not slow to catch the spirit of this ruse, and recommended her to put up at an inn, the landlord of which was devoted