that sweet privilege would have been torture to us. I could thus conceive of scarcely a moment during which any one but myself could have been in Manon's thoughts. At last I flattered myself that I had found the solution of the mystery. ** Monsieur de B ," I said to myself, is a man who does an extensive business and has wide- spi'ead connections. Manon's lelations have doubtless remitted some money to her through him. She has prob- ably already received some from him, and he came to-day to bring her more. No doubt she has taken innocent amusement in concealing it from me in order to give me a pleasant surprise. Perhaps she would have told me all about it had I gone in as usual instead of coming here to torture myself ; at all events, she will not keep me in the dark any longer when I mention the matter to her." I fortified myself so resolutely with this view of the af- fair that it served sensibly to diminish my distress. Re- turning home at once, I embraced Manon with my accus- tomed tenderness. She received me affectionately. At first I was tempted to reveal my conjectures to her, feel- ing more certain than ever that they were correct; but I restrained myself, in the hope that she might anticipate me by telling me of her own accord all that had occurred. When supper was served, I sat down to the table with an air of great gayety ; but, by the light of the candle which was placed between us, I detected, as I imagined, an expression of sadness in the face and eyes of my dear mistress. This thought inspired me, too, with melancholy. I observed that there was something unusual in the man- ner in which she looked at me. Whether to think it love or pity, I scarcely knew ; but the sentiment, whatever it was, seemed to me a tender and wistful one. I gazed at her w ith equal inttMitiiess ; and, perhaps, she was no less at a loss to divine from mv face what were
