ide the carriage.
I had so lost my self-possession, that I was several times on the point
of falling from my horse. My sighs and frequent exclamations at length
attracted her attention. She looked at and recognised me, and I
remarked that on the first impulse, she unconsciously tried to leap
from the carriage towards me, but being checked by her chain, she fell
into her former attitude.

"I begged of the guards to stop one moment for the sake of mercy; they
consented for the sake of avarice. I dismounted to go and sit near
her. She was so languid and feeble, that she was for some time without
the power of speech, and could not raise her hands: I bathed them with
my tears; and being myself unable to utter a word, we formed together
as deplorable a picture of distress as could well be seen. When at
length we were able to speak, our conversation was not less sorrowful.
Manon said little: shame and grief appeared to have altered the
character of her voice; its tone was feeble and tremulous.

"She thanked me for not having forgotten her, and for the comfort I
gave her in allowing her to see me once more, and she then bade me a
long and last farewell. But when I assured her that no power on earth
could ever separate me from her, and that I was resolved to follow her
to the extremity of the world--to watch over her--to guard her--to love
her--and inseparably to unite my wretched destiny with hers, the poor
girl gave way to such feelings of tenderness and grief, that I almost
dreaded danger to her life from the violence of her emotion: the
agitation of her whole soul seemed intensely concentrated in her eyes;
she fixed them steadfastly upon me. She more than once opened her lips
without the power of giving utterance to her thoughts. I could,
however, catch some expressions that dropped from her, of admiration
and wonder at my excessive love--of doubt that she could have been
fortunate enough to inspire me with a passion so perfect--of earnest
entreaty that I would abandon my intention of following her, and seek
elsewhere a lot more worthy of me, and which, she said, I could never
hope to find with her.

"In spite of the cruellest inflictions of Fate, I derived comfort from
her looks, and from the conviction that I now possessed her undivided
affection. I had in truth lost all that other men value; but I was the
master of Manon's heart, the only possession that I prized. Whether in
Europe or in America, of what mome