onscience which had troubled her when she
left de Grieux, and her passion of jewels and riches is as insatiable
as ever. Guillot, who hears that de Bretigny has refused to comply
with her last wish, which is to order the ballet of the grand opera to
dance in the open market-place for her own amusement, rushes off to pay
for this whim himself, hoping thereby to gain the young lady's favour.

Manon slowly wanders about in search of new and pretty things to buy,
while Bretigny suddenly finds himself face to face with the old count
de Grieux. When he asks for news of his son, the count tells him, that
the young man has renounced the world and become an Abbe and is a
famous preacher at Saint Sulpice. He cuts de Bretigny's {453}
expressions of astonishment short by telling him, that this turn of
things is due to de Bretigny's own conduct, meaning that the latter had
done a bad turn to his friend by crossing his path in relation to a
certain pretty young lady. De Bretigny indicating his lady-love by a
gesture says: "That is Manon", and the count, perceiving her beauty
quite understands his son's infatuation.

But Manon's quick ears have also caught bits of the conversation and
beckoning to her lover she sends him away to buy a golden bracelet for
her. She then approaches the count and asks him, if his son has quite
overcome his passion for the lady whom she says was a friend of hers.
The old man acknowledges, that his son had had a hard struggle with his
love and grief but adds "one must try and forget" and Manon repeats the
words and falls into a fit of sad musing.

Meanwhile Guillot has succeeded in bringing the ballet-dancers who
perform a beautiful gavotte and other dances. When these are ended he
turns to Manon in hope of a word of praise, but the wilful beauty only
turns from him to order her carriage, which is to take her to Saint
Sulpice, saying lightly to Guillot that she has not cared to look at
the ballet after all.

The next scene takes place in the parlour of the seminary in Saint
Sulpice. A crowd of ladies has assembled to praise the new Abbe's fine
preaching. They at last disperse, when the young Abbe enters with
downcast eyes. He {454} is warmly greeted by his father, who has
followed him. The father at first tries to persuade him to give up his
newly chosen vocation before he finally takes the vows, but seeing him
determined, the Count hands him over his mother's inheritage of 30,000
Lires [Trans