Manon's moral character was in the meantime neglected.

In this house, where there was a constant scene of hurry and dissipation, the child had frequent opportunities and temptations to be dishonest.

For some time she was not detected; her caressing manners pleased her patroness, and servile compliance with the humours of the children of the family secured their goodwill.

Encouraged by daily petty successes in the art of deceit, she became a complete hypocrite.

With culpable negligence, her mistress trusted implicitly to appearances; and without examining whether she were really honest, she suffered her to have free access to unlocked drawers and valuable cabinets.