She was as good as a confessor--a confessor with a lovely face and a perfect arm.
And now he knew that the time had come when he must choose between her and De Montespan.

Their influences were antagonistic.

They could not continue together.

He stood between virtue and vice, and he must choose.

Vice was very attractive too, very comely, very witty, and holding him by that chain of custom which is so hard to shake off.
There were hours when his nature swayed strongly over to that side, and when he was tempted to fall back into his old life.