Poll

(Love and semantics) In Manon des Sources, Soubeyran and Ugolin have ruined Jean and his family by secretly blocking up the spring on which their farm depends. After Jean's death, they take it over, unblock the spring, and proceed to make a fortune.

Unfortunately for him, Ugolin falls in love with Manon, Jean's beautiful daughter. He can't think how to approach her, and decides that the best way will be to start by offering her the chance of moving back to her old farm, in exchange for doing a little work. What he doesn't know is that Manon is aware of his duplicity in blocking up the spring. She scornfully rejects his offer - she isn't interested in being his servant. Completely losing his cool, he runs after her, shouting:

Manon! Ne cours pas! Ecoute-moi une minute! Manon, c'est pas vrai! C'est pas pour te faire travailler! C'est parce que je t'aime! Manon, je t'aime! Je t'aime d'amour!

[Manon! Don't run away! Listen to me a minute! Manon, it's not true! It's not to get work out of you! It's because I love you! Manon, I love you! I love you and I am in love with you!:]

Manon stares at him, astonished and disgusted. He continues:

Manon! J'ai pas osé te le dire de près, mais j'en suis malade! Il m'étouffe! Et il y a longtemps que ça m'a pris!...

[Manon! I haven't dared tell you, but it's making me sick! It's strangling me! And I've felt like this for such a long time!...:]

What did Ugolin mean when he told Manon that he loved her?