Page:Marquis de Sade - Adelaide of Brunswick.djvu/117

 punishment which the margrave was holding for him. In committing this treacherous act, he had not, however, in any way betrayed the hiding place of Adelaide and he continued to say that he did not have the slightest idea about where the two women had gone. The violent margrave, not being able to get his vengeance on Adelaide concentrated on Dourlach and according to the people the baron had disappeared. Thus the thread was broken.

Such was the state of things when Frederick arrived in Baden.

"Didn't I tell you that the trip would be useless?" Mersburg said when they had heard all that. "There would be no point in going to see the margrave since he does not know any more than you do. He knows that he has lost a woman whom he loved, but he does not know who that woman was, and he will certainly not reveal how much she meant to him nor how far he went with her."

"That is right," said Frederick, "but the trace is not as lost as you think. We know that Dourlach, arrested by the brigand Krimpser, has known the beautiful Saxon woman. We may be able to get some information from the bandit."

"Prince," said Mersburg, "you have to be very jealous and very much in love to go as far as you suggest. I do not speak of the dangers which are very grave, but I do speak of the humiliation. Think about how you will be lowering yourself to ask that thief what has become of your wife. You who purge your states of bandits, is it to a man of his type that you are going to find out what has become of the woman who shares your throne? Oh, my Prince, people are right to say that passion has no shame. What will you do in the bandit's lair, if he receives you badly?"

"I shall be very careful not to tell him who I am, and as for the way he receives me, I shall reward him if he receives me well, and I shall have him exterminated if he receives me badly."

Mersburg wanted to answer, but realizing that it was useless, he said nothing and followed his master.

The two travelers were stopped at the foot of the mountain by the satellites of the bandit. They said they were Bavarians and that they had come to this neighborhood in order to