Page:Marquis de Sade - Adelaide of Brunswick.djvu/128

 "Milady," said one of these men, "are you not acquainted with the young Senator Contarino?"

"I see his mother quite often, but I hardly know the son."

"I am afraid that your Ladyship is not telling the truth. Here is a paper written in your hand which proves the contrary of what you are saying."

Adelaide threw a glance at the paper and recognized the oath which she had signed the day before. She lowered her eyes and her profound silence was her only reply.

"Did you not realize," continued the man, "that you were running a serious danger in consenting to such a criminal association?"

"Yes, I realized that."

"I can only prove it to you this way," said the same man pulling from under his coat the bloody head of the unfortunate Anthony. "You see, Milady, what one risks in Venice in taking part in plots of this type. All of your accomplices have just undergone the same fate. Follow me."

"Am I going to a like punishment?"

"That is to be judged later."

The unhappy Adelaide did not doubt that her last hour had arrived. She had enough presence of mind, however, to ask permission to take Bathilda along with her and the guards having consented, three new guards conducted the two women to a gondola which soon took them to the Palace of the Doges. They were escorted along long corridors and down an infinite number of stairs until they arrived at a large room where three bodies were hanging from the ceiling.

Two senators were seated in this room. One of them ordered the princess to examine the bodies carefully and to see if she recognized them as friends of the young Contarino. Adelaide, in spite of her repugnance, examined very carefully these beings whose heads were not disfigured too much for their features to have lost their identity. After examination she said she had never seen those three men before.

"It is very fortunate that your report is similar to theirs," said one of the senators, "your place was beside them. Guards, do your duty."

Adelaide and her companion were taken to one of the