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 frightful mystery. The wisest would become crazy and I am not strong enough to stand so many cruel alternatives."

"You are going to do something imprudent, Prince," answered the count, "and which might cost you dearly. Since you wish it, I agree to stay with you, but only on condition that if nothing is cleared up tomorrow, we will leave Venice immediately."

Frederick promised and went to the rendezvous.

No woman similar to the one that he was seeking appeared, but a man taking off his mask came up to the prince and said in an insolent fashion:

"You will be a dead man if you are still in Venice tomorrow morning."

"Well," said Mersburg, "once more will you believe what I told you?"

"She really is dead then," cried the prince withdrawing with the count. "I have lost her forever. I feel sure of that now."

"Oh, my dear Prince," said Mersburg seeming to share the grief of his master. "Let's cease to be blind about this misfortune. Man is like that, he will not accept the hand of fate when it rests on his shoulder … Let's leave, Prince, in order that I not have to deplore on returning to our dear country the painful loss of both of those persons who brought so much happiness to it. It seems to me that the sword is hanging over you and it should not be by the hands of executioners that the sovereign of Saxony must perish."

After a frightful night, Frederick finally consented to leave and the next day, Mersburg and he spent the night in Trieste and from there they went on to Germany.