Page:Marquis de Sade - Adelaide of Brunswick.djvu/155

 "You will have to admit that it is astonishing that the day I was waiting for Thuringia near my bird cage, it was the son of this old man who replaced him and who perished under the jealous daggers of my husband. It was fortunate for my dear Thuringia, but at the same time it is hard to explain."

For an instant Mersburg seemed to be quite upset, but he soon recovered his wits and said:

"Come. It is time to separate. I advise you, Milady, to stay here one more night and to prepare to see your husband tomorrow. He must find you here. I am preparing this surprise for him, and we shall see the results."

The next morning Mersburg wentjo see Frederick.

"I have already warned you, Milord, that we were mistaken in Venice and that she was still living. I now have additional news. She is not only living, but she is in an inn here in Fredericksburg, and she is waiting for you."

"Adelaide is really living! … Ah, my dear count, why isn't she here? What keeps her from coming into my arms?"

"The fear of finding in you the same feelings which caused you to shut her up in the fortress of Torgau."

"How can she think anything like that? It is up to me to fall at her feet, and if she suffers or has suffered it is all my fault."

"Milord, before giving way to those sentiments, you must reflea on your reputation. You are a reigning prince, and you cannot bring dishonor to your throne. You cannot share it with a wife who has a bad reputation and who is guilty of crimes."

"Crimes! What are the crimes of Adelaide?"

"Do you forget the reason for your shutting her up? If she began her misdeeds in your court with young Kaunitz who knows what she has done during such a long absence. A wife who dared to be unfaithful under the eyes of her husband, must certainly have been untrue when she was far away from him. She told him yesterday the story of her travels. There are many things in them which should be cleared up. Haven't we already heard that she was in the conspiracy in Venice only because she was the mistress of the senator who was planning