Page:Marquis de Sade - Adelaide of Brunswick.djvu/165

 "Come Prince, let's go," said the rival of Frederick, "yes, let's fight this thing out. On me alone should fall all your fury; Adelaide is innocent. Fix the hour and the place, and I will show you that the one you judged worthy of replacing you on the throne is also worthy of measuring swords with you."

The two rivals separated. Frederick gave orders for the servants to take away Adelaide who had fainted and then went to his apartment.

"Oh, Mersburg," said the prince when the count appeared. "What a frightful service you have rendered me. It is indeed a service, but what a cruel one."

"Prince, I could not allow in silence any more the outrages with which you were covered. Honor and friendship have required me to reveal all this to you."

"Oh, my friend, what am I going to do with that unfortunate woman now?"

"You will no longer have the right to dispose of her," answered the count. "The outcome of the battle will decide her fate. If you have the misfortune of falling in battle, the one who will succeed you on the throne will see to it that her punishment would be commuted. If you win, then you will have to pardon her to stay in the graces of your people. Besides you have to think about the state of political events of the moment. You cannot afford to antagonize her father. Instead of thinking about her, you should be planning the fate of your people. You know that anything can happen in a duel, and you should be naming a successor in case anything happens to you."

"I have been thinking about it," said Frederick, "and here are some of my ideas. I will leave the regency to my wife. This generosity will touch her, and at least she will shed a few tears on my grave. In the same testament, I will require her to marry the one whom she considers to be my best friend and naturally that person is you."

"No, Prince, that cannot be. Adelaide loves Thuringia, and he is the one who should be on the throne."

"I cannot be generous to that point. I believe my wife is innocent, but I cannot think of Louis of Thuringia in the same way."