Page:Marquis de Sade - Adelaide of Brunswick.djvu/34

 "It seems to me that the two of you should try to arrange a rendezvous."

"What dangers for her in such a rash plan!"

"The most violent means are those that please the most in love and experience proves that they are the safest ones. Do you want me to try to arrange it?"

"Ah, my friend, I would owe you my life."

The count was getting ready to go to Adelaide when he found out that because of a threat which the Emperor had just made to Frederick, the latter, having full confidence in his wife, had closeted himself with her in order to answer this insolent message. It was Adelaide herself who dictated the proud letter in which she said to the Emperor that at his age, and with his degrading conduct, he could never impose his will on a prince who was always victorious and who ruled over all Saxony. She went on to say that before trying anything like that, he should change his morals by sending away all his mistresses, and that instead of coming to visit Saxony, which was in good order, he should go visit some of his other provinces which needed his advice and his help.

This letter so impressed the Emperor that he immediately gave up all his plans, realizing that such able resistance would ultimately cause them to fail.

This energetic action in such a young woman was very pleasing to her husband. He spoke of it to everybody in court, and soon the princess received praises where ever she went. It was at this moment that Mersburg chose to paint to Adelaide the intoxication into which this superb act had plunged the Marquis of Thuringia.

"Your friend and relative, Milady, is very anxious to show you the gratitude he feels for the great service which you have rendered to the country. He said to me that when one knows how to reign with so much nobility, why doesn't one know whom to love? One should not make all hearts burst into flame when one does not wish to listen to any of them."

"Let him come to see me," said Adelaide, "and I will be able to prove to him, perhaps, that if I have been able, by what I have just done, to merit the general approbation, it was perhaps from him more than anybody else that I wanted to receive