Page:Marquis de Sade - Adelaide of Brunswick.djvu/59

 accept. There will be other people along the way and our driver appears to be a good man."

But the firmness of these resolutions disappeared when it was time to leave. The two women both became afraid and when the man appeared, Adelaide said to him in a determined voice that she would rather travel alone than accompanied by a man whom she did not know.

"Milady," said the man, "you are free to do as you wish. I hope that you will not have to repent your refusal of my offer to help you; but I will not go against your wishes."

He disappeared on saying these words and the two women got into the carriage.

When the foot of the mountains was reached, the driver said that it was impossible for his horses to climb such a steep grade if the carriage were loaded and he asked the two women to walk. They agreed, and took with them only their jewelry and money. They walked ahead of the carriage, and in less than an hour, they realized that they had gone so fast and the carriage so slowly that they had lost sight of it.

All alone and seeing nothing around them, the fear of getting too far away caused them to make the decision to wait at the foot of an oak tree whose heavy shadow caused by the thickness of the branches seemed to invite them to its freshness. They had been there only a short time when they suddenly saw the man who had wanted to accompany them from the inn. He came out of a path with two other horsemen.

"Here they are," said this man to his servants. "I knew that they could not escape me. Well, Miladies," he said, "do you still refuse my services?"

"Oh," cried Adelaide, "we are lost!"

"I am afraid you are right," said the man, "moreover, you will be able to judge very soon the fate we are saving for you. You were mistaken if you thought I did not recognize you. The Princess of Saxony is going to know whether she should let her lovers be slain by her barbarous husband; and Bathilda, daughter of Major Kreutzer, will soon be recompensed for her services to her mistress."

"Milady," continued Schinders, the chief of the bandits, "we are the friends and relatives of Kaunitz whose death you