Page:Marquis de Sade - Adelaide of Brunswick.djvu/65

 serious mistake?" said the new speaker. "It is in that way that we avoid making others, and there is nothing that I fear in society like a new man who has never made any mistakes. The certainty that I have that he will make one always makes me fear being the object of his first one."

"Moreover this system is not always sure," continued the man. "If the Prince of Saxony had not made the first mistake in being too indulgent about the conduct of his wife, he would not have been in a position to have assassinated the lover whom she preferred."

"Sir," said Mersburg, "one would suppose that you take pleasure in insulting this prince."

"How could that be since I don't even know him. No Sir, I do not insult people. I am satisfied to instruct them when they want to be, and with respect to that, Gentlemen," continued the unknown man speaking to Frederick and Mersburg, "I invite you to come to my house to have some coffee, and I will tell you some things which will interest you and surprise you on that last point."

Frederick and Mersburg having consented to follow this strange man, he took them into a little dark street where there was a house of rather poor appearance and he had the two men go up some narrow steps to his apartment.

They entered a small room in the middle of which was a large mirror. Next to it was a table which held three or four large books.

"Gentlemen," said the master of the apartment turning towards those whom he had brought there, "you are in the home of the greatest necromancer in Europe, and if this gentleman," he continued, pointing out Frederick, "wishes to know things, I can make him see in this mirror all the events which will come to him for the rest of his days."

"We are at the home of a crazy man," said Mersburg to the prince.

"No," said Frederick, "I believe in this science and I am happy to find out what the future holds in store for me."

"If that is the case," said the necromancer who had heard these last words, "look with the greatest attention at all the things which are going to be seen in that mirror. Look,