Page:Marquis de Sade - Adelaide of Brunswick.djvu/67

 Once Frederick went back to his rooms, he could not hold back his uneasiness.

"All that we have just seen is extremely unusual," he said to Mersburg.

"Milord," answered Mersburg, "you should not be too much impressed by these charlatans who are quite numerous in Holland, Switzerland and Germany, and who make a good living from their trade."

"But this one did not even accept any money. Why do you expect me not to believe people who have become instructed in the art of reading in the future? I know that it is only a conjectural science, but it is based on certain known principles. The chances of life resemble those of dice. If you throw them on the table a certain number will appear and because of that a certain number will appear the next time; for nothing is chance in this world; everything depends on what has gone just before. The number of events in each life is fixed in such a way that certain causes must always follow certain effects, as it is certain that a traveler going along route A must find everything which that route can offer, while the one who goes along route B will find something entirely different."

"And so you believe that you can control all the happiness of your life," interrupted Mersburg.

"Certainly," answered the prince, "for one is master of what one foresees. All the studies of the future are chimerical," continued Frederick, "but study well the chances of the past and you will be able to determine those of the future. In each page of history you will find similar situations. As for the man we have just met, he seemed to have given us something important."

"How can you tell, since neither of us understood anything of what appeared in the mirror."

"It is up to us to guess. Moreover, my friend," continued the prince, "I confess that what struck me most is that tower on which one read: 'She is here!' Ah, Count, it is of Adelaide that the mirror spoke. She has, without doubt, left one prison only to enter another. Let's hasten to look for her, and may Saxony not see us again until we bring her back."

"But what road should we take?" asked Mersburg. Besides,