Page:Marquis de Sade - Adelaide of Brunswick.djvu/85

 "So be it," said Kreutzer, "since that is your fate, may Heaven make these events favorable to you. If you ever become happy again, as I hope you will, do not forget the man who will always think that it is his duty to serve you."

With these words, the good Kreutzer embraced the two women and left them with the promise that soon he would send a man to release them, and, as soon as it was dark, a man they had never seen took them through the passageway into the hut where they had spent the night with the hermit. This time the hermit was not there and they spent the night protected by the man whom Kreutzer had sent. At daybreak, they told the man goodbye and started out on the road to Trier.

"Why did you not claim the things which had been stolen from us?" asked Bathilda.

"I was very careful not to do that," answered Adelaide. "That rascal of a hermit and Stolbach might have interfered with our escape and we might have been assassinated. I believe my prudence in not claiming our property may have saved our lives."

Our two travelers were talking thus of events when after they had gone only about two miles, they saw coming toward them five or six men of very evil appearance.

"There they are," said one of them. "There are those tramps who have escaped from our court. Let's seize them so that they may be judged immediately."

In saying this the men seized the two women and bound them with ropes and were just about to drag them away when suddenly two knights and a squire appeared.

"Where are you taking these young men?" cried one of the knights with his lance held in a threatening position and his visor lowered to battle position.

"Where we should take you, too," answered one of the brigands in an insolent tone.

"By the very God that you insult," answered the knight, "you will let these two young men loose or I will flood the ground with your blood."

At this the other knight and the squire came running up with their swords held high and the brigands ran away in fright.

"I don't want to know who these individuals are," said the