Page:Marquis de Sade - Adelaide of Brunswick.djvu/96

 in the other and both of them have the same designs on our lives and honor. Oh! How mean men can be! And yet we are not expected to avenge ourselves when we get a chance. When that man knew about my bonds and my duties, what good did it do him to kidnap me? What can he expect from me? To force a woman to yield to his desires when he knows that she does not share them; is there in the world any more unjust thing? And all this is caused by the suspicions of my husband. He alone is responsible for the dangers which I run and all the misfortunes which I experience. Do you think, Bathilda, that I can ever forget these horrors? They are pulling me down to the grave and I will die, perhaps, without ever being able to tell the person I love how much I have suffered for him. Oh, Bathilda, how unfortunate it is that we have not been able to inform the honest Burdorf of our new difficulties. Fortunately, I still have my pocketbook and I have all the gold which he gave me."

Hardly had Adelaide finished these sad reflections and wiped away her tears when a gentleman of the margrave was announced. This ambassador was the Baron von Dourlach, born in Trentino, and had served when he was young in the armies of the emperor. He had attached himself to the Margrave of Baden and had become his confidant and friend. Dourlach, twenty-eight years old, was handsome and had a good and honest character.

"Milady," he said to the princess with an amiable air mixed with timidity, "I have been charged to express to you the extreme desire my master has of seeing you and at the same time his regret at having to use such means to bring you here. He is most anxious that you not cause him to continue to use such distasteful means. He has very tender feelings toward you and he would not want to hurt you.

"It seems to me, Sir," said Adelaide, "that if he loved me, he would not have reduced me to such an imprisonment."

"He fears losing you, Milady, and would do anything to keep you with him."

"Your master then has very little pride since he knows no other means except violence for capturing the heart of a woman."