type to play around with these young men? Whatever be her wrongs, you will agree that she is incapable of all that."
"There is only one thing I agree to, my friend," said Frederick impetuously, "it is that the woman we have just seen is Adelaide. I admit also that she is unfaithful to me and that I adore her and hate her at the same time, and if she had not fled, I would have stabbed her while falling on my knees in front of her. In my despairing love, I would plunge the dagger into that traitorous heart, the altar from which the false vows of matrimony have come."
"You are carried away by your emotions, Prince," said Mersburg … "Let's move on now, people are looking at us and your violence is causing comment."
"I will follow you. You are right. I am no longer myself. I turn myself over to you; do with me as you wish, and if you would end this life, it would be the greatest service you could do me."
The next day, Frederick, a little more calm, wanted to continue his search, and it was to the home of the shipper that he wanted to go. The count tried to keep him from going there, but without succeeding. They were in the midst of discussing this point when the prince received the following letter:
The one you seek is in Venice and is very anxious to see you, but I do not know where she lives. Have yourself taken two miles along the Brenta canal; I will try to be there. Our gondoliers will bring our two gondolas together as you will see. Not a word to anybody; the slightest indiscretion might cause everything to go wrong.
Frederick, not believing that his friend should be excluded from this confidence, showed him the note.
"What do you think of that?" said the prince. "Well, you see you were in error in not believing that she was in Venice. She is here, my dear Count, she is here, and I must see her at any price."
The Count of Mersburg did not fail to tell the prince that he thought that only scorn should be shown to such anonymous documents. But since Frederick had made a firm resolution not to leave Venice without finding the one he believed to be
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