Page:Marquis de Sade - Adelaide of Brunswick.djvu/143

 set up by Ste. Scholastique, his sister. This religious house had just been reestablished under the strictest rules and took up again all the severity which the convent had had during the eleventh century.

Adelaide, curious to visit an establishment which might have some connection with her some day, proposed this visit to her faithful companion. Consequently, the day after their arrival in Nuremberg, the two of them obtained horses and rode alone to the convent situated in a deep valley in the midst of rough terrain. They found a small hermitage on the slope of the hill where they were obliged to leave their horses. An old hermit who lived there acted as a guide to take them down the steep path to the convent.

"You come to visit this place at the best time," the hermit said to them. "It is during this week that the holy women are giving themselves up to their most pious worship."

"Milady," said Bathilda remembering the events of their trip, "if this hermit is going to resemble the one we found on leaving Schinders' place … it is going to be hard to get out of here."

Then she turned toward the hermit.

"Holy man," she said to him, "are there any monks down there in the convent?"

"There is only the director," answered the hermit. "He is a very holy man by the name of Urbain and he is sixty years old. I am sure that he will receive you well and that you will like the way he conducts things."

While this conversation was going on, they were descending a little path full of vines, briars and broom which tangled in a disagreeable fashion in their clothes. After walking for two hours, they finally saw the convent. It was entirely surrounded by cypress trees, pines, and larches which almost hid the buildings.

"Here you are at the door of the holy place you wish to visit," said the hermit. "Allow me to withdraw; I cannot go farther. Ring and the doors will open and please address a few prayers to God for me when you are in front of the altars."

Bathilda wanted to offer some money to this good man, but