Bridle the Wind by Aiken Joan

Author:Aiken, Joan [Aiken, Joan]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780152060589
Publisher: Graphia
Published: 1983-01-02T07:00:00+00:00

NEXT day Madame Mauleon, in the kindest possible manner, invited us to remain with her for several nights, or as long as we chose. A longer stay, so as to rest Juan, had, at first, been my intention, but various reasons caused me to feel that it would be better for us to continue on our journey. Madame, deploring our willfulness, then insisted on furnishing us with food, ointment for Juan's neck, and much useful advice concerning our route. We said a most grateful good-bye, kissing her hand; but she embraced us, and she and old Marietta stood watching us until we had turned the corner out of sight.

There was a street market in Hasparren where we were able to buy various things that we needed, flint and steel, a canvas bag, and new clothes, which we acquired so as to alter our appearance. I had a battle about this at first with Juan; he greatly disliked being obliged to depend on me for money. Indeed, at first he fell into a sulk and flatly refused to allow me to pay for his wardrobe. In the end I felt it necessary to give him a great scold, and tell him that his pride was standing in the way of our safety, that it was both selfish and thoughtless of him to raise such trifling objections.

"You are behaving like a child!" I hissed, standing in the dust at the side of the wide road under a plane tree while the marketing crowds thronged and jostled past us. "When we find your uncle, if it is so important to you, he can supply you with the money to pay me back. In the meantime it is only common sense that we should alter our appearance from that of the two boys who left the Abbey, so that if any descriptions of us are issued, people will not be able to recognize us. For all we know, Father Vespasian's death may be laid at our door, we may be accused of murder."

At that Juan turned pale, staring at me with that queer copper spark in his dark eyes. Two tears for a moment glimmered on his lashes. At last he swallowed, visibly took a grip on his pride, and said, "Very well. I suppose there is reason in what you say," and allowed me to pay for his things.

For myself I bought a wide-brimmed black hat, to hide my conspicuous yellow hair, a zamorra, or black sheepskin vest, tight-fitting leather breeches, and a canvas shirt; for Juan we purchased a dark-blue beretta, a woolen knitted vest of dark brown with a fret of crimson, a wool jacket, sheepskin breeches, and gaiters; and we each had a pair of rope-soled shoes. I was sorry to part from my good English buckled shoes, but no other in these parts wore such footgear, and they made me too noticeable. I had wanted to buy Juan a blue knitted vest with an embroidered border, and a crimson

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