Convents -- Fiction; Spain -- History -- 19th century -- Fiction; Young women -- Spain -- Fiction
Marcos sat silently in his corner of the carriage. Indeed Juanita
exercised the prerogative of her sex and led the conversation, gaily and
easily. But when the carriage stopped beneath some trees by the roadside
she suddenly lapsed into silence too.
She stood on the road in the bright moonlight and looked about her. She
had thrown back the hood of Marcos' military cloak and now set her
mantilla in order. Which was all the preparation this light-hearted bride
made for the supreme moment. And perhaps she never knew all that she had
missed.
"I see no church and no houses," said Juanita to Marcos. "Where are we?"
"The chapel is above us in the darkness," replied Marcos. And he led the
way up a winding path.
The little chapel stood on a sort of table-land looking out over the
plain that lay to the south of it. In front of it were twelve pines
planted in a row at irregular intervals. The shadow of each tree in
succession fell upon a low stone cross set on the ground before the door
at each successive hour of the twelve; a fantasy of some holy man long
dead.
The chapel door stood open and just within it a priest in his short white
surplice awaited their arrival. Juanita recognised the sunburnt old cura
of Torre Garda.
But he only had time to bow rather formally to her; for a bishop was
behind.
"I have only lighted one candle," he said to Marcos. "If we make an
illumination they can see it from Pampeluna."
The bishop followed the old priest into the sacristy where the one candle
gave a flickering light. There they could be heard whispering together.
Sarrion, Marcos and Juanita stood near the door. The moonlight gleamed
through the windows and a certain amount of reflected light found its way
through the open doorway.
Suddenly Juanita gave a start and clutched at Marcos' arm.
"Look," she said, pointing to the right.
A kneeling figure was there with something that gleamed dully at the
shoulders.
"Yes," explained Marcos. "It is a friend of mine, an officer of the
garrison who has ridden over. We require two witnesses, you know."
"He is saying his own prayers," said Juanita, looking at him.
"He has not much opportunity," explained Marcos. "He is in command of an
outpost at the outlet of the valley of the Wolf."
As they looked at him he rose and came towards them, his spurs clanking
and his great sword swinging against the prie-dieu chairs of the devout.
He bowed formally to Juanita, and stood, upright and stiff, looking at
Marcos.
The old cura came from the sacristy and lighted two candles on the altar.
Then he turned with the taper in his hand and beckoned to Marcos and
Juanita to come forward to the rails where two stools had been placed in
readiness. The cura went back to the sacristy and returned, followed by
the bishop in his vestments.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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