fore-legs, thinking to
kneel, which so frightened all the people that they instinctively took
shelter behind the archbishop. But he was as much afraid as the rest,
and had it not been that they held him by his robes, he would have run
away.

"This beats the mule of Merida," cried one, "who ran away with the
miller's wife and then regretted the bargain. See, he is craving for
pardon."

Pablo the mule rose after kneeling for some time, and, after the
fashion of trained animals of this breed, he extended his fore and
hind-legs, so as to facilitate the archbishop mounting him, which he
soon did, feeling convinced that the mule had intended no harm; but
Pablo, regretting his mistake and the loss of time it had caused, set
off at a quick amble, which so disconcerted his rider that he had to
hold on by the pommel and the crupper; and thus he was hurried out of
the village, and the people were done out of the blessing.

The attendants, who were on foot, tried to keep up with Pablo; but this
they could not do, owing to his long strides; and not until they were
within sight of Toledo did they get up to their master, who, by this
time, was out of breath and countenance. They, fearing that the mule
might start off again, placed a man on each side holding the reins, and
thus did they approach the eastern gate of the city, at which many
priests were waiting with the cross and the sword of the archbishop, in
order to give him a fitting welcome, according to the rules of the
Church. Pablo, seeing the large silver cross, the emblem of
Christianity, slackened his pace, and when within a few yards of it, in
obedience to what his mother had taught him as a child, dropped down on
his knees, bending his head to the ground; but this he did so suddenly,
that the archbishop fell off the saddle on to his neck, and, to break
his fall, caught hold of his servants by their ears, nearly tearing them
off, and causing them also to tumble. Thinking that the evil one had
seized them, they struck out right and left, and nearly stunned their
master with the blows and kicks. Pablo, hoping to retrieve his fortune,
started to his legs with the archbishop clinging round his neck, and
galloped after the two servants with his mouth open, so that, should he
catch them, he might bite them. But they, surmising what he meant,
sought refuge among the priests, and these in their turn made haste to
get into a small chapel close by.

"Our archbishop must have cha