LotR -- Book 1 - Chapter 10 - Strider

[Fordim Hedgethistle]

Originally Posted by Evisse the Blue

Maybe a silly question, but why exactly does Aragorn say that? Why would he 'hope' that, when it would have been in their best interest that this incident be forgotten as soon as possible?

I assume he means that he hopes that there will still be a Bree in a hundred years -- that is, that Sauron will not have wiped it out. So right from the get-go it would seem that Aragorn has a full and deep sense of what is at stake in this journey: much more so than the hobbits.

Also interesting that he is hoping for the continued existence, in all of its triviality (i.e. gossip) of a place in which he is regarded as little better than an outlaw!