WhenIsaidthemIwasexpectingdeathindeed，buttorenouncethemnowthatitsshadowwasliftedfromme，ifonlyforalittlewhile，wouldhavebeentheactofacoward。
ForgoodorevilIhadgivenmyselftoMontezuma’sdaughter，andImustabidebyitorbeshamed。
StillsuchwasthenoblenessofthisIndianladythateventhenshewouldnottakemeatmyword。
Foralittlewhileshestoodsmilingsadlyanddrawingalockofherlonghairthroughthehollowofherhand。
Thenshespoke:
’Youarenotyourself，Teule，andIshouldbebaseindeedifImadesosolemnacompactwithonewhodoesnotknowwhathesells。
Yonderonthealtarandinamomentofdeathyousaidthatyoulovedme，anddoubtlessitwastrue。
Butnowyouhavecomebacktolife，andsay，lord，whosetthatgoldenringuponyourhandandwhatiswritteninitscircle？
Yetevenifthewordsaretruethatyouhavespokenandyoulovemealittle，thereisoneacrosstheseawhomyoulovebetter。
ThatIcouldbear，formyheartisfixedonyoualoneamongmen，andattheleastyouwouldbekindtome，andIshouldmoveinthesunlightofyourpresence。
Buthavingknownthelight，Icannotlivetowanderinthedarkness。
Youdonotunderstand。
IwilltellyouwhatIfear。
Ifearthatif——ifwewerewed，youwouldwearyofmeasmendo，andthatmemorywouldgrowtoostrongforyou。
Thenbyandbyitmightbepossibleforyoutofindyourwaybackacrossthewaterstoyourownlandandyourownlove，andsoyouwoulddesertme，Teule。
ThisiswhatI
couldnotbear，Teule。
Icanforegoyounow，ay，andremainyourfriend。
ButIcannotbeputasidelikeadancinggirl，thecompanionofamonth，I，Montezuma’sdaughter，aladyofmyownland。
Shouldyouwedme，itmustbeformylife，Teule，andthatisperhapsmorethanyouwouldwishtopromise，thoughyoucouldkissmeonyonderstoneandthereisbloodfellowshipbetweenus，’
andsheglancedattheredstaininthelinenrobethatcoveredthewounduponherside。
’Andnow，Teule，Ileaveyouawhile，thatImayfindGuatemoc，ifhestilllives，andotherswho，nowthatthestrengthofthepriestsisshattered，havepowertoprotectyouandadvanceyoutohonour。
ThinkthenonallthatIhavesaid，anddonotbehastytodecide。
OrwouldyoumakeanendatonceandflytothewhitemenifIcanfindameansofescape？’
’Iamtoowearytoflyanywhere，’Ianswered，’evenifIcould。
Moreover，Iforget。
MyenemyisamongtheSpaniards，hewhomI
havesworntokill，thereforehisfriendsaremyfoesandhisfoesmyfriends。
Iwillnotfly，Otomie。’
’Thereyouarewise，’shesaid，’forifyoucomeamongtheTeulesthatmanwillmurderyou；byfairmeansorfoulhewillmurderyouwithinaday，Isawitinhiseyes。
NowrestwhileIseekyoursafety，ifthereisanysafetyinthisblood-stainedland。’
Otomieturnedandwent。
Iwatchedthegoldencurtainsclosebehindher；thenIsankbackuponthecouchandinstantlywaslostinsleep，forIwasfaintandweak，andsodazedwithweariness，thatatthetimeIscarcelyknewwhathadhappened，orthepurposeofourtalk。
Afterwards，however，itcamebacktome。
Imusthavesleptformanyhours，forwhenIawokeitwasfaronintothenight。
Itwasnightbutnotdark，forthroughthebarredwindowplacescamethesoundoftumultandfighting，andredraysoflightcastbytheflamesofburninghouses。
Oneofthesewindowswasabovemycouch，andstandingonthebedIseizedthesillwithmyhands。
Withmuchpain，becauseofthefleshwoundinmyside，I
drewmyselfuptillIcouldlookthroughthebars。
ThenIsawthattheSpaniards，notcontentwiththecaptureoftheteocalli，hadmadeanightattackandsetfiretohundredsofhousesinthecity。
Theglareoftheflameswasthatofaluridday，andbyitIcouldseethewhitemenretreatingtotheirquarters，pursuedbythousandsofAztecs，whohungupontheirflanks，shootingatthemwithstonesandarrows。
NowIdroppeddownfromthewindowplaceandbegantothinkastowhatIshoulddo，foragainmymindwaswavering。
ShouldIdesertOtomieandescapetotheSpaniardsifthatwerepossible，takingmychanceofdeathatthehandsofdeGarcia？
OrshouldIstayamongtheAztecsiftheywouldgivemeshelter，andwedOtomie？
Therewasathirdchoice，indeed，tostaywiththemandleaveOtomiealone，thoughitwouldbedifficulttodothisandkeepmyhonour。
OnethingIunderstood，ifImarriedOtomieitmustbeatherownprice，forthenImustbecomeanIndianandgiveoverallhopeofreturningtoEnglandandtomybetrothed。
Ofthis，indeed，therewaslittlechance，still，whilemyliferemainedtome，itmightcomeaboutifIwasfree。
ButoncemyhandsweretiedbythismarriageitcouldneverbeduringOtomie’slifetime，andsofarasLilyBozardwasconcernedIshouldbedead。
HowcouldIbethusfaithlesstohermemoryandmytroth，andontheotherhand，howcouldIdiscardthewomanwhohadriskedallforme，andwho，tospeaktruth，hadgrownsodeartome，thoughtherewasoneyetdearer？
Aherooranangelmightfindapathoutofthistangle，butalas！Iwasneithertheonenortheother，onlyamanafflictedasothermenarewithhumanweakness，andOtomiewasathand，andverysweetandfair。
Still，almostIdeterminedthatIwouldavailmyselfofhernobleness，thatIwouldgobackuponmywords，andbeghertodespisemeandseemenomore，inorderthatImightnotbeforcedtobreakthetroththatIhadpledgedbeneaththebeechatDitchingham。
ForIgreatlydreadedthisoathoflife-longfidelitywhichIshouldbeforcedtoswearifIchoseanyotherpath。
ThusIthoughtoninpitiableconfusionofmind，notknowingthatallthesematterswerebeyondmyordering，sinceapathwasalreadymadereadytomyfeet，whichImustfollowordie。
Andletthisbeaproofofthehonestyofmywords，since，hadIbeendesirousofglozingthetruth，Ineedhavewrittennothingofthesestrugglesofconscience，andofmyownweakness。
Forsoonitwastocometothis，thoughnotbyherwill，thatImusteitherwedOtomieordieatonce，andfewwouldblamemefordoingthefirstandnotthelast。
Indeed，thoughIdidwedher，Imightstillhavedeclaredmyselftomyaffiancedandtoalltheworldasaslaveofeventsfromwhichtherewasnoescape。
Butitisnotallthetruth，sincemymindwasdivided，andhaditnotbeensettledforme，Icannotsayhowthestrugglewouldhaveended。
Now，lookingbackonthedistantpast，andweighingmyactionsandcharacterasajudgemightdo，Icansee，however，thathadIfoundtimetoconsider，therewasanothermatterwhichwouldsurelyhaveturnedthescaleinfavourofOtomie。
DeGarciawasamongtheSpaniards，andmyhatredofdeGarciawastherulingpassionofmylife，astrongerpassioneventhanmyloveforthetwodearwomenwhohavebeenitsjoy。
Indeed，thoughheisdeadthesemanyyearsIstillhatehim，andevilthoughthedesirebe，eveninmyageI
longthatmyvengeancewasstilltowreak。
WhileIremainedamongtheAztecsdeGarciawouldbetheirenemyandmine，andImightmeethiminwarandkillhimthere。
ButifIsucceededinreachingtheSpanishcamp，thenitwasalmostsurethathewouldbringaboutmyinstantdeath。
Doubtlesshehadtoldsuchataleofmealready，thatwithinanhourIshouldbehungasaspy，orotherwisemadeawaywith。
ButIwillceasefromtheseunprofitablewonderingswhichhavebutonevalue，thatofsettingoutmystrangenecessityofchoicebetweenanabsentandapresentlove，andgoonwiththestoryofaneventinwhichtherewasnoroomtobalancescruples。
WhileIsatmusingonthecouchthecurtainwasdrawn，andamanenteredbearingatorch。
ItwasGuatemocashehadcomefromthefray，which，exceptforitsharvestofburninghouses，wasfinishedforthatnight。
Theplumeswereshornfromhishead，hisgoldenarmourwashackedbytheSpanishswords，andhebledfromashotwoundintheneck。
’Greeting，Teule，’hesaid。
’CertainlyIneverthoughttoseeyoualiveto-night，ormyselfeitherforthatmatter。
Butitisastrangeworld，andnow，ifneverbeforeinTenoctitlan，thosethingshappenforwhichwelooktheleast。
ButIhavenotimeforwords。
Icametosummonyoubeforethecouncil。’
’Whatistobemyfate？’Iasked。
’Tobedraggedbacktothestoneofsacrifice？’
’Nay，havenofearofthat。
ButfortherestIcannotsay。
Inanhouryoumaybedeadorgreatamongus，ifanyofuscanbecalledgreatinthesedaysofshame。
Otomiehasworkedwellforyouamongtheprincesandthecounsellors，soshesays，andifyouhaveaheart，youshouldbegratefultoher，foritseemstomethatfewwomenhavelovedamansomuch。
Asforme，Ihavebeenemployedelsewhere，’andheglancedathisrentarmour，’butIwillliftupmyvoiceforyou。
Nowcome，friend，forthetorchburnslow。
Bythistimeyoumustbewellseasonedindangers；onemoreorlesswillmatteraslittletoyouastome。’
ThenIroseandfollowedhimintothegreatcedar-panelledhall，wherethatverymorningIhadreceivedadorationasagod。
NowI
wasagodnolonger，butaprisonerontrialforhislife。
UponthedaiswhereIhadstoodinthehourofmygodheadweregatheredthoseoftheprincesandcounsellorswhowereleftalive。
Someofthem，likeGuatemoc，werecladinrentandbloodymail，othersintheircustomarydress，andoneinapriest’srobe。
Theyhadonlytwothingsincommonamongthem，thesternnessoftheirfacesandthegreatnessoftheirrank，andtheysattherethisnightnottodecidemyfate，whichwasbutalittlething，buttotakecounselastohowtheymightexpeltheSpaniardsbeforethecitywasdestroyed。
WhenIentered，amaninmail，whosatinthecentreofthehalfcircle，andinwhomIknewCuitlahua，whowouldbeemperorshouldMontezumadie，lookedupquicklyandsaid:
’Whoisthis，Guatemoc，thatyoubringwithyou？
Ah！Iremember；
theTeulethatwasthegodTezcat，andwhoescapedthesacrificeto-day。
Listen，nobles。
Whatistobedonewiththisman？
Say，isitlawfulthathebeledbacktosacrifice？’
Thenthepriestanswered:’Igrievetosaythatitisnotlawfulmostnobleprince。
Thismanhaslainonthealtarofthegod，hehasevenbeenwoundedbytheholyknife。
