’DoyourememberhowonceyourejectedmedownyonderinTobasco，Guatemoc，andwhatItoldyouthen？——thatIshouldgrowgreatinspiteofyou？
Youseeithasallcometrueandmorethantrue，andyouarebroughttothis。
Areyounotsorry，Guatemoc？
Iamsorry，thoughwereIassomewomenare，perchanceImightrejoicetoseeyouthus。’
’Woman，’theprinceansweredinathickvoice，’youhavebetrayedyourcountryandyouhavebroughtmetoshameandtorment。
Yes，haditnotbeenforyou，thesethingshadneverbeen。
Iamsorry，indeedIamsorry——thatIdidnotkillyou。
Fortherest，mayyournamebeshamefulforeverintheearsofhonestmenandyoursoulbeeverlastinglyaccursed，andmayyouyourself，evenbeforeyoudie，knowthebitternessofdishonourandbetrayal！
Yourwordswerefulfilled，andsoshallminebealso。’
Sheheardandturnedawaytrembling，andforawhilewassilent。
Thenherglancefelluponmeandshebegantoweep。
’Alas！poorman，’shesaid；’alas！myfriend。’
’Weepnotoverme，Marina，’Ianswered，speakinginAztec，’forourtearsareofnoworth，buthelpmeifyoumay。’
’AhthatIcould！’shesobbed，andturningfledfromtheplace，followedpresentlybyCortes。
NowtheSpaniardscameinagainandremovedGuatemocandthecaciqueofTacuba，carryingthemintheirarms，fortheycouldnotwalk，andindeedthecaciquewasinaswoon。
’Farewell，Teule，’saidGuatemocashepassedme；’youareindeedatruesonofQuetzalandagallantman。
Maythegodsrewardyouintimestocomeforallthatyouhavesufferedformeandmine，sinceIcannot。’
ThenhewasborneoutandthesewerethelastwordsthatIeverheardhimutter。
NowIwasleftalonewiththeTlascalansanddeGarcia，whomockedmeasbefore。
’Alittletired，eh，friendWingfield？’hesaidsneering。
’Well，theplayisroughtillyougetusedtoit。
Anight’ssleepwillrefreshyou，andto-morrowyouwillbeanewman。
PerhapsyoubelievethatIhavedonemyworst。
Fool，thisisbutabeginning。
Alsoyouthinkdoubtlessthatyourobstinacyangersme？
Wrongagain，myfriend，Ionlypraythatyoumaykeepyourlipssealedtothelast。
GladlywouldIgivemyshareofthishiddengoldinpaymentfortwomoresuchdayswithyou。
Ihavestillmuchtopayyouback，andlookyou，Ihavefoundawaytodoit。
Therearemorewaysofhurtingamanthanthroughhisownflesh——forinstance，whenIwishedtoberevengeduponyourfather，Istruckhimthroughherwhomheloved。
NowIhavetouchedyouandyouwonderwhatImean。
Well，Iwilltellyou。
PerhapsyoumayknowanAztecladyofroyalbloodwhoisnamedOtomie？’
’Otomie，whatofher？’Icried，speakingforthefirsttime，sincefearforherstirredmemorethanallthetormentsIhadborne。
’Atriumphindeed；Ihavefoundawaytomakeyouspeakatlast；
why，then，to-morrowyouwillbefullofwords。
Onlythis，CousinWingfield；Otomie，Montezuma’sdaughter，averylovelywomanbytheway，isyourwifeaccordingtotheIndiancustoms。
Well，Iknowallthestoryand——sheisinmypower。
Iwillproveittoyou，forsheshallbebroughtherepresentlyandthenyoucanconsoleeachother。
Forlisten，dog，to-morrowshewillsitwhereyouaresitting，andbeforeyoureyessheshallbedealtwithasyouhavebeendealtwith。
Ah！thenyouwilltalkfastenough，butperhapsitwillbetoolate。’
AndnowforthefirsttimeIbrokedownandprayedformercyevenofmyfoe。
’Spareher，’Igroaned；’dowhatyouwillwithme，butspareher！
Surelyyoumusthaveaheart，evenyou，foryouarehuman。
Youcanneverdothisthing，andCorteswouldnotsufferit。’
’AsforCortes，’heanswered，’hewillknownothingofit——tillitisdone。
Ihavemywarrantthatchargesmetouseeverymeansinmypowertoforcethetruthfromyou。
Torturehasfailed；thisaloneisleft。
Andfortherest，youmustreadmeill。
Youknowwhatitistohate，foryouhateme；multiplyyourhatebytenandyoumayfindthesumofmineforyou。
Ihateyouforyourblood，I
hateyoubecauseyouhaveyourmother’seyes，butmuchmoredoI
hateyouforyourself，fordidyounotbeatme，agentlemanofSpain，withastickasthoughIwereahound？
ShallIthenshrinkfromsuchadeedwhenIcansatisfymyhatebyit？
Alsoperhaps，thoughyouareabraveman，atthismomentyouknowwhatitistofear，andaretastingofitsagony。
NowIwillbeopenwithyou；
ThomasWingfield，Ifearyou。
WhenfirstIsawyouIfearedyouasIhadreasontodo，andthatiswhyItriedtokillyou，andastimehasgonebyIhavefearedyoumoreandmore，somuchindeed，thatattimesIcannotrestbecauseofanamelessterrorthatdogsmeandwhichhastodowithyou。
BecauseofyouIfledfromSpain，becauseofyouIhaveplayedthecowardinmorefraysthanone。
Theluckhasalwaysbeenmineinthisduelbetweenus，andyetI
tellyouthatevenasyouare，Ifearyoustill。
IfIdaredI
wouldkillyouatonce，onlythenyouwouldhauntmeasyourmotherhauntsme，andalsoImustanswerforittoCortes。
Fear，CousinWingfield，isthefatherofcruelty，andminemakesmecrueltoyou。
Livingordead，Iknowthatyouwilltriumphovermeatthelast，butitismyturnnow，andwhileyoubreathe，orwhileonebreatheswhoisdeartoyou，Iwillspendmylifetobringyouandthemtoshameandmiseryanddeath，asIbroughtyourmother，mycousin，thoughsheforcedmetoittosavemyself。
Whynot？
Thereisnoforgivenessforme，Icannotundothepast。
Youcametotakevengeanceonme，andsoonorlatebyyou，orthroughyou，itwillbeglutted，buttillthenItriumph，ay，evenwhenImustsinktothisbutcher’sworktodoit，’andsuddenlyheturnedandlefttheplace。
ThenweaknessandsufferingovercamemeandIswoonedaway。
WhenI
awokeitwastofindthatmybondshadbeenloosedandthatIlayonsomesortofbed，whileawomanbentoverme，tendingmewithmurmuredwordsofpityandlove。
Thenighthadfallen，buttherewaslightinthechamber，andbyitIsawthatthewomanwasnoneotherthanOtomie，nolongerstarvedandwretched，butalmostaslovelyasbeforethedaysofsiegeandhunger。
’Otomie！youhere！’Igaspedthroughmywoundedlips，forwithmysensescamethememoryofdeGarcia’sthreats。
’Yes，beloved，itisI，’shemurmured；’theyhavesufferedthatI
nurseyou，devilsthoughtheyare。
Oh！thatImustseeyouthusandyetbehelplesstoavengeyou，’andsheburstintoweeping。
’Hush，’Isaid，’hush。
Havewefood？’
’Inplenty。
AwomanbroughtitfromMarina。’
’Givemetoeat，Otomie。’
Nowforawhileshefedmeandthedeadlysicknesspassedfromme，thoughmypoorfleshburnedwithahundredagonies。
’Listen，Otomie:haveyouseendeGarcia？’
’No，husband。
TwodayssinceIwasseparatedfrommysisterTecuichpoandtheotherladies，butIhavebeenwelltreatedandhaveseennoSpaniardexceptthesoldierswholedmehere，tellingmethatyouweresick。
Alas！Iknewnotfromwhatcause，’andagainshebegantoweep。
’Stillsomehaveseenyouanditisreportedthatyouaremywife。’
’Itislikelyenough，’sheanswered，’foritwasknownthroughouttheAztechosts，andsuchsecretscannotbekept。
Butwhyhavetheytreatedyouthus？
Becauseyoufoughtagainstthem？’
’Arewealone？’Iasked。
’Theguardiswithout，buttherearenoneelseinthechamber。’
’ThenbenddownyourheadandIwilltellyou，’andItoldherall。
WhenIhaddonesoshesprangupwithflashingeyesandherhandpresseduponherbreast，andsaid:
’Oh！ifIlovedyoubefore，nowIloveyoumoreifthatispossible，whocouldsufferthushorriblyandyetbefaithfultothefallenandyouroath。
BlessedbethedaywhenfirstIlookeduponyourface，Omyhusband，mosttrueofmen。
Buttheywhocoulddothis——whatofthem？
StillitisdonewithandIwillnurseyoubacktohealth。
Surelyitisdonewith，ortheyhadnotsufferedmetocometoyou？’
’Alas！Otomie，Imusttellall——itisNOTdonewith，’andwithfalteringvoiceIwentonwiththetale，yes，andsinceImust，I
toldherforwhatpurposeshehadbeenbroughthere。
Shelistenedwithoutaword，thoughherlipsturnedpale。
’Truly，’shesaidwhenIhaddone，’theseTeulesfarsurpassthepabasofourpeople，foriftheprieststortureandsacrifice，itistothegodsandnotforgoldandsecrethate。
Now，husband，whatisyourcounsel？
Surelyyouhavesomecounsel。’
’IhavenonethatIdareoffer，wife，’Igroaned。
’Youaretimidasagirlwhowillnotutterthelovesheburnstotell，’Otomieansweredwithaproudandbitterlaugh。
’Well，I
willspeakitforyou。
Itisinyourmindthatwemustdieto-
night。’
’Itis，’Isaid；’deathnow，orshameandagonyto-morrowandthendeathatlast，thatisourchoice。
SinceGodwillnotprotectus，wemustprotectourselvesifwecanfindthemeans。’
’God！thereisnoGod。
AttimesIhavedoubtedthegodsofmypeopleandturnedtoyours；nowIrenounceandrejectHim。
IftherewereaGodofmercysuchasyouclingto，couldHesufferthatsuchthingsbe？
Youaremygod，husband，toyouandforyouI
pray，andyoualone。
Letushavedonenowwithpleadingtothosewhoarenot，orwho，iftheylive，aredeaftoourcriesandblindtoourmisery，andbefriendourselves。
Yonderliesrope，thatwindowhasbars，verysoonwecanbebeyondthesunandthecrueltyofTeules，orsoundasleep。
Butthereistimeyet；letustalkawhile，theywillscarcelybegintheirtormentsbeforethedawn，anderedawnweshallbefar。’
Sowetalkedaswellasmysufferingswouldallow。
Wetalkedofhowwefirsthadmet，ofhowOtomiehadbeenvowedtomeasthewifeofTezcat，SouloftheWorld，ofthatdaywhenwehadlainsidebysideuponthestoneofsacrifice，ofourtruemarriagethereafter，ofthesiegeofTenoctitlanandthedeathofourfirst-
born。
Thuswetalkedtillmidnightwastwohoursgone。
Thentherecameasilence。
’Husband，’saidOtomieatlastinahushedandsolemnvoice，’youarewornwithsuffering，andIamweary。
Itistimetodothatwhichmustbedone。
Sadisourfate，butatleastrestisbeforeus。
Ithankyou，husband，foryourgentleness，Ithankyoumoreforyourfaithfulnesstomyhouseandpeople。
ShallImakereadyforourlastjourney？’
