KNEWthathewasmine，bodyandmind，andthathemustanswerandtruly，sosurelyashemustdiewhenIchosetokillhim。
Hetriedtoshuthislips，buttheyopenedofthemselvesandwordbywordthetruthwasdraggedfromhisblackheartasthoughhestoodalreadybeforethejudgmentseat。
’Ilovedyourmother，mycousin，’hesaid，speakingslowlyandpainfully；’fromachildIlovedheronlyintheworld，asIlovehertothishour，butshehatedmebecauseIwaswickedandfearedmebecauseIwascruel。
Thenshesawyourfatherandlovedhim，andbroughtabouthisescapefromtheHolyOffice，whitherIhaddeliveredhimtobetorturedandburnt，andfledwithhimtoEngland。
IwasjealousandwouldhavebeenrevengedifImight，buttherewasnoway。
Iledanevillife，andwhennearlytwentyyearshadgoneby，chancetookmetoEnglandonatradingjourney。
BychanceIlearnedthatyourfatherandmotherlivednearYarmouth，andIdeterminedtoseeher，thoughatthattimeIhadnothoughtofkillingher。
Fortunefavouredme，andwemetinthewoodland，andIsawthatshewasstillbeautifulandknewthatI
lovedhermorethaneverbefore。
Igaveherchoicetoflywithmeortodie，andafterawhileshedied。
Butassheshrankupthewoodedhillsidebeforemysword，ofasuddenshestoodstillandsaid:
’“Listenbeforeyousmite，Juan。
Ihaveadeathvision。
AsIhavefledfromyou，soshallyouflybeforeoneofmybloodinaplaceoffireandrockandsnow，andasyoudrivemetothegatesofheaven，soheshalldriveyouintothemouthofhell。“’
’Insuchaplaceasthis，cousin，’Isaid。
’Insuchaplaceasthis，’hewhispered，glancinground。
’Continue。’
Againhestrovetobesilent，butagainmywillmasteredhimandhespoke。
’ItwastoolatetospareherifIwishedtoescapemyself，soI
killedherandfled。
Butterrorenteredmyheart，terrorwhichhasneverleftittothishour，foralwaysbeforemyeyeswasthevisionofhimofyourmother’sblood，beforewhomIshouldflyasshefledbeforeme，whoshalldrivemeintothemouthofhell。’
’Thatmustbeyonder，cousin，’Isaid，pointingwiththeswordtowardthepitofthecrater。
’Itisyonder；Ihavelooked。’
’Butonlyforthebody，cousin，notforthespirit。’
’Onlyforthebody，notforthespirit，’herepeatedafterme。
’Continue，’Isaid。
’AfterwardsonthatsamedayImetyou，ThomasWingfield。
Alreadyyourdeadmother’sprophecyhadtakenholdofme，andseeingoneofherbloodIstrovetokillhimlestheshouldkillme。’
’Ashewilldopresently，cousin。’
’Ashewilldopresently，’herepeatedlikeatalkingbird。
’YouknowwhathappenedandhowIescaped。
IfledtoSpainandstrovetoforget。
ButIcouldnot。
OnenightIsawafaceinthestreetsofSevillethatremindedmeofyourface。
Ididnotthinkthatitcouldbeyou，yetsostrongwasmyfearthatIdeterminedtoflytothefarIndies。
YoumetmeonthenightofmyflightwhenIwasbiddingfarewelltoalady。’
’OneIsabelladeSiguenza，cousin。
Ibadefarewelltoherafterwardsanddeliveredherdyingwordstoyou。
Nowshewaitstowelcomeyouagain，sheandherchild。’
Heshudderedandwenton。
’Intheoceanwemetagain。
Youroseoutofthesea。
Ididnotdaretokillyouatonce，Ithoughtthatyoumustdieintheslave-holdandthatnonecouldbearwitnessagainstmeandholdmeguiltyofyourblood。
Youdidnotdie，eventheseacouldnotdestroyyou。
ButIthoughtthatyouweredead。
IcametoAnahuacinthetrainofCortesandagainwemet；thattimeyounearlykilledme。
AfterwardsIhadmyrevengeandI
torturedyouwell；Imeanttomurderyouonthemorrow，thoughfirstIwouldtortureyou，forterrorcanbeverycruel，butyouescapedme。
Longyearspassed，Iwanderedhitherandthither，toSpain，backtoMexico，andelsewhere，butwhereverIwentmyfear，theghostsofthedead，andmydreamswentwithme，andIwasneverfortunate。
OnlytheotherdayIjoinedthecompanyofDiazasanadventurer。
NottillwereachedtheCityofPinesdidIlearnthatyouwerethecaptainoftheOtomie；itwassaidthatyouwerelongdead。
Youknowtherest。’
’Whydidyoumurdermyson，cousin？’
’Washenotofyourmother’sblood，ofthebloodthatshouldbringmydoomuponme，anddidIoweyounorewardforalltheterrorsofthesemanyyears？
Moreoverheisfoolishwhostrivestoslaythefatherandsparestheson。
HeisdeadandIamgladthatIkilledhim，thoughhehauntsmenowwiththeothers。’
’Andshallhauntyoueternally。
Nowletusmakeanend。
Youhaveyoursword，useitifyoucan。
Itwillbeeasiertodiefighting。’
’Icannot，’hegroaned；’mydoomisuponme。’
’Asyouwill，’andIcameathim，swordup。
Heranfrombeforeme，movingbackwardsandkeepinghiseyesfixeduponmine，asIhaveseenaratdowhenasnakeisabouttoswallowit。
Nowwewereupontheedgeofthecrater，andlookingoverI
sawanawfulsight。
Forthere，somethirtyfeetbeneathus，thered-hotlavaglowingsullenlybeneathashiftingpallofsmoke，rolledandspoutedlikeathingalive。
Jetsofsteamflewupwardsfromitwithascreamingsound，linesofnoxiousvapours，many-
coloured，creptandtwistedonitssurface，andahotandhorridstenchpoisonedtheheatedair。
HereindeedwassuchagateasI
couldwishfordeGarciatopassthroughtohisownabode。
Ilooked，pointedwithmysword，andlaughed；helookedandshriekedaloud，fornowallhismanhoodhadlefthim，sogreatwashisterrorofwhatlaybeyondtheend。
Yes，thisproudandhaughtySpaniardscreamedandweptandprayedformercy；hewhohaddonesomanyvillaniesbeyondforgiveness，prayedformercythathemightfindtimetorepent。
Istoodandwatchedhim，andsodreadfulwashisaspectthathorrorstruckmeeventhroughthecalmofmyfrozenheart。
’Come，itistimetofinish，’Isaid，andagainIliftedmysword，onlytoletitfall，forsuddenlyhisbraingavewayanddeGarciawentmadbeforemyeyes！
OfallthatfollowedIwillnotwrite。
Withhismadnesscouragecamebacktohim，andhebegantofight，butnotwithME。
Heseemedtoperceivemenomore，butneverthelesshefought，anddesperately，thrustingattheemptyair。
Itwasterribletoseehimthusdoingbattlewithhisinvisiblefoes，andtohearhisscreamsandcurses，asinchbyinchtheydrovehimbacktotheedgeofthecrater。
Herehestoodawhile，likeonewhomakesalaststandagainstoverpoweringstrength，thrustingandstrikingfuriously。
Twicehenearlyfell，asthoughbeneathamortalwound，butrecoveringhimself，foughtonwithNothingness。
Then，withasharpcry，suddenlyhethrewhisarmswide，asamandoeswhoispiercedthroughtheheart；hissworddroppedfromhishand，andhefellbackwardsintothepit。
Iturnedawaymyeyes，forIwishedtoseenomore；butoftenI
havewonderedWhoorWhatitwasthatdealtdeGarciahisdeathwound。
ThusthendidIaccomplishthevengeancethatIhadsworntomyfatherIwouldwreakupondeGarcia，orrather，thusdidIwitnessitsaccomplishment，forintheendhedied，terriblyenough，notbymyhandbutbythoseofhisownfears。
SincethenIhavesorrowedforthis，for，whenthefrozenandunnaturalcalmpassedfrommymind，Ihatedhimasbitterlyasever，andgrievedthatIlethimdieotherwisethanbymyhand，andtothishoursuchismymindtowardshim。
Doubtless，manymaythinkitwicked，sincewearetaughttoforgiveourenemies，buthereIleavetheforgivenesstoGod，forhowcanIpardononewhobetrayedmyfathertothepriests，whomurderedmymotherandmyson，whochainedmeintheslave-shipandformanyhourstorturedmewithhisownhand？
Rather，yearbyyear，doIhatehimmore。
Iwriteofthisatsomelength，sincethematterhasbeenatroubletome。
InevercouldsaythatIwasincharitywithallmenlivinganddead，andbecauseofthis，someyearssince，aworthyandlearnedrectorofthisparishtookuponhimselftorefusemetheritesofthechurch。
ThenIwenttothebishopandlaidthestorybeforehim，anditpuzzledhimsomewhat。
Buthewasamanoflargemind，andintheendherebukedtherectorandcommandedhimtoministertome，forhethoughtwithmethattheAlmightycouldnotaskofanerringman，thatheshouldforgiveonewhohadwroughtsuchevilsonhimandhis，eventhoughthatenemyweredeadandgonetojudgmentinanotherplace。
Butenoughofthisquestionofconscience。
WhendeGarciawasgoneintothepit，Iturnedmystepshomewards，orrathertowardstheruinedcitywhichIcouldseebeneathme，forIhadnohomeleft。
NowImustdescendtheicecap，andthisI
foundlesseasythanclimbingithadbeen，for，myvengeancebeingaccomplished，Ibecameasothermenare，andasadandwearyoneatthat，sosadindeedthatIshouldnothavesorrowedgreatlyifI
hadmadeafalsestepupontheice。
ButImadenone，andatlengthIcametothesnowwherethetravellingwaseasy。
Myoathwasfulfilledandmyvengeancewasaccomplished，butasIwentIreckonedupthecost。
Ihadlostmybetrothed，theloveofmyyouth；fortwentyyearsIhadlivedasavagechiefamongsavagesandmadeacquaintancewitheveryhardship，weddedtoawomanwho，althoughshelovedmedearly，anddidnotlacknobilityofmind，asshehadshowntheotherday，wasstillatheartasavageor，attheleast，athrallofdemongods。
ThetribethatIruledwasconquered，thebeautifulcitywhereI
dweltwasaruin，Iwashomelessandabeggar，andmyfortunewouldbegreatifintheissueIescapeddeathorslavery。
AllthisI
couldhaveborne，forIhadbornethelikebefore，butthecruelendofmylastsurvivingson，theonetruejoyofmydesolatelife，Icouldnotbear。
Theloveofthosechildrenhadbecomethepassionofmymiddleage，andasIlovedthemsotheyhadlovedme。
IhadtrainedthemfrombabyhoodtilltheirheartswereEnglishandnotAztec，asweretheirspeechandfaith，andthustheywerenotonlymydearchildren，butcompanionsofmyownrace，theonlyonesIhad。
Andnowbyaccident，bysickness，andbythesword，theyweredeadthethreeofthem，andIwasdesolate。
Ah！wethinkmuchofthesorrowsofouryouth，andshouldasweetheartgiveusthegobywefilltheworldwithmoansandswearthatitholdsnocomfortforus。
Butwhenwebendourheadsbeforetheshroudedshapeofsomelostchild，thenitisthatforthefirsttimewelearnhowterriblegriefcanbe。
Time，theytellus，willbringconsolation，butitisfalse，forsuchsorrowstimehasnosalves——Isayitwhoamold——astheyaresotheyshallbe。
Thereisnohopebutfaith，thereisnocomfortsaveinthetruththatlovewhichmighthavewitheredontheearthgrowsfastestinthetomb，toflowergloriouslyinheaven；thatnoloveindeedcanbeperfecttillGodsanctifiesandcompletesitwithHissealofdeath。
IthrewmyselfdownthereuponthedesolatesnowsofXaca，thatnonehadtrodbefore，andweptsuchtearsasamanmayweepbutonceinhislifedays。
’OmysonAbsalom，myson，mysonAbsalom！wouldGodIhaddiedforthee，OAbsalom，myson，myson！’Icriedwiththeancientking——I
whosegriefwasgreaterthanhis，forhadInotlostthreesonswithinasmanyyears？
Thenrememberingthatasthiskinghadgonetojoinhissonlongcenturiesago，soImustonedaygotojoinmine，andtakingsuchcomfortfromthethoughtasmaybefoundinit，IroseandcreptbacktotheruinedCityofPines。
ItwasnearsunsetwhenIcamethither，fortheroadwaslongandI
grewweak。
BythepalaceImettheCaptainDiazandsomeofhiscompany，andtheyliftedtheirbonnetstomeasIwentby，fortheyhadrespectformysorrows。
OnlyDiazspoke，saying:
’Isthemurdererdead？’
