Led by domestics who bore cedar wands in their hands,
we went through many passages and rooms, till at length we came to
a chamber where other domestics were awaiting us, who washed us with
scented waters and clothed us in gorgeous apparel. Thence they conducted
us to a door where we were bidden to remove our shoes, and a coarse
coloured robe was given to each of us to hide our splendid dress. The
robes having been put on, we were suffered to pass the door, and found
ourselves in a vast chamber in which were many noble men and some women,
all standing and clad in coarse robes. At the far end of this chamber
was a gilded screen, and from behind it floated sounds of sweet music.
Now as we stood in the great chamber that was lighted with
sweet-smelling torches, many men advanced and greeted Guatemoc the
prince, and I noticed that all of them looked upon me curiously.
Presently a woman came and I saw that her beauty was great. She was
tall and stately, and beneath her rough outer robe splendidly attired
in worked and jewelled garments. Weary and bewildered as I was, her
loveliness seized me as it were in a vice, never before had I seen such
loveliness. For her eye was proud and full like the eye of a buck, her
curling hair fell upon her shoulders, and her features were very noble,
yet tender almost to sadness, though at times she could seem fierce
enough.
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