Only
Cuitlahua grew angry.
'Disloyal girl,' he said; 'do you dare to set your lover before your
country? Shame upon you, shameless daughter of our king. Why, it is
in the blood--as the father is so is the daughter. Did not Montezuma
forsake his people and choose to lie among these Teules, the false
children of Quetzal? And now this Otomie follows in his path. Tell
us how is it, woman, that you and your lover alone escaped from the
teocalli yonder when all the rest were killed. Are you then in league
with these Teules? I say to you, niece, that if things were otherwise
and I had my way, you should win your desire indeed, for you should be
slain at this man's side and within the hour.' And he ceased for lack of
breath, and looked upon her fiercely.
But Otomie never quailed; she stood before him pale and quiet, with
folded hands and downcast eyes, and answered:
'Forbear to reproach me because my love is strong, or reproach me if you
will, I have spoken my last word. Condemn this man to die and Prince
you must seek some other envoy to win back the Otomie to the cause of
Anahuac.'
Now Cuitlahua pondered, staring into the gloom above him and pulling at
his beard, and the silence was great, for none knew what his judgment
would be. At last he spoke:
'So be it. We have need of Otomie, my niece, and it is of no avail to
fight against a woman's love.
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