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CHAPTER XXX
THE ESCAPE
Now Otomie put the rope off her neck, and descending from the stool,
stood before Marina.
'You are Marina,' she said coldly and proudly, 'and you come to save
us, you who have brought ruin on the land that bore you, and have given
thousands of her children to death, and shame, and torment. Now, if I
had my way, I would have none of your salvation, nay, I would rather
save myself as I was about to do.'
Thus Otomie spoke, and never had she looked more royal than in this
moment, when she risked her last chance of life that she might pour
out her scorn upon one whom she deemed a traitress, no, one who was a
traitress, for had it not been for Marina's wit and aid, Cortes would
never have conquered Anahuac. I trembled as I heard her angry words,
for, all I suffered notwithstanding, life still seemed sweet to me, who,
ten seconds ago, had stood upon the verge of death. Surely Marina would
depart and leave us to our doom. But it was not so. Indeed, she shrank
and trembled before Otomie's contempt. They were a strange contrast in
their different loveliness as they stood face to face in the torture
den, and it was strange also to see the spirit of the lady of royal
blood, threatened as she was with a shameful death, or still more
shameful life, triumph over the Indian girl whom to-day fortune had set
as far above her as the stars.
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