And as he caught the passing gaze of the woman whom he had
so basely persecuted, a repulsive smile showed itself, the grin of a
veritable fiend in human guise.

Sternly cold, and outwardly unmoved, the captain of guards performed
his sworn duty, then in grim silence awaited the end. And in like manner
each man of that carefully selected band rested upon his arms.

A brief pause, during which the utter silence grew actually oppressive,
then the head priest lifted a hand as though commanding full attention
before he should speak.

Then, in tones which were by no means loud, yet which were modulated
so as to fill that expanse most perfectly, Tlacopa recited the grave
accusations brought against the false children of the mighty Sun God.

To their evil influence he attributed the comparative failure of crops
which had now cursed their fair people throughout the past years. Unto
them, he claimed, belonged the evil credit of many untimely deaths
which had covered so many proud heads with the ashes of mourning and of
despair. To their door might be traced all of misfortune with which the
favourite children of the mighty gods had been so sorely afflicted.

In proud silence Victo listened to this deliberate arraignment, not
deigning to interpose denial, or offer plea in self-defence, until the
paba was clearly at an end. And even then she gazed upon Tlacopa with
eyes of scorn, and lips which curled with contempt.

A low murmur from the eager crowd told how anxious they were to hear
more, and, taking her cue from that, Victo made a graceful motion with
her white hand, following it by words that sounded rarely sweet in their
deep mellowness, after the harsh, dry notes of the paba.

"Who dares to bring such base charges against the Daughters of Quetzal'?
Who are our accusers, head priest?"

Did Tlacopa shrink from that queenly presence? If so, 'twas but another
cunning device intended to pave the way to complete success; to catch
the fickle fancy of his audience by rendering his retort all the more
effective.

"Who dares accuse us of wrong-doing?" again demanded the Amazonian
mother, speaking for her child as well, around whose waist her left arm
was clinging as a needed support.

"The Mother of all the gods!" forcibly replied the priest, now casting
aside all presence of timidity, and gazing into that proud face
with eyes which were filled with fire of hatred and jealousy. "The
all-powerful Centeotl hath made known the a