flower-decked streets to the great palace of Ayxacatl, which had been
assigned to them as a residence, and which was spacious and commodious
enough to take them all in, bag and baggage, including their savage
allies. It is one of the singular contradictions of the Aztec
character that with all of their brutal religion and barbarism, they
were passionately fond of flowers and like other barbarians rejoiced in
color. "Flowers were used in many of the religious festivals, and
there is abundant evidence, moreover, that the Mexicans were very fond
of them. This is illustrated in the perpetual reference to flowers in
old Mexican poems: 'They led me within a valley to a fertile spot, a
flowery spot, where the dew spread out in glistening splendor, where I
saw various lovely fragrant flowers, lovely odorous flowers, clothed
with the dew, scattered around in rainbow glory; there they said to me,
'Pluck the flowers, whichever thou wishest; mayst thou, the singer, be
glad, and give them to thy friends, to the chiefs, that they may
rejoice on the earth.' So I gathered in the folds of my garments the
various fragrant flowers, delicate, scented, delicious.'"

The will of Montezuma was supreme. Nothing dimmed the warmth and
generosity of his splendid hospitality. There were no frowning looks,
no mutterings of discontent, everything was joyous and pleasant, at
least outwardly, yet not one of the Christians was blind to the peril
in which he stood, or doubted that the least accident might precipitate
an outbreak {170} which would sweep them all from off the face of the
earth.

For six days the Spaniards remained the guests of the Mexican Emperor.
Visits were exchanged, religious discussions were indulged in, and
Cortes was only constrained from overthrowing their idols in the
temples which he visited, and substituting Christian emblems therein by
force, by the prudent counsel of the worthy priests, men remarkable for
their wisdom and their statesmanship, who accompanied him. Continual
efforts were made to convert Montezuma, but without results.

That monarch, who was of a cheerful and jovial nature, professed great
friendship for and interest in the Spaniards, whom he often visited and
to whom he accorded many privileges. Such a condition of affairs,
however, could not last very long. The suspense was intolerable to a
man of action like Cortes and to the men who followed him as well.
They were not good waiters. Something h