z, with the whole of the army of
Narvaez, was at hand, the depression that had reigned gave way to
exultation; and the soldiers believed that they would now take the
offensive, and without loss of time put an end to the insurrection.

Marina had accompanied Cortez on his expedition, for she was still
necessary to him as an interpreter, and her influence with the
natives was great. Roger obtained an interview with her, a few
hours after her return. She had evidently been crying passionately.

"My heart is broken, Roger," she said. "I had hoped that the white
men would have done great things for my country. They know so much,
and although I thought there might be trouble at first, for great
changes can never be introduced without trouble, I never dreamed of
anything like this. Cholula was bad enough, but there the people
brought it on themselves; and the Spaniards would have been slain,
had they not first begun to kill. But here it is altogether
different. It was an unprovoked massacre, and after this, who can
hope that the whites and Mexicans can ever be friendly together?

"I love Cortez. He is great and generous, and had he been here this
would have never happened; but many of his people are cruel, and
they are all greedy of wealth; and he, general though he is, has to
give way to them.

"I remember that, in the old days at Tabasco, you told me how
cruelly the Spaniards had treated the people of the islands; but
when I saw them first, I thought that you, being of a different
nation, had spoken too hardly of them. I see, now, that you were
right. I have, all along, done what I could for my people; and
though I am with the invaders, I am sure they recognize this, and
that they feel no ill will against me. But now I fear that they
will curse me, as they will curse them; and that, through all time,
my name will be abhorred in Mexico," and she again burst into
tears.

"I do not think so, Malinche. At Tezcuco it was always said that
you stood between the natives and the whites, and it was owing to
you that they were not more harsh than they were.

"As to this massacre, God forbid that I should say a single word in
defense of it! As a white man and a Christian, I feel it is an act
of horrible atrocity; but it should not make such an impression
upon your people, who make wars solely to obtain victims, whom they
may sacrifice at the altars of their gods; and who, every year,
slay in cold blood fully twenty-five thousand