rried me thence to the castle.

"See, Roger," she said, holding it out to them, "this is my dowry.
I told you I should not come to you a penniless bride, but I have
thought lately that I was mistaken. Maclutha, when she died, gave
me all the jewels we carried away from the treasure room at
Tezcuco. I selected all the most valuable ones, and sewed them into
this broad girdle, which I put on under my things on the night when
you escaped. Its loss has grieved me, though you have said that the
two little bags you have, already, would suffice to make you rich.
Still, they were Maclutha's, and I wanted to give you mine; but I
could not think what had become of the belt."

"I found it on you, Amenche, when we loosened your robe to examine
your wound; and put it by to give to you or Roger, whichever might
recover; and now I am glad to hand it over, as your joint property.
I have already returned Roger his own two little bags, that he had
given me to take care of.

"And now, farewell to you both. You will think of me, sometimes, in
your distant home in England?"

And Malinche, bursting into tears, hurried away.

The journey to the coast was an easy one, as the sick were all
transported on litters, carried by native porters. The bracing air
of the high land did much to restore the strength of the sick men,
who had been suffering much from the terrible heat of the valley.
The officer in command of the convoy halted them for a week on the
Tlascalan plateau, in order that they might get the full benefit of
the cool air; and by the time they reached the coast, and were
carried on board ship, Roger felt his strength fast returning.

A comfortable cabin was assigned to him and Amenche, as Cortez had,
at Malinche's request, written a letter specially commending them
to the care of the officer in command of the ship. The voyage to
Spain was a long one and, before the vessel arrived at Cadiz, Roger
and Amenche were completely restored to health and strength.

Roger's success, indeed, had been beyond his wildest hopes. The two
bags of jewels, and those which Amenche had brought away with her,
would suffice to make him a very rich man. He had, too, an
assortment of the finest Mexican stuffs, which Malinche had given
him as a special present for his friends at home; and he had a bar
of gold, of the value of a thousand pounds, which was his share (as
one of Cortez's bodyguard) of the gold found at the capture of the
capital.

He ha