s my heart bounded with hope, for if once I could come
among the Spaniards, perhaps I might escape the altar of sacrifice. Also
they seemed a link between me and home. They had sailed hither in ships,
and ships can retrace their path. For though at present my lot was not
all sorrow, it will be guessed that I should have been glad indeed to
find myself once more among Christian men.

Montezuma looked at me a while and answered:

'You must think me very foolish, Teule. What! shall I send you to tell
my fears and weakness to your countrymen, and to show them the joints in
my harness? Do you then suppose that I do not know you for a spy sent to
this land by these same Teules to gather knowledge of the land? Fool,
I knew it from the first, and by Huitzel! were you not vowed to Tezcat,
your heart should smoke to-morrow on the altar of Huitzel. Be warned,
and give me no more false counsels lest your end prove swifter than you
think. Learn that I have asked these questions of you to a purpose, and
by the command of the gods, as it was written on the hearts of those
sacrificed this day. This was the purpose and this was the command,
that I might discover your secret mind, and that I should shun whatever
advice you chanced to give. You counsel me to fight the Teules,
therefore I will not fight them, but meet them with gifts and fair
words, for I know well that you would have me to do that which should
bring me to my doom.'

Thus he spoke very fiercely and in a low voice, his head held low and
his arms crossed upon his breast, and I saw that he shook with passion.
Even then, though I was very much afraid, for god as I was, a nod from
this mighty king would have sent me to death by torment, I wondered at
the folly of one who in everything else was so wise. Why should he doubt
me thus and allow superstition to drag him down to ruin? To-day I see
the answer. Montezuma did not these things of himself, but because the
hand of destiny worked with his hand, and the voice of destiny spoke in
his voice. The gods of the Aztecs were false gods indeed, but I for one
believe that they had life and intelligence, for those hideous shapes of
stone were the habitations of devils, and the priests spoke truth when
they said that the sacrifice of men was pleasing to their gods.

To these devils the king went for counsel through the priests, and now
this doom was on them, that they must give false counsel to their own
destruction, and to the destru