have married Urco. But, Lord, as it chanced on our journey
together, although I am old--well, she became enamoured of me, and
prayed me to protect her from Urco. Such things happen to women, Lord,
whose hearts, when they behold the divine, are apt to carry them away
from the vulgar," and he laughed in a silly fashion like the vain old
fool that he was.

"Naturally. How could she help it, Inca? Who, after seeing you, would
wish to turn to Urco?"

"No one, especially as Urco is a coarse and brutal fellow. Well, what
was I to do? There are reasons why I do not wish to marry again at my
age; indeed I am tired of the sight of women, who want time to pray and
think of holy things; also if I had done what she wished, some might
have thought that I had behaved badly to Urco. At the same time, a
woman's heart is sacred and I could not do violence to that of one so
sweet and understanding and lovely. So I put her into the House of the
Virgins of the Sun where she will be quite safe."

"It seems that she was not safe, Inca."

"No, because that violent man, Urco, being disappointed and very
jealous, through some low creature of his, who waited on the Virgins,
tried to poison her with a drug which would have made her all swollen
and hideous and covered her face with blotches, also perhaps have sent
her mad. Luckily one of the matrons, whom we call _Mama-conas_, knocked
the cup away before she drank, but some of the horrible poison went into
her eyes and blinded her."

"So she lives, Inca."

"Certainly she lives. I have learnt that for myself, because in this
country it is not wise to trust what they tell you. You know as Inca I
have privileges, and although even I do not talk to them, I caused those
Virgins of the Sun to be led in front of me, which in strictness even
I ought not to have done. It was a dreary business, Lord Hurachi, for
though those Virgins may be so holy, some of them are very old and
hideous and of course Quilla as a novice came last in the line conducted
by two _Mama-conas_ who are cousins of my own. The odd thing is that the
poison seems to have made her much more beautiful than before, for her
eyes have grown bigger and are glorious, shining like stars seen when
there is frost. Well, there she is safe from Urco and every other man,
however wicked and impious. But what does this Huaracha want?"

"He wants his blinded daughter back, Inca."

"Impossible, impossible! Who ever heard of such a thing! Why, H