Inoddedandwenton。
Iwentontoourchamber，forthereI
thoughtthatIshouldfindOtomie。
Shesatinitalone，coldandbeautifulasthoughshehadbeenfashionedinmarble。
’Ihaveburiedhimwiththebonesofhisbrethrenandhisforefathers，’shesaid，answeringthequestionthatmyeyesasked。
’Itseemedbestthatyoushouldseehimnomore，lestyourheartshouldbreak。’
’Itiswell，’Ianswered；’butmyheartisbrokenalready。’
’Isthemurdererdead？’shesaidpresentlyintheverywordsofDiaz。
’Heisdead。’
’How？’
Itoldherinfewwords。
’Youshouldhaveslainhimyourself；ourson’sbloodisnotavenged。’
’Ishouldhaveslainhim，butinthathourIdidnotseekvengeance，Iwatcheditfallfromheaven，andwascontent。
Perchanceitisbestso。
Theseekingofvengeancehasbroughtallmysorrowsuponme；vengeancebelongstoGodandnottoman，asI
havelearnedtoolate。’
’Idonotthinkso，’saidOtomie，andthelookuponherfacewasthatlookwhichIhadseenwhenshesmotetheTlascalan，whenshetauntedMarina，andwhenshedanceduponthepyramid，theleaderofthesacrifice。
’HadIbeeninyourplace，Iwouldhavekilledhimbyinches。
WhenIhaddonewithhim，thenthedevilsmightbegin，notbefore。
Butitisofnoaccount；everythingisdonewith，allaredead，andmyheartwiththem。
Noweat，foryouareweary。’
SoIate，andafterwardsIcastmyselfuponthebedandslept。
InthedarknessIheardthevoiceofOtomiethatsaid，’Awake，I
wouldspeakwithyou，’andtherewasthatabouthervoicewhichstirredmefrommyheavysleep。
’Speakon，’Isaid。
’Whereareyou，Otomie？’
’Seatedatyourside。
Icannotrest，soIamseatedhere。
Listen。
Many，manyyearsagowemet，whenyouwerebroughtbyGuatemocfromTobasco。
Ah！welldoIremembermyfirstsightofyou，theTeule，inthecourtofmyfatherMontezuma，atChapoltepec。
IlovedyouthenasIhavelovedyoueversince。
AtleastIhavenevergoneastrayafterstrangegods，’andshelaughedbitterly。
’Whydoyoutalkofthesethings，Otomie？’Iasked。
’Becauseitismyfancytodoso。
Cannotyousparemeonehourfromyoursleep，whohavesparedyousomany？
Yourememberhowyouscornedme——oh！IthoughtIshouldhavediedofshamewhen，afterI
hadcausedmyselftobegiventoyouaswife，thewifeofTezcat，youtoldmeofthemaidacrosstheseas，thatLilymaidwhosetokenisstillsetuponyourfinger。
ButIlivedthroughitandIlovedyouthebetterforyourhonesty，andthenyouknowtherest。
IwonyoubecauseIwasbraveandlayatyoursideuponthestoneofsacrifice，whereyoukissedmeandtoldmethatyoulovedme。
Butyouneverlovedme，nottruly，allthewhileyouwerethinkingoftheLilymaid。
Iknewitthen，asIknowitnow，thoughItriedtodeceivemyself。
Iwasbeautifulinthosedaysandthisissomethingwithaman。
Iwasfaithfulandthatismore，andonceortwiceyouthoughtthatyoulovedme。
NowIwishthatthoseTeuleshadcomeanhourlater，andwehaddiedtogetherthereuponthestone，thatisIwishitformyownsake，notforyours。
Thenweescapedandthegreatstrugglecame。
ItoldyouthenthatI
understooditall。
Youhadkissedmeonthestoneofsacrifice，butinthatmomentyouwereasonedead；whenyoucamebacktolife，itwasotherwise。
Butfortunetookthegameoutofyourhandsandyoumarriedme，andsworeanoathtome，andthisoathyouhavekeptfaithfully。
Youmarriedmebutyoudidnotknowwhomyoumarried；youthoughtmebeautiful，andsweet，andtrue，andallthesethingsIwas，butyoudidnotunderstandthatIwasfarapartfromyou，thatIwasstillasavageasmyforefathershadbeen。
YouthoughtthatIhadlearnedyourways，perchanceevenyouthoughtthatIreverencedyourGod，asforyoursakeIhavestriventodo，butallthewhileIhavefollowedthewaysofmyownpeopleandIcouldnotquiteforgetmyowngods，orattheleasttheywouldnotsufferme，theirservant，toescapethem。
ForyearsandyearsIputthemfromme，butatlasttheywereavengedandmyheartmasteredme，orrathertheymasteredme，forIknewnothingofwhatIdidsomefewnightssince，whenIcelebratedthesacrificetoHuitzelandyousawmeattheancientrites。
’AlltheseyearsyouhadbeentruetomeandIhadborneyouchildrenwhomyouloved；butyoulovedthemfortheirownsake，notformine，indeed，atheartyouhatedtheIndianbloodthatwasmixedintheirveinswithyours。
Mealsoyoulovedinacertainfashionandthishalfloveofyoursdrovemewellnighmad；suchasitwas，itdiedwhenyousawmedistraughtandcelebratingtheritesofmyforefathersontheteocalliyonder，andyouknewmeforwhatIam，asavage。
Andnowthechildrenwholinkedustogetheraredead——onebyonetheydiedinthiswayandinthat，forthecursewhichfollowsmyblooddescendeduponthem——andyourloveformeisdeadwiththem。
Ialoneremainalive，amonumentofpastdays，andIdiealso。
’Nay，besilent；listentome，formytimeisshort。
Whenyoubademecallyou“husband“nolonger，thenIknewthatitwasfinished。
Iobeyyou，Iputyoufromme，youarenomoremyhusband，andsoonIshallceasetobeyourwife；still，Teule，Iprayyoulistentome。
Nowitseemstoyouinyoursorrow，thatyourdaysaredoneandthatthereisnohappinessleftforyou。
Thisisnotso。
Youarestillbutamaninthebeginningofmiddleage，andyouareyetstrong。
Youwillescapefromthisruinedland，andwhenyoushakethedustofitoffyourfeetitscurseshallfallfromyou；youwillreturntoyourownplace，andthereyouwillfindonewhohasawaitedyourcomingformanyyears。
Therethesavagewomanwhomyoumatedwith，theprincessofafallenhouse，willbecomebutafantasticmemorytoyou，andallthesestrangeeventfulyearswillbeasamidnightdream。
Onlyyourloveforthedeadchildrenwillalwaysremain，theseyoumustalwayslovebydayandbynight，andthedesireofthem，thatdesireforthedeadthanwhichthereisnothingmoreterrible，shallfollowyoutoyourgrave，andIamgladthatitshouldbeso，forIwastheirmotherandsomethoughtofmemustgowiththem。
ThisalonetheLilymaidhaslefttome，andthereonlyIshallprevailagainsther，for，Teule，nochildofhersshalllivetorobyourheartofthememoryofthoseIgaveyou。
’Oh！Ihavewatchedyoubydayandbynight:Ihaveseenthelonginginyoureyesforafacewhichyouhavelostandforthelandofyouryouth。
Behappy，youshallgainboth，forthestruggleisendedandtheLilymaidhasbeentoostrongforme。
I
growweakandIhavelittlemoretosay。
Wepart，andperhapsforever，forwhatistherebetweenussavethesoulsofthosedeadsonsofours？
Sinceyoudesiremenomore，thatImaymakeourseveranceperfect，nowinthehourofmydeathIrenounceyourgodsandIseekmyown，thoughIthinkthatIloveyoursandhatethoseofmypeople。
Isthereanycommunionbetweenthem？
Wepart，andperchanceforever，yetIprayofyoutothinkofmekindly，forI
havelovedyouandIloveyou；Iwasthemotherofyourchildren，whombeingChristian，youwillmeetagain。
Iloveyounowandforalways。
Iamgladtohavelivedbecauseyoukissedmeonthestoneofsacrifice，andafterwardsIboreyousons。
Theyareyoursandnotmine；itseemstomenowthatIonlycaredforthembecausetheywereyours，andtheylovedyouandnotme。
Takethem——taketheirspiritsasyouhavetakeneverything。
Yousworethatdeathaloneshouldseverus，andyouhavekeptyouroathintheletterandinthethought。
ButnowIgototheHousesoftheSuntoseekmyownpeople，andtoyou，Teule，withwhomIhavelivedmanyyearsandseenmuchsorrow，butwhomIwillnolongercallhusband，sinceyouforbademesotodo，Isay，makenomockofmetotheLilymaid。
Speakofmetoheraslittleasyoumay——behappyand——
farewell！’
Nowasshespokeevermorefaintly，andIlistenedbewildered，thelightofdawngrewslowlyinthechamber。
ItgatheredonthewhiteshapeofOtomieseatedinachairhardbythebed，andIsawthatherarmshungdownandthatherheadwasrestingonthebackofthechair。
NowIsprangupandpeeredintoherface。
Itwaswhiteandcold，andIcouldfeelnobreathuponherlips。
Iseizedherhand，thatalsowascold。
Ispokeintoherear，Ikissedherbrow，butshedidnotmovenoranswer。
Thelightgrewquickly，andnowIsawall。
Otomiewasdead，andbyherownact。
Thiswasthemannerofherdeath。
ShehaddrunkofapoisonofwhichtheIndianshavethesecret，apoisonthatworksslowlyandwithoutpain，leavingtheminduncloudedtotheend。
Itwaswhileherlifewasfadingfromherthatshehadspokentomethussadlyandbitterly。
Isatuponthebedandgazedather。
Ididnotweep，formytearsweredone，andasIhavesaid，whateverImightfeelnothingcouldbreakmycalmanymore。
AndasIgazedagreattendernessandsorrowtookholdofme，andIlovedOtomiebetternowthatshewasdeadbeforemethaneverIhaddoneinherlifedays，andthisissayingmuch。
Irememberedherinthegloryofheryouthasshewasinthecourtofherroyalfather，Irememberedthelookwhichshehadgivenmewhenshesteppedtomysideuponthestoneofsacrifice，andthatotherlookwhenshedefiedCuitlahuatheemperor，whowouldhaveslainme。
OncemoreIseemedtohearhercryofbittersorrowassheuncoveredthebodyofthedeadbabeourfirstborn，andtoseeherswordinhandstandingovertheTlascalan。
ManythingscamebacktomeinthatsadhourofdawnwhileI
watchedbythecorpseofOtomie。
Therewastruthinherwords，I
hadneverforgottenmyfirstloveandoftenIdesiredtoseeherface。
ButitwasnottruetosaythatIhadnoloveforOtomie。