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。