CHAPTER VIII.
The morning broke over the beautiful Anahuac in loveliness andsplendor. Nature, in all her forms, sent forth anthems of praise to theAlmighty Creator. The forests rang with a medley of happy sounds, whichrose from myriads of living things--the warbling of the inimitablemockingbird, and the trill and coo of its less melodious neighbors; thechirp and bark of the frisking little animals, together with theincessant whir and hum of the insect hosts--a grand chorus ofthanksgiving, spontaneously rendered by an indiscriminate multitude ofGod's inferior creatures, all filled with the unalloyed happiness of anunconsciousness of evil, an unconsciousness which is denied to man, whois created in the image of his Maker, and endowed with that supremeattribute, the power to reason.
Such was the morning, and the waking it brought, of the day whichfollowed the arrival of Hualcoyotl at Zelmonco villa.
The summons of a servant awoke the prince to a realization of hissurroundings. Sounds of joy and life fell upon his ear from without,and stirred his soul with an emotion of sadness.
"Why should I be so environed," he soliloquized, "while all the rest ofthe world are happy and free? No, not all; my people are neither," hequickly added, as they rose up before his mind's eye in reproval."Yet," he further added, "their lot is preferable to mine."
Shaking off his unhappy feelings, he performed his morning ablutionsand clothed himself preparatory to going into the presence of hishostess.
When he appeared at the door of his apartment he found a servant there,who had been sent to conduct him to the eating-room, where breakfastwas waiting, and, better still, the little girl, now grown to woman'sstature, with whom he had romped and raced the hillsides over a hundredtimes in the years of his happy boyhood, also waiting to receive him.But how different were their positions and circumstances at thismeeting. Not children, but man and woman, stood face to face.
"Itlza!" exclaimed he, with surprise and admiration depicted on hiscountenance and expressed in his voice, advancing toward her at thesame time.
A momentary confusion came over the maiden, and she stood undecided howto act. The last time she saw him he was only a youth and she scarcelymore than a child. Now he was a great, strong man, with intellectualsuperiority stamped on every feature, and dignity in every motion,while she had bloomed into a coy and blushing young woman, a sufficientcause for confusion in one so little acquainted with the world as she.He saw her embarrassment, and coming close to her, said:
"Has the little girl I once knew so well, and for whom I held a mosttender regard, but who has now grown away from me, no word of welcomefor her childhood friend?"
This gave Itlza time to recover, and she began a reply by saying:
"Our noble prince--"
"No, no; Itlza! address me not thus," he said, quickly interruptingher, and speaking earnestly. "I pray you, call me anything but that inthis hour of a renewal of our friendship. I like it not, coming fromyour lips."
"Hualcoyotl, then, if it please you," she replied, smiling at hisearnestness.
"That is better, for it has in it the echo of a friendship I do notforget," said he, interrupting her again; "a friendship, the memory ofwhich is very dear to me."
"You are very good, not to have forgotten your little friend after solong a time," she replied. "Since I realize the change which has cometo both of us, it seems like a dream to have known you. Hualcoyotl, whostands before me now, is not the Hualcoyotl I remember; he was only aboy. When I saw you enter, confusion came upon me; I knew not whether Ishould salute you as our prince, or greet you as an old friend."
She had recovered her composure, and spoke with ease.
"Your surprise was not greater than my own when I beheld, not my littlegirl friend of other years, but a pretty young woman waiting to receiveme," was his gallant reply.
"There, now, don't let the breakfast spoil because of too many finewords. Come, sit you down, my son; and you, my daughter, order thechocolate," said the mother, not at all displeased at the gallantryshown her child by the distinguished guest.
"Yes, mother," returned Itlza, going to execute the command, at thesame time looking very happy.
The eyes of the prince followed her admiringly as she left the room,and he remarked:
"The years have, indeed, wrought changes in us all, but in Itlza thegreater. She has grown into an admirable woman."
"Yes," replied the gratified mother. "She has changed much in the lastfew years."
The return to the room, at this moment, of the object of their remarks,cut off further allusion to her. She took her seat at the board, and,after customary formalities, the morning repast was begun.
The prince had made no reference to his friend, the tzin; but was,nevertheless, much concerned about him, and, without further delay,inquired:
"Teochma, I would hear something of Euetzin. Have you any knowledge ofhis whereabouts?"
"Not of a certainty. He expected to be in Tlacopan about this time, ifnothing should occur to occasion delay."
"I wish that I might see him; but driven, as I am, to hasten on, I cannot hope to be so fortunate." After a short pause he continued: "Howlong did he stop with you on his way out?"
"Only one evening--a brief stay, indeed; too brief to satisfy amother's heart," answered Teochma.
"Yes, the time, no doubt, seemed very short to you," returnedHualcoyotl, "but the errand on which he has gone is of too greatimportance to admit of delay, and no one realizes it more than he."
"We do not underrate his mission, noble friend, yet feel ourdeprivation none the less," replied the mother.
"I believe you, good Teochma; and, be assured, if our cause istriumphant, the reward shall be commensurate."
"Why should a reward be looked for by anyone in a revolt againstTepanec oppression, save the deliverance of our people? The hope offreedom for Tezcuco, and the privilege of helping to gain it, ought tobe a sufficient reward, and I am sure it would be for my brother Euet,"said Itlza with a fervency which was a surprise to the prince. Helooked at her well pleased, and said:
"You are a true and loyal daughter of Tezcuco, Itlza, and I thank youfor your patriotic words. They are as pure gold, and could only emanatefrom the heart of a child of Zelmozin and Teochma." As he spoke theprince's eyes were fixed upon her with an expression of admiration anddeep sincerity.
"Hualcoyotl gives me entirely too much credit for my bit of enthusiasm.It is not deserving of so much praise as he has seen fit to bestow uponit," replied she, somewhat confused by the earnestness of his language.
"Your feelings, which prompt you to depreciate the very laudablesentiment which you so forcibly expressed, and of which I could notwithhold my approval, are only natural; they could not be otherwise,yet do not alter the case. I am glad the words were spoken in mypresence, and I shall remember them because they were yours," hegallantly responded.
The prince was deeply and favorably impressed with the artlessness andwomanly bearing of his young friend, and had circumstances permittedhim to follow the lead of the thoughts which at that moment filled hismind he would certainly have studied to win her love. The affectionswhich held the heart of the boy for the little girl had not died out.His hungry heart was quickly ablaze from the smouldering spark whenfanned by the coy and winsome smile of Itlza, but he would not, then,situated as he was, build on a hope which in all probability couldnever be realized; still, he made a mental resolve, should fortunefavor his cause, to claim the charming Itlza for his queen.
In the conversation which followed, the prince appreciating the dangerwhich menaced his peace of mind, and which he felt was already yieldingto the subtle influence of Itlza's presence, gave his attention moreclosely to Teochma. The topics of conversation varied, but finallyreverted to the tzin. As they arose from their seats at the conclusionof breakfast, the prince said:
"I have faith in your noble son, good Teochma, and believe he will yetoccupy a high place among the warriors of his people. Considering him aborn leader of men, I have entrusted my futu
re interests to his handswith a perfect confidence. If he should fail, it will be because he hasundertaken an impossibility. But, Teochma, good mother of my friend, donot be discouraged; he will not fail."
"Your faith in my son is very gratifying. We will hope, with you, forthe best," she replied.
The prince retired to his room, where he sat long, meditating on thepossibilities of the future; and as the panoramic pages of fantasypassed athwart his brain, a picture not unlike the laughing face ofItlza beamed upon him from everyone.
The day passed in solitude to him. He would not risk exposure, and,therefore, remained in close seclusion.
Night and darkness came at last, and soon after Oza made hisappearance.
At an early hour the fugitives took their departure from the villa.
When about to leave, the prince said, as a further encouragement to hisfriends:
"Have courage, good Teochma." Then turning to Itlza, he continued witha fervency he did not try to conceal: "And you, my boyhood's sweetchild friend, continue faithful to the cause for which, in goldenwords, you have proven your devotion."
Addressing both, he spoke hopefully: "The darkness of the night is butthe obscurance of the sun, the giver of light; so the darkness of thishour in our country's enthrallment, let us hope, but precedes the dawnof a bright and glorious day for her. Farewell, dear friends. May thegods of our fathers shield and keep you!"
He turned away, and a moment later was gone.
The mother and daughter were again alone; and thus we leave them tocontemplate, in sad silence, the rapidly changing conditions of theirlives.
A Prince of Anahuac: A Histori-traditional Story Antedating the Aztec Empire Page 10
