CHAPTER V.
In a green nook, exceedingly sequestered, and peculiarly beautified bybanks of the richest flowers, were five Indian maidens, three of whomdanced under the trees on the smooth grass, to the sound of a littlepipe or flute, that was played by a fourth. The other, half kneeling,reclined hard by, fastening a chaplet of flowers round the neck of afawn, younger and tamer than that which had fled from Befo, and whichwas now seen frisking uneasily, or perhaps jealously, about itscompanion.
Young, pretty, and robed with such simplicity as might have become theHamadryads of Thessaly, revelling around the green oaks with which theirfate was so inseparably connected, the dancers might indeed have beenesteemed nymphs of the wood, as they moved gracefully and a-tiptoe overthe velvet grass, all unconscious of the presence of any person oranything to make them afraid. Their naked feet and arms glimmered withornaments of gold and native rubies; and the white _cueitl_, or cymar,with a peculiar vest or jacket of brilliant colours, while allowingunrestrained motion to their limbs, gave almost a classic and statuarybeauty to their figures. The youthful musician leaned against a tree,pleasantly absorbed in the melody she was drawing from the pipe; whilethe fifth maiden, for whose amusement the diversion was obviouslycontinued, was too much occupied with the pet animal, whose ambitionseemed rather to be to browse upon the chaplet than to wear it,--to givemuch attention to either the dance or the roundelay.
The whole scene was one of enchanting innocence and repose; and evenBefo, who was wont to indicate the presence of a stranger with a growl,betrayed no token of dissatisfaction, so that Juan stood for a littletime gazing on, entirely unseen. His looks were fastened upon her towhom the musician and the dancers were but attendants, and who, fromother circumstances, had a stronger claim on his regard.
In her he beheld the young infidel, whose influence over his mind,operating upon it only for good, had altered the whole current of hisfortunes, and changed what had once seemed a destiny of aggrandisementand renown, into a career of suffering and contumely. He was now in thepresence of one, for whom he had incurred the hatred of a vindictiverival, (for all his miseries were dated from the period of his quarrelwith Guzman;) for whose sake he had refused the intercession, andspurned the affection, of the still more unhappy Magdalena; and for whomhe now thought that even the last and greatest of his griefs, his exilefrom Christian companionship, was a happiness, since it promised her theinestimable gift of a faith, which he would have gladly purchased herwith his life. How far a barbarian and the daughter of a barbarian wasworthy of, and capable of inspiring, an affection so romantic and sonoble, we must inquire of our hearts, rather than our reason.
She was of that age, which, in our northern climes would haveconstituted her a girl, but which, in a tropical region, entitled her tothe name of woman. Her figure was neither mean nor low, but of suchexquisite proportions as, in these days of voluntary degeneration, areseldom found except among the children of nature. Her skin was, for herrace, wonderfully fair; and yet there were, even among the men ofMexico, skins much lighter than those of some of the Spaniards, of whichGuatimozin was a famous example. Her dress was similar in fashion tothat of the other damsels, but consisted of many more garments,according to the mode of the very wealthy and noble maidens, who wereaccustomed to wear one cueitl over another, each successive one beingshorter than the preceding, so that the borders of each could bedistinguished. Thus, when they were of different colours, as was oftenthe case, the whole figure, from the ankles to the waist, seemedenveloped in one voluminous garment, distinguished by broad horizontalstripes, exceedingly gay and brilliant. The colours upon the garments ofthis maiden were of a more modest character, and richness was given tothem rather by borders singularly embroidered in gold and gems, than byany splendour of tints. A little vest or bodice of very peculiar fancywas worn over the shoulders and bosom, secured by a girdle that mighthave been called a chain, since it was composed of links of gold. Herarms were bare like the others', and her feet, not entirely naked, aswas the case with the rest, were protected by a sort of pretty shoes,too complete to be called sandals, and yet too low to be moccasins. Withthis graceful figure, was a face, singularly sweet and even beautiful,with eyes so broad, so large, so dark, so lustrously mild and saintlikein expression, that they rivalled those of the young fawn she wascaressing, and perhaps, more than the trivial circumstance presently tobe mentioned, had contributed to obtain for her a name, by which hercountrymen seemed to compare her to the lights of heaven. Among the goldornaments and gems of emerald and ruby, with which her hair wasinterwoven in braids, was a large jewel of pearls, the rarest, andtherefore the most precious, of trinkets in Tenochtitlan. It was in theform of a star, to which it bore as much resemblance among the sablemidnight of her hair, as does the snowy blossom of the great Magnoliaamid the dusky obscurity of its evergreen boughs.
Upon this vision Juan could have gazed for hours; but the fawn which hehad followed to the retreat, perceiving the formidable Befo so close athand, bleated out a hasty alarm, and thus directed upon him the eyes ofthe whole party. The dance and the music ceased; the maidens screamed,and would have fled, but for the sense of duty which constrained them toawait the bidding of their mistress. She, though much alarmed at thesight of neighbours so unexpected, yet mingled with her terror feelingswhich kept her chained to the spot, while the attendants clusteredaround her, confused, and anxious to fly.
As soon as Juan perceived the alarm of the party, and saw the eyes ofthe princess directed upon him, he bent a knee half to the earth, as ifin the presence of a princess of Christendom, saying gently,
"I am Juan Lerma, a Castilian--an exile from the Spanish camp,entreating welcome from my enemies, and yet am no enemy. Fear me not,daughter of Montezuma; and fear not this animal, who shall be to thee asharmless as the young fawns."
At these words, pronounced in their own tongue, and with a voice so mildand conciliating, the maidens recovered somewhat from their fright, andassuming at once an air characteristically sedate, cast their eyes uponthe earth, while the young princess stood regarding Juan, with acountenance indicative of many changing emotions. Seeing, when he hadfinished, that he preserved an attitude of submissive respect andexpectation, she stepped timidly forward, and presenting him the garlandwhich she had failed to secure around the neck of the favourite, saidartlessly, and yet with both dignity and decision,
"The king is the Great Eagle's friend; the daughter of Montezuma is hisbondmaid--he is welcome to Mexico. I remember the friend of Montezuma myfather,--I remember the good acts of the Christian.--He is welcome."
Then putting the chaplet into his hand, and taking this into her own,with a confidence that was perhaps as much the result of unsophisticatedfeelings as of peculiar customs, she touched it with herforehead,--indicating by her words, her gift, and her act of ceremonioussalutation, that, with her welcome, she confessed the obligation offriendship and gratitude for acts of past kindness.
"I will wear the garland upon my breast," said Juan, with a look ofpurer satisfaction than he had shown for many long days; "and if heavengrant me fulfilment of the hope that is nearest to my heart, I will wearit there for ever. Noble and lovely maiden, I am here by the will ofGuatimozin,--I know not well for what purpose, nor how long I shall besuffered to remain in your presence. This, at least, is certain: thedark day of war has arisen, and this happy garden may soon become atheatre of fierce contention, in which the fairest and the best mayperish at the same hour with the worst. Let not that day find Zelahuallawithout the Christian's cross on her bosom."
"Guatimozin will drive the wicked from the land," said Zelahualla,mildly. "Has my lord the Great Eagle forsaken his wicked people, andwill he yet cling to their gods? After a time, Centeotl, the mother ofheaven and the earth, will prevail over Mexitli, and redeem men fromsorrow: then will men bleed no more on the pyramids, but flowers andfruits will be the only sacrifices demanded by heaven. How is it withthe gods of Spain? do they not call for victims for ever? The gods ofour land are m
ore just and merciful."
"Alas," said Juan, "this is a delusion brought upon you by our sinfulacts, not by any defects of our holy religion. Know, Zelahualla, thatthere are no gods but ONE, and He is both just and merciful,--the godalike of the heathen and the Christian. But of this I will not speak toyou now; though perhaps I may never have opportunity to speak again. Ifdeath should come upon you suddenly, call then, in that grievous hour,upon the name of the Christian's God, and he will not refuse to hearyou, who are in ignorance, and therefore sinless. And wear upon yourneck this cross, given to me by one who was a beloved friend." (It wasthe gift of Magdalena.) "Look upon it with reverence, and heaven mayvouchsafe a miracle in your favour. Let it not be forgotten, when dangercomes to you."
The spirit of the Propaganda had infected the minds of all the Spaniardsin America. The ambition of conversion was inseparably linked with thatof conquest; and on all occasions, except those of actual battle, therage of making proselytes was uppermost in the minds of many. This wasundoubtedly fanaticism, and, in the case of the fierce and avaricious,it developed itself with all the odious features of superstition. With afew of more gentle and kindly natures, it was a nobler and morebenignant passion. While others sought proselytes for the glory of thechurch, these thought only of doing good to man. The best, the mostenthusiastic and successful missionaries, were those whose efforts wereprompted by affection. The first impulse, therefore, of Juan, who hadlong since felt and cherished, even among distant deserts, a stronginterest in the fate of this young princess, was to secure to her theblessings of salvation, which his religious instruction could not leadhim to hope for any one dying in unbelief. It was a consequence andevidence of affection; but a still stronger proof was given, when hedrew from his breast a little silver cross, which, up to this moment, hehad treasured with the most jealous regard, and proffered it toZelahualla. It was, as has been mentioned, the gift of Magdalena,presented before the evil acts of Hilario and Villafana had interruptedthe affection fast ripening in Juan's heart, and accepted because itpossessed little value beyond that imputed by consecration andsuperstition. It was, indeed, as Magdalena had told him, the gift of herdeceased mother, and she had always been taught to believe it possessedsome of the extraordinary virtues of a talisman. In these virtues Juanwas sufficiently benighted to believe; and it was perhaps for thisreason, rather than from any grateful memory of the giver, that he hadfrom that day worn it in secret upon his bosom, so that it had evenescaped the hands of his jailers in Mechoacan, and from the eyes of hisSpanish companions. It was a proof of the pure and disinterested natureof his regard for the Indian princess, as well as of his reliance uponits heavenly protection, that he could rob himself of a relic so prized,in order that its presence might secure to her the benefits of a beliefshe neither understood nor professed.
If such were his own superstition, it could not be supposed thatZelahualla's was less in degree. On the contrary, she received thehumble trinket with a look of respect as well as gratitude, saying withthe greatest simplicity,
"What the Great Eagle loves must be good, and Zelahualla will listenwhen his god speaks to her."
"Is it possible," thought Juan, while flinging the chain of silver beadsby which it was secured round his neck, "that a creature so beautifuland so good--so pure, so innocent, so lovely to the eye and thethought--should be really a pagan and barbarian?"
The question was indeed natural enough. A sweeter impersonation ofbeauty both mental and corporeal, could scarcely be imagined; and thelight of her eyes was so mild and seraphic, that one might wonder whenceit came, if not from the operation of that divine belief, which chasesfrom the heart the impurer traits of nature.
What further thoughts might have crowded into Juan's breast, and whatmight have been the conclusion of an interview so interesting, it is notnecessary to imagine. While he was yet securing the chain around thebended neck of the princess, a step, previously heralded by the growl ofBefo, rang upon the walk, and the Lord of Death, followed at a littledistance by Techeechee, stalked into the covert, arrayed in all theMexican panoply of war and knighthood. Instead of a tunic of cottoncloth or other woven material, he wore, doubtless over some strongerprotection, a sort of hauberk of dressed tiger's skin, fitting tight tohis massive chest, and bordered by a skirt of long feathers, reachingnearly to his knees. On his head was a helmet or cap which had onceadorned the skull of the same ferocious animal, the teeth and earsflapping about his temples, and the skin of the legs, with the talonsremaining, hanging at the sides over his shoulders and breast, wavingabout in connexion with his long black locks and the scarlet tufts amongthem. His shield of stout cane-work, painted, and ornamented with a longwaving penacho of feathers, hung at his back, and a macana of giganticsize swung from his wrist. His legs were swathed, merry-andrew-wise,with ribands of scarlet and gilded leather, that seemed to begin at hissandals; and his arms, otherwise naked, were ornamented up to the elbowin a similar way. On the whole, his appearance was highly formidable andimpressive, and not the less so that many marks of blood, crusted abouthis person, as well as divers rents in his spotted hauberk, told howrecently and how valiantly he had borne his part in the terrors ofconflict.
As he entered the covert, his step was bold, springy, and majestic, suchas belongs to the native American warrior, when he treads the prairieand the mountain, beyond the ken of the white man. It happened that hisear being struck by the growl of Befo, his attention was not immediatelydirected to the princess and her companion; but, seeing the dog, andconceiving at once, though not without surprise, the cause of hispresence, he turned round in search of his master, and beheld himengaged securing the relic around the neck of the daughter of Montezuma.
At this sight, his countenance changed from the haughty joy of asoldier, and darkened with gloom and displeasure. He even grasped hismacana, and took a stride towards the pair, who were unconscious of hisintrusion, until Befo made it evident by a louder growl, and by taking astand, ready to dispute the warrior's right of approach.
The person of the Lord of Death was at first unknown to Juan; but hebeheld enough in his visage to convince him it was not that of a friend.Still, he knew too much of the almost slavish reverence with which eventhe highest nobles regarded their king and the child of a king, toapprehend any danger from the warrior's wrath. In this belief he wasjustified by the act of the barbarian, who, perceiving Zelahualla looktowards him with surprise, released the weapon from his grasp, andsinking into the lowest obeisance of humility, kissed the earth at herfeet. Then rising and surveying her with a melancholy, but deeplyrespectful look, he said,
"What am I but a slave before the daughter of Montezuma? The young manof the east is the king's brother. I speak the words of Guatimozin: 'Mybrother shall look to-day upon the king of Mexico, with the crown uponhis head, at the rock of Chapoltepec, among the people.' These are thewords of the king. Shall the king's brother obey the king?"
"Doth Guatimozin call the Eagle his brother?" exclaimed Zelahualla, witha look of the greatest satisfaction. "Then shall no evil befall himamong the people. Let my lord the Christian and Great Eagle depart, andfear not: for the men of Mexico know that he was good to the king andthe king's daughter, when the king was a captive; and thereforeZelahualla will remember what he says of the god of the silver cross."
Thus summoned, and thus dismissed, Juan withdrew his eyes from thebeaming and singularly engaging countenance of the maiden, and looked tothe Lord of Death, as if to signify his readiness to depart. But theLord of Death seemed for a moment to have lost his powers of locomotion.He remained gazing upon the princess with an aspect increasing in gloom,and once or twice seemed as if he would have spoken something in angerand reprehension. Yet deterred by the divinity of royalty that hedgedabout her, or more probably by the divinity of her beauty, he roused upat last, and, after making another deep reverence, which was as if alion had bowed down at the feet of a doe, he strode away withoutspeaking, followed by Juan and Techeechee.
From Techeechee Juan le
arned what he had in in part gathered from theobscure expressions of the noble: He was summoned to witness thecoronation of the young king in form before the assembled Mexicans, onthe consecrated hill of Chapoltepec, on which occasion he was to behonoured and his person made sacred, by the king bestowing on him thetitle of friend and brother.
The path led Juan as before through the royal menagerie; and whilepassing among the wild beasts, Techeechee signified to the Christianthat the presence of Befo among the Mexicans would subject him to muchdifficulty, if not danger; and would certainly, the moment he was seen,produce a confusion in the assemblage, indecorous to the occasion, andhighly displeasing to the king and the Mexican dignitaries. To this Juanjustly assented, and not knowing in what other manner he could disposeof his faithful attendant, he agreed, at Techeechee's suggestion, toconfine him in one of the several empty cages, wherein he was assuredand believed, he would remain in safety. This being accomplished, andnot without trouble, he endeavoured with caresses to reconcile theanimal to his novel imprisonment, and then left him.
He found the Lord of Death at the pool, with a piragua, very singularlycarved and ornamented, in which were six Mexicans, known at once bytheir dress to be warriors of established reputation, the rules ofMexican chivalry not allowing any soldier, even if the son of the king,to wear, in time of war, any but the plainest white garment, until hehad accomplished deeds worthy of distinction. These were arrayed inescaupil, variously ornamented with plumes and gilded leather; they hadwar-clubs and quivers, and their appearance was both martial andpicturesque.
At a signal from Masquazateuctli, they seized their paddles and began tourge the piragua towards the water-gate of the wall, and Techeecheeleaping into the little canoe, Juan prepared to follow after him. He wasarrested by the Lord of Death, who touched his arm, though not rudely,and looking into his face for awhile, with an expression in which angerseemed to struggle with melancholy, said,
"The Great Eagle is the brother of Guatimozin,--Masquazateuctli is buthis slave. Where would the king's brother have been this day, had theking not taken him from the prison-house?"
"In heaven, if it becomes me to say so--certainly, at least, in thegrave," replied Juan, in some surprise. "In this capture, or thisrescue, as I may call it, the king will bear witness, I did not myselfconcur; for such concurrence I esteemed unbecoming to my state as aChristian and Spaniard. Yet I am not the less grateful to Guatimozin,and I acknowledge he has given me a life."
"It was a good thing of the king," said the barbarian; "but what isthis? Are you a Spaniard in Mexico, and alive? neither upon the block ofthe pyramid, nor in the cage at the temple-yard? The king feeds you inhis house, he gives you water from his fountain, and robes from hisbed,--he takes you by his side, and, among his people, he says, 'Thisman is my brother; therefore look upon him with love.' Is not this goodalso of the king?"
"It is," replied Juan, gravely; "and I need not be instructed, that itbecomes me to be grateful, even by a warrior so renowned and noble asthe Lord of Death."
The eyes of the barbarian sparkled with a fierce fire while hecontinued,--
"What then should you look for in Mexico, but shelter and food?--a houseto hide you from the angry men of Spain, and bread to eat in yourhiding-place? Where are the quiver and the macana? Will the king'sbrother fight the king's enemies?"
"If they be my countrymen, the Spaniards, _no_," replied Juan, with greatresolution, yet not without uneasiness; for he read in the question, anearly attempt to seduce him into apostacy. "I am the king's guest,--hisprisoner, if he will,--his victim, if it must be,--but not his soldier."
"Hearken then to me," said the Indian, with a stern and magisterialvoice: "The king is the lord of the valley, the master of men's lives,and the beloved of Mexico; but he has not the heart of the old man graywith wisdom, and he knows not the guile of the stranger. Why should hisbrother do him a wrong? The king thinks his brother a green snake fromthe corn-field, to play with;[9] but he has the teeth of the rattlingadder!"
[Footnote 9: The Mexicans were accustomed to tame and domesticatecertain harmless reptiles.]
"Mexican!" said Juan, indignantly, "these words from the mouth of aSpaniard, would be terms of mortal injury; and infidel though you be,yet you must know, they bear the sting of insult. What warrior art thou,that canst abuse the helplessness of a captive, and do wrong to anunarmed man?"
"Do I wrong thee, then?" replied the Lord of Death, grimly. "Lo, thouart here safe from thy bitter-hearted people, and wilt not even repaythe goodness of the king, by striking the necks of his enemies, who arealso thine! Is not this enough? Put upon thee the weeds of a woman, andgo sleep in the garden of birds, afar from danger,--yet call not thebirds down from the tree; hide thee in the bush of flowers, yet plucknot the flowers from the stem. Let the guest remember he is a guest, andsteal not from the house that gives him shelter.--Does the king'sbrother understand the words of the king's slave?"
"I do not," said Juan, with a frown. "They are the words of adreamer;--" and he would have passed on towards the canoe, which he nowperceived was waiting him near the wicket, but that the Lord of Deathagain arrested him.
"The king is good," he said with deep and meaning accents, "but thewrong-doer shall not escape. Perhaps,"--and here he softened theseverity of his speech, and even assumed a look of friendlyinterest,--"perhaps the Great Eagle has left his best friend among thefighting-men of Tezcuco? Let him be patient for a little, and his friendshall be given to him."
"You speak to me in riddles," replied Juan, impatiently. "Let us begone."
The Mexican gave the youth a look of the darkest and most menacingcharacter, and uttering the figurative name which Guatimozin had alreadyapplied to the princess, said,
"The Centzontli is the daughter of Montezuma,--the bird that is not tobe called from the tree, the flower that is not to be pulled from thestem.--The king is good to his brother; but Mexico is not a dog, thatthe Spaniard should steal away the daughter of heaven."
Then, clutching his war-axe, as if to give more emphasis to his warning,the nature of which was no longer to be mistaken, he gave the young manone more look, exceedingly black and threatening, and strode rapidlyaway. The next moment, he leaped, with the activity of a mountain-cat,into the piragua, and speaking but a word to the rowers, was instantlypaddled into the lake.
Juan followed, not a little troubled and displeased by the complexionand tone of the menace, and stepping into the canoe, was soon impelledfrom the garden. He perceived the piragua floating hard by, and the Lordof Death standing erect among the rowers. As soon as the canoe drewnigh, the warrior-noble made certain gestures to Techeechee, signifyingthat he should conduct the youth on the voyage alone. Then giving a signto his attendants, the prow of the piragua was turned towards the east,and, much to the surprise of Juan, and not a little even to that of theOttomi, was urged in that direction with the most furious speed. As theystarted, the rowers set up a yell, as if animated by the prospect ofsome stirring and adventurous exploit.
Techeechee gazed after them for a moment, and then handling his paddle,he directed the canoe round the point of Tlatelolco, and was soon lostamong a multitude of similar vessels, all proceeding to the southwest,in the direction of the hill of Chapoltepec.
The Infidel; or, the Fall of Mexico. Vol. II. Page 5
