Chapter VI

MUNIFICENCE OF MONTEZUMA--THE ROYAL BANQUET--THE
REQUITAL--THE EMPEROR A PRISONER IN HIS OWN PALACE. 97

Grand military display by the Spaniards--The terror of the
Aztecs--Fearlessness and high purpose of Guatimozin and
others--The Banquet--The company--A contrast--The
strangers presented to the Queen--Her grace and
dignity--Beauty of the Aztec women--Awkward position of
the admiring Cavaliers--Their ingenuity in
pantomime--Readily matched by the Aztec--Sandoval and
the Princess--Cortez and Karee--Guatimozin and Cacama in
argument--The Princess interposes--Sternness of
Guatimozin--An incident--Orteguilla--Alvarado and the
Naiads--Metamorphosed into a flower-god--Pays homage to
the Princess--The feast--The true character of the
invaders--Bold movement of Cortez--Montezuma's blind
submission to fate--Voluntarily becomes a vassal to the
crown of Spain--A still bolder movement of
Cortez--Montezuma remonstrates, but yields, and becomes
a prisoner in the Spanish quarters--Indignation of the
nobles--Portentous omen--Distress in the palace--The
Princess expostulates with her father--The parting, and
the promised meeting--Guatimozin departs in disgust--His
interview with the Princess at Chapoltepec--Courageous
hopes--Oracle and omens--Timidity made bold by love.