Page:Gaston Leroux--The bride of the sun.djvu/144

130 and ordered Libertad to come into the house. To his surprise, he found there half a dozen women, veiled in black, and guarding the door to another room.

"The mammaconas," gasped Natividad. "We can have no doubts now…. Speak, Libertad.… Speak, and God may forgive you."

"Yes, the mammaconas," said the negro lad, feverishly.…" But I did not know…. God will forgive me…. The señorita, too, will forgive me…. You must save her…. She was so good to me…. And I betrayed her … betrayed her for two hundred silver soles…. They did not know I understood Aimara … they said that Atahualpa would have a beautiful bride…. And they fell on their faces before her when she passed."

"You saw her, then?" demanded the Marquis, bending low over the prostrate figure at his feet to catch the faint words.

"Yes, I saw her…. She was so good…. And I sold her for two hundred silver soles."

"Tell us how it happened," interrupted Natividad. "Was she no longer unconscious?"

"She came out of the room, held up by women in black veils … the three dwarfs were dancing around her…. She seemed to be in a dream … they have terrible poisons and perfumes…. My sweet señorita … wrapped in