Page:Gaston Leroux--The bride of the sun.djvu/196



had the Marquis entered the room than Huascar made his appearance, followed by Dick and Natividad, like a prisoner with his two guards. The Indian swept off his hat, with a grave "Dios anki tiourata." To wish a white man good-day thus, in the sacred Aïmara language, was a sign of great respect Then, seeing that the Marquis did not respond to the greeting, Huascar began to speak in Spanish.

"Señor, I bring you news of the señorita and your son. If the God of the Christians, whom the benefactress worshiped, aids me, they will both be restored to you." Don Christobal, though seething within, forced himself to the same calm as the Indian. "Why have you and yours committed this crime?" he questioned, crossing his arms.

"Why did you and yours commit the crime of not watching over them? Had you not been warned? Huascar, for your sake, twice betrayed his brethren, his god, and his country. He remembered that the mother of the señorita once befriended a naked child in Callao. That 182