Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/90

62 setting sun, and said, "Colua" and "Mexico"—at that time we still did not know what they meant. But the gold they brought was nothing to the present of twenty women, among them a most excellent lady who became a Christian under the name of Marina.

Cortes received the presents, and by means of Aguilar told them he must further ask that they return to their dwellings and within two days all the people be back again in the town. They at once issued orders to that end. He also said that our Indian Melchior should be brought to him without fail. They answered that he had taken flight when the battle turned against them. This, however, was not true, for we learned that because his counsel cost them so dear they had slain the poor creature in sacrifice.

With the same readiness they had showed in recalling their families they promised to do away with their idols and human sacrifices. When Cortes told them, as well as he could, about our holy Christian faith, how we worshipped one God, and when he explained, showing them an image of Our Lady with her blessed Son in her arms, how we paid reverence to this figure, the caciques said they liked the looks of this great teleciguata (which in their language means a woman of distinction) and that they would much like to keep her in their town. Cortes promised they should have the image and told them to