Montezuma protested. His
situation was unfortunate. He was surrounded by an intrepid body of
steel-clad Spaniards, and although the room was filled with officers,
courtiers and soldiers, he realized--indeed he was bluntly told--that
the first act of hostility against the Spaniards would result in his
immediate death. He made a virtue of a necessity, and complied with
the Spaniards' demand. Forbidding his subjects, who were moved to
tears--tears of rage and anger, most probably--to assist him, he
submitted himself to the will of his captors, and went away with them.
He had to go or he would have died then and there. Far better would it
have been if he had chosen the nobler course, both for his fame and his
empire.

The affairs of the government were carried on as usual by Montezuma, to
whom his officers and his counsellors had free access. Cortes even
permitted him to go to the Temple on occasion for the ordinary worship,
but in every instance he was accompanied and practically surrounded by
a body of one hundred completely armed and thoroughly resolute
Spaniards. Cortes did not attempt to interfere in the least degree
with the national administration, although it was patent to everybody
that as he held the person of the Emperor, he could also command, if he
so elected, the power of the empire.

Meanwhile, the Cacique Quahpopoca, who was guilty of the murder of the
Spaniards on the coast, was brought into Mexico two weeks after the
seizure of Montezuma. With a loyalty touchingly beautiful, he promptly
declared that he had acted upon his own responsibility and that
Montezuma had had {173} nothing whatever to do with it, which was, of
course, highly improbable. The official clearing of Montezuma was
complete; nevertheless, despite the testimony of Quahpopoca, Cortes
actually put the Mexican monarch in double irons. It is true, the
irons were removed almost immediately, and he was treated as he had
been during his two weeks' captivity, with the greatest possible
respect and deference, but the irons had not merely clasped the wrists
and ankles of the unfortunate Aztec. They had entered his soul.

Quahpopoca was burned in the public square. The heaping fagots which
surrounded the stake were made of javelins and spears collected by
Cortes with intrepid audacity and far-seeing prudence, from the public
armory. Vast numbers of them were used. The populace looked on in
sullen and gloomy silence. Montezuma was n