the old
woman: "I am thankful indeed, good mother, for your kind warning; I
would go with you this instant if I could find any one to carry away my
mantles and gold trinkets, for I have a pretty good quantity of both.
Wherefore I beg of you, good mother, wait a few moments here with your
son, and we will leave together during the night; for these teules have
their ears and eyes everywhere."

The old woman placed perfect confidence in what she had said, and
continued chatting with her for some time. Dona Marina then put several
other questions to her, as to the manner in which we were to be killed?
How and when the plan had been formed? The answers which the old woman
returned perfectly agreed with the account of the two papas. Marina then
questioned her as to how she had come to the knowledge of that, which
the Cholullans had thought to keep so secret? "I know all this from my
husband," returned she, "who is the chief of one of the quarters of this
town, and who has already joined the men under his command, to make the
necessary preparations, and join the troops of Mexico in the mountain
defiles. Both armies will meet and cut down all the teules. All this I
have known three days ago, for my husband has been presented with a
golden drum, and the three other chiefs with splendid cloaks and gold
trinkets, with orders to take all the teules prisoners and send them to
Mexico."

Dona Marina artfully concealed the real impression all this made upon
her mind, and said to the old woman: "How delighted am I to learn that
your son, to whom you intend to marry me, is a man of high rank! We have
now been discoursing about matters which were intended to be kept a
secret. I will now go and pack up my things; in the meantime you wait
for me here, for I cannot carry all my goods alone; you, your son, my
future brother, must assist me to decamp."

The old woman swallowed all this, and stationed herself at some
particular spot with her son. In the meantime Dona Marina related to our
general the whole of the discourse she had had with the old woman.
Cortes immediately ordered the latter into his presence, and put further
questions to her respecting the plans of the treacherous Cholullans.
Everything she related corresponded with the account of the two papas;
Cortes then ordered her to be detained in close custody that she might
not return and disclose anything to her companions.

When morning arrived it was quite amusing to behold the