The Irish standard., 1896-02-01

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listen to your words alone. If you, have
anything to say, say It in the presence
ofmy husband and my friend, or go and
leave it unsaid.'' II 4
/ You speak roughly to one who comes,
here in the hope Of saving the lives of,
all Of YOU, he answered; ''still will
bear with you in this as l have borne
with you in much else. Listen: All
your crimes are known to me, for
Nah11a,, my wife. has revealed them to
me. / know how you and that dead
rogue, Natal, on whom the curse of
Heaven has most Justly fallen. forged.
uary, for have held the proofs of it in
my hand
''Do YOU know that we did this to
save our livcs?' asked Maya, for if
we had not done it Natal would
have murdered us in order that by re-
moving me he might assure his dapgh-
ter in her place. i =
81 do not know why you did it, nor
do I care, seeing that nothing. can
tighten snch u crime, but / think that
you did it in order that you might win
yonder white man as 81 husband. At the
least the thing is done, and vengeance
waits you, vengeance from which there
is but one escape"
.sWhat escapc?" asked Maya, quickly,
for when she learned that Tilzal knew
everything all hope had faded from her
heart, as from ours. -
Maya, two people live, and txo
alone, who know this tale, Nahua, my
wife, and myself Till this morning
there was hut one, for Nahua only told
me of it when she found that you had
not escaped. and this she has done that
she may he rid Of yoll, whom she hates
as her rival Therefore it was tn, she
would have held me back from pursuing
you, and therefore it is that She will
appear before tie Council Of the Heart
this night, so That her evidence may in
sure your instant death in the Pit Of
Waters But as it chances least OF any.
thing on the earth do / desire that my
eyes should lose sight Of you wholntt
now as ever | love better than anything
on the earth"
r. Now the senior grew white with rage,
and he broke in:
: "You will do well 30 keep such words
to yourself, 1ikal. Tor of this be snre,iE
YOU do not. will add to my crimes,
and you shall not leave this place alive.
No need to look at your guards. What.
do care for your guards, who have
but one life to lose? Speak thus again,e
and before they reach you you shall he
dead"
LET him go on, husband, !" said Maya; Z
"what can d few insults more or less
matter to us now? Continue, most no. !
bic Til1al, but, for your own sake, re-
strain yoursclf and say nothing that a,
husband should not hear" 49,
est is for this reason" he went on, I
taking no notice of the se11or's anger,
shat ] have come here with a plan to
save you all, yes, even this braggart
white man who has robbed me of you.
If Nahua and I are silent, who win
know of Your crimes? And if the evil
dence of them is destroyed before your
eyes. wl,o is there who can prove them?
Now, will be siient--at {. price. / will
even bring the true tablet Of the proph-
ecy and the roll Of Matthias confession
and destroy them with fire before you"
You viii be silent, said: Mava,J but |
what of Nahua? Will she be silent also?'
Now Tilsa:s dark face grew evil with
some purpose Of his own, though
whether it were OF murder, OF OF what.
do not know.
'sLeave Nahua to me, - he said. With
draw the charge Won made against her
free her thus of the need of appearing
this night in the sanctuary, and swear
= to YOU that no word of her dreadful
secret shall ever pass her lips: Then !,
You will be tried upon one issue only,
that of having broken your oaths by
flying the city, a crime that is not BE-
yond forgiveness. =.
"Yon smoke Of price, TilSal; tell us,
what is that price we must pay?"
"The price is yourself, Maya. Nay"
hear me ont, and you, white man, keep
silent If you will swear upon the
Heart to become my wife within six
part will swear that the white man,
your husband, who is not your husband.
for he won the consent OF the council
to his marriage by a trick, shall be suf-
fered to escape the land unframed,
stalking with him his friend and,so much
of our treasure and things needfui for
their journev:s he may desire. !
81 will swear, also. and by this you
/, may see how deep and honestis my love
for you, that your son shall not be dis
possessed Of the place and rank which
he holds in the eyes of the people as a.
aHeavensent dcliverer whose coming
shall give place to- yours Maya
Once before I held out the hand
of peace to You, Maya. but YOU refused:
It and triclsed me, and from that refusal
!. has sprung the death of your father and
many other sorrows. :: &
So 500 not refuse me again, lest these
sorrows should be increased and multi
piled upon you and upon, US all. 1T, lis 4
no strange or unnatural thing | ask Of ]
you that you should wed the man, to
whom for many years you We're !
S.affianced. and take your place as: the
first lady in this city, instead of giving
!, yourself over with your accomplices to-
the most Infamous of deaths :.
-. 'tYet it is the most strange and url-
natural, Tillal. that a wife should be
asked to part thus from her husband.
But stay; it is for him to speak, not me,
for he may be glad to buy safety at
e this cost. First, what do you say, 1g-
anatio? Tell me, though fear your an
! swer, for it is easy to guess, seeing that
,STil<al offers all that you can desire,
: freedom and treasure, to enable you to
execute. your plans"
'sIt is tue, lady," replied. ,..that he
offers me these things, though whether
or not he is able to give them I cannot
say, and it is true, also, that have no
wife here whom I must leave. and no
prospect save that of traitors death.
Still, lady, l remember a certain promise
that made to you yonder in the wider
ness when by your. courage you, saved
your husbands life, and remember,
also, that it was through me that he, !
nv friend, came to visit this acctlrseds
city. Therefore l say let. our fate BE-
one fate" e
.:Those are very noble words. friend,''
she said, sssuch as could have come oalys
from your noble heart. Now, husband,
+ FE, a+.st.- j. =. II