The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-07-25
CHAPTER xxIL
hATxAI PRoPHEsrKs EVIL.

At Tilxal's words the company muir
INJURED in astonishment, and Natal,
bending forward, began TO whisper In
his ear. Tilsal listened for a moment.
then turned upon him fercely and then
said aloud SO all could hear him:
II tell you, Natal, that viii be no
party TO this iniquity. Has such thing
been heard OF before that tho Lady OF
the Heart, the highest lady in the land,
should be given in marriage TO n
stranger, who, like some lost dog, has
wandered 10 our gate?"
"The prophecy" began Natal.
1.-THE prophecy l put no faith in
prophecies. Why should obey proph-
ecy written now, when or by whom
do not know? This lady was my
afiianced bride, and now am asked TO
unite her TO a nameless man, who Is
not even OF our blood or faith. Well,
i will not"
"Surely, lord, you blasphemc," an
swefed Natal, growing wToth, sec
ing that IL Is not for the highest priest
20 speak against the oracle OF the god.
Also" he added, with meaning, what
can IL be 20 you who are not ten days
we'd TO the lady at your side, that she to
whom once you were afiianced should
choose another as her husband?"
What is IL TO me?" asked TilSal furi-
ously. IF You desire 10 know / will
tell you. 1t is everything. How did /
come to break my troth and 20 take
you, Natal, through you, the liar and
false prophet. Did you not swear to
mo that Maya was dead yonder In the
wilderness? And did you not, to
satisfy your own ambitions, force me
on 20 take your daughter to wife, ny,
and Is not this marriage between the
Lady OF the Heart and the white man n
plot OF yours, devised for the further
ing OF your ends2"
Now, while all stood astonishcd, OF a
sudden Nahua, who hitherto had lis
tened in stony silence, rose and said:
MY lord Tilsal forgcts that common
courtesy should protect even an unwel-
come wife from public insult" Then
she turned and left the hall by the door
which was behind her.
Now murmur of pity for the lady
and Indignation against the man ran
through the company, and as IL died
away TilSal said:
Evil will como Of this nights work
and in II will have no hand. Do what
you viii and abide the ISSUE" and be-
fore any could speak In answer he also
had left the hall followed by his guards
For awhile there was silence, then
folk began TO talk confusedly, and
some OF the members Of the Brother
hood of the Heart, rising from their
chairs, took hurried counsel together.
At length they reseated themselves,
and, holding up his hand TO secure
quiet. Natal spoke thus:
Forgive me- he said, addressing the
audience, IF my words seem few and
rough, but IL Ia hard for me TO be calm
In the face OF the open insult which has
been put upon my daughter and myself
before you all. will not stoop To an
swer the charges that tho lord Tilxal
has brought against me in his rage.
Surely. some evil power must have af-
flicted him with madness, that. forget
ting his honor as "a man and his duty as
prince and priest, he should dare 20
utter such calumnies against the god
we worship, the white man whom the
rod has chosen 20 be n husband 10 the
Lady Maya, and myself, the keeper OF
the sanctuary. There were many
among You who held mo foolish when,
after much prayer and thought, TO fur
ther what I believed 10 be the true In
tcrcsfs OF tho whole people, l gave my
voice In favor of the lifting up OF TilSal
TO oil tho place and honor Of caciquc
In room OF our late prince, Zibalbay.
whom we thought dead with his daugh-
ter In the wilderness Tonight see
that they were right, and THAI ] was
foolish indeed.
But enough of regrets and bitter
talk that make IA musi, NJ \ marriage