Through him, in place of a man who was sick, I became one of the
bearers of the lady Quilla's litter and thus was always about her and
at times had speech with her in secret, for she knew me again
notwithstanding my disguise and uniform. So I became one of those who
waited on her when she ate and noted all that passed.
"After the first day the Inca Upanqui, he who is my father and whose
lawful heir I am, although he discarded me for Urco and believes me
dead, made it a habit to take his food in the same tent or rest-house
chamber as the lady Quilla. Lord, being very clever, she set herself to
charm him, so that soon he began to dote upon her, as old, worn-out men
sometimes do upon young and beautiful women. She, too, pretended to grow
fond of him and at last told him in so many words that she grieved it
was not he that she was to marry whose wisdom she hung upon, in place of
a prince who, she heard, was not wise. This, she said, because she knew
well that the Inca would never marry any more and indeed had lived alone
for years. Still, being flattered, he told her it was hard that she
should be forced to wed one to whom she had no mind, whereon she prayed
him, even with tears, to save her from such a fate.
Pages:
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324