“Now at these words Upanqui stood up and rent his robes.

“‘Must my ears be outraged with such blasphemies?’ he cried.  ’Know, Son Urco, that this day I was minded to take off the Royal Fringe and to set it on your head, crowning you Inca in my place while I withdrew to pass the remainder of my days at Yucay in peace and prayer.  My will is changed.  This I shall not do.  My life is not done and strength returns to my mind and body.  Here I stay as Inca.  Now I see that I am punished for my sin.’

“‘What sin?’ shouted Urco.

“’The sin of setting you before my eldest lawful son, Kari, whose wife you stole; Kari, whom also it is said you poisoned and who at least has vanished and is doubtless dead.’

“Now, Lord, when I, Kari, heard this my heart melted in me and I was minded to declare myself to Upanqui my father.  But while I weighed the matter for a moment, knowing that if I did so, such words as these might well be my last since Urco had many of is following present, who perhaps would fall upon and kill me, suddenly my father Upanqui fell forward in a swoon.  His lords and physicians bore him away.  Urco followed and presently the multitude departed this way and that.  Afterwards we were told that the Inca had recovered but must not be disturbed for many days.”

“Did you hear more of Quilla, Kari?”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered gravely.  “It was commonly reported that, through some priestess in his pay, Urco had poisoned her, saying that as she had chosen the Sun as husband, to the Sun she would go.”

“Poisoned her!” I muttered, well-nigh falling to the ground.  “Poisoned her!”

“Aye, Lord, but be comforted for this was added—­that she who gave the poison was taken in the act by her who is named the Mother of the Virgins, and handed over to the women who cast her into the den of serpents, where she perished, screaming that it was Urco who had forced her to the deed.”

“That does not comfort me, man.  What of Quilla?  Did she die?”

“Lord, it is said not.  It is said that the Mother of the Virgins dashed away the cup as it touched her lips.  But this is said also, that some of the poison flew into her eyes and blinded her.”

I groaned, for the thought of Quilla blinded was horrible.

“Again take comfort, Lord, since perchance she may recover from this blindness.  Also I was told, that although she can see nothing, her beauty is not marred; that the venom indeed has made her eyes seem larger and more lovely even than they were before.”

I made no answer, who feared that Kari was deceiving me or perhaps was himself deceived and that Quilla was dead.  Presently he continued his story in the same quiet, even voice, saying: