Grand military display by the Spaniards--The terror of the Aztecs--Fearlessness and high purpose of Guatimozin and others--The Banquet--The company--A contrast--The strangers presented to the Queen--Her grace and dignity--Beauty of the Aztec women--Awkward position of the admiring Cavaliers--Their ingenuity in pantomime--Readily matched by the Aztec--Sandoval and the Princess--Cortez and Karee--Guatimozin and Cacama in argument--The Princess interposes--Sternness of Guatimozin--An incident--Orteguilla--Alvarado and the Naiads--Metamorphosed into a flower-god--Pays homage to the Princess--The feast--The true character of the invaders--Bold movement of Cortez--Montezuma's blind submission to fate--Voluntarily becomes a vassal to the crown of Spain--A still bolder movement of Cortez--Montezuma remonstrates, but yields, and becomes a prisoner in the Spanish quarters--Indignation of the nobles--Portentous omen--Distress in the palace--The Princess expostulates with her father--The parting, and the promised meeting--Guatimozin departs in disgust--His interview with the Princess at Chapoltepec--Courageous hopes--Oracle and omens--Timidity made bold by love. CHAPTER VII. TREACHERY AND RETRIBUTION--MASSACRE OF THE AZTEC NOBILITY--DEATH OF MONTEZUMA. 121 Cortez visits Vera Cruz--Alvarado in command in the Capital--His character--The Aztec festival--Unprovoked attack and massacre--The whole nation in arms for revenge--Alvarado in imminent peril--Cortez returns--The Aztecs threaten the entire destruction of the Spaniards--Furious assault upon their quarters--Desperate sortie--Implacable spirit of the Aztecs--Their leaders--Cortez persuades Montezuma to interpose--Cacama summoned to the royal presence--His noble reply--The Princes' rendezvous--Guatimozin warned of danger--His escape--Cacama and Cuitlahua arrested--The latter released--Fresh assaults upon the Spaniards--At the instigation of Cortez, Montezuma appears and addresses the people--Their loyalty and deference--Suddenly changed to uncontrollable rage--The Emperor mortally wounded by his own people--A temporary suspension of hostilities--Death of Montezuma--His funeral obsequies. CHAPTER VIII. BRIEF REIGN OF CUITLAHUA--EXPULSION OF THE SPANIARDS--GUATIMOZIN CHOSEN EMPEROR--HIS MARRIAGE WITH TECUICHPO. 137