"It was for thee," she answered: "I sighed, indeed, to think how much and how truly _thou_, thus elevated by a touch of divinity above the children of men, dost yet resemble this miserable, grovelling, befooled Villafana!" "What, I? Resemble him? resemble Villafana?" "Deny it, if thou canst," said the maiden, with rebuking severity; "and if thou canst not, then humble thyself, and confess the base similitude. Thou differest from him but in this,--that, whereas, in one quality, thou art uplifted miles above his head, thou art, in another, sunk even leagues _below_ him.--Thou frownest? Hast thou discovered that anger adds aught to the state of dignity? Thou dost, this moment, even with the crawling venom of Villafana, with a rage still more abased, seek a life thou hast not courage openly to destroy." "Santiago!" cried Cortes, in a heat; "by St. Peter, you are over-bitter. But pho, I will not be angry with thee. Dost thou think me this coward thing?" "Hast thou not doomed the young man, Juan Lerma, a second time, to death?" cried La Monjonaza, with an eye that trembled not a moment in the gaze of the Captain-General; "and was it not with the embrace of a Judas? Oh, senor!" she continued, firmly, "say not that Villafana is either base or craven. _He_ strikes at the strong man, who sits armed and with his eyes open: but thou, oh _thou_,--thou art content to aim at the breast of the friendless and naked sleeper!--Judge between thyself and Villafana." It is impossible to express the mingled effects of shame and rage, that disfigured the visage and convulsed the frame of the Captain-General, at this powerful and altogether unexpected rebuke. He smote his brow, he took two or three hasty steps over the floor; when, at last, a thought striking him, he rushed back to the chider, snatched up her hand, and said, with an attempt at laughter, painfully contrasted with his working and even agonized visage, "Dost thou quarrel with me for fighting thy battles? Oh, by St. James, it is better to draw sword _on_ a friend than _for_ him: ingratitude always comes of it. Had I thought this of old, I had been a happier man, and thou never hadst mourned the death of Hilario;--no, by'r lady, Hilario had been a living man, and thou happy with him in the island!" As he hurried over these words, the diversion they gave to his thoughts, enabled him rapidly to recover his self-command, in which, as in affairs of less personal consequence, he always exhibited wonderful power. This accomplished, he continued, with an earnest voice,