But not so beautiful as others I have seen." "But why did you go to her ?" the girl again persisted.
"Because I cannot speak the language of the Spaniards; and it was necessary, for my safety, for them to believe that I am one of themselves, rescued from some Spanish ship cast, by a gale, on their shores when I was a little lad.

Had I gone to Cortez direct, he would probably have guessed, from my dress and from my speaking the language, that this was how I came to be here; but had I not seen Malinche before I saw him, she would have recognized me, and would no doubt have told Cortez that she had known me from the time I was cast ashore, near Tabasco, somewhat over two years ago.

He would then have known that I could not be a Spaniard, for if so, I could not in so short a time have lost my own language." Cacama now interposed, and asked many questions about Tlascala and its people.
"Some of the Tlascalan princes and caziques gave their daughters as wives to the Spaniards, did they not ?" "Six of them did so," Roger replied.

"The ladies were first baptized into the Christian religion, and then married by the priests to as many of the chief leaders of the Spaniards." "And what did you think of that ?" Cacama asked.
"I did not think much about it," Roger said; "for it was no business of mine, but that of the ladies and their friends.

It was certainly a politic course, on the part both of Cortez and the Tlascalans, and bound the alliance more closely together.
"But methinks that, upon such work as the Spaniards are engaged in, a man were better without a wife, both for his sake and her own.