as not really there above
listening to the girl's voice. Still, in some mysterious way, Rima had
become to me, even as to superstitious old Nuflo, a being apart and
sacred, and this feeling seemed to mix with my passion, to purify and
exalt it and make it infinitely sweet and precious.

After we had been silent for some time, I said: "Old man, the result of
the grand discussion you have had with Rima is that you have agreed to
take her to Riolama, but about my accompanying you not one word has been
spoken by either of you."

He stopped short to stare at me, and although it was too dark to see
his face, I felt his astonishment. "Senor!" he exclaimed, "we cannot
go without you. Have you not heard my granddaughter's words--that it is
only because of you that she is about to undertake this crazy journey?
If you are not with us in this thing, then, senor, here we must remain.
But what will Rima say to that?"

"Very well, I will go, but only on one condition."

"What is it?" he asked, with a sudden change of tone, which warned me
that he was becoming cautious again.

"That you tell me the whole story of Rima's origin, and how you came to
be now living with her in this solitary place, and who these people are
she wishes to visit at Riolama."

"Ah, senor, it is a long story, and sad. But you shall hear it all.
You must hear it, senor, since you are now one of us; and when I am no
longer here to protect her, then she will be yours. And although you
will never be able to do more than old Nuflo for her, perhaps she will
be better pleased; and you, senor, better able to exist innocently by
her side, without eating flesh, since you will always have that rare
flower to delight you. But the story would take long to tell. You shall
hear it all as we journey to Riolama. What else will there be to talk
about when we are walking that long distance, and when we sit at night
by the fire?"

"No, no, old man, I am not to be put off in that way. I must hear it
before I start."

But he was determined to reserve the narrative until the journey, and
after some further argument I yielded the point.

CHAPTER XIII

That evening by the fire old Nuflo, lately so miserable, now happy in
his delusions, was more than usually gay and loquacious. He was like
a child who by timely submission has escaped a threatened severe
punishment. But his lightness of heart was exceeded by mine; and, with
the exception of one other yet to come, that eve