She herself was so near to the supernatural that it seemed brought near me; indefinable feelings, which had been latent in me, stirred into life, and following the direction of her divine, lustrous eyes, fixed on the blue sky above, I seemed to see there another being like herself, a Rima glorified, leaning her pale, spiritual face to catch the winged words uttered by her child on earth.

And even now, while hearing the old man's talk, showing as it did a mind darkened with such gross delusions, I was not yet altogether free from the strange effect of that prayer.
Doubtless it was a delusion; her mother was 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.