rock, and lose you and
the sweet light that shines on us for ever."

As she listened to my words, spoken with passion, she grew pale and
clasped her hands. "What have I said? What have I said?" She spoke in a
low voice charged with pain, and all at once she came nearer, and with
a low, sobbing cry sank down at my feet, uttering, as on the occasion of
finding me lost at night in the forest near her home, tender, sorrowful
expressions in her own mysterious language. But before I could take her
in my arms she rose again quickly to her feet and moved away a little
space from me.

"Oh no, no, it cannot be that you know best!" she began again. "But
I know that you have never sought to deceive me. And now, because I
falsely accused you, I cannot go there without you"--pointing to the
summit--"but must stand still and listen to all you have to say."

"You know, Rima, that your grandfather has now told me your history--how
he found your mother at this place, and took her to Voa, where you were
born; but of your mother's people he knows nothing, and therefore he can
now take you no further."

"Ah, you think that! He says that now; but he deceived me all these
years, and if he lied to me in the past, can he not still lie, affirming
that he knows nothing of my people, even as he affirmed that he knew not
Riolama?"

"He tells lies and he tells truth, Rima, and one can be distinguished
from the other. He spoke truthfully at last, and brought us to this
place, beyond which he cannot lead you."

"You are right; I must go alone."

"Not so, Rima, for where you go, there we must go; only you will lead
and we follow, believing only that our quest will end in disappointment,
if not in death."

"Believe that and yet follow! Oh no! Why did he consent to lead me so
far for nothing?"

"Do you forget that you compelled him? You know what he believes; and he
is old and looks with fear at death, remembering his evil deeds, and is
convinced that only through your intercession and your mother's he can
escape from perdition. Consider, Rima, he could not refuse, to make you
more angry and so deprive himself of his only hope."

My words seemed to trouble her, but very soon she spoke again with
renewed animation. "If my people exist, why must it be disappointment
and perhaps death? He does not know; but she came to him here--did she
not? The others are not here, but perhaps not far off. Come, let us go
to the summit together to see from it