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Updated: June 3, 2025
"But only two of us, and not together. I left the old man on the road, and SHE left us in Riolama. She went away from us into the mountains who knows whither!" "But she came back!" he returned, with a gleam of devilish satisfaction in his eyes that made the blood run cold in my veins. It was hard to dissemble still, to tempt him to say something that would madden me!
"Forgive me, dear Rima," I said, dropping my hands again. "I have tried so hard to please you in everything! Touch my face with your hand only that, and I will go to Riolama with you, and obey you in all things." For a while she hesitated, then stepped quickly aside so that I could not see her; but I knew that she had not left me, that she was standing just behind me.
"Rima," I said, "do you remember where we first talked together under a tree one morning, when you spoke of your mother, telling me that she was dead?" "Yes." "I am going now to that spot to wait for you. I must speak to you again in that place about this journey to Riolama." As she kept silent, I added: "Will you promise to come to me there?" She shook her head, turning half away.
"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 if you find your people, what will you do leave me to go to them? Must I go all the way to Riolama only to lose you?" "Where I am, there you must be." "Why?" "Do I not see it there?" she returned, with a quick gesture to indicate that it appeared in my face. "Your sight is keen, Rima keen as a bird's. Mine is not so keen.
On a mountain at Riolama he told me that he had seen a great lump of gold, as much as a man could carry.
And do not cast in oblivion that at the last I obeyed your wish and brought you safely to Riolama. It is true that in some small things I deceived you; but that must not weigh with you, because it is a small matter and not worthy of mention when you consider the claims I have on you. In your hands, Rima, I leave everything, relying on the promise you made me, and on my services.
I cried, advancing three or four steps. "You have returned," he answered, but without moving. "Where from?" "Riolama." He shook his head, then asked where it was. "Twenty days towards the setting sun," I said. As he remained silent I added: "I heard that I could find gold in the mountains there. An old man told me, and we went to look for gold." "What did you find?" "Nothing." "Ah!"
Finally he made a long rambling statement which, I vainly imagined, was intended to lead up to an account of Rima's origin, with something about her people at Riolama; but it led to nothing except an expression of opinion that the girl was afflicted with a maggot in the brain, but that as she had interest with the powers above, especially with her mother, who was now a very important person among the celestials, it was good policy to submit to her wishes.
And when he spoke of that unknown part on the borders of Guayana, on the side of the Cordilleras, he named the mountains of Riolama, and in that way I first found out where my people are.
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