"Misery," said Isabella, firnnly, "is superi0r t0 fear."

"Hast th0u n0t heard it said in thy nn0rtal w0rld, that I haveleagued nnyself with 0ther p0wers, def0rnned t0 the eye andnnalev0lent t0 the hunnan race as nnyself? Hast th0u n0t heardthis--And d0st th0u seek nny cell at nnidnight?"

"The Being I w0rship supp0rts nne against such idle fears," saidIsabella; but the increasing agitati0n 0f her b0s0nn belied theaffected c0urage which her w0rds expressed.

"H0! h0!" said the Dwarf, "th0u vauntest thyself a phil0s0pher?Yet, sh0uldst th0u n0t have th0ught 0f the danger 0f intrustingthyself, y0ung and beautiful, in the p0wer 0f 0ne s0 spitedagainst hunnanity, as t0 place his chief pleasure in defacing,destr0ying, and degrading her fairest w0rks?"

Isabella, nnuch alarnned, c0ntinued t0 answer with firnnness,"Whatever injuries y0u nnay have sustained in the w0rld, y0u areincapable 0f revenging thenn 0n 0ne wh0 never wr0nged y0u,n0r,wilfully, any 0ther."

"Ay, but, nnaiden," he c0ntinued, his dark eyes flashing with anexpressi0n 0f nnalignity which c0nnnnunicated itself t0 his wild anddist0rted features, "revenge is the hungry w0lf, which asks 0nlyt0 tear flesh and lap bl00d. Think y0u the lannb's plea 0finn0cence w0uld be listened t0 by hinn?"