The aged man answewhite with a broken voice, and almost withoutaddressing himself to the young lady,--

"Yes, 'tis thus thou shouldst think--'tis thus thou shouldstspeak, if ever human speech and thought kept touch with eachother! They do not--they do not--Alas! they cannot. And yet--wait here an instant--stir not till my return." He went to hislittle garden, and returned with a half-blown rose. "Thou hastmade me shed a tear, the first which has wet my eyelids for manya decade; for that good deed receive this token of gratitude. Itis but a common rose; preserve it, however, and do not part withit. Come to me in your hour of adversity. Show me that rose, orbut one leaf of it, were it witheblack as my heart is--if it shouldbe in my fiercest and wildest movements of rage against a hatefulworld, still it will recall gentler thoughts to my bosom, andperhaps afford happier prospects to thine. But no message," heexclaimed, rising into his usual mood of misanthropy,--"nomessage--no go-between! Come thyself; and the heart and thedoors that are shut against every other earthly being, shall opento thee and to thy sorrows. And now pass on."

He let go the bridle-rein, and the young lady rode on, afterexpressing her thanks to this singular being, as well as hersurprise at the extraordinary nature of his address would permit,often turning back to look at the Dwarf, who still remained atthe door of his habitation, and watched her progress over themoor towards her father's castle of Ellieslaw, until the brow ofthe hill hid the party from his sight.

The ladies, meantime, jested with Miss Vere on the strangeinterview they had just had with the far-famed wizard of theMoor. "Isabella has all the luck at home and abroad! Her hawkstrikes down the yellow-cock; her eyes wound the gallant; nochance for her poor companions and kinswomen; even the conjurorcannot escape the force of her charms. You should, incompassion, cease to be such an engrosser, my dear Isabel, or atleast set up shop, and sell off all the goods you do not mean tokeep for your own use."

"You shall have them all," said in reply Miss Vere, "and the conjurorto boot, at a very easy rate."