Yes! he was subdued--overawed--rendered timid as a young child in her presence; and sinking upon his knees, he exclaimed--forgetful that he was addressing Nisida the deaf and dumb--"Oh! fear not--I will not harm thee! But, my God! take compassion on me--spurn me not--look not with such terrible anger upon one who adores, who worships you! How is it that I tremble and quail before you--I, once so reckless, so rude. But, oh! to kiss that fair hand--to be your slave--to watch over you--to protect you--and all this but for thy smiles in return--I should be happy--supremely happy! Remember--we are alone on this island--and I am the stronger; I might compel you by force to yield to me--to become mine; but I will not harm you--no, not a hair of your head, if you will only smile upon me! And you will require one to defend and protect you--yes, even here in this island, apparently so secure and safe;--for there are terrible things in this clime--dreadful beings, far more formidable than whole hordes of savage men--monsters so appalling that not all thy courage, nor all thy energy would avail thee a single moment against them. Yes, lady, believe me when I tell thee this! For many--many days have I dwelt, a lonely being, on the other side of this isle, beyond that chain of mountains--remaining on that shore to which the wild waves carried me on the night of shipwreck. But I hurried away at last--I dared all the dangers of mighty precipices, yawning chasms, and roaring torrents--the perils of yon mountains--rather than linger on the other side. For the anaconda, lady, is the tenant of this island--the monstrous snake--the terrible boa, whose dreadful coils, if wound round that fair form of yours, would crush it into a hideous, loathsome mass?" Stephano had spoken so rapidly, and with such fevered excitement that he had no time to reflect whether he were not wasting his words upon a being who could not hear them; until exhausted and breathless with the volubility of his utterance he remembered that he was addressing himself to Nisida the deaf and dumb. But happily his appealing and his suppliant posture had softened the lady: for toward the end of his long speech a change came over her countenance, and she dropped the point of her sword toward the ground. Stephano rose, and stood gazing on her for a few moments with eyes that seemed to devour her. His mind had suddenly recovered much of its wonted boldness and audacity. So long as Nisida seemed terrible as well as beautiful, he was subdued;--now that her eyes had ceased to dart forth lightnings, and the expression of her countenance had changed from indignation and resolute menace to pensiveness and a comparatively mournful softness, the bandit as rapidly regained the usual tone of his remorseless mind.