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THE FALLING OF THE SWORD.169by dauntlessness, prudence, and coolness; but hewas dauntless, prudent, and cool. Had all thisnever been, what might have been his position ?When Deane and he had met,his luck had beenalmost at its lowest; and, in the comradeshipyvhich had ensued, there had always been burninganger and intense humiliation on Routh's part,ancl cold, sneering,heartless boasting on Deane's.Routh was the cleverer man of the tyvo, and incomparablythe greater villain; but Deane hadelements of rascalityinhim which even Routh hadfelt himself entitled to despise. And hehad hatedhim. Routh, in his cool manner of thinkingtilings over, had not failed to take this feelinginto due account.He would not have killedDeane only because he hated him; he was tootrue to his principles to incur so tremendous arisk for the simple gratification of even the worstsentiment, of even sentiment intensified into apassion, but he allowed it sufficient weight andinfluence effectually to bar the entrance of a regretwhen the larger object had also beenattained.He had no pity for his victim, not even the physicalsensation yvhich is experienced by men whose