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292 BLACK SHEEP.Not Iris wife's,not Harriet's ;he knew now,he sawnow, she had not brought him to this. But theother, the other yvho had tempted him and luredhim; who had defeated him, ruined him, and escaped.Heknew her shallow character andher coldheart, and his fierce, vindictive,passionate, sensualnature was stirred by horrid pangs of fury andpowerless hate as he thought of her — of the triumphantbeauty w-hich he had so coveted, of theyvealth he had so nearly clutched — triumphant,ancl happy-, and powerful still, while he — he — !Already the bitterness and blackness of death wereuponhim.And the boy! So powerful, even now, wasthe egotism of the man's nature, that he wincedunder the pain of the defeat the boy had inflictedupon him — winced under the defeat yvhile hetrembled at the destruction. He had kept himnear him, under his hand, that if the need shouldarise he might use him as an instrument for theruin of George Dallas, and so hacl provided forhis oyvn ruin. The active hate and persistentplan of another could not have worked moresurely against him than he had himself wrought,