His eye had fallen on the second glass in the cupboard, and his voice became more pleading. “Don’t thee pin thi faith to Inman, lad. I’d do no man a wrong; but it’s borne in on me ’at that lad’s working for his own ends, and when he’s finished wi’ tha he’ll toss tha on t’ midden same as an old shoe! Cannot tha trust me, lad? Tha’s never known Maniwel Drake go back on his word, and I promise tha I’ll help tha, if I have to suffer for’t.” Baldwin’s anger had made him impotent, but at these words he drained his glass and then dashed it at Maniwel’s feet where it lay broken in a thousand fragments. Curse followed curse as he refused his old mate’s offer and threatened him with mischief. Maniwel went a step forward and laid his hand on the other’s arm. “I’ll go, lad. It’s ill trying to reason wi’ a man ’at’s i’ drink; but just try to let this one word get through t’ drink to thi memory. When tha comes to thi-sen and wants a friend, tha’ll find him where he’s always been—at Maniwel Drake’s.” With these words and without a backward glance, he left the room, and returned home. CHAPTER XVII IN WHICH NANCY’S BABY IS BORN AND JAGGER LOSES HIS TEMPER THERE are some men who take an almost scientific interest in compassing the ruin of others. Along certain channels the current of humane and kindly feeling may flow as with other men, but let some particular individual injure them, or stand in the way of their advancement, and their conduct becomes inhuman; and they will watch the sufferings they produce with something of the detached and impersonal interest of the chemist who expects that his mixture of chemicals must ultimately shatter the vessel that contains it, and whose only care is to safeguard himself from injury in the process. Inman was of this class. It afforded him positive pleasure to see how the coils he wound so cunningly tightened about his unsuspecting victim. The knowledge that he was unsuspected added to his enjoyment; tickled his sense of humour. He believed with all his soul that Baldwin’s motto—“all for my-sen” could not be bettered; it was the view of life held by all healthy animals—by the cross-grained buck-rabbit as much as by the stoat; and the game of stalking the stalker was one that afforded him endless amusement.