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266 mischief by wantonness or by poverty, and who were not long in ruining themselves when I put that other enemy in their way. As I told you, I put that other enemy in your way, but I have had nothing by it. I failed to gain any advantage over you—a rare thing with me. I don't think you are a human being at all, in the true sense of the word. You don't like me to call her an enemy. Is not a man's most inimical enemy the one that causes the greatest mischief to him?"

"I give you the lie out of your own mouth," said Shiana. "She never did any mischief to me, and for that reason you lie when you call her an enemy."

"She has not done a mischief to you, but it is not she that is to be thanked for it, nor me. She did her best to that end, and I did my best to that end. She did her best, on account of the greatness of her love for you. I did my best, and I promise you it was not through love of you. We have both failed in the game. I worked the most skilful artifice of my craft against you, but you have beaten me."

"I do not admire your craft," said Shiana, "whatever opinion you yourself may have of it. I was going to say, 'May you not be rewarded for your work!' but I cross you again. I say most heartily, 'That you may be rewarded for it!' It would be a great pity such labour should go unrequited. You put an enemy, you say, in my way. I think you made a mistake somewhere in your calculations. Things do not always turn out as they are expected to do. You gave me money in the hope that it would be the ruin of me. You failed with the money. You put another enemy,