He had well-nigh made his decision, when the thought of Freda came over him, and his heart stood still.  If he fled from Oxford and from her, would he ever see her again?  What would she think of him and his flight?  Would that be keeping “faithful unto death”?  If he left her now, would he ever see her again?  And then there was Master Clarke, another father in God.  Could he bear to leave him, too—­leave him in peril from which he had refused to fly?  The struggle was sharp, but it was brief, and with the tears running down his face, Dalaber embraced Master Garret with sincere affection, but told him that he could not be his companion.  It seemed to him that the Lord had work for him here; and here he would stay, come what might.

“Then, my son, let us kneel down together upon our knees, and lift up our hearts unto the Lord,” spoke Garret with broken voice, “praying of Him that He will help and strengthen us; that He will prosper me, His servant, upon my journey, and give me grace to escape the wiles of all enemies, both carnal and spiritual; and that He will strengthen and uphold you, my son, in all trials and temptations, and bring us together in peace and prosperity at last, in this world, if it be His good pleasure, but at least in the blessed kingdom of His dear Son, which, let us pray, may quickly come.”

They prayed and wept together, for both were deeply moved; and then Garret, having donned a coat of Dalaber’s, and having filled his wallet with bread, embraced his young friend many times with great fervour; and after invoking blessings upon him from above, he watched his opportunity, and stole softly away from the college, Dalaber watching till his slight figure disappeared altogether from view.

Then with a heavy heart he went up to his room again, and locked his door.  Opening his New Testament, which lay on the table beside the borrowed book of the monk, he kneeled down and read very slowly aloud to himself the tenth chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel.

“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves.  But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; and ye shall be brought before governors and kings.  But when they deliver you up, take no thought what ye shall speak, for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake, but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.  Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.  He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.  He that findeth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”

Long did Dalaber kneel in prayer, his reading being over, asking that God would endue His tender and newly-born little flock in Oxford with heavenly strength from above, and with the anointing of the Spirit, that they might patiently bear the heavy cross of Christ, which was presently, as he well saw, to be laid upon them, and that their young, weak backs might be strengthened to meet the burden and the cruel yoke.