But Mr. Tryan was anxious that Janet should not linger out at this late hour.  When he saw that she was calmed, he said, ’I will walk home with you now; we can talk on the way.’  But Janet’s mind was now sufficiently at liberty for her to notice the signs of feverish weariness in his appearance, and she would not hear of causing him any further fatigue.

‘No, no,’ she said, earnestly, ’you will pain me very much—­indeed you will, by going out again to-night on my account.  There is no real reason why I should not go alone.’  And when he persisted, fearing that for her to be seen out so late alone might excite remark, she said imploringly, with a half sob in her voice, ’What should I—­what would others like me do, if you went from us? Why will you not think more of that, and take care of yourself?’

He had often had that appeal made to him before, but tonight—­from Janet’s lips—­it seemed to have a new force for him, and he gave way.  At first, indeed, he only did so on condition that she would let Mrs. Wagstaff go with her; but Janet had determined to walk home alone.  She preferred solitude; she wished not to have her present feelings distracted by any conversation.

So she went out into the dewy starlight; and as Mr. Tryan turned away from her, he felt a stronger wish than ever that his fragile life might last out for him to see Janet’s restoration thoroughly established—­to see her no longer fleeing, struggling, clinging up the steep sides of a precipice whence she might be any moment hurled back into the depths of despair, but walking firmly on the level ground of habit.  He inwardly resolved that nothing but a peremptory duty should ever take him from Milby—­that he would not cease to watch over her until life forsook him.

Janet walked on quickly till she turned into the fields; then she slackened her pace a little, enjoying the sense of solitude which a few hours before had been intolerable to her.  The Divine Presence did not now seem far off, where she had not wings to reach it; prayer itself seemed superfluous in those moments of calm trust.  The temptation which had so lately made her shudder before the possibilities of the future, was now a source of confidence; for had she not been delivered from it?  Had not rescue come in the extremity of danger?  Yes; Infinite Love was caring for her.  She felt like a little child whose hand is firmly grasped by its father, as its frail limbs make their way over the rough ground; if it should stumble, the father will not let it go.

That walk in the dewy starlight remained for ever in Janet’s memory as one of those baptismal epochs, when the soul, dipped in the sacred waters of joy and peace, rises from them with new energies, with more unalterable longings.