part, deliverance for them both. She put on her clothes
with hasty, trembling hands, thankful to Guennik for helping her,
pressed a coin into the strong toil-worn hand, and with an earnest
thrill of thankful prayer opened the door. The driftwood fire was
bright, and she saw Peregrine, looking deadly white, and equipped
with slouched hat, short wrapping cloak, pistols and sword at his
belt, dark lantern lighted on the table, and Hans also cloaked by
his side. He bent his head in salutation, and put his finger to his
lips, giving one hand to Anne, and showing by example instead of
words that she must tread as softly as possible, as she perceived
that he was in his slippers, Hans carrying his boots as well as the
lantern she had used. Yet to her ears the roar of the advancing
tide seemed to stifle all other sounds. Past the other huts they
went in silence, then came a precipitous path up the cliff, steps
cut in the hard sandy grit, but very crumbling, and in places
supplemented by a rude ladder of sticks and rope. Peregrine went
before Anne, Hans behind. Each had hung the lantern from his neck,
so as to have hands free to draw her, support her, or lift her, as
might be needful. How it was done she never could tell in after
years. She might jestingly say that her lightened heart bore her
up, but in her soul and in her deeper moments she thought that truly
angels must have had charge over her. Up, up, up! At last they had
reached standing ground, a tolerably level space, with another high
cliff seeming to rise behind it. Here it was lighter--a pale streak
of dawn was spreading over the horizon, both on sky and sea, and the
waves still leaping glanced in the light of a golden waning moon,
while Venus shone in the brightening sky, a daystar of hope.

Peregrine drew a long breath, and gave an order in a very low voice
in Dutch to Hans, who placed his boots before him, and went off
towards a shed. "He will bring you a pony," said his master.

"Excuse me;" and he was withdrawing his hand, when Anne clasped it
with both hers, and said in a voice of intense feeling--

"Oh, how can I thank you and bless you! This _is_ putting the Evil
Angel to flight."

"'Tis you that have done it! You see, I cannot do the wicked act
where you are," he answered gloomily, as he turned aside to draw on
his boots.

"Ah! but you have won the victory over him!"

"Do not be too sure. We are not out of reach of those rascals yet."