’Not perfect peace for a long while, but hope and trust, which is strength.  No sense of pardon for myself could do away with the pain I had in thinking what I had helped to bring on another.  My friend used to urge upon me that my sin against God was greater than my sin against her; but—­it may be from want of deeper spiritual feeling—­that has remained to this hour the sin which causes me the bitterest pang.  I could never rescue Lucy; but by God’s blessing I might rescue other weak and falling souls; and that was why I entered the Church.  I asked for nothing through the rest of my life but that I might be devoted to God’s work, without swerving in search of pleasure either to the right hand or to the left.  It has been often a hard struggle—­but God has been with me—­and perhaps it may not last much longer.’

Mr. Tryan paused.  For a moment he had forgotten Janet, and for a moment she had forgotten her own sorrows.  When she recurred to herself, it was with a new feeling.

’Ah, what a difference between our lives! you have been choosing pain, and working, and denying yourself; and I have been thinking only of myself.  I was only angry and discontented because I had pain to bear.  You never had that wicked feeling that I have had so often, did you? that God was cruel to send me trials and temptations worse than others have.’

’Yes, I had; I had very blasphemous thoughts, and I know that spirit of rebellion must have made the worst part of your lot.  You did not feel how impossible it is for us to judge rightly of God’s dealings, and you opposed yourself to his will.  But what do we know?  We cannot foretell the working of the smallest event in our own lot; how can we presume to judge of things that are so much too high for us?  There is nothing that becomes us but entire submission, perfect resignation.  As long as we set up our own will and our own wisdom against God’s, we make that wall between us and his love which I have spoken of just now.  But as soon as we lay ourselves entirely at his feet, we have enough light given us to guide our own steps; as the foot-soldier who hears nothing of the councils that determine the course of the great battle he is in, hears plainly enough the word of command which he must himself obey.  I know, dear Mrs. Dempster, I know it is hard—­the hardest thing of all, perhaps—­to flesh and blood.  But carry that difficulty to the Saviour along with all your other sins and weaknesses, and ask him to pour into you a spirit of submission.  He enters into your struggles; he has drunk the cup of our suffering to the dregs; he knows the hard wrestling it costs us to say, “Not my will, but Thine be done."’

‘Pray with me,’ said Janet—­’pray now that I may have light and strength.’

Chapter 19

Before leaving Janet, Mr. Tryan urged her strongly to send for her mother.

‘Do not wound her,’ he said, ’by shutting her out any longer from your troubles.  It is right that you should be with her.’