Christian; she left the way to him, and enjoyed the strange joy of
being alone, beyond vision or pursuit, set aside as it were from her
life and life surroundings for a time. What did she care how hard the
storm beat? To the rough treatment of life this was as the touch of a
soft feather. Diana welcomed it; loved the storm; bent her head to
shield her from the blast of it, and went on. The wind began to make
itself known as one of the forces abroad, but she did not mind that
either. Gusts came by turns, sweeping the snow in what seemed a solid
mass upon her shoulder and side face; and then, in a little time more,
there was no question of gusts, but a steady wild fury which knew no
intermission. The storm grew tremendous, and everybody in Pleasant
Valley was well aware that such storms in those regions did not go as
soon as they came. Diana herself began to feel glad that she must be
near her stopping-place. No landmarks whatever were visible, but she
thought she had been travelling long enough, even at Prince's slow
rate, to put most of the three miles behind her; and she grew a little
afraid lest in the white darkness she might miss the little church;
once past it, though never so little, and looking back would be in
vain. It was a question if she would not pass it even with her best
endeavour. In her preoccupation it had never once occurred to Diana to
speculate on what she would find at the church, if she reached it; and
now she had but one thought, not to miss reaching it. She had some
anxious minutes of watching, for her rate of travelling had been slower
than she knew, and there was a good piece of a mile still between her
and the place when she began to look for it. Now she eyed with greatest
care the road and the fences, when she could see the latter, and indeed
it is poetical to speak of her seeing the road, for the tracks were all
covered up. But at last Diana recognised a break in the fence at her
left; checked Prince, turned his head carefully in that direction,
found he seemed to think it all right, and presently saw just before
her the long low shed in which the country people were wont to tie
their horses for the time of divine service. Prince went straight to
his accustomed place.

Diana got out. There was no need to tie Prince to-day. The usual equine
sense of expediency would be quite sufficient to keep any horse under
cover. She left the sleigh, and groped her way--truly it was not easy
to keep on he