at sunrise, and then she partook of it heartily, looking out
of a southern window as she ate, watching the red sun ascend behind the
naked boles of the elms. She was glad that the new day had come. Her
heart ached not so much with pure grief now as with mocking laughter.
Her husband was mad, quite mad, or else--and this was the more bitter
belief--he had seen that she was in danger of disaffection, and had told
this lie to dupe her, thinking that because she was a woman she would be
impressed by it. As the sincerity of Angel's look came before her she
said to herself that if that were the case no doubt Joseph Smith had
invented the story, and laid it upon Angel's conscience to tell it. That
or madness was the only explanation.

CHAPTER XII.

It was long after the day of her departure before Ephraim again set out
to find Susannah. An illness to which he was subject first came upon
him, and then, when days were past and he was able to leave his bed,
conflicting reports concerning Susannah had been brought to the house,
and Ephraim's courage failed. Why should he go if by seeing her he could
neither give her pleasure nor do her good? It was natural that report,
dwelling on what it could understand rather than on what was
incomprehensible, should magnify Susannah's love for Halsey. No man in
New Manchester who in the past month had chanced to catch sight of any
maid holding secret parlance with any lover but now swore stoutly that
that maid had been Susannah.

It often happens that schemes least calculated to succeed attain
success. Susannah and Halsey had not gone far, nor had they gone with
great secrecy, yet it had happened that no one had observed them as they
travelled, and as there was at that time of the year little
communication between the towns to the east and west of Geneva Market,
it was long before real news concerning them transpired.

At length, when many days had passed, it was told in Manchester where
Susannah really was; and as if the mischief Rumour was ashamed of being
caught telling the truth, she hastily added a lie, and one that had a
fair show of evidence in its favour. She declared that Susannah had not
been married except by some mystical Mormon ceremony which was void in
law.

When Ephraim heard this circumstantial story, and with it many new tales
concerning wicked mysteries practised by the Mormons in Fayette, he
threw down his books, as long ago the fabled fruit that had turned to