ow, it must have been because he thought to save my soul
by it, but I think--I think that the lie could not have been his. I
think it must have been Joseph Smith's." She spoke very wistfully.

"What was it?" he asked again, tender of the shock she had received, yet
still confident that it would be his part to widen this breach.

Looking down with burning cheeks, she told him what Halsey's story about
Newell Knight's levitation had been. She remembered it quite clearly and
told it baldly.

Before she finished it she heard him mutter below his breath that it was
very strange. She was surprised at his tone of perplexity.

"It is very strange to me," she cried, "because I know my husband, and
up till now he has been so upright and, except that he believed in
Joseph Smith, so sensible and wise."

"And is this all?" asked Ephraim. "If it were not for this, would you be
content to go on as before?"

He had begun to walk slowly on with the horse, and she too walked. After
she had answered him the long silence became oppressive, and she knew
that Ephraim was suffering to a degree that she could not understand. At
length when he did speak his words were most unexpected.

He was looking toward the rising sun, which was still dim and flushed
with the autumn haze. "The Christ whom we all worship," he began
abruptly, "each in our different way, called himself by the sacred name
of Truth. Does he desire, do you think, that we must worship him by
adhering to what we know to be fact, no matter what would seem to be
gained by slighting facts? It is a great temptation to me to conceal
from you, Susannah, a part of my book knowledge which I cannot help
thinking has some bearing upon this case--how much or how little I do
not know."

He walked on for a little way, and at length, with a great sigh, he
began to speak again, answering her first appeal for advice.

"I think that your prophet is mad or false, that his Mormonism is utter
folly, but you knew that I thought that long ago. As to this story your
husband has told you, I am bound to say that it has happened before in
the world's history many times that men have seen, or thought they saw,
a man rise into the air. In my opinion it is not the indication of a
sound mind when men see such things, and I feel sure that such a
phenomenon, fact or delusion, whatever it may be, cannot bear any
relation to the religious life. My advice to you is--ah, Susannah, I can
say it truly in the