ssed. He pushed his thick hair from his
forehead with a heavy hand.

"Understand, Mrs. Halsey, that I _believe_ the voice of the Lord has
spoken, but it is also my desire."

"Does the voice of the Lord ever speak but in accordance with your
desire?"

The answer burst from him with almost hysterical force, "I would to
heaven it did not."

"But in such cases are not your desires divided against themselves? and
the word of the Lord comes perhaps in accordance with one desire and in
contradiction of another?"

He sat for some time looking absently upon the floor.

"The things of the Lord," he said, "are of vast importance, and require
time and experience, as well as deep and solemn thought, to find them
out. And if we would bring the world to salvation it requires that our
minds should rise to the highest, and also search into and contemplate
the lowest abyss"--he paused for a moment, and then added in sad
undertone--"that is within our own hearts."

Susannah was silent, wondering what was the true secret of his elusive
thought.

He went on with an effort. "Accepting your own words, Mrs. Halsey, that
it is at my desire that they are there instead of being scattered among
friendly settlements where they could obtain support, it remains true
that they are naked, hungry, and cold. When I sleep the vision of their
sufferings comes before me." He went on again with more vehemence. "It
is also by obeying my doctrine that they are cast out of their own lands
and from their own hearths. Whether the Lord hath spoken or no, it is by
obeying the doctrines that I have taught that they are in
wretchedness." He rose, pacing the room, apparently unconscious of what
he did.

"I know that this has been weighing upon you, as it has upon my
husband."

He shook his head impatiently, striking his breast suddenly with one
hand. "There is but one heart," he said, "in which the pains and sorrows
of them all are gathered."

She began to see that he had a plan to unfold.

At length he stopped in his pacing, looking toward her. "We must go to
their relief," he said. "We must gather an army and conduct our
suffering brethren back to their homes in Zion."

"By force of arms?" she asked.

"If need be."

He left time for the significance of these words to be fully
comprehended, and then went on speaking as he paced again. "It may be
that we will not need to fight, that if we get ourselves in readiness we
shall need but to stand stil