Slowly he made his way down the slope in the direction of Strang’s castle, the tower of which, surmounted by its great beacon, glistened in the morning sun.  He would find Strang there.  And there would be one chance in a thousand of seeing the girl—­if Obadiah had spoken the truth.  As he passed down he met men and boys coming up the slope and others moving along at the bottom of it, all going toward the interior of the island.  They had shovels or rakes or hoes upon their shoulders and he guessed that the Mormon fields were in that direction; others bore axes; and now and then wagons, many of them drawn by oxen, left the town over the road that ran near the shore of the lake.  Those whom he met stared at him curiously, much interested evidently in the appearance of a stranger.  Nathaniel paid but small heed to them.  As he entered the grove through which the councilor had guided him the night before his eagerness became almost excitement.  He approached the great log house swiftly but cautiously, keeping as much from view as possible.  As he came under the window through which he had looked upon the king and his wives his heart leaped with anticipation, with hope that was strangely mingled with fear.  For only a moment he paused to listen, and notwithstanding the seriousness of his position he could not repress a smile as there came to his ears the crying of children and the high angry voice of a woman.  He passed around to the front of the house.  The door of Strang’s castle was wide open and unguarded.  No one had seen his approach; no one accosted him as he mounted the low steps; there was no one in the room into which he gazed a moment later.  It was the great hall into which he had spied a few hours previous.  There was the long table with the big book on it, the lamp whose light had bathed the girl’s head in a halo of glory, the very chair in which he had found her sitting!  He was conscious of a throbbing in his breast, a longing to call out—­if he only knew her name.

In the room there were four closed doors and it was from beyond these that there came to him the wailing of children.  A fifth door was open and through it he saw a cradle gently rocking.  Here at last was visible life, or motion at least, and he knocked loudly.  Very gradually the cradle ceased its movement.  Then it stopped, and a woman came out into the larger room.  In a moment Nathaniel recognized her as the one who had placed a caressing hand upon the bowed head of the sobbing girl the night before.  Her face was of pathetic beauty.  Its whiteness was startling.  Her eyes shone with an unhealthy luster, and her dark hair, falling in heavy curls over her shoulder, added to the wonderful pallor of her cheeks.

Nathaniel bowed.  “I beg your pardon, madam; I came to see Mr. Strang,” he said.

“You will find the king at his office,” she replied.

The woman’s voice was low, but so sweet that it was like music to the ear.  As she spoke she came nearer and a faint flush appeared in the transparency of her cheek.