“I suppose that was well,” she said, but with hesitation.

By the gentle pressure of his hand he still expressed his sympathy for her pain in listening.  “Lawyers were engaged to carry the matter through the courts.  But no sooner was it known that the thing was to be publicly tried than the Gentiles rose in arms.  For three nights they entered the houses of the Saints, beating the men, burning their barns, and in many cases unroofing the houses.  Some of our brethren went to Lexington for a peace warrant, but the judge was frightened at the mob, and, moreover, if he had offended them he would have lost much money, so he told the Saints to arm and defend themselves.”

Halsey had paused again.  The moral question here involved was to him of deep importance.

“If it was only for self-defence, Angel—­” she began.

He shook his head.  “Nay, it was a fierce temptation, and our people are not yet sanctified, but God in his great mercy withheld them from sinning against him.  For they had no sooner obtained arms than Lilburn Boggs, the Lieutenant-Governor, came and disarmed them.”

“And then?”

“Our people were driven from their homes.  In the cold storms of November, women and little children and wounded men were forced to flee out upon the open prairie, and up and down the banks of the Missouri River.  At last they gathered together on the river-side, and many of them have now crossed it, remaining in the opposite county, and the others have dispersed, poor and homeless, into less unfriendly parts of the State.  These elders have come here that the prophet may send back some revelation at their hand, and that we may all gather together what we can spare from our abundance for the relief of our fugitive brethren.”

His eyes were shining with triumphant faith, even though the close of his narrative seemed to admit of so little hope.

“And will Mr. Smith still teach them that they must not strike a blow for their rights?” she asked.

This was fast becoming the critical question of the hour.

In February the snow lay deep on the land.  Susannah, like all her neighbours, spent some days isolated by the drifts, the men only going abroad.  On one of these afternoons the prophet tapped at her door.  His visit in Halsey’s absence was unprecedented.

Without preface he began to make a statement as to the affairs of the Church in Missouri.

“The greater part of our fugitive brethren have at my desire gathered together upon a large tract of uncleared land that lies just across the river from Zion.  It is the desire of the Lord that they should there await until it is his will to open the gates of Zion once more.”

“It is your desire that they should gather and wait there.”

She spoke with no rude emphasis, but he understood.  This man could read her thought before it was expressed.  He pushed his thick hair from his forehead with a heavy hand.