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Show CHAPTER XVIII THE LION AND THE LAMB A TREMULOUS hand on my arm made me aware of Lucy's presence. She had slipped into the parlour as Chilcott went out. Brigham turned about, stared impassively at us for a moment, and bowed to my companion. She dropped him a timid curtsey. ' You're rather too familiar with the young man, Lucy," he suavely corrected her. " It ain't becoming in an unmarried sister. Sit down over here." "If you please, I prefer to remain with David," she replied. " I don't please," he said, with a quick change to severity. " Come over here." Lucy wavered. I put my hand on hers, and spoke for her: " You are too much of a gentleman, Brother Brigham, to insist upon obedience in so small a matter." " No disobedience is too small for me to overlook," he rejoined. " It's my right as President of the Church to dictate in small matters as well as big, even to the colour of a girl's hair ribbons-or the seat she's going to sit on." " I shall sit where David tells me," said Lucy, with a quiet resolution that strengthened me to stand fi.rrn. Instead of the stroke I expected, he still held out the soft paw with claws sheathed-- " So? And what d'you advise her, David? " " To do what her heart tells her, Brother Brigham," I smilingly answered. '74 THE MORMON LION 175 "Mighty smart that, boy," he replied. " Just the same, d'you think it's wise counsel to g1ve so young a girl?" " If she knows her own mind, it is, Brother Brigham." " That's the question. Does she? " "There is no question now, Brother Brigham," said Lucy in a tone as clear and confident as 1t was low. " S~rely you can see that. Highly as I appreciate the honour you have offered to confer on me, I have already learned toesteem and-;-and love David. You know that I promtsed to be Ius w1fe ; and now he has come back to me, safe and well! " The tips of the claws rose above the surface of their velvety sheath: "Um-m- - Safe and well. He's been I ucky- so far." "Brother Young," I said," there is no need for us to beat around the bush. I understand what that means. Yet may I not appeal to your well-known sense of justice. Let me bestow upon you for the moment the name I bear, the name of the great King of Israel; and let me speak to you as Uriah might have spoken had he known beforehand." A(\.ain the tips of the claws showed- " fhis case ain't as near on all fours with that as you'd like to make out, youngster. King David did wrong in the sight of God because the woman was married. If it'd been a case of a real ewe lamb, and Uriah had been counselled beforehand, King David would've been fully justified in the sight of the Lord his God in all he d1d." There could be no doubt as to his meaning. A wild impulse to spring upon him and throttle him flashed mto my mind-and as quickly vanished at the thought of the certain torture and death that would be inflicted upon us all by his fanatical followers. Lucy alone might be saved-by Chilcott. "You seellOW sh~ lov!'S me, yet will not spare her I" I said. |