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Show 12,;r I marry two wives- if I am compelled to take a second wife- I want you ! " " David!" she whispered, and she flung her arms about my neck. "Ahl I knew it! I am your Bathsheba!" I fought with all the strength of my love for Lucy For her sake I must not yield. I must come to he; worthy of her trust. If, afterwards I should be compelled to afflict her with a co-wife-'- But at least that would be afterwards I I sought for a respite · "Bathsheba-yes, Bathsheba! She must h~ve been as enravishing as yourself to have made David commit such a dastardly crime." Cora shuddered and hid her scarlet face in my bosom. "Ohl How can you? Have I asked you to free me?" " It may have to come to that if he discovers-this," I muttered. ' " If he does- if he does, be prepared! " she cried glaring at me in terror. " Strike first! He is a ma~ of blood! No other Danite is so merciless!" " Danite? " I questioned. '.' Yes, yes, one of the destroying angels, whom Bngham uses to--" She stopped short, checked by the mere mention of the Prophet's name. "I- I have told nothing- nothing I "she faltered. "I have not broken the Endowment oaths!" " Endowment oaths ? " I queried. " When you take them, you, too, will know alii " she wh1~pere~: and she gazed upwards, her eyes full of angu1sh. 0 Chnst I why must such a price be paid for salvation ? " "Does He ask it ? " I replied. " Is not all this a monstrous hideous lie? What do the Gospels tell us of the love of Christ ? " " You do not understand I " she moaned. " If Brigham is not God's Prophet, I am lost because I THE MORMON LION 123 took the Endowment oaths. If he is God's Prophet, I am lost for breaking my covenants." "You have broken no covenants ; you are not lost," I argued. "Go now, dear lady. We have neither of us sinned- as yet. Go to your own rooms. I promise you that if I--" "Not yet sinned ? " she broke in. "No, not yetin the eyes of men; but how of it in the sight of God?" " Go I " I begged. " If, after he puts you from him--" " I will not I " she insisted with passionate force. "I have already lost my salvation. Now I shall at least--" Staring over her upturned, enticing face, I saw the door silently swing open. " Be still! " I said. " They have discovered us I " She shuddered and her face became ghastly white, yet she clung to me all the closer, whispering over and over: "David, I am Bathsheba! David, I am your Bathsheba I " Only by a brutally violent effort could I have overcome the convulsive strength of her clasp and thrust her from me. I did not try. I did not wish to try. Whoever it was that stood in the darkness outside the open door had already seen us. I waited, every moment expecting a rille ball to come crashing through the woman's body into my own . ... The thought flashed upon me that the delay was owing to a wish to spare her. I lifted my head well above her dishevelled perfumed tresses. Amanda, in a severely plain cotton nightll'own and a red flannel nightcap, came in upon us With quiet deliberation and closed the door. My tense muscles relaxed. Involuntarily I sighed as I realized that we were not in the shadow of instant death. But as Amanda drew near, into the full light of the candle, I saw that the seeming tranquility of her face was the stony rigidity of utter horror. Beads of |
