CHAPTER SEVEN.
JOAN.
Was the woman who accosted Corianton at the gate of his lodging, young, beautiful? He could not tell; the twilight had deepened too much into the shadow of night, to permit him to see clearly; but there was a fascination in the full, sweet tones of her voice, and he was thrilled by the touch of her soft hand, as she laid it gently on his arm, as if to detain him while asking the questions with which the last chapter closed.
"You are going to Seantum's?"
"Yes, that is where I lodge."
"I will go with you."
He hesitated, and was not a little astonished at her perfect self-possession, which, to his thinking, bordered on boldness. It must be remembered that among the Nephites, one of the chief characteristics of their women, so far as one is able to judge from their annals, was modesty—an excellent thing in woman, when not feigned or prudish. The freedom, therefore, with which this woman had accosted him, a perfect stranger, and now proposed to go with him, uninvited, to the place where he lodged, was a boldness to which Corianton was unaccustomed. She observed that he hesitated, and broke out into a light, silvery laugh.
"Ah, I forgot," she said, in an apologizing tone, yet with a touch of mockery in it, "thou art one of the prophets, perhaps a solemn one, and unacquainted with our people, and my manners are too bold. But Seantum, with whom you lodge, is a near kinsman—my father's brother; now, will you throw open the gate, and allow me to go in with you?"
He complied with her request mechanically, and in silence, for he knew not what to say. As they approached the house he again felt that soft hand laid gently on his arm, and the same sweet voice said, almost pleadingly: "Let us not go into the house yet, the evening is beautiful; see, the moon is just peeping over the tree tops, and floods the earth with her soft light—let us walk in the garden." She had retained her hold upon his arm, and obeying her will rather than his own, he turned down a path leading away from the house.
The house of Seantum was situated at the southern outskirts of the city, in the midst of a spacious and splendid garden. There were extensive lawns, studded with tropical trees, several species of palms and plantain; the cocoa trees standing in groups, their great tufts of gigantic leaves rustling in the moonlight at the height of sixty and seventy feet; banana and papaw trees growing side by side in rows along the walks, and back of them in irregular order stood pomegranates, while here and there were clumps of lindens, interspersed with sumach and cashew, and a great variety of evergreen shrubbery. Here side by side, and in fine contrast, were rhododendrons, with their rose-colored flowers, and the coffee shrub with its clusters of delicate white blossoms. Other flowers and flowering trees there were in great profusion—the fragrant eglantine, the elegant, airy though thorny acacia, and now and then an aloe plant, and, ah, rare sight! several of them were in full bloom; these, with splendid magnolias, mingled their odors; and burdened the air with ambrosial fragrance, which, with the chirrup and hum of insect life, the gentle whispering wind, stealing softly through shrubbery and tree, and all kissed to beauty by the glorious moonlight, made up a night such as lovers love, and love's young dream expands.
"You are not at all curious," said Corianton's new-found companion. "You have not yet asked my name, nor why I am here, nor what it is I want with you—you have not spoken half a dozen words since we met—you smile, do you mean by that I have not given you a chance to say more?"
"Such were my thoughts, lady, but I would know your name, and am most curious to know what you would with me."
By this they had reached a lakelet at the lower end of the garden, from whose moist beach grew several gigantic mango and sycamore trees. They had passed in the shadow of one of the latter whose inclining trunk extended far out over the water-lily bedecked lake. Half seating herself on the inclined tree, she raised her hand to clutch a grape vine that drooped from a branch above, and as she did so the ample folds of her sleeve slipped back and left uncovered a beautiful white arm. And now Corianton noticed for the first time that the form was supple and finely proportioned. Her head, too, had been covered with a kind of mantilla which had also partly shrouded her face; this fell back now, revealing a face of uncommon loveliness, and a profusion of brown hair.
"You must know then, sir prophet," she said with a light air, "that I am Joan, from Siron; my father is a Nephite by birth, but when young met with my mother, taken captive during a war with your people. He fell in love with the captive, married her and she induced him to go with her to her people. They settled in Siron where they lived happily until my mother died. My father still lives, and has never been entirely rid of the traditions of the Nephites, and hearing that a party of Nephite prophets were preaching in Antionum, it was his wish that I should come to our kinsman Seantum, find you, and ask that you would also preach in Siron."
"But why did you come to me? I do not lead our party, I am youngest in it."
"Ah, sir prophet, you are more famous than you know. It was Corianton that we first heard of in Siron; it is he whose eloquence most baffles the Zoramites, and threatens the disruption of their church—believe me, sir, I was charged by my father to bid you come."
Oh, flattery! what man is proof against thy sweet, seducing charms! And how those charms are heightened, when flattery falls from beauty's lips! The vanity of Corianton was well pleased with the words of the woman; pride swelled his bosom, and he felt exalted above his brethren.
"For two days I have sought you" (Corianton had been absent two days from his lodgings), "now I have found you and delivered my message, will you go to Siron?"
"I cannot say, lady, I must first confer with my brethren, and if by them it is thought best, I—"
"What! are you not free to come and go where and when you like. Are you in bondage?"
"No, lady, not in bondage, yet it is mete I counsel with my associates, and if—"
"And 'if' they give you leave, why then you'll go! Ah me, that is such liberty as a maiden has under her father's control. I've often wished myself a man, that I might have a more extended liberty, but if men cannot act independent of control, it pleases me that I am a woman. I fear, Sir prophet, that I shall never be a convert to your faith."
"Then I would esteem my success in Siron of little value though I gained the whole people, if I failed to number one so fair among those who followed me."
"Come, sir, let us now go in; you begin to find your tongue, and even a prophet, I see, can flatter."
So saying she drew her mantle over her head, and they walked in silence towards the house.
Corianton, as he walked away, did not observe shadowy forms glide from under adjacent trees, hold a brief consultation and depart from the spot which he himself had just quitted.