He was moved at first to answer her out of the fulness of his heart, telling her of the wonderful new revelation. But there came the impulse to guard it jealously in his own breast a little longer, to glory secretly in it; half-fearful, too, that some virtue would go out of it should he impart it too soon to another.
“Why do you want to know?”
“Ruel Follett would join our Church if he didn’t have to marry more than one wife. If he loved some one very much, I’m afraid he would find it hard to marry another girl—oh, he simply couldn’t—no matter how pretty she was. He never could do it.” Here she pulled one of the scarlet ribbons from her broad hat. She gave a little exclamation of relief as if she had really meant to detach it.
“Tell him to wait a little.”
“That’s what I did tell him, but it seems hardly right to let him join believing that is necessary. I think some one ought to find out that one wife is all God wants a man ever to have, and to tell Mr. Follett so very plainly. His mind is really open to truth, and you know he might do something reckless—he shouldn’t be made to wait too long.”
“Tell him to wait till to-morrow. I shall speak of this in meeting then. It will be all right—all right, dear. Everything will be all right!”
“Only I am sure you are sick in spite of what you say. I know how to prove it, too—can you eat?”
“I’m too busy thinking of great things to be hungry.”
“There—you would be hungry if you were well.”
“I can’t tell you how well I am, and as for food—our Elder Brother has been feeding me all day with the bread of truth. Such wonderful new things the Lord has shown me!”