Page:Pontoppidan - Emanuel, or Children of the Soil (1896).djvu/133

 thing, and that's what we need, so as to see how other people live and think in their conditions of life. That's what we want our minister to help us to, you see. I don't know if you understand me, sir. I am only a working man, and I have never studied either for orders or even to be parish clerk, so I'm not up to picking and choosing my words perhaps."

Emanuel let him have his talk out. He felt keenly how humiliating it was for him to be obliged to listen to this harangue, especially in the presence of others. But he was not able to force out a word to stop it, because in his heart of hearts he was obliged to confess that the weaver was right. Yes, that this man had put into words the very thoughts which had latterly been troubling him so much. Only when the weaver stopped, and he perceived how all eyes were fixed expectantly on him, did he pull himself together and answered—

"Perhaps I have not, as you may suppose, altogether grasped your meaning, and I am possibly not able to agree with you entirely in all your views. But I appreciate the frankness with which you have mentioned them to me. Such mutual frankness is certainly the first condition towards a closer understanding becoming possible between us."

"Yes, that's our idea too," said the weaver with sudden eagerness. "And that's just why we thought it would be a good plan to talk