Page:Pontoppidan - Emanuel, or Children of the Soil (1896).djvu/291

 soil, while he carried on his work as a teacher and priest among his friends.

The bishop listened attentively and looked at him once or twice hurriedly, and with astonishment, while he was talking. When Emanuel stopped he walked by him for a time in silence, and seemed to be weighing something.

Then he lifted his head and said—

"All that you have told me is well thought out, and, in some ways, looked at from the right point of view … but I must none the less dissuade you most strongly from such a step. I tell you honestly that I look upon it as folly, which sooner or later you will regret. If you take my advice you will not give up the ministry. The church in these days needs all young and strong energy such as yours, and what we have to do is to gather our forces together and not disperse them. Promise me, therefore, that you will put these ideas out of your head."

"My lord—I can not. I feel that I have my work to do here, and I am already bound to the place and the people with such strong ties that I cannot tear myself loose."

"Well—but who wants you to tear yourself away?"

Emanuel looked up in surprise.

"But—I thought—I thought your lordship knew that the Provst wishes for my removal, there is no other way open to me."

"Well, that is just what I want to talk to you