Page:Pontoppidan - Emanuel, or Children of the Soil (1896).djvu/293

 "I will only add, that in my opinion your work for the present is here, but I hope you will see that it is in your present position that a large and important sphere of work is opening out—certainly for several years. As I said before, we need all our young strength and power in the church … and not least in this very district, which has long had the reputation of being very backward in a spiritual sense—I believe even politicians call it one of their 'dead' points."

They had now reached the little gate leading into the Parsonage grounds. The bishop stopped and shook hands with Emanuel.

"We part here. Think it over, and in any case put off any decisive step for a week or so. Should you wish to speak to me during that time you know where to find me."

Hastily pressing Emanuel's hand, he hurried off through the garden.

Emanuel stared after him quite overwhelmed by his words. He had the look of a person who suddenly sees all his plans for the future demolished by an unexpected piece of good fortune and who just at first does not know whether to laugh or to cry.