But just then sledge bells were heard on the road, a man with a wolf skin coat dashed by, and turned in at the farm.--All breathed easier, and listened for the liberation. They heard the stranger in the hall, he put off his travelling coat and boots, and talked with the servant who assisted him; the dean rose to meet him, but turned so as not to leave the two girls alone,--they heard the stranger talking again, and this time nearer, so that his voice made all three look up, and Petra rose, fixing her eyes on the door,--there was a knock,--"Come in!" said the dean in an agitated tone; a tall gentleman with a light complexion and spectacles appeared in the doorway, Petra gave a scream, and fainted--it was Odegaard. He was expected at the deanery at Christmas, although no one had told Petra, but that he should come just at this juncture, must have been in the ordering of Providence; this was felt at once, and by them all.
When Petra recovered consciousness, he was standing beside her, and held her hand. He continued to hold it, but said nothing, nor did she; she was powerless even to rise. But while she continued looking at him, two tears rolled down her cheeks. He was very pale, but quite calm and kind; he withdrew his hand, and walked across the floor; then he went to Signe, who had crouched down among her mother's flowers in the furthest window.
Petra longed to be alone, and so withdrew. Domestic matters required Signe's attention, so the dean and Odegaard repaired to the study, to take a glass of wine, of which the traveller stood in need. Here he was briefly told the events of the last few days, it made him very thoughtful but he said nothing. They were interrupted in a singular way.
Two women and three men came past the windows, following one after the other; as soon as the dean caught sight of them, he sprang up: "There they are again!--now for a trial of patience."--In they came, first the women, then the men, slowly, silently. They placed themselves along the wall under the book shelves, opposite the sofa where Odegaard was seated. The dean set chairs, and brought others from the next room; they all took seats with the exception of a young man in a modern suit who declined, and leaned against the door post, not without a defiant expression and with both hands in his pockets.
After a long silence, during which the dean filled his pipe, and Odegaard who did not smoke surveyed the visitors, the conversation was at length opened by a pale light-haired woman of about forty. Her forehead was rather narrow, her eyes large, but shy; they did not know exactly which way to turn. "The father gave an excellent sermon to-day," she said, "it touched upon what we were just thinking about;--for up at Oygarene we have been talking much about temptation lately."--She sighed; a man with a small face and large forehead sighed also: "'Take away mine eyes from beholding vanity, O Lord, and quicken thou me in thy way.'" Then Else, she who had first spoken, sighed again and said: "Lord, wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy word."--It seemed rather strange, for she was no longer young. But a middle aged man who sat with his head to one side, rocking backwards and forwards, his eyelids never really lifted, said as if half asleep:
"Temptation, Satan's fiery dart,
None is exempt from sharing--
Who taketh part in Jesu's death,
The name of Christ thus bearing."
The dean knew them too well not to be aware that this was only the introduction, so he waited as if nothing had been said, although there was again a long silence with repeated sighs.
A little woman, who became still less by stooping, and was enveloped in such a manifold number of shawls that she looked like a parcel,--her face almost lost,--now began to move uneasily in her chair, and at last a "hm, hm!" was heard. The light-haired woman was at once frightened up, and said: "There is an end to all music and dancing in Oygarene now;----but----" She stopped again, whereupon Lars, he with the great forehead and the short face, continued:--"But there is one man, Hans the musician, who WILL NOT give it up."--While Lars was thinking of the rest, the young man came out with it: "Because he knows that the dean has an instrument to which they both dance and sing at the deanery here."--"It certainly cannot be greater sin for him than it is for the dean," said Lars.--"And the music must be a temptation at the deanery too," said Else cautiously, as if to help the matter forward. But the young man added more strongly: "It is a stumbling block to the young, as it is written: 'And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.'" And Lars continued: "We request therefore that you will send away the instrument, or burn it up, that it may cease to be a stumbling block--" "To your parishioners," added the young man. The dean smoked vigorously, and at last with an evident struggle for self command, he said: "To me music is not a temptation, it is refreshing and elevating. Now you know that that which can make our spirits free, makes us better able to receive and understand high things; therefore I believe most assuredly that music is of service to me."--"And I know there are pastors," said the young man, "who following the words of Paul, will nevertheless give it up for the sake of their parishioners."--"It may be that I understood his words so once," replied the dean, "but I do not now. One may well give up a custom or a pleasure; but one must with reluctance make oneself narrow-minded or foolish with those that are such. I should not be acting wrongly towards myself only, but also towards those to whom I should be a guide; for I should be giving an example against my convictions." It was seldom that the dean gave so long an explanation out of the pulpit. He added: "I will neither send away my piano, nor burn it; I will hear it often for I often feel the need of it,--and I wish that in all innocence you also could now and then refresh your spirits by song, and music and dancing; for I believe these things to be right and proper."