Part 79 (2/2)

”Why should I preach to you? Because I am religious? Well, so are you; every one who rejoices and is content is religious.”

”But I'm not at all content!” retorted Pelle, and he rolled on his back with all four limbs in the air. ”But you--I don't understand why you don't get a congregation; you've got such a power over language.”

”Yes, if I were built as you are--fast enough. But I'm humpbacked!”

”What does that matter? You don't want to run after the women!”

”No, but one can't get on without them; they bring the men and the children after them. And it's really queer that they should--for women don't bother themselves about G.o.d! They haven't the faculty of going behind things. They choose only according to the outside--they want to hang everything on their bodies as finery--and the men too, yes, and the dear G.o.d best of all--they've got a use for the lot!”

Pelle lay still for a time, revolving his scattered experiences. ”But Marie Nielsen wasn't like that,” he said thoughtfully. ”She'd willingly give the s.h.i.+rt off her body and ask nothing for herself. I've behaved badly to her--I didn't even say goodbye before I came away!”

”Then you must look her up when we come to town and confess your fault.

There was no lovemaking between you?”

”She treated me like a child; I've told you.”

Sort was silent a while.

”If you would help me, we'd soon get a congregation! I can see it in your eyes, that you've got influence over them, if you only cared about it; for instance, the girl at Willow Farm. Thousands would come to us.”

Pelle did not answer. His thoughts were roaming back wonderingly to Willow Farm, where Sort and he had last been working; he was once more in that cold, damp room with the over-large bed, on which the pale girl's face was almost invisible. She lay there encircling her thick braids with her transparent hand, and gazed at him; and the door was gently closed behind him. ”That was really a queer fancy,” he said, and he breathed deeply; ”some one she'd never laid eyes on before; I could cry now when I think of it.”

”The old folks had told her we were there, and asked if she wouldn't like me to read something from G.o.d's word with her. But she'd rather see you. The father was angry and didn't want to allow it. 'She has never thought about young men before,' he said, 'and she shall stand before the throne of G.o.d and the Lamb quite pure.' But I said, 'Do you know so precisely that the good G.o.d cares anything for what you call purity, Ole Jensen? Let the two of them come together, if they can take any joy in it.' Then we shut the door behind you--and how was it then?” Sort turned toward Pelle.

”You know,” replied Pelle crossly. ”She just lay there and looked at me as though she was thinking: 'That's what he looks like--and he's come a long way here.' I could see by her eyes that you had spoken of me and that she knew about all my swinishness.”

Sort nodded.

”Then she held out her hand to me. How like she is to one of G.o.d's angels already--I thought--but it's a pity in one who's so young. And then I went close to her and took her hand.”

”And what then?” Sort drew nearer to Pelle. His eyes hung expectantly on Pelle's lips.

”Then she stretched out her mouth to me a little--and at that very moment I forgot what sort of a hog I'd been--and I kissed her!”

”Didn't she say anything to you--not a word?”

”She only looked at me with those eyes that you can't understand. Then I didn't know what I--what I ought to do next, so I came away.”

”Weren't you afraid that she might transfer death to you?”

”No; why should I be? I didn't think about it. But she could never think of a thing like that--so child-like as she was!”

They both lay for a time without speaking. ”You have something in you that conquers them all!” said Sort at length. ”If only you would help me--I'd see to the preaching!”

Pelle stretched himself indolently--he felt no desire to create a new religion. ”No, I want to go away and see the world now,” he said. ”There must be places in that world where they've already begun to go for the rich folks--that's where I want to go!”

”One can't achieve good by the aid of evil--you had better stay here!

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