"But, my dear friends, what on earth are you talking about? Anything wrong?"
"Karlsen, you know as well as I do it's your father sent you round," said Egholm almost pleadingly.
"I swear I know nothing of the sort. I've only just got back this evening. From Veile. Know Justesen, the horsedealer, there? Been seeing him. And then on the way--I've been dragging my bag along, and it's heavy. I thought I'd just look in for a breather."
"Let Sivert carry it for you," said Fru Egholm.
"No, thanks, it's all right outside on the stairs. I never like to leave it very long."
Egholm put his hand to his eyes; the cracked and furrowed countenance of the Evangelist always distracted his attention. Then he began telling of his discovery--first, in mysterious roundabout hints, then suddenly breaking out into fiery declamation, with the open book before him, and his finger-nail underlining the words.
Karlsen was thunderstruck. And he thought _he_ knew his Bible.... Never in his life had he come across that place. He stamped about the room, spitting into all four corners.
Egholm went further; he drew up an outline of the new laws, the entire reorganisation....
"It'll be a hard struggle for me, I know. But I'll...."
"Oh, we'll manage it all right," said Karlsen cheerfully.
"Eh? D'you mean to say ... you're on my side?"
"Oh, I'm on the side of the Bible, of course."
And there was Egholm with the enemy's leading general won over, without a blow!
"It's the only thing to do, anyway," explained Karlsen, "as things are now. There's been some talk about you having my place when I moved up. But I don't know what they'll say to that now...."
"Me! Evangelist!" Egholm turned stiff all over.
"I've never heard a word about it before."
"Well, the Elders have gathered together.... But it was to be a surprise, you understand?"
"Yes, yes," murmured Egholm faintly. Again it overwhelmed him for the moment, but he recovered himself, and said, with a laugh:
"Who knows, they might make me Angel now."
"Almost sure to, I should say," opined the dark Evangelist.
Egholm felt calm and strong now, no longer dizzy as he had been during the morning. And Karlsen was really a jolly sort, after all. Here he was, actually gloating over the face his respected father, the Angel, would set up when the bombshell burst.