It was therefore doubly painful to him, to have appeared to keep silence towards the Provst, in a way which might be considered cowardly.
Besides making him clearer sighted, this new collision with Miss Ragnhild had roused in him the self-confidence and readiness for battle which hitherto he had lacked. Now he only felt eager to break with his past once and for all. Even at this moment, when he was depressed by the discomfort of the gloomy room and the lack of solemnity among the assemblage, he was burning with impatience to arrive at a settlement, to leave the bridge behind him, and to take the step which would put his position beyond all ambiguity.
As soon as the song came to an end he rose and mounted the reading-desk.
He had purposely not prepared his address beforehand. He wanted to try for once to depend upon the inspiration of the moment, and use the words dictated by his heart—so as to avoid the stiff, artificial methods which, according to old models, he had accustomed himself to use in his carefully written sermons.
All the same he did not come unprepared. The subject on which he had chosen to speak,
