The doctor followed him out: "You believe, then, that if you now tell Andersen his leg has been cut off, that God can save him?" "Yes," answered the minister, angrily, without turning round. It was impossible for Kallem to leave now. He wrote a lengthily detailed letter to Ragni and promised to come as soon as he could. The next morning he found everything in the most desirable order; but enforced the greatest quiet in his position in bed, and that he was not to talk so much. In the afternoon Andersen wished to take the sacrament, but the deaconess answered that he could not stand so much agitation. "I wish to renew my covenant with God," replied Andersen. They could not do otherwise but listen to this; but they dared not consent without first asking the doctor, and he had been sent for in the morning to attend a confinement. The deaconess consulted with the porter, who had been there so long that he was all-powerful. Andersen repeated his wish to him too in the most decided way, and the porter thought it could not be avoided; he would take the responsibility on himself. Shortly after the minister and he were together in the porter's room to take the chill off the wine; the weather had changed and it was a bitterly cold evening. They both went upstairs. Andersen was glad to hear who it was who came; "I knew it," said he. The minister asked if there were anything special? "Yes, there was." The others left the room. Then Andersen said that once, when he was young, he had given a boy a rupture with the same foot that now was injured. It was surely not on that account that he was now punished? "No." "No, but for all that he had been thinking so much about it, and had a longing to take the sacrament." There was nothing else the matter? "No." The minister begged him to collect his thoughts, now they would pray together. Andersen was silent while this went on. After the prayer the minister gave him absolution from sins, and said that now he would give him the bread and wine. "Oh, wait a little! Now I have received absolution from my sins, now there is a clean page. Let us write down the leg on that, that it may be read in heaven. I feel so happy, yes, I am so truly happy!" "The whole body is included in the covenant, dear Andersen." "Yes, but this time the Lord is to promise my wife and children that my leg will get quite well. Come now!" He stretched out his frost-bitten hands. The perspiration broke out on the minister's face. "I cannot do this," whispered he, quite unconsciously. Andersen's mouth quivered, his bandaged hands fumbled for something; he raised them to his eyes, but they were met by the bandage. "We cannot question the justice of God," said the minister; "supposing now that what we wish for is impossible?" Was there something in the minister's voice, or was it the actual opposition that made Andersen suspicious?