The text of the sermon was from the fifth chapter of St. Matthew, part
of ver. 42: "Give to him that asketh thee!"

"When a man comes and asks anything of you, what should you give? The
best thing is sympathy and love; material gifts he may want, but these
kindliness will dictate, and kindliness is the real gold of life. If
no power exists to give what is necessary to assist your neighbour in
a material sense, yet to your ability give; and if you give at all,
give kindly. Those of you who want not material things, yet may want
kind sympathy when God smiteth with sorrow. Recollect, then, that that
is the time for kindliness to be proved that is golden."

This was the epitome of the sermon, and John Hardy could not hear a
sound in the church, so intently was it listened to.

"I could understand your sermon, Herr Pastor," said Hardy; "it was
preached in such simple Danish, and I liked it. But what interested me
was the earnestness with which you were listened to: every word was
heard by every one of your congregation, and I could see felt."

"It was not always so," said Pastor Lindal. "I have won the sympathy
and friendship of the children of my parish by years of work amongst
them. The character of the Jutland people is suspicious--there is a
strange mixture of shrewdness and stolidity; they are slow to
appreciate, but when once their sympathy is won, they are fast
friends. It is impossible for a sermon to have any effect without you
have won their friendship on other days than Sundays."

John Hardy said nothing, but he thought that the application was true
to other lands than Denmark, particularly England.

The Pastor had to perform another service at an Annex Kirke (a
subsidiary church), and left after a short meal to do so. Froken Helga
went to her room, and Karl and Axel implored Hardy to go fishing; but
he refused. "It is not right to do so," he said; "we have to keep the
Sunday, and fishing is not keeping the Sunday."

"But everybody does here, and more than, other days," said Karl.

"That may be," said Hardy; "but I cannot do what I do not think is
right."

Kirstin was present and heard this conversation, and it met her
evident approval. She told the boys that the Englishman must not be
teased on a Sunday, that he might wish to read his Bible, and that he
must not be disturbed. The boys left the room in bad humour.

"Kirstin," said Hardy, "my being here will, I dare say, give you more
trouble, and I w