Oyvind felt his gaze resting on him, and he melted and grew humble under it.
"With such wrath in your heart, you could not have come forward to make a covenant with your God.

Do you think you could, Oyvind ?" "No," the boy stammered, as well as he was able.
"And if you stood there with vain joy, over being number one, would you not be coming forward with a sin ?" "Yes, I should," whispered Oyvind, and his lips quivered.
"You still love me, Oyvind ?" "Yes;" here he looked up for the first time.
"Then I will tell you that it was I who had you put down; for I am very fond of you, Oyvind." The other looked at him, blinked several times, and the tears rolled down in rapid succession.
"You are not displeased with me for that ?" "No;" he looked up full in the school-master's face, although his voice was choked.
"My dear child, I will stand by you as long as I live." The school-master waited for Oyvind until the latter had gathered together his books, then said that he would accompany him home.

They walked slowly along.

At first Oyvind was silent and his struggle went on, but gradually he gained his self-control.

He was convinced that what had occurred was the best thing that in any way could have happened to him; and before he reached home, his belief in this had become so strong that he gave thanks to his God, and told the school-master so.
"Yes, now we can think of accomplishing something in life," said the school-master, "instead of playing blind-man's buff, and chasing after numbers.