Liudas Vasaris awakens in the seminary, learns the strict daily bell schedule, experiences his first communion in the chapel, and begins adjusting to life among fellow first‑year seminarians. The seminary’s hierarchy is detailed: the bishop’s authority is limited, the rector (Valeškevičius) oversees daily life and grants permissions, Inspector Mazurkovskis enforces Polish traditions, and the spiritual father administers confessions. First‑year seminarians perform numerous chores (cleaning, serving meals, assisting in liturgies) and must master Polish and Latin while receiving only minimal Lithuanian instruction. Political tension over language rights fuels patriotic unrest among the seminarians. Liudas, looking back years later, recalls these routines, the strict punctuality, and the mixture of spiritual practice with menial labor. Liudas wrestles with the emptiness of his liturgical routine, adopts a two‑part conscience‑examination method with counting beads, confesses emerging sins such as pride, envy and criticism of elders, experiences a winter‑time scramble for a hidden bench by a wall niche, and during the Easter break a fellow seminarian (the formarijus) points out his overly closed and secretive nature, deepening his self‑awareness. After Easter, Vasaris walks with fellow first‑year seminarians Jonas Variokas and discusses his cynical ambition to climb the church hierarchy, which triggers deeper self‑doubt about his vocation. Vasaris observes the seminary’s strict rule against close friendships and notes the scarcity of truly pious peers. He and Variokas view a provocative illustration of a nude, bound woman, prompting Vasaris to confess to the spiritual father about his indecent curiosity. The chapter also recounts the earlier mishap of acolyte Balselis trying to extinguish candles. Variokas announces his departure and leaves the seminary; Liudas meets his parents for the first time in the seminary’s parlatorium and experiences humiliating address as “kunigėli,” fuelling his awareness of reputation and the need for secrecy; a clandestine gathering in the “zirkininkas” storage room erupts with food, Latin verses and heated jokes; third‑year clerk Jonelaitis and fellow clerk Kasaitis join the scene, discussing the monotony of seminary life and urging private initiative; Liudas reinforces his habit of hiding during silentium and carefully monitoring rector and inspector movements. Liudas finishes his first year, receives stern holiday conduct instructions from the spiritual father and rector, travels home and experiences an overwhelming connection with nature, returns to his village, is welcomed by his parents, begins parish life under a local priest, reunites with Petryla, observes clergy’s drinking and a strict vicar, meets the barmaid Liucė, and reflects on his vocation amid the contrast between seminary asceticism and village realities. After the St Laurence indulgences Liudas recalls a tense encounter with the vicar of Šilučiai, deepens his infatuation with Liucė by learning her orphaned background and musical talent, meets the young, aristocratic vicar Zigmas Trikauskas who arrives with Liucė, witnesses Trikauskas’ arrogance and the clever manipulation of the local klebon Kimša, and participates in a heated village discussion about Lithuanian cultural‑political issues, all of which intensify his inner doubts and his awkward, failed attempt at intimacy with Liucė. Liudas enters his second year of seminary, moving from the cramped “labirintas” to a small shared room of four, no longer under constant supervision by a formarijus. He develops his first romantic and erotic attraction toward Liucė, wrestling with seminary teachings on celibacy. After a few weeks he is ordered by Inspector Mazurkovskis to relinquish his room and return to the labirintas; he protests, is mocked, and is forced to move back, feeling humiliation. Later he confesses a vague “excessive opposition” and receives stern admonition from the Spiritual Father, settling into resigned acceptance of the hierarchy. Liudas participates in the great Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary indulgence celebration; his choir talents free him from assistant duties and earn him praise; during the mass he experiences a vivid vision of an unknown woman, idealizing her as a poetic love; the celebratory atmosphere lifts his spirits and earns him admiration from fellow seminarians; Petryla informs Liudas that Liucė will visit the seminary soon, heightening his anticipation; after the festivities Liudas returns to the labirintas and falls asleep, still haunted by the vision. Liudas experiences a melancholic “quies” day, imagines an unknown woman, writes his first poem, receives his poem printed in a newspaper, and is initiated into the clandestine literary society “Šviesa,” meeting third‑year clerk Petras Varnėnas and fourth‑year clerk Matas Sereika. Liudas receives an unexpected Christmas‑time visit from the priest Kimša and Liucė; the three meet in the parlatorium where Liucė brings hand‑knitted gloves and playful banter ensues with Petryla, who jokes about Liudas’s nickname “Pavasarėlis” and warns him of possible jealousy. Liudas’s attraction to Liucė deepens, prompting a long internal debate about love, its forms, and the conflict between clerical celibacy and youthful desire, while he reflects on the seminary’s festive atmosphere and his own emotional turmoil. During the Carnival season the seminarians organize “pončkos” festivities and a “Šviesa” society meeting to plan a literary program. Varnėnas, a third‑year clerk, volunteers to recite Maironis’s poem “Skausmo balsas” at the society’s stage. His loud, confrontational performance provokes outrage from the rector, Inspector Mazurkovskis, the chaplain and other senior clergy, who interrupt, question the poem’s author, and chastise Varnėnas for breaching the rule that no seminary member may publish or distribute writings without the rector’s permission. The rector publicly rebukes Varnėnas, expels him from the “Šviesa” circle and warns him that his literary ambitions are dangerous for a priest. The incident deepens Vasaris’s anxiety about his own poetic aspirations and the clash between Lithuanian nationalist sentiment and the seminary’s Polish‑dominant authority. The chapter also records heightened Lithuanian‑Polish tensions, the continued secret reading of Lithuanian and foreign literature, and the admonition that seminary curricula omit classic world literature. Varnėnas is expelled and Vasaris spends his holidays at his family farm, repeatedly climbing the Aušrakalnis hill where he writes nature‑inspired poetry and reflects on the limits of priestly idealism. He deepens his secret love for Liucė, attempts a belated visit to her home and receives a cold reception. Later Liucė, accompanied by Trikauskas, visits the seminary; during the visit Vasaris is publicly mocked by the outspoken student Brazgys, who denounces seminarians’ hypocrisy. A surprising visit from the Kleviškis organist and the priest’s female relative brings Liucė to Vasaris’s home, where they walk the garden together but Liucė remains distant. Vasaris ends the chapter in solitary melancholy, still longing for Liucė and questioning his vocation. Liudas is placed in a hostile room with four Polish seminarians who repeatedly mock and undermine him, highlighting heightened Lithuanian‑Polish tensions. He endures third‑year moral theology lectures, participates in a demanding confession case presented by a professor involving a penitent named Kajus and a disputed kiss, and continues his secret diary writing hidden in the “žirkininkas” food box, deepening his sense of emptiness and disillusionment with theological study. Liudas continues to record his bleak daily routine, wrestles with doubts about priesthood, receives encouragement from his friend Eigulis to write poetry, his father visits with snacks, Liucė confesses her longing and reveals her mother is a Polish countess, and Liudas fantasizes about a romantic encounter with her in an abandoned manor, deepening his inner conflict between clerical duty and personal desire. The scandal of fifth‑year seminarians Bronius Radastinas’s expulsion is revealed, the rector reads a public condemnatory letter to the seminarians, Liudas Vasaris is shaken by the incident, the third‑year receives lower minor orders and undergoes tonsure, Jonelaitis receives a letter from Varnėnas commenting on Liudas’s poetry, and Liudas’s inner conflict between his poetic aspirations, love for Liucė, and clerical duties deepens. Liudas Vasaris, urged by senior cleric Jonelaitis, makes his first train journey with Jonelaitis and Kasaitis, visiting Vilnius and Trakai. The trio tours Aušros Vartai, Gediminas Hill, the Cathedral, and Trakai castle, reflecting on Lithuanian cultural suppression under Polish‑dominated clergy. Vasaris experiences vivid imagination flights, feels both exhilarated and haunted by his earlier Radastinas letter, and returns home for the final week of holidays, where his parents reprimand his scarce presence and he fears a dangerous meeting with Liucė’s family. The chapter deepens his internal conflict between priestly duty, poetic ambition, and romantic longing. Liudas discusses Liucė with Petryla, learning she has become bitter and spiteful, and he ponders marriage but resolves to intensify his spiritual practice instead of abandoning the seminary. He discovers a unique emotional resonance in the empty chapel, using its silence for deeper meditation, yet finds his dogmatic theology studies unsatisfying. His isolation grows, with fellow student Brazgys mocking him, while the arrival of spring briefly lifts his spirits. Liudas Vasaris grows bolder, openly criticises senior seminarians, joins a Šviesa gathering in the woods with Jonelaitis, Kasaitis and Eigulis, where they mock the new professor Vingelevičius and lampoon Inspector Mazurkovskis. He deepens his literary pursuits by reading Tiutchev, writes passionate diary entries, publishes poems under a pseudonym, hides forbidden books in a secret compartment, and assumes a senior role in his dormitory. Liudas attends priest Kimša’s 50‑year jubilee, is praised and warned by Kimša about following his example, meets an older‑looking Liucė at the celebration, shares a strained lunch where Liucė flirts and drinks, while Petryla mocks his poetry; the encounter intensifies Liudas’s doubts about his vocation, love for Liucė, and poetic ambitions. During his post‑Kimša fest holidays Vasaris serves at his parish, spends idle moments imagining his past encounters with Liucė, receives her announcement that she will soon marry, and hosts a farewell gathering where Liucė and Vasaris exchange a tense, flirtatious conversation, deepening Vasaris’s crisis between priestly duty and personal desire. Liudas Vasaris organizes an elaborate farewell celebration for his seminary graduation, hosting a large and diverse group of guests—including Kasaitis, the senior cleric Jonelaitis, former gymnasium friends Gudžiūnas and Krapaitis, and distant relative Murmaitė. Unexpectedly, the former student Varnėnas arrives, sparking lively conversation. The party moves from the garden to a climb up Aušrakalnis, where Liudas and Liucė share an intimate, emotionally charged encounter that deepens his romantic feelings and accentuates his inner conflict about the priesthood. The day ends with mixed emotions, absent notable figures (Trikauskas, Brazgys), and a lingering sense of both celebration and melancholy. Liudas Vasaris is announced as a subdeacon, must pass compulsory Russian literature and history exams, and endures intensified inner conflict over his love for Liucė amid vivid spiritual father lectures and disturbing visions during recitations. Liudas Vasaris receives the subdeacon ordination, endures the liturgical ceremony with its Latin formulas, confronts a sudden surge of anxiety and self‑criticism triggered by his friends Petryla and Brazgys, and learns that he must now pass compulsory Russian literature and history exams, deepening his inner conflict between priestly duties, poetic ambition, and his love for Liucė. Liucė arranges to marry Dr. Brazgys; she invites subdeacon Vasaris to her wedding, which is set for 15 August at Žolinė and attended by very few guests. Vasaris visits Kleviškis, refuses any romantic intimacy, re‑affirms his dedication to the priesthood, and leaves the ceremony feeling empty and yearning to return to the seminary. Vasaris is ordained subdeacon shortly before Easter, experiences a stark inner emptiness, avoids deeper self‑examination, and engages in final seminary courses that focus on sacramental rites, dogmatic theology, and a few aesthetic classes where illustrated books are hidden. He writes poetry but feels detached from its meaning. The semester ends with a series of elaborate liturgical preparations, culminating in his first priestly celebrations (primicijos) at his family home. His parents and village guests arrive, including Liucė and her husband Dr. Brazgys. Vasaris struggles to converse openly, feels guilty about his lingering desire for Liucė, and wrestles with the weight of the priestly vocation while performing the first Mass and communion rites. Liudas Vasaris is appointed as the new second vicar of Kalnynų parish; his imminent arrival provokes conflict between the aging priest Klebonas Platūnas, who resents the costly renovations and Vasaris’s reputation as a poet, and the pragmatic first vicar Jonas Stripaitis, who welcomes the extra help. Liudas Vasaris arrives at the remote Kalnynų parish as the new young vicar, meets senior vicar Klebonas Platūnas and co‑vicar Jonas Stripaitis, is given a modest two‑room dwelling, learns the parish’s financial expectations (wheat profits, grain prices), and experiences a hostile welcome marked by Platūnas’s sharp rebuke and a chaotic first meal. He interacts with Julė (the vicar’s wife), observes local petty‑trade disputes involving the itinerant merchant Žodelis and the farmer‑trader Icikas, and is instructed to prepare a funeral sermon for the next day, highlighting his growing sense of isolation and the practical burdens of parish life. Liudas’s first weeks as subdeacon in Kalnynų are marked by botched inaugural masses, a bombastic sermon that draws ridicule, a flood of confessions—including a distressed woman and a bewildered penitent named Kazusas—, a vivid discovery of the church’s squalid condition, a modest three‑ruble wage, and the preparation and execution of his first funeral service (nabašninkas). Liudas Vasaris, now a subdeacon, is posted in the remote Kalnynų parish under vicar Jonas Stripaitis. Stripaitis arrives from the city, reassures the senior vicar Klebonas Platūnas about steady wheat prices, and debates the role of cooperatives and economic societies with him. He hosts Liudas for a lunch with his wife Julė, offers Liudas hand‑knitted gifts from a “beautiful lady” in Naujapolis, and proposes that Liudas help organize the parish choir and take part in local economic boards. The two discuss Liudas’s recent sermon, Stripaitis critiques his preparation and advises on voice control. Plans are made for Liukas to travel to Naujapolis for the Saint Francis festival, and he later wanders the surrounding fields, reflecting on his new rural duties and the uneasy mix of clerical obligations and personal aspirations. Vasaris walks from the vicarage to the Rainakis manor, meets Baron Rainakis, his Polish‑Catholic wife and sister Sokolina, and observes three oddly dressed riders (two disguised as women, one old man). The baron proudly displays his limited Lithuanian, while Vasaris reflects on his poetic sensibility and priestly doubts. Later Stripaitis informs him of rumors about debauched parties at the manor. Vasaris, now a newly appointed vicar in Kalnynų, initiates a thorough cleaning of the parish church, dramatically improving its appearance and earning praise from parishioners. His efforts draw him into local economic disputes; villagers Žodelis and the newly introduced Borvikis argue over cooperative profits and accuse Stripaitis of mismanagement. A heated confrontation erupts at the local inn (Vingilas’s tavern), leading to a brawl in which Vasaris is forced to intervene while Stripaitis attempts to restore order. Vasaris witnesses the volatile dynamics of parish life, feels suspicion toward his superiors, and ends the chapter unsettled by the conflict. Liudas Vasaris spends the Naujapolis indulgence days listening to confessions, is interrogated by the host Girvydas about parish affairs and secrecy, engages in a fierce debate on priestly celibacy and moral laxity with the chaplain Laibys, and is confronted by his former love Ponia Brazgienė, deepening his inner crisis before leaving. Liudas suffers a deep writer’s block after the Naujapolis indulgences, concluding that his poetry needs both a strong personal core and direct experience of the world, which he lacks while confined in the seminary. He experiences acute depression, receives encouraging words from Kapelionas Laibys and high expectations from Girvydas, and feels the lingering warmth of Liucė’s visit. That night he wanders alone through the vicarage garden, discovers an old cemetery and crypt, and imagines a surreal encounter with the baroness, intensifying his inner conflict between priestly duties, poetic ambition, and forbidden desire. Baron Rainakis and Baroness Rainakienė invite Liudas Vasaris, Klebonas Platūnas and Jonas Stripaitis to the Rainakis manor for tea; the baroness, a former Warsaw café actress, engages Vasaris in a flirtatious debate on love and celibacy, offers him a cigarette and access to her private library, while the priests contend with awkward social rituals and heightened Lithuanian‑Polish tension. The vicar Jonas Stripaitis becomes the focus of a village‑wide scandal after a violent brawl with Vingilas, prompting the community and clergy to condemn his conduct; Vasaris is ordered to attend the dying parishioner Piktupis Andrius, where his attempts at last rites and confession fail, intensifying his doubts about priesthood and his criticism of the empty pastoral routine. Liudas Vasaris visits the Rainaki manor, assists Baroness Rainakienė in sorting her private library, engages in a provocative dialogue about pleasure, beauty and clerical duty, and returns to his parish feeling deeper conflict about his vocation while enduring ridicule from senior priests. Kun. Jonas Stripaitis announces his withdrawal from the users’ association and the parish, prompting a sudden leadership vacuum that is filled by the unknown priest Ramutis. Vasaris hosts Stripaitis for a final night, receiving a candid, drunken monologue about priestly life. The next day, local farmers Žodelis and Borvikis arrive to escort the departing Stripaitis. Vasaris then travels to the remote Šlavantų parish, meets its solitary priest (the Šlavantų tėvelis), admires the modest, immaculate church and reflects on his own vocation. Returning home, he discusses these experiences with his own father, who urges a more activist, nationalist role for clergy. Vasaris visits the Rainakis manor, reads a pair of modern erotic novels and a Tetmajer poetry collection, loses the books, and after a reflective conversation with Baroness Rainakienė about art, pleasure, and the priest’s role, his inner conflict intensifies; he decides to keep his priestly duties but allow his poetic voice to speak freely, and he surveys Lithuanian priest‑poets, confirming his resolve to write as a human poet rather than a didactic cleric. Vasaris experiences jealousy and inner conflict after a tense encounter with Baroness Rainakienė and her ostentatious guest Kozinskis, declines her invitation to a Saturday banquet, and later receives the arrival of senior priest Petras Ramutis, who assists with moving books, shows him the manor’s library, and offers a calm, spiritually grounded presence, deepening Vasaris’s turmoil over his vocation and desires. Liudas Vasaris attends a soirée at Rainakis manor, where he is introduced to the flamboyant engineer Gruberis, witnesses a drunken brooch‑hunt, sees Baroness Rainakienė flirt and kiss Gruberis, endures mockery from Kapelionas Laibys and humiliation by Kozinskis, and experiences an intensification of his inner conflict over love, celibacy and his poetic ambitions. Vasaris visits Rainakis Manor, receives an intimate kiss and flirtatious encouragement from Baroness Rainakienė, debates the sinfulness of the encounter, is admonished by Klebonas Platūnas, decides the act is venial and postpones confession, later sees the baroness at Mass and notes her sudden disappearance, deepening his inner crisis. During Advent, Vasaris experiences a sluggish, melancholy routine, struggles to read, and becomes consumed by vague poetic visions of an “Unknown Woman.” Former formarijus, now fellow priest Kun. Ramutis, closely examines Vasaris’s verses, warns him that his erotic symbolism threatens his spiritual safety, and imposes a strict daily schedule—including collective meditation, precise prayer times, and limited visits to the manor’s library. Ramutis also recommends the literary works of Bishop Niedzialkowski as proper reading material and insists Vasaris reduce his confession frequency, deepening the clash between Vasaris’s poetic ambitions and clerical obligations. Vasaris travels to Naujapolis for the carnival, meets parish priest Girvydas and Dr. Brazgys with his wife Brazgienė, learns his poetry is gaining acclaim, discovers Brazgienė is pregnant, and attends a provocative sermon by chaplain Laibys that deepens his inner conflict about vocation, love and literary ambition. Vasaris endures the first months of his vicarage in Kalnynų, finding confession work overwhelming, delivering a botched substitute sermon, and then joining the parish “kalėdojimas” outreach to the village of Paliepių, where he clashes with the affluent farmer Žodelis and his wife over payment, meals, and catechism duties. Vasaris conducts his first parish “kalėdojimas” charity visit, discovers his poems are being read aloud by the village teacher and Žodelis, and faces public criticism from the parish priest Platūnas. Julė, the vicar’s wife, becomes obsessively attached, forces frequent confessions and tries to steer his behavior, while Vasaris grows increasingly disillusioned, reduces his literary activity, and feels like a mechanized church functionary amid heavy liturgical duties and tense relations with senior priest Ramutis. Vasaris continues May duties, fails at children’s catechism while Ramutis succeeds, deepens nature‑inspired poetry, travels to Naujapolis for the Brazgiai baptism, meets Kimša and a now‑Liucė‑like Brazgienė, witnesses a comic baptism incident and a heated debate about a looming war. Baroness Rainakienė arrives at the manor, sends a secret note to Vasaris, later appears as a penitent and confesses multiple affairs and a lingering love for him; Vasaris grapples with the moral danger of a priest‑penitent relationship and decides to pursue the baroness despite the risk of excommunication. Julė confesses she handed the missing letter to the klebonas, who plans to forward it to the diocesan hierarchy and file a complaint; Vasaris confronts the klebonas and learns the report is already submitted. That night Baroness Rainakienė enters his room, flirts, encourages his poetry, and invites him to a croquet match with Sokolina, where he excels and receives praise. He later declines Kun. Ramutis’s invitation to mass, resolves to face a possible transfer, and deepens his emotional reliance on the baroness’s support. Vasaris is summoned by the corrupt official Girvydas, who accuses him of an illicit liaison with Baroness Rainakienė and warns him of an imminent war in the Balkans; Barons and their wife discuss the war news at the manor, and Vasaris returns to Kalnynai for a large parish almsgiving where old seminary friends Petryla and Kasaitis appear; the chapter culminates in the declaration of war, a nationwide mobilization, and Vasaris’s growing sense of alienation amid the looming conflict. The Rainaki family leaves Kalnynų; soldiers fortify the manor grounds, digging trenches, installing barbed‑wire fences and destroying the surrounding fields. Klebonas Platūnas oversees the demolition, fearing the church tower will be used by German forces. Vasaris, after a melancholy farewell walk with Baroness Rainakienė, returns to the parish haunted by war’s approach and the loss of his emotional tie to the baroness. Vasaris obtains the bishop’s permission and all required documents to travel to the Academy in Petersburg, learns that Dr. Brazgys has been mobilised, discusses the unfolding war with Girvydas and Stripaitis, receives a sharp rebuke from Chaplain Laibys about his lingering affection for Liucė, and witnesses the deliberate demolition of the Kalnynų parish church tower, which he perceives as the collapse of his youthful ideals. Liudas Vasaris returns to independent Lithuania after ten years abroad, arrives at Virbalio station, reunites with former academy friend Antanas Meškėnas, learns that former vicar Jonas Stripaitis is now a Seimas deputy, travels to Kaunas, stays at the Rūtos hotel, observes the war‑scarred city, and experiences a disquieting dream that mixes liturgical images with personal anxieties. Liudas visits Professor Antanas Meškėnas’s house, where he is greeted by the host and the parish representative Jonas Stripaitis. A lively dinner with drinks ensues, featuring political diatribes from Stripaitis, sarcastic remarks from the advocate Indrulis, and a request from Meškėnas that Liudas perform a “gregorijanką” (liturgical task) which Liudas refuses. Indrulis then offers Liudas temporary lodging and hints at a possible marriage to an American woman, deepening Liudas’s personal doubt about his vocation. Vasaris receives Professor Meškėnas’s request to be exempt from celebrating Mass, triggers a deep recollection of his years abroad—celebrating Mass in Paris, Rome and Russia, his frequent theatrical outings, and the clash between his priestly duties and poet’s yearning. Later, in a hotel in Virbalio, a Franciscian monk, Father Severinas, arrives seeking a confessor for a sick brother; Vasaris declines, highlighting his lingering clerical identity and internal conflict. Liudas returns home and rides with his aging father, who recounts wartime hardships, the death of Liudas’s uncle in Šilainiai, and the current married status of Liucė to Dr. Brazgys. The father, disillusioned with Lithuanian politics and the clergy, urges Liudas to take a parish priest position, but Liudas rejects it, insisting on staying in the city. Liudas surveys his native village, notes the changed landscape around Aušrakalnis, and feels his youthful ties to the homeland fraying. The chapter ends with a warm family reunion. Liudas returns to his native village after ten years abroad, now a subdeacon, and is compelled by his father to officiate family exequies. He decides to celebrate a Mass despite having been out of confession for three years, conducts the liturgy in his home parish, experiences intense guilt and doubt, but receives communal affirmation. After the service he engages villagers in a heated discussion about the newly independent Lithuanian government and electoral politics. Liudas Vasaris returns to Kaunas, settles in a room provided by his friend Indrulis, reunites with former seminary mate Petras Varnėnas, and confronts a decisive confrontation with the local bishop about his vocation, poetry and possible apostasy. He also learns of an attractive American woman linked to Indrulis, and plans a literary‑music evening at Indrulis’s apartment. Liudas Vasaris presented his unfinished drama at a literary gathering hosted by Varnenas, introduced the American guest Gražulytė (nicknamed Auksė), and engaged in extensive debate with editors, poets, composers and the professor Meškėnas about the work’s relevance, modernism, and Lithuania’s cultural‑political situation.