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SILAS MARNER
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第3章
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"Nofairbet?"repliedMr。Dowlas,angrily。"IshouldliketohearanymanstandupandsayIwanttobetunfair。Comenow,MasterLundy,Ishouldliketohearyousayit。"

"Verylikeyouwould,"saidthebutcher。"Butit’snobusinesso’mine。You’renoneo’mybargains,andIaren’ta—goingtotryand’bateyourprice。Ifanybody’llbidforyouatyourownvallying,lethim。I’mforpeaceandquietness,Iam。"

"Yes,that’swhateveryyappingcuris,whenyouholdastickupathim,"saidthefarrier。"ButI’mafraido’neithermannorghost,andI’mreadytolayafairbet。_I_aren’taturn—tailcur。"

"Aye,butthere’sthisinit,Dowlas,"saidthelandlord,speakinginatoneofmuchcandourandtolerance。"There’sfolks,i’myopinion,theycan’tseeghos’es,notiftheystoodasplainasapike—staffbefore’em。Andthere’sreasoni’that。Forthere’smywife,now,can’tsmell,notifshe’dthestrongesto’cheeseunderhernose。Ineversee’daghostmyself;butthenIsaystomyself,"VerylikeIhaven’tgotthesmellfor’em。"Imean,puttingaghostforasmell,orelsecontrairiways。Andso,I’mforholdingwithbothsides;for,asIsay,thetruthliesbetween’em。AndifDowlaswastogoandstand,andsayhe’dneverseenawinko’

Cliff’sHolidayallthenightthrough,I’dbackhim;andifanybodysaidasCliff’sHolidaywascertainsure,forallthat,I’dback_him_too。Forthesmell’swhatIgoby。"

Thelandlord’sanalogicalargumentwasnotwellreceivedbythefarrier——amanintenselyopposedtocompromise。

"Tut,tut,"hesaid,settingdownhisglasswithrefreshedirritation;"what’sthesmellgottodowithit?Dideveraghostgiveamanablackeye?That’swhatIshouldliketoknow。Ifghos’eswantmetobelievein’em,let’emleaveoffskulkingi’thedarkandi’loneplaces——let’emcomewherethere’scompanyandcandles。"

"Asifghos’es’udwanttobebelievedinbyanybodysoignirant!"

saidMr。Macey,indeepdisgustatthefarrier’scrassincompetencetoapprehendtheconditionsofghostlyphenomena。

CHAPTERVII

YetthenextmomentthereseemedtobesomeevidencethatghostshadamorecondescendingdispositionthanMr。Maceyattributedtothem;

forthepalethinfigureofSilasMarnerwassuddenlyseenstandinginthewarmlight,utteringnoword,butlookingroundatthecompanywithhisstrangeunearthlyeyes。Thelongpipesgaveasimultaneousmovement,liketheantennaeofstartledinsects,andeverymanpresent,notexceptingeventhescepticalfarrier,hadanimpressionthathesaw,notSilasMarnerintheflesh,butanapparition;forthedoorbywhichSilashadenteredwashiddenbythehigh—screenedseats,andnoonehadnoticedhisapproach。

Mr。Macey,sittingalongwayofftheghost,mightbesupposedtohavefeltanargumentativetriumph,whichwouldtendtoneutralizehisshareofthegeneralalarm。HadhenotalwayssaidthatwhenSilasMarnerwasinthatstrangetranceofhis,hissoulwentloosefromhisbody?Herewasthedemonstration:nevertheless,onthewhole,hewouldhavebeenaswellcontentedwithoutit。Forafewmomentstherewasadeadsilence,Marner’swantofbreathandagitationnotallowinghimtospeak。Thelandlord,underthehabitualsensethathewasboundtokeephishouseopentoallcompany,andconfidentintheprotectionofhisunbrokenneutrality,atlasttookonhimselfthetaskofadjuringtheghost。

"MasterMarner,"hesaid,inaconciliatorytone,"what’slackingtoyou?What’syourbusinesshere?"

"Robbed!"saidSilas,gaspingly。"I’vebeenrobbed!Iwanttheconstable——andtheJustice——andSquireCass——andMr。Crackenthorp。"

"Layholdonhim,JemRodney,"saidthelandlord,theideaofaghostsubsiding;"he’soffhishead,Idoubt。He’swetthrough。"

JemRodneywastheoutermostman,andsatconvenientlynearMarner’sstanding—place;buthedeclinedtogivehisservices。

"Comeandlayholdonhimyourself,Mr。Snell,ifyou’veamind,"

saidJem,rathersullenly。"He’sbeenrobbed,andmurderedtoo,forwhatIknow,"headded,inamutteringtone。

"JemRodney!"saidSilas,turningandfixinghisstrangeeyesonthesuspectedman。

"Aye,MasterMarner,whatdoyouwantwi’me?"saidJem,tremblingalittle,andseizinghisdrinking—canasadefensiveweapon。

"Ifitwasyoustolemymoney,"saidSilas,claspinghishandsentreatingly,andraisinghisvoicetoacry,"giveitmeback——

andIwon’tmeddlewithyou。Iwon’tsettheconstableonyou。

Giveitmeback,andI’llletyou——I’llletyouhaveaguinea。"

"Mestoleyourmoney!"saidJem,angrily。"I’llpitchthiscanatyoureyeifyoutalko’_my_stealingyourmoney。"

"Come,come,MasterMarner,"saidthelandlord,nowrisingresolutely,andseizingMarnerbytheshoulder,"ifyou’vegotanyinformationtolay,speakitoutsensible,andshowasyou’reinyourrightmind,ifyouexpectanybodytolistentoyou。You’reaswetasadrowndedrat。Sitdownanddryyourself,andspeakstraightforrard。"

"Ah,tobesure,man,"saidthefarrier,whobegantofeelthathehadnotbeenquiteonaparwithhimselfandtheoccasion。"Let’shavenomorestaringandscreaming,elsewe’llhaveyoustrappedforamadman。ThatwaswhyIdidn’tspeakatthefirst——thinksI,theman’srunmad。"

"Aye,aye,makehimsitdown,"saidseveralvoicesatonce,wellpleasedthattherealityofghostsremainedstillanopenquestion。

ThelandlordforcedMarnertotakeoffhiscoat,andthentositdownonachairalooffromeveryoneelse,inthecentreofthecircleandinthedirectraysofthefire。Theweaver,toofeebletohaveanydistinctpurposebeyondthatofgettinghelptorecoverhismoney,submittedunresistingly。Thetransientfearsofthecompanywerenowforgottenintheirstrongcuriosity,andallfaceswereturnedtowardsSilas,whenthelandlord,havingseatedhimselfagain,said——

"Nowthen,MasterMarner,what’sthisyou’vegottosay——asyou’vebeenrobbed?Speakout。"

"He’dbetternotsayagainasitwasmerobbedhim,"criedJemRodney,hastily。"WhatcouldIha’donewithhismoney?Icouldaseasystealtheparson’ssurplice,andwearit。"

"Holdyourtongue,Jem,andlet’shearwhathe’sgottosay,"saidthelandlord。"Nowthen,MasterMarner。"

Silasnowtoldhisstory,underfrequentquestioningasthemysteriouscharacteroftherobberybecameevident。

ThisstrangelynovelsituationofopeninghistroubletohisRaveloeneighbours,ofsittinginthewarmthofahearthnothisown,andfeelingthepresenceoffacesandvoiceswhichwerehisnearestpromiseofhelp,haddoubtlessitsinfluenceonMarner,inspiteofhispassionatepreoccupationwithhisloss。Ourconsciousnessrarelyregistersthebeginningofagrowthwithinusanymorethanwithoutus:therehavebeenmanycirculationsofthesapbeforewedetectthesmallestsignofthebud。

Theslightsuspicionwithwhichhishearersatfirstlistenedtohim,graduallymeltedawaybeforetheconvincingsimplicityofhisdistress:itwasimpossiblefortheneighbourstodoubtthatMarnerwastellingthetruth,notbecausetheywerecapableofarguingatoncefromthenatureofhisstatementstotheabsenceofanymotiveformakingthemfalsely,butbecause,asMr。Maceyobserved,"Folksashadthedeviltoback’emwerenotlikelytobesomushed"aspoorSilaswas。Rather,fromthestrangefactthattherobberhadleftnotraces,andhadhappenedtoknowthenickoftime,utterlyincalculablebymortalagents,whenSilaswouldgoawayfromhomewithoutlockinghisdoor,themoreprobableconclusionseemedtobe,thathisdisreputableintimacyinthatquarter,ifiteverexisted,hadbeenbrokenup,andthat,inconsequence,thisillturnhadbeendonetoMarnerbysomebodyitwasquiteinvaintosettheconstableafter。Whythispreternaturalfelonshouldbeobligedtowaittillthedoorwasleftunlocked,wasaquestionwhichdidnotpresentitself。

"Itisn’tJemRodneyashasdonethiswork,MasterMarner,"saidthelandlord。"Youmustn’tbea—castingyoureyeatpoorJem。

TheremaybeabitofareckoningagainstJemforthematterofahareorso,ifanybodywasboundtokeeptheireyesstaringopen,andnivertowink;butJem’sbeena—sittingheredrinkinghiscan,likethedecentestmani’theparish,sincebeforeyouleftyourhouse,MasterMarner,byyourownaccount。"

"Aye,aye,"saidMr。Macey;"let’shavenoaccusingo’theinnicent。Thatisn’tthelaw。Theremustbefolkstoswearagain’

amanbeforehecanbeta’enup。Let’shavenoaccusingo’theinnicent,MasterMarner。"

MemorywasnotsoutterlytorpidinSilasthatitcouldnotbeawakenedbythesewords。Withamovementofcompunctionasnewandstrangetohimaseverythingelsewithinthelasthour,hestartedfromhischairandwentcloseuptoJem,lookingathimasifhewantedtoassurehimselfoftheexpressioninhisface。

"Iwaswrong,"hesaid——"yes,yes——Ioughttohavethought。

There’snothingtowitnessagainstyou,Jem。Onlyyou’dbeenintomyhouseoftenerthananybodyelse,andsoyoucameintomyhead。

Idon’taccuseyou——Iwon’taccuseanybody——only,"headded,liftinguphishandstohishead,andturningawaywithbewilderedmisery,"Itry——Itrytothinkwheremyguineascanbe。"

"Aye,aye,they’regonewhereit’shotenoughtomelt’em,I

doubt,"saidMr。Macey。

"Tchuh!"saidthefarrier。Andthenheasked,withacross—examiningair,"Howmuchmoneymighttherebeinthebags,MasterMarner?"

"Twohundredandseventy—twopounds,twelveandsixpence,lastnightwhenIcountedit,"saidSilas,seatinghimselfagain,withagroan。

"Pooh!why,they’dbenonesoheavytocarry。Sometramp’sbeenin,that’sall;andasforthenofootmarks,andthebricksandthesandbeingallright——why,youreyesareprettymuchlikeainsect’s,MasterMarner;they’reobligedtolooksoclose,youcan’tseemuchatatime。It’smyopinionas,ifI’dbeenyou,oryou’dbeenme——foritcomestothesamething——youwouldn’thavethoughtyou’dfoundeverythingasyouleftit。ButwhatIvoteis,astwoofthesensiblesto’thecompanyshouldgowithyoutoMasterKench,theconstable’s——he’silli’bed,Iknowthatmuch——andgethimtoappointoneofushisdeppity;forthat’sthelaw,andI

don’tthinkanybody’ulltakeuponhimtocontradickmethere。Itisn’tmuchofawalktoKench’s;andthen,ifit’smeasisdeppity,I’llgobackwithyou,MasterMarner,andexamineyourpremises;andifanybody’sgotanyfaulttofindwiththat,I’llthankhimtostandupandsayitoutlikeaman。"

Bythispregnantspeechthefarrierhadre—establishedhisself—complacency,andwaitedwithconfidencetohearhimselfnamedasoneofthesuperlativelysensiblemen。

"Letusseehowthenightis,though,"saidthelandlord,whoalsoconsideredhimselfpersonallyconcernedinthisproposition。"Why,itrainsheavystill,"hesaid,returningfromthedoor。

"Well,I’mnotthemantobeafraido’therain,"saidthefarrier。"Forit’lllookbadwhenJusticeMalamhearsasrespectablemenlikeushadainformationlaidbefore’emandtooknosteps。"

Thelandlordagreedwiththisview,andaftertakingthesenseofthecompany,anddulyrehearsingasmallceremonyknowninhighecclesiasticallifeasthe_noloepiscopari_,heconsentedtotakeonhimselfthechilldignityofgoingtoKench’s。Buttothefarrier’sstrongdisgust,Mr。Maceynowstartedanobjectiontohisproposinghimselfasadeputy—constable;forthatoracularoldgentleman,claimingtoknowthelaw,stated,asafactdeliveredtohimbyhisfather,thatnodoctorcouldbeaconstable。

"Andyou’readoctor,Ireckon,thoughyou’reonlyacow—doctor——

forafly’safly,thoughitmaybeahoss—fly,"concludedMr。Macey,wonderingalittleathisown"’cuteness"。

Therewasahotdebateuponthis,thefarrierbeingofcourseindisposedtorenouncethequalityofdoctor,butcontendingthatadoctorcouldbeaconstableifheliked——thelawmeant,heneedn’tbeoneifhedidn’tlike。Mr。Maceythoughtthiswasnonsense,sincethelawwasnotlikelytobefonderofdoctorsthanofotherfolks。Moreover,ifitwasinthenatureofdoctorsmorethanofothermennottolikebeingconstables,howcameMr。Dowlastobesoeagertoactinthatcapacity?

"_I_don’twanttoacttheconstable,"saidthefarrier,drivenintoacornerbythismercilessreasoning;"andthere’snomancansayitofme,ifhe’dtellthetruth。Butifthere’stobeanyjealousyanden_vy_ingaboutgoingtoKench’sintherain,letthemgoaslikeit——youwon’tgetmetogo,Icantellyou。"

Bythelandlord’sintervention,however,thedisputewasaccommodated。Mr。Dowlasconsentedtogoasasecondpersondisinclinedtoactofficially;andsopoorSilas,furnishedwithsomeoldcoverings,turnedoutwithhistwocompanionsintotherainagain,thinkingofthelongnight—hoursbeforehim,notasthosedowholongtorest,butasthosewhoexpectto"watchforthemorning"。

CHAPTERVIII

WhenGodfreyCassreturnedfromMrs。Osgood’spartyatmidnight,hewasnotmuchsurprisedtolearnthatDunseyhadnotcomehome。

PerhapshehadnotsoldWildfire,andwaswaitingforanotherchance——

perhaps,onthatfoggyafternoon,hehadpreferredhousinghimselfattheRedLionatBatherleyforthenight,iftherunhadkepthiminthatneighbourhood;forhewasnotlikelytofeelmuchconcernaboutleavinghisbrotherinsuspense。Godfrey’smindwastoofullofNancyLammeter’slooksandbehaviour,toofulloftheexasperationagainsthimselfandhislot,whichthesightofheralwaysproducedinhim,forhimtogivemuchthoughttoWildfire,ortotheprobabilitiesofDunstan’sconduct。

Thenextmorningthewholevillagewasexcitedbythestoryoftherobbery,andGodfrey,likeeveryoneelse,wasoccupiedingatheringanddiscussingnewsaboutit,andinvisitingtheStone—pits。Therainhadwashedawayallpossibilityofdistinguishingfoot—marks,butacloseinvestigationofthespothaddisclosed,inthedirectionoppositetothevillage,atinder—box,withaflintandsteel,halfsunkinthemud。ItwasnotSilas’stinder—box,fortheonlyonehehadeverhadwasstillstandingonhisshelf;andtheinferencegenerallyacceptedwas,thatthetinder—boxintheditchwassomehowconnectedwiththerobbery。Asmallminorityshooktheirheads,andintimatedtheiropinionthatitwasnotarobberytohavemuchlightthrownonitbytinder—boxes,thatMasterMarner’stalehadaqueerlookwithit,andthatsuchthingshadbeenknownasaman’sdoinghimselfamischief,andthensettingthejusticetolookforthedoer。Butwhenquestionedcloselyastotheirgroundsforthisopinion,andwhatMasterMarnerhadtogainbysuchfalsepretences,theyonlyshooktheirheadsasbefore,andobservedthattherewasnoknowingwhatsomefolkscountedgain;

moreover,thateverybodyhadarighttotheirownopinions,groundsornogrounds,andthattheweaver,aseverybodyknew,waspartlycrazy。Mr。Macey,thoughhejoinedinthedefenceofMarneragainstallsuspicionsofdeceit,alsopooh—poohedthetinder—box;indeed,repudiateditasaratherimpioussuggestion,tendingtoimplythateverythingmustbedonebyhumanhands,andthattherewasnopowerwhichcouldmakeawaywiththeguineaswithoutmovingthebricks。

Nevertheless,heturnedroundrathersharplyonMr。Tookey,whenthezealousdeputy,feelingthatthiswasaviewofthecasepeculiarlysuitedtoaparish—clerk,carrieditstillfarther,anddoubtedwhetheritwasrighttoinquireintoarobberyatallwhenthecircumstancesweresomysterious。

"Asif,"concludedMr。Tookey——"asiftherewasnothingbutwhatcouldbemadeoutbyjusticesandconstables。"

"Now,don’tyoubeforovershootingthemark,Tookey,"saidMr。Macey,noddinghisheadasideadmonishingly。"That’swhatyou’reallaysat;ifIthrowastoneandhit,youthinkthere’ssummatbetterthanhitting,andyoutrytothrowastonebeyond。

WhatIsaidwasagainstthetinder—box:Isaidnothingagainstjusticesandconstables,forthey’reo’KingGeorge’smaking,andit’udbeill—becomingamaninaparishofficetoflyoutagain’KingGeorge。"

WhilethesediscussionsweregoingonamongstthegroupoutsidetheRainbow,ahigherconsultationwasbeingcarriedonwithin,underthepresidencyofMr。Crackenthorp,therector,assistedbySquireCassandothersubstantialparishioners。IthadjustoccurredtoMr。Snell,thelandlord——hebeing,asheobserved,amanaccustomedtoputtwoandtwotogether——toconnectwiththetinder—box,which,asdeputy—constable,hehimselfhadhadthehonourabledistinctionoffinding,certainrecollectionsofapedlarwhohadcalledtodrinkatthehouseaboutamonthbefore,andhadactuallystatedthathecarriedatinder—boxaboutwithhimtolighthispipe。Here,surely,wasacluetobefollowedout。Andasmemory,whendulyimpregnatedwithascertainedfacts,issometimessurprisinglyfertile,Mr。Snellgraduallyrecoveredavividimpressionoftheeffectproducedonhimbythepedlar’scountenanceandconversation。Hehada"lookwithhiseye"whichfellunpleasantlyonMr。Snell’ssensitiveorganism。Tobesure,hedidn’tsayanythingparticular——no,exceptthataboutthetinder—box——butitisn’twhatamansays,it’sthewayhesaysit。

Moreover,hehadaswarthyforeignnessofcomplexionwhichbodedlittlehonesty。

"Didhewearear—rings?"Mr。Crackenthorpwishedtoknow,havingsomeacquaintancewithforeigncustoms。

"Well——stay——letmesee,"saidMr。Snell,likeadocileclairvoyante,whowouldreallynotmakeamistakeifshecouldhelpit。Afterstretchingthecornersofhismouthandcontractinghiseyes,asifheweretryingtoseetheear—rings,heappearedtogiveuptheeffort,andsaid,"Well,he’dgotear—ringsinhisboxtosell,soit’snat’raltosupposehemightwear’em。Buthecalledateveryhouse,a’most,inthevillage;there’ssomebodyelse,mayhap,saw’eminhisears,thoughIcan’ttakeuponmerightlytosay。"

Mr。Snellwascorrectinhissurmise,thatsomebodyelsewouldrememberthepedlar’sear—rings。Foronthespreadofinquiryamongthevillagersitwasstatedwithgatheringemphasis,thattheparsonhadwantedtoknowwhetherthepedlarworeear—ringsinhisears,andanimpressionwascreatedthatagreatdealdependedontheelicitingofthisfact。Ofcourse,everyonewhoheardthequestion,nothavinganydistinctimageofthepedlaras_without_

ear—rings,immediatelyhadanimageofhim_with_ear—rings,largerorsmaller,asthecasemightbe;andtheimagewaspresentlytakenforavividrecollection,sothattheglazier’swife,awell—intentionedwoman,notgiventolying,andwhosehousewasamongthecleanestinthevillage,wasreadytodeclare,assureasevershemeanttotakethesacramenttheverynextChristmasthatwasevercoming,thatshehadseenbigear—rings,intheshapeoftheyoungmoon,inthepedlar’stwoears;whileJinnyOates,thecobbler’sdaughter,beingamoreimaginativeperson,statednotonlythatshehadseenthemtoo,butthattheyhadmadeherbloodcreep,asitdidatthatverymomentwhilethereshestood。

Also,bywayofthrowingfurtherlightonthisclueofthetinder—box,acollectionwasmadeofallthearticlespurchasedfromthepedlaratvarioushouses,andcarriedtotheRainbowtobeexhibitedthere。Infact,therewasageneralfeelinginthevillage,thatfortheclearing—upofthisrobberytheremustbeagreatdealdoneattheRainbow,andthatnomanneedofferhiswifeanexcuseforgoingtherewhileitwasthesceneofseverepublicduties。

Somedisappointmentwasfelt,andperhapsalittleindignationalso,whenitbecameknownthatSilasMarner,onbeingquestionedbytheSquireandtheparson,hadretainednootherrecollectionofthepedlarthanthathehadcalledathisdoor,buthadnotenteredhishouse,havingturnedawayatoncewhenSilas,holdingthedoorajar,hadsaidthathewantednothing。ThishadbeenSilas’stestimony,thoughheclutchedstronglyattheideaofthepedlar’sbeingtheculprit,ifonlybecauseitgavehimadefiniteimageofawhereaboutforhisgoldafterithadbeentakenawayfromitshiding—place:hecouldseeitnowinthepedlar’sbox。Butitwasobservedwithsomeirritationinthevillage,thatanybodybuta"blindcreatur"likeMarnerwouldhaveseenthemanprowlingabout,forhowcamehetoleavehistinder—boxintheditchcloseby,ifhehadn’tbeenlingeringthere?Doubtless,hehadmadehisobservationswhenhesawMarneratthedoor。Anybodymightknow——

andonlylookathim——thattheweaverwasahalf—crazymiser。Itwasawonderthepedlarhadn’tmurderedhim;menofthatsort,withringsintheirears,hadbeenknownformurderersoftenandoften;

therehadbeenonetriedatthe’sizes,notsolongagobutwhattherewerepeoplelivingwhorememberedit。

GodfreyCass,indeed,enteringtheRainbowduringoneofMr。Snell’sfrequentlyrepeatedrecitalsofhistestimony,hadtreateditlightly,statingthathehimselfhadboughtapen—knifeofthepedlar,andthoughthimamerrygrinningfellowenough;itwasallnonsense,hesaid,abouttheman’sevillooks。Butthiswasspokenofinthevillageastherandomtalkofyouth,"asifitwasonlyMr。Snellwhohadseensomethingoddaboutthepedlar!"Onthecontrary,therewereatleasthalf—a—dozenwhowerereadytogobeforeJusticeMalam,andgiveinmuchmorestrikingtestimonythananythelandlordcouldfurnish。ItwastobehopedMr。GodfreywouldnotgotoTarleyandthrowcoldwateronwhatMr。Snellsaidthere,andsopreventthejusticefromdrawingupawarrant。Hewassuspectedofintendingthis,when,aftermid—day,hewasseensettingoffonhorsebackinthedirectionofTarley。

ButbythistimeGodfrey’sinterestintherobberyhadfadedbeforehisgrowinganxietyaboutDunstanandWildfire,andhewasgoing,nottoTarley,buttoBatherley,unabletorestinuncertaintyaboutthemanylonger。ThepossibilitythatDunstanhadplayedhimtheuglytrickofridingawaywithWildfire,toreturnattheendofamonth,whenhehadgambledawayorotherwisesquanderedthepriceofthehorse,wasafearthaturgeditselfuponhimmore,even,thanthethoughtofanaccidentalinjury;andnowthatthedanceatMrs。Osgood’swaspast,hewasirritatedwithhimselfthathehadtrustedhishorsetoDunstan。Insteadoftryingtostillhisfears,heencouragedthem,withthatsuperstitiousimpressionwhichclingstousall,thatifweexpectevilverystronglyitisthelesslikelytocome;andwhenheheardahorseapproachingatatrot,andsawahatrisingaboveahedgebeyondanangleofthelane,hefeltasifhisconjurationhadsucceeded。Butnosoonerdidthehorsecomewithinsight,thanhisheartsankagain。ItwasnotWildfire;

andinafewmomentsmorehediscernedthattheriderwasnotDunstan,butBryce,whopulleduptospeak,withafacethatimpliedsomethingdisagreeable。

"Well,Mr。Godfrey,that’saluckybrotherofyours,thatMasterDunsey,isn’the?"

"Whatdoyoumean?"saidGodfrey,hastily。

"Why,hasn’thebeenhomeyet?"saidBryce。

"Home?no。Whathashappened?Bequick。Whathashedonewithmyhorse?"

"Ah,Ithoughtitwasyours,thoughhepretendedyouhadpartedwithittohim。"

"Hashethrownhimdownandbrokenhisknees?"saidGodfrey,flushedwithexasperation。

"Worsethanthat,"saidBryce。"Yousee,I’dmadeabargainwithhimtobuythehorseforahundredandtwenty——aswingingprice,butIalwayslikedthehorse。Andwhatdoeshedobutgoandstakehim——flyatahedgewithstakesinit,atopofabankwithaditchbeforeit。Thehorsehadbeendeadaprettygoodwhilewhenhewasfound。Sohehasn’tbeenhomesince,hashe?"

"Home?no,"saidGodfrey,"andhe’dbetterkeepaway。Confoundmeforafool!Imighthaveknownthiswouldbetheendofit。"

"Well,totellyouthetruth,"saidBryce,"afterI’dbargainedforthehorse,itdidcomeintomyheadthathemightberidingandsellingthehorsewithoutyourknowledge,forIdidn’tbelieveitwashisown。IknewMasterDunseywasuptohistrickssometimes。

Butwherecanhebegone?He’sneverbeenseenatBatherley。Hecouldn’thavebeenhurt,forhemusthavewalkedoff。"

"Hurt?"saidGodfrey,bitterly。"He’llneverbehurt——he’smadetohurtotherpeople。"

"Andsoyou_did_givehimleavetosellthehorse,eh?"saidBryce。

"Yes;Iwantedtopartwiththehorse——hewasalwaysalittletoohardinthemouthforme,"saidGodfrey;hispridemakinghimwinceundertheideathatBryceguessedthesaletobeamatterofnecessity。"Iwasgoingtoseeafterhim——Ithoughtsomemischiefhadhappened。I’llgobacknow,"headded,turningthehorse’shead,andwishinghecouldgetridofBryce;forhefeltthatthelong—dreadedcrisisinhislifewascloseuponhim。

"You’recomingontoRaveloe,aren’tyou?"

"Well,no,notnow,"saidBryce。"I_was_comingroundthere,forIhadtogotoFlitton,andIthoughtImightaswelltakeyouinmyway,andjustletyouknowallIknewmyselfaboutthehorse。

IsupposeMasterDunseydidn’tliketoshowhimselftilltheillnewshadblownoverabit。He’sperhapsgonetopayavisitattheThreeCrowns,byWhitbridge——Iknowhe’sfondofthehouse。"

"Perhapsheis,"saidGodfrey,ratherabsently。Thenrousinghimself,hesaid,withaneffortatcarelessness,"Weshallhearofhimsoonenough,I’llbebound。"

"Well,here’smyturning,"saidBryce,notsurprisedtoperceivethatGodfreywasrather"down";"soI’llbidyougood—day,andwishImaybringyoubetternewsanothertime。"

Godfreyrodealongslowly,representingtohimselfthesceneofconfessiontohisfatherfromwhichhefeltthattherewasnownolongeranyescape。Therevelationaboutthemoneymustbemadetheverynextmorning;andifhewithheldtherest,Dunstanwouldbesuretocomebackshortly,and,findingthathemustbearthebruntofhisfather’sanger,wouldtellthewholestoryoutofspite,eventhoughhehadnothingtogainbyit。Therewasonestep,perhaps,bywhichhemightstillwinDunstan’ssilenceandputofftheevilday:hemighttellhisfatherthathehadhimselfspentthemoneypaidtohimbyFowler;andashehadneverbeenguiltyofsuchanoffencebefore,theaffairwouldblowoverafteralittlestorming。

ButGodfreycouldnotbendhimselftothis。HefeltthatinlettingDunstanhavethemoney,hehadalreadybeenguiltyofabreachoftrusthardlylessculpablethanthatofspendingthemoneydirectlyforhisownbehoof;andyettherewasadistinctionbetweenthetwoactswhichmadehimfeelthattheonewassomuchmoreblackeningthantheotherastobeintolerabletohim。

"Idon’tpretendtobeagoodfellow,"hesaidtohimself;"butI’mnotascoundrel——atleast,I’llstopshortsomewhere。I’llbeartheconsequencesofwhatI_have_donesoonerthanmakebelieveI’vedonewhatIneverwouldhavedone。I’dneverhavespentthemoneyformyownpleasure——Iwastorturedintoit。"

ThroughtheremainderofthisdayGodfrey,withonlyoccasionalfluctuations,kepthiswillbentinthedirectionofacompleteavowaltohisfather,andhewithheldthestoryofWildfire’slosstillthenextmorning,thatitmightservehimasanintroductiontoheaviermatter。TheoldSquirewasaccustomedtohisson’sfrequentabsencefromhome,andthoughtneitherDunstan’snorWildfire’snon—appearanceamattercallingforremark。Godfreysaidtohimselfagainandagain,thatifheletslipthisoneopportunityofconfession,hemightneverhaveanother;therevelationmightbemadeeveninamoreodiouswaythanbyDunstan’smalignity:_she_

mightcomeasshehadthreatenedtodo。Andthenhetriedtomakethesceneeasiertohimselfbyrehearsal:hemadeuphismindhowhewouldpassfromtheadmissionofhisweaknessinlettingDunstanhavethemoneytothefactthatDunstanhadaholdonhimwhichhehadbeenunabletoshakeoff,andhowhewouldworkuphisfathertoexpectsomethingverybadbeforehetoldhimthefact。TheoldSquirewasanimplacableman:hemaderesolutionsinviolentanger,andhewasnottobemovedfromthemafterhisangerhadsubsided——

asfieryvolcanicmatterscoolandhardenintorock。Likemanyviolentandimplacablemen,heallowedevilstogrowunderfavourofhisownheedlessness,tilltheypresseduponhimwithexasperatingforce,andthenheturnedroundwithfierceseverityandbecameunrelentinglyhard。Thiswashissystemwithhistenants:heallowedthemtogetintoarrears,neglecttheirfences,reducetheirstock,selltheirstraw,andotherwisegothewrongway,——andthen,whenhebecameshortofmoneyinconsequenceofthisindulgence,hetookthehardestmeasuresandwouldlistentonoappeal。Godfreyknewallthis,andfeltitwiththegreaterforcebecausehehadconstantlysufferedannoyancefromwitnessinghisfather’ssuddenfitsofunrelentingness,forwhichhisownhabitualirresolutiondeprivedhimofallsympathy。(Hewasnotcriticalonthefaultyindulgencewhichprecededthesefits;_that_seemedtohimnaturalenough。)Stilltherewasjustthechance,Godfreythought,thathisfather’spridemightseethismarriageinalightthatwouldinducehimtohushitup,ratherthanturnhissonoutandmakethefamilythetalkofthecountryfortenmilesround。

ThiswastheviewofthecasethatGodfreymanagedtokeepbeforehimprettycloselytillmidnight,andhewenttosleepthinkingthathehaddonewithinwarddebating。Butwhenheawokeinthestillmorningdarknesshefounditimpossibletoreawakenhiseveningthoughts;itwasasiftheyhadbeentiredoutandwerenottoberousedtofurtherwork。Insteadofargumentsforconfession,hecouldnowfeelthepresenceofnothingbutitsevilconsequences:

theolddreadofdisgracecameback——theoldshrinkingfromthethoughtofraisingahopelessbarrierbetweenhimselfandNancy——

theolddispositiontorelyonchanceswhichmightbefavourabletohim,andsavehimfrombetrayal。Why,afterall,shouldhecutoffthehopeofthembyhisownact?Hehadseenthematterinawronglightyesterday。HehadbeeninaragewithDunstan,andhadthoughtofnothingbutathoroughbreak—upoftheirmutualunderstanding;butwhatitwouldbereallywisestforhimtodo,wastotryandsoftenhisfather’sangeragainstDunsey,andkeepthingsasnearlyaspossibleintheiroldcondition。IfDunseydidnotcomebackforafewdays(andGodfreydidnotknowbutthattherascalhadenoughmoneyinhispockettoenablehimtokeepawaystilllonger),everythingmightblowover。

CHAPTERIX

Godfreyroseandtookhisownbreakfastearlierthanusual,butlingeredinthewainscotedparlourtillhisyoungerbrothershadfinishedtheirmealandgoneout;awaitinghisfather,whoalwaystookawalkwithhismanaging—manbeforebreakfast。EveryonebreakfastedatadifferenthourintheRedHouse,andtheSquirewasalwaysthelatest,givingalongchancetoaratherfeeblemorningappetitebeforehetriedit。Thetablehadbeenspreadwithsubstantialeatablesnearlytwohoursbeforehepresentedhimself——

atall,stoutmanofsixty,withafaceinwhichtheknitbrowandratherhardglanceseemedcontradictedbytheslackandfeeblemouth。Hispersonshowedmarksofhabitualneglect,hisdresswasslovenly;andyettherewassomethinginthepresenceoftheoldSquiredistinguishablefromthatoftheordinaryfarmersintheparish,whowereperhapseverywhitasrefinedashe,but,havingslouchedtheirwaythroughlifewithaconsciousnessofbeinginthevicinityoftheir"betters",wantedthatself—possessionandauthoritativenessofvoiceandcarriagewhichbelongedtoamanwhothoughtofsuperiorsasremoteexistenceswithwhomhehadpersonallylittlemoretodothanwithAmericaorthestars。TheSquirehadbeenusedtoparishhomageallhislife,usedtothepresuppositionthathisfamily,histankards,andeverythingthatwashis,weretheoldestandbest;andasheneverassociatedwithanygentryhigherthanhimself,hisopinionwasnotdisturbedbycomparison。

Heglancedathissonasheenteredtheroom,andsaid,"What,sir!

haven’t_you_hadyourbreakfastyet?"buttherewasnopleasantmorninggreetingbetweenthem;notbecauseofanyunfriendliness,butbecausethesweetflowerofcourtesyisnotagrowthofsuchhomesastheRedHouse。

"Yes,sir,"saidGodfrey,"I’vehadmybreakfast,butIwaswaitingtospeaktoyou。"

"Ah!well,"saidtheSquire,throwinghimselfindifferentlyintohischair,andspeakinginaponderouscoughingfashion,whichwasfeltinRaveloetobeasortofprivilegeofhisrank,whilehecutapieceofbeef,andhelditupbeforethedeer—houndthathadcomeinwithhim。"Ringthebellformyale,willyou?Youyoungsters’

businessisyourownpleasure,mostly。There’snohurryaboutitforanybodybutyourselves。"

TheSquire’slifewasquiteasidleashissons’,butitwasafictionkeptupbyhimselfandhiscontemporariesinRaveloethatyouthwasexclusivelytheperiodoffolly,andthattheiragedwisdomwasconstantlyinastateofendurancemitigatedbysarcasm。

Godfreywaited,beforehespokeagain,untilthealehadbeenbroughtandthedoorclosed——anintervalduringwhichFleet,thedeer—hound,hadconsumedenoughbitsofbeeftomakeapoorman’sholidaydinner。

"There’sbeenacursedpieceofill—luckwithWildfire,"hebegan;

"happenedthedaybeforeyesterday。"

"What!brokehisknees?"saidtheSquire,aftertakingadraughtofale。"Ithoughtyouknewhowtoridebetterthanthat,sir。

Ineverthrewahorsedowninmylife。IfIhad,Imightha’

whistledforanother,for_my_fatherwasn’tquitesoreadytounstringassomeotherfathersIknowof。Buttheymustturnoveranewleaf——_they_must。Whatwithmortgagesandarrears,I’masshorto’cashasaroadsidepauper。AndthatfoolKimblesaysthenewspaper’stalkingaboutpeace。Why,thecountrywouldn’thavealegtostandon。Prices’udrundownlikeajack,andIshouldnevergetmyarrears,notifIsoldallthefellowsup。Andthere’sthatdamnedFowler,Iwon’tputupwithhimanylonger;I’vetoldWinthroptogotoCoxthisveryday。Thelyingscoundreltoldmehe’dbesuretopaymeahundredlastmonth。Hetakesadvantagebecausehe’sonthatoutlyingfarm,andthinksIshallforgethim。"

TheSquirehaddeliveredthisspeechinacoughingandinterruptedmanner,butwithnopauselongenoughforGodfreytomakeitapretextfortakingupthewordagain。HefeltthathisfathermeanttowardoffanyrequestformoneyonthegroundofthemisfortunewithWildfire,andthattheemphasishehadthusbeenledtolayonhisshortnessofcashandhisarrearswaslikelytoproduceanattitudeofmindtheutmostunfavourableforhisowndisclosure。

Buthemustgoon,nowhehadbegun。

"It’sworsethanbreakingthehorse’sknees——he’sbeenstakedandkilled,"hesaid,assoonashisfatherwassilent,andhadbeguntocuthismeat。"ButIwasn’tthinkingofaskingyoutobuymeanotherhorse;IwasonlythinkingI’dlostthemeansofpayingyouwiththepriceofWildfire,asI’dmeanttodo。Dunseytookhimtothehunttosellhimformetheotherday,andafterhe’dmadeabargainforahundredandtwentywithBryce,hewentafterthehounds,andtooksomefool’sleaporotherthatdidforthehorseatonce。Ifithadn’tbeenforthat,Ishouldhavepaidyouahundredpoundsthismorning。"

TheSquirehadlaiddownhisknifeandfork,andwasstaringathissoninamazement,notbeingsufficientlyquickofbraintoformaprobableguessastowhatcouldhavecausedsostrangeaninversionofthepaternalandfilialrelationsasthispropositionofhissontopayhimahundredpounds。

"Thetruthis,sir——I’mverysorry——Iwasquitetoblame,"

saidGodfrey。"Fowlerdidpaythathundredpounds。Hepaidittome,whenIwasoverthereonedaylastmonth。AndDunseybotheredmeforthemoney,andIlethimhaveit,becauseIhopedIshouldbeabletopayityoubeforethis。"

TheSquirewaspurplewithangerbeforehissonhaddonespeaking,andfoundutterancedifficult。"YouletDunseyhaveit,sir?AndhowlonghaveyoubeensothickwithDunseythatyoumust_collogue_

withhimtoembezzlemymoney?Areyouturningoutascamp?ItellyouIwon’thaveit。I’llturnthewholepackofyououtofthehousetogether,andmarryagain。I’dhaveyoutoremember,sir,myproperty’sgotnoentailonit;——sincemygrandfather’stimetheCassescandoastheylikewiththeirland。Rememberthat,sir。

LetDunseyhavethemoney!WhyshouldyouletDunseyhavethemoney?There’ssomelieatthebottomofit。"

"There’snolie,sir,"saidGodfrey。"Iwouldn’thavespentthemoneymyself,butDunseybotheredme,andIwasafool,andlethimhaveit。ButImeanttopayit,whetherhedidornot。That’sthewholestory。Inevermeanttoembezzlemoney,andI’mnotthemantodoit。Youneverknewmedoadishonesttrick,sir。"

"Where’sDunsey,then?Whatdoyoustandtalkingtherefor?GoandfetchDunsey,asItellyou,andlethimgiveaccountofwhathewantedthemoneyfor,andwhathe’sdonewithit。Heshallrepentit。I’llturnhimout。IsaidIwould,andI’lldoit。Heshan’tbraveme。Goandfetchhim。"

"Dunseyisn’tcomeback,sir。"

"What!didhebreakhisownneck,then?"saidtheSquire,withsomedisgustattheideathat,inthatcase,hecouldnotfulfilhisthreat。

"No,hewasn’thurt,Ibelieve,forthehorsewasfounddead,andDunseymusthavewalkedoff。Idaresayweshallseehimagainby—and—by。Idon’tknowwhereheis。"

"Andwhatmustyoubelettinghimhavemymoneyfor?Answermethat,"saidtheSquire,attackingGodfreyagain,sinceDunseywasnotwithinreach。

"Well,sir,Idon’tknow,"saidGodfrey,hesitatingly。Thatwasafeebleevasion,butGodfreywasnotfondoflying,and,notbeingsufficientlyawarethatnosortofduplicitycanlongflourishwithoutthehelpofvocalfalsehoods,hewasquiteunpreparedwithinventedmotives。

"Youdon’tknow?Itellyouwhatitis,sir。You’vebeenuptosometrick,andyou’vebeenbribinghimnottotell,"saidtheSquire,withasuddenacutenesswhichstartledGodfrey,whofelthisheartbeatviolentlyatthenearnessofhisfather’sguess。Thesuddenalarmpushedhimontotakethenextstep——averyslightimpulsesufficesforthatonadownwardroad。

"Why,sir,"hesaid,tryingtospeakwithcarelessease,"itwasalittleaffairbetweenmeandDunsey;it’snomattertoanybodyelse。It’shardlyworthwhiletopryintoyoungmen’sfooleries:itwouldn’thavemadeanydifferencetoyou,sir,ifI’dnothadthebadlucktoloseWildfire。Ishouldhavepaidyouthemoney。"

"Fooleries!Pshaw!it’stimeyou’ddonewithfooleries。AndI’dhaveyouknow,sir,you_must_ha’donewith’em,"saidtheSquire,frowningandcastinganangryglanceathisson。"Yourgoings—onarenotwhatIshallfindmoneyforanylonger。There’smygrandfatherhadhisstablesfullo’horses,andkeptagoodhouse,too,andinworsetimes,bywhatIcanmakeout;andsomightI,ifIhadn’tfourgood—for—nothingfellowstohangonmelikehorse—leeches。I’vebeentoogoodafathertoyouall——that’swhatitis。ButIshallpullup,sir。"

Godfreywassilent。Hewasnotlikelytobeverypenetratinginhisjudgments,buthehadalwayshadasensethathisfather’sindulgencehadnotbeenkindness,andhadhadavaguelongingforsomedisciplinethatwouldhavecheckedhisownerrantweaknessandhelpedhisbetterwill。TheSquireatehisbreadandmeathastily,tookadeepdraughtofale,thenturnedhischairfromthetable,andbegantospeakagain。

"It’llbealltheworseforyou,youknow——you’dneedtryandhelpmekeepthingstogether。"

"Well,sir,I’veoftenofferedtotakethemanagementofthings,butyouknowyou’vetakenitillalways,andseemedtothinkI

wantedtopushyououtofyourplace。"

"Iknownothingo’yourofferingoro’mytakingitill,"saidtheSquire,whosememoryconsistedincertainstrongimpressionsunmodifiedbydetail;"butIknow,onewhileyouseemedtobethinkingo’marrying,andIdidn’toffertoputanyobstaclesinyourway,assomefatherswould。I’daslieveyoumarriedLammeter’sdaughterasanybody。Isuppose,ifI’dsaidyounay,you’dha’keptonwithit;but,forwanto’contradiction,you’vechangedyourmind。You’reashilly—shallyfellow:youtakeafteryourpoormother。Sheneverhadawillofherown;awomanhasnocallforone,ifshe’sgotapropermanforherhusband。But_your_

wifehadneedhaveone,foryouhardlyknowyourownmindenoughtomakebothyourlegswalkoneway。Thelasshasn’tsaiddownrightshewon’thaveyou,hasshe?"

"No,"saidGodfrey,feelingveryhotanduncomfortable;"butI

don’tthinkshewill。"

"Think!whyhaven’tyouthecouragetoaskher?Doyousticktoit,youwanttohave_her_——that’sthething?"

"There’snootherwomanIwanttomarry,"saidGodfrey,evasively。

"Well,then,letmemaketheofferforyou,that’sall,ifyouhaven’ttheplucktodoityourself。Lammeterisn’tlikelytobeloathforhisdaughtertomarryinto_my_family,Ishouldthink。

Andasfortheprettylass,shewouldn’thavehercousin——andthere’snobodyelse,asIsee,couldha’stoodinyourway。"

"I’dratherletitbe,pleasesir,atpresent,"saidGodfrey,inalarm。"Ithinkshe’salittleoffendedwithmejustnow,andI

shouldliketospeakformyself。Amanmustmanagethesethingsforhimself。"

"Well,speak,then,andmanageit,andseeifyoucan’tturnoveranewleaf。That’swhatamanmustdowhenhethinkso’marrying。"

"Idon’tseehowIcanthinkofitatpresent,sir。Youwouldn’tliketosettlemeononeofthefarms,Isuppose,andIdon’tthinkshe’dcometoliveinthishousewithallmybrothers。It’sadifferentsortoflifetowhatshe’sbeenusedto。"

"Notcometoliveinthishouse?Don’ttellme。Youaskher,that’sall,"saidtheSquire,withashort,scornfullaugh。

"I’dratherletthethingbe,atpresent,sir,"saidGodfrey。"I

hopeyouwon’ttrytohurryitonbysayinganything。"

"IshalldowhatIchoose,"saidtheSquire,"andIshallletyouknowI’mmaster;elseyoumayturnoutandfindanestatetodropintosomewhereelse。GooutandtellWinthropnottogotoCox’s,butwaitforme。Andtell’emtogetmyhorsesaddled。Andstop:

lookoutandgetthathacko’Dunsey’ssold,andhandmethemoney,willyou?He’llkeepnomorehacksatmyexpense。Andifyouknowwherehe’ssneaking——Idaresayyoudo——youmaytellhimtosparehimselfthejourneyo’comingbackhome。Lethimturnostler,andkeephimself。Heshan’thangonmeanymore。"

"Idon’tknowwhereheis,sir;andifIdid,itisn’tmyplacetotellhimtokeepaway,"saidGodfrey,movingtowardsthedoor。

"Confoundit,sir,don’tstayarguing,butgoandordermyhorse,"

saidtheSquire,takingupapipe。

Godfreylefttheroom,hardlyknowingwhetherheweremorerelievedbythesensethattheinterviewwasendedwithouthavingmadeanychangeinhisposition,ormoreuneasythathehadentangledhimselfstillfurtherinprevaricationanddeceit。WhathadpassedabouthisproposingtoNancyhadraisedanewalarm,lestbysomeafter—dinnerwordsofhisfather’stoMr。Lammeterheshouldbethrownintotheembarrassmentofbeingobligedabsolutelytodeclineherwhensheseemedtobewithinhisreach。Hefledtohisusualrefuge,thatofhopingforsomeunforeseenturnoffortune,somefavourablechancewhichwouldsavehimfromunpleasantconsequences——

perhapsevenjustifyhisinsinceritybymanifestingitsprudence。

Andinthispointoftrustingtosomethrowoffortune’sdice,Godfreycanhardlybecalledspeciallyold—fashioned。FavourableChance,Ifancy,isthegodofallmenwhofollowtheirowndevicesinsteadofobeyingalawtheybelievein。Letevenapolishedmanofthesedaysgetintoapositionheisashamedtoavow,andhismindwillbebentonallthepossibleissuesthatmaydeliverhimfromthecalculableresultsofthatposition。Lethimliveoutsidehisincome,orshirktheresolutehonestworkthatbringswages,andhewillpresentlyfindhimselfdreamingofapossiblebenefactor,apossiblesimpletonwhomaybecajoledintousinghisinterest,apossiblestateofmindinsomepossiblepersonnotyetforthcoming。

Lethimneglecttheresponsibilitiesofhisoffice,andhewillinevitablyanchorhimselfonthechancethatthethingleftundonemayturnoutnottobeofthesupposedimportance。Lethimbetrayhisfriend’sconfidence,andhewilladorethatsamecunningcomplexitycalledChance,whichgiveshimthehopethathisfriendwillneverknow。Lethimforsakeadecentcraftthathemaypursuethegentilitiesofaprofessiontowhichnaturenevercalledhim,andhisreligionwillinfalliblybetheworshipofblessedChance,whichhewillbelieveinasthemightycreatorofsuccess。Theevilprincipledeprecatedinthatreligionistheorderlysequencebywhichtheseedbringsforthacropafteritskind。

CHAPTERX

JusticeMalamwasnaturallyregardedinTarleyandRaveloeasamanofcapaciousmind,seeingthathecoulddrawmuchwiderconclusionswithoutevidencethancouldbeexpectedofhisneighbourswhowerenotontheCommissionofthePeace。Suchamanwasnotlikelytoneglecttheclueofthetinder—box,andaninquirywassetonfootconcerningapedlar,nameunknown,withcurlyblackhairandaforeigncomplexion,carryingaboxofcutleryandjewellery,andwearinglargeringsinhisears。Buteitherbecauseinquirywastooslow—footedtoovertakehim,orbecausethedescriptionappliedtosomanypedlarsthatinquirydidnotknowhowtochooseamongthem,weekspassedaway,andtherewasnootherresultconcerningtherobberythanagradualcessationoftheexcitementithadcausedinRaveloe。DunstanCass’sabsencewashardlyasubjectofremark:hehadoncebeforehadaquarrelwithhisfather,andhadgoneoff,nobodyknewwhither,toreturnattheendofsixweeks,takeuphisoldquartersunforbidden,andswaggerasusual。Hisownfamily,whoequallyexpectedthisissue,withthesoledifferencethattheSquirewasdeterminedthistimetoforbidhimtheoldquarters,nevermentionedhisabsence;andwhenhisuncleKimbleorMr。Osgoodnoticedit,thestoryofhishavingkilledWildfire,andcommittedsomeoffenceagainsthisfather,wasenoughtopreventsurprise。ToconnectthefactofDunsey’sdisappearancewiththatoftherobberyoccurringonthesameday,layquiteawayfromthetrackofeveryone’sthought——evenGodfrey’s,whohadbetterreasonthananyoneelsetoknowwhathisbrotherwascapableof。Herememberednomentionoftheweaverbetweenthemsincethetime,twelveyearsago,whenitwastheirboyishsporttoderidehim;and,besides,hisimaginationconstantlycreatedan_alibi_forDunstan:hesawhimcontinuallyinsomecongenialhaunt,towhichhehadwalkedoffonleavingWildfire——sawhimspongingonchanceacquaintances,andmeditatingareturnhometotheoldamusementoftormentinghiselderbrother。EvenifanybraininRaveloehadputthesaidtwofactstogether,Idoubtwhetheracombinationsoinjurioustotheprescriptiverespectabilityofafamilywithamuralmonumentandvenerabletankards,wouldnothavebeensuppressedasofunsoundtendency。ButChristmaspuddings,brawn,andabundanceofspirituousliquors,throwingthementaloriginalityintothechannelofnightmare,aregreatpreservativesagainstadangerousspontaneityofwakingthought。

WhentherobberywastalkedofattheRainbowandelsewhere,ingoodcompany,thebalancecontinuedtowaverbetweentherationalexplanationfoundedonthetinder—box,andthetheoryofanimpenetrablemysterythatmockedinvestigation。Theadvocatesofthetinder—box—and—pedlarviewconsideredtheothersideamuddle—headedandcredulousset,who,becausetheythemselveswerewall—eyed,supposedeverybodyelsetohavethesameblankoutlook;

andtheadherentsoftheinexplicablemorethanhintedthattheirantagonistswereanimalsinclinedtocrowbeforetheyhadfoundanycorn——mereskimming—dishesinpointofdepth——whoseclear—sightednessconsistedinsupposingtherewasnothingbehindabarn—doorbecausetheycouldn’tseethroughit;sothat,thoughtheircontroversydidnotservetoelicitthefactconcerningtherobbery,itelicitedsometrueopinionsofcollateralimportance。

ButwhilepoorSilas’slossservedthustobrushtheslowcurrentofRaveloeconversation,Silashimselfwasfeelingthewitheringdesolationofthatbereavementaboutwhichhisneighbourswerearguingattheirease。Toanyonewhohadobservedhimbeforehelosthisgold,itmighthaveseemedthatsowitheredandshrunkenalifeashiscouldhardlybesusceptibleofabruise,couldhardlyendureanysubtractionbutsuchaswouldputanendtoitaltogether。Butinrealityithadbeenaneagerlife,filledwithimmediatepurposewhichfencedhiminfromthewide,cheerlessunknown。Ithadbeenaclinginglife;andthoughtheobjectroundwhichitsfibreshadclungwasadeaddisruptedthing,itsatisfiedtheneedforclinging。Butnowthefencewasbrokendown——thesupportwassnatchedaway。Marner’sthoughtscouldnolongermoveintheiroldround,andwerebaffledbyablanklikethatwhichmeetsaploddingantwhentheearthhasbrokenawayonitshomewardpath。Theloomwasthere,andtheweaving,andthegrowingpatterninthecloth;butthebrighttreasureintheholeunderhisfeetwasgone;theprospectofhandlingandcountingitwasgone:theeveninghadnophantasmofdelighttostillthepoorsoul’scraving。Thethoughtofthemoneyhewouldgetbyhisactualworkcouldbringnojoy,foritsmeagreimagewasonlyafreshreminderofhisloss;andhopewastooheavilycrushedbythesuddenblowforhisimaginationtodwellonthegrowthofanewhoardfromthatsmallbeginning。

Hefilleduptheblankwithgrief。Ashesatweaving,heeverynowandthenmoanedlow,likeoneinpain:itwasthesignthathisthoughtshadcomeroundagaintothesuddenchasm——totheemptyevening—time。Andalltheevening,ashesatinhislonelinessbyhisdullfire,heleanedhiselbowsonhisknees,andclaspedhisheadwithhishands,andmoanedverylow——notasonewhoseekstobeheard。

Andyethewasnotutterlyforsakeninhistrouble。TherepulsionMarnerhadalwayscreatedinhisneighbourswaspartlydissipatedbythenewlightinwhichthismisfortunehadshownhim。Insteadofamanwhohadmorecunningthanhonestfolkscouldcomeby,and,whatwasworse,hadnottheinclinationtousethatcunninginaneighbourlyway,itwasnowapparentthatSilashadnotcunningenoughtokeephisown。Hewasgenerallyspokenofasa"poormushedcreatur";andthatavoidanceofhisneighbours,whichhadbeforebeenreferredtohisill—willandtoaprobableaddictiontoworsecompany,wasnowconsideredmerecraziness。

Thischangetoakindlierfeelingwasshowninvariousways。TheodourofChristmascookingbeingonthewind,itwastheseasonwhensuperfluousporkandblackpuddingsaresuggestiveofcharityinwell—to—dofamilies;andSilas’smisfortunehadbroughthimuppermostinthememoryofhousekeeperslikeMrs。Osgood。

Mr。Crackenthorp,too,whileheadmonishedSilasthathismoneyhadprobablybeentakenfromhimbecausehethoughttoomuchofitandnevercametochurch,enforcedthedoctrinebyapresentofpigs’

pettitoes,wellcalculatedtodissipateunfoundedprejudicesagainsttheclericalcharacter。NeighbourswhohadnothingbutverbalconsolationtogiveshowedadispositionnotonlytogreetSilasanddiscusshismisfortuneatsomelengthwhentheyencounteredhiminthevillage,butalsototakethetroubleofcallingathiscottageandgettinghimtorepeatallthedetailsontheveryspot;andthentheywouldtrytocheerhimbysaying,"Well,MasterMarner,you’renoworseoffnorotherpoorfolks,afterall;andifyouwastobecrippled,theparish’udgiveyoua’lowance。"

Isupposeonereasonwhyweareseldomabletocomfortourneighbourswithourwordsisthatourgoodwillgetsadulterated,inspiteofourselves,beforeitcanpassourlips。Wecansendblackpuddingsandpettitoeswithoutgivingthemaflavourofourownegoism;butlanguageisastreamthatisalmostsuretosmackofamingledsoil。TherewasafairproportionofkindnessinRaveloe;

butitwasoftenofabeeryandbunglingsort,andtooktheshapeleastalliedtothecomplimentaryandhypocritical。

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫,醒来一梦似千年,重生于下堂妃身躯中的她,将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读

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