CHAPTER I.

ationlikethatwhichyouhaveallseenmeunder,sothatthethiefmusthavecomeandgonewhileIwasnotinthebody,butoutofthebody.But,Isayagain,searchmeandmydwelling,forIhavebeennowhereelse.” Thesearchwasmade,anditended—inWilliamDane’sfindingthewell-knownbag,empty,tuckedbehindthechestofdrawersinSilas’schamber!OnthisWilliamexhortedhisfriendtoconfess,andnottohidehissinanylonger.Silasturnedalookofkeenreproachonhim,andsaid,“William,fornineyearsthatwehavegoneinandouttogether,haveyoueverknownmetellalie?ButGodwillclearme.” “Brother,”saidWilliam,“howdoIknowwhatyoumayhavedoneinthesecretchambersofyourheart,togiveSatananadvantageoveryou?” Silaswasstilllookingathisfriend.Suddenlyadeepflushcameoverhisface,andhewasabouttospeakimpetuously,whenheseemedcheckedagainbysomeinwardshock,thatsenttheflushbackandmadehimtremble.Butatlasthespokefeebly,lookingatWilliam. “Iremembernow—theknifewasn’tinmypocket.” Williamsaid,“Iknownothingofwhatyoumean.”Theotherpersonspresent,however,begantoinquirewhereSilasmeanttosaythattheknifewas,buthewouldgivenofurtherexplanation:heonlysaid,“IamsorestrickenIcansaynothing.Godwillclearme.” Ontheirreturntothevestrytherewasfurtherdeliberation.AnyresorttolegalmeasuresforascertainingtheculpritwascontrarytotheprinciplesofthechurchinLanternYard,accordingtowhichprosecutionwasforbiddentoChristians,evenhadthecaseheldlessscandaltothecommunity.Butthememberswereboundtotakeothermeasuresforfindingoutthetruth,andtheyresolvedonprayinganddrawinglots.Thisresolutioncanbeagroundofsurpriseonlytothosewhoareunacquaintedwiththatobscurereligiouslifewhichhasgoneoninthealleysofourtowns.Silaskneltwithhisbrethren,relyingonhisowninnocencebeingcertifiedbyimmediatedivineinterference,butfeelingthattherewassorrowandmourningbehindforhimeventhen—thathistrustinmanhadbeencruellybruised.ThelotsdeclaredthatSilasMarnerwasguilty.Hewassolemnlysuspendedfromchurch-membership,andcalledupontorenderupthestolenmoney:onlyonconfession,asthesignofrepentance,couldhebereceivedoncemorewithinthefoldsofthechurch.Marnerlistenedinsilence.Atlast,wheneveryonerosetodepart,hewenttowardsWilliamDaneandsaid,inavoiceshakenbyagitation— “ThelasttimeIrememberusingmyknife,waswhenItookitouttocutastrapforyou.Idon’trememberputtingitinmypocketagain.Youstolethemoney,andyouhavewovenaplottolaythesinatmydoor.Butyoumayprosper,forallthat:thereisnojustGodthatgovernstheearthrighteously,butaGodoflies,thatbearswitnessagainsttheinnocent.” Therewasageneralshudderatthisblasphemy. Williamsaidmeekly,“IleaveourbrethrentojudgewhetherthisisthevoiceofSatanornot.Icandonothingbutprayforyou,Silas.” PoorMarnerwentoutwiththatdespairinhissoul—thatshakentrustinGodandman,whichislittleshortofmadnesstoalovingnature.Inthebitternessofhiswoundedspirit,hesaidtohimself,“Shewillcastmeofftoo.”Andhereflectedthat,ifshedidnotbelievethetestimonyagainsthim,herwholefaithmustbeupsetashiswas.Topeopleaccustomedtoreasonabouttheformsinwhichtheirreligiousfeelinghasincorporateditself,itisdifficulttoenterintothatsimple,untaughtstateofmindinwhichtheformandthefeelinghaveneverbeenseveredbyanactofreflection.WeareapttothinkitinevitablethatamaninMarner’spositionshouldhavebeguntoquestionthevalidityofanappealtothedivinejudgmentbydrawinglotsbuttohimthiswouldhavebeenaneffortofindependentthoughtsuchashehadneverknownandhemusthavemadetheeffortatamomentwhenallhisenergieswereturnedintotheanguishofdisappointedfaith.Ifthereisanangelwhorecordsthesorrowsofmenaswellastheirsins,heknowshowmanyanddeeparethesorrowsthatspringfromfalseideasforwhichnomanisculpable. Marnerwenthome,andforawholedaysatalone,stunnedbydespair,withoutanyimpulsetogotoSarahandattempttowinherbeliefinhisinnocence.Theseconddayhetookrefugefrombenumbingunbelief,bygettingintohisloomandworkingawayasusualandbeforemanyhourswerepast,theministerandoneofthedeaconscametohimwiththemessagefromSarah,thatsheheldherengagementtohimatanend.Silasreceivedthemessagemutely,andthenturnedawayfromthemessengerstoworkathisloomagain.Inlittlemorethanamonthfromthattime,SarahwasmarriedtoWilliamDaneandnotlongafterwardsitwasknowntothebrethreninLanternYardthatSilasMarnerhaddepartedfromthetown.