CHAPTER VIII.

WhenGodfreyCassreturnedfromMrs.Osgood’spartyatmidnight,hewasnotmuchsurprisedtolearnthatDunseyhadnotcomehome.PerhapshehadnotsoldWildfire,andwaswaitingforanotherchance—perhaps,onthatfoggyafternoon,hehadpreferredhousinghimselfattheRedLionatBatherleyforthenight,iftherunhadkepthiminthatneighbourhoodforhewasnotlikelytofeelmuchconcernaboutleavinghisbrotherinsuspense.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,fortheonlyonehehadeverhadwasstillstandingonhisshelfandtheinferencegenerallyacceptedwas,thatthetinder-boxintheditchwassomehowconnectedwiththerobbery.Asmallminorityshooktheirheads,andintimatedtheiropinionthatitwasnotarobberytohavemuchlightthrownonitbytinder-boxes,thatMasterMarner’stalehadaqueerlookwithit,andthatsuchthingshadbeenknownasaman’sdoinghimselfamischief,andthensettingthejusticetolookforthedoer.Butwhenquestionedcloselyastotheirgroundsforthisopinion,andwhatMasterMarnerhadtogainbysuchfalsepretences,theyonlyshooktheirheadsasbefore,andobservedthattherewasnoknowingwhatsomefolkscountedgainmoreover,thateverybodyhadarighttotheirownopinions,groundsornogrounds,andthattheweaver,aseverybodyknew,waspartlycrazy.Mr.Macey,thoughhejoinedinthedefenceofMarneragainstallsuspicionsofdeceit,alsopooh-poohedthetinder-boxindeed,repudiateditasaratherimpioussuggestion,tendingtoimplythateverythingmustbedonebyhumanhands,andthattherewasnopowerwhichcouldmakeawaywiththeguineaswithoutmovingthebricks.Nevertheless,heturnedroundrathersharplyonMr.Tookey,whenthezealousdeputy,feelingthatthiswasaviewofthecasepeculiarlysuitedtoaparish-clerk,carrieditstillfarther,anddoubtedwhetheritwasrighttoinquireintoarobberyatallwhenthecircumstancesweresomysterious. “Asif,”concludedMr.Tookey—“asiftherewasnothingbutwhatcouldbemadeoutbyjusticesandconstables.” “Now,don’tyoubeforovershootingthemark,Tookey,”saidMr.Macey,noddinghisheadasideadmonishingly.“That’swhatyou’reallaysatifIthrowastoneandhit,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,amanaccustom