CHAPTER X.

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,nevermentionedhisabsenceandwhenhisuncleKimbleorMr.Osgoodnoticedit,thestoryofhishavingkilledWildfire,andcommittedsomeoffenceagainsthisfather,wasenoughtopreventsurprise.ToconnectthefactofDunsey’sdisappearancewiththatoftherobberyoccurringonthesameday,layquiteawayfromthetrackofeveryone’sthought—evenGodfrey’s,whohadbetterreasonthananyoneelsetoknowwhathisbrotherwascapableof.Herememberednomentionoftheweaverbetweenthemsincethetime,twelveyearsago,whenitwastheirboyishsporttoderidehimand,besides,hisimaginationconstantlycreatedanalibiforDunstan: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,supposedeverybodyelsetohavethesameblankoutlookandtheadherentsoftheinexplicablemorethanhintedthattheirantagonistswereanimalsinclinedtocrowbeforetheyhadfoundanycorn—mereskimming-dishesinpointofdepth—whoseclear-sightednessconsistedinsupposingtherewasnothingbehindabarn-doorbecausetheycouldn’tseethroughitsothat,thoughtheircontroversydidnotservetoelicitthefactconcerningtherobbery,itelicitedsometrueopinionsofcollateralimportance. ButwhilepoorSilas’slossservedthustobrushtheslowcurrentofRaveloeconversation,Silashimselfwasfeelingthewitheringdesolationofthatbereavementaboutwhichhisneighbourswerearguingattheirease.Toanyonewhohadobservedhimbeforehelosthisgold,itmighthaveseemedthatsowitheredandshrunkenalifeashiscouldhardlybesusceptibleofabruise,couldhardlyendureanysubtractionbutsuchaswouldputanendtoitaltogether.Butinrealityithadbeenaneagerlife,filledwithimmediatepurposewhichfencedhiminfromthewide,cheerlessunknown.Ithadbeenaclinginglifeandthoughtheobjectroundwhichitsfibreshadclungwasadeaddisruptedthing,itsatisfiedtheneedforclinging.Butnowthefencewasbrokendown—thesupportwassnatchedaway.Marner’sthoughtscouldnolongermoveintheiroldround,andwerebaffledbyablanklikethatwhichmeetsaploddingantwhentheearthhasbrokenawayonitshomewardpath.Theloomwasthere,andtheweaving,andthegrowingpatternintheclothbutthebrighttreasureintheholeunderhisfeetwasgonetheprospectofhandlingandcountingitwasgone:theeveninghadnophantasmofdelighttostillthepoorsoul’scraving.Thethoughtofthemoneyhewouldgetbyhisactualworkcouldbringnojoy,foritsmeagreimagewasonlyafreshreminderofhislossandhopewastooheavilycrushedbythesuddenblowforhisimaginationtodwellonthegrowthofanewhoardfromthatsmallbeginning. 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-dofamiliesandSilas’smisfortunehadbroughthimuppermostinthememoryofhousekeeperslikeMrs.Osgood.Mr.Crackenthorp,too,whileheadmonishedSilasthathismoneyhadprobablybeentakenfromhimbecauseheth