CHAPTER XIII.

Itwasaftertheearlysupper-timeattheRedHouse,andtheentertainmentwasinthatstagewhenbashfulnessitselfhadpassedintoeasyjollity,whengentlemen,consciousofunusualaccomplishments,couldatlengthbeprevailedontodanceahornpipe,andwhentheSquirepreferredtalkingloudly,scatteringsnuff,andpattinghisvisitors’backs,tosittinglongeratthewhist-table—achoiceexasperatingtouncleKimble,who,beingalwaysvolatileinsoberbusinesshours,becameintenseandbitterovercardsandbrandy,shuffledbeforehisadversary’sdealwithaglareofsuspicion,andturnedupameantrump-cardwithanairofinexpressibledisgust,asifinaworldwheresuchthingscouldhappenonemightaswellenteronacourseofrecklessprofligacy.Whentheeveninghadadvancedtothispitchoffreedomandenjoyment,itwasusualfortheservants,theheavydutiesofsupperbeingwellover,togettheirshareofamusementbycomingtolookonatthedancingsothatthebackregionsofthehousewereleftinsolitude. ThereweretwodoorsbywhichtheWhiteParlourwasenteredfromthehall,andtheywerebothstandingopenforthesakeofairbuttheloweronewascrowdedwiththeservantsandvillagers,andonlytheupperdoorwaywasleftfree.BobCasswasfiguringinahornpipe,andhisfather,veryproudofthislitheson,whomherepeatedlydeclaredtobejustlikehimselfinhisyoungdaysinatonethatimpliedthistobetheveryhigheststampofjuvenilemerit,wasthecentreofagroupwhohadplacedthemselvesoppositetheperformer,notfarfromtheupperdoor.Godfreywasstandingalittlewayoff,nottoadmirehisbrother’sdancing,buttokeepsightofNancy,whowasseatedinthegroup,nearherfather.Hestoodaloof,becausehewishedtoavoidsuggestinghimselfasasubjectfortheSquire’sfatherlyjokesinconnectionwithmatrimonyandMissNancyLammeter’sbeauty,whichwerelikelytobecomemoreandmoreexplicit.Buthehadtheprospectofdancingwithheragainwhenthehornpipewasconcluded,andinthemeanwhileitwasverypleasanttogetlongglancesatherquiteunobserved. ButwhenGodfreywasliftinghiseyesfromoneofthoselongglances,theyencounteredanobjectasstartlingtohimatthatmomentasifithadbeenanapparitionfromthedead.Itwasanapparitionfromthathiddenlifewhichlies,likeadarkby-street,behindthegoodlyornamentedfacadethatmeetsthesunlightandthegazeofrespectableadmirers.Itwashisownchild,carriedinSilasMarner’sarms.Thatwashisinstantaneousimpression,unaccompaniedbydoubt,thoughhehadnotseenthechildformonthspastandwhenthehopewasrisingthathemightpossiblybemistaken,Mr.CrackenthorpandMr.LammeterhadalreadyadvancedtoSilas,inastonishmentatthisstrangeadvent.Godfreyjoinedthemimmediately,unabletorestwithouthearingeveryword—tryingtocontrolhimself,butconsciousthatifanyonenoticedhim,theymustseethathewaswhite-lippedandtrembling. ButnowalleyesatthatendoftheroomwerebentonSilasMarnertheSquirehimselfhadrisen,andaskedangrily