CHAPTER XIII.

.” “Poorlittlething!”saidGodfrey.“Letmegivesomethingtowardsfindingitclothes.” Hehadputhishandinhispocketandfoundhalf-a-guinea,and,thrustingitintoSilas’shand,hehurriedoutofthecottagetoovertakeMr.Kimble. “Ah,Iseeit’snotthesamewomanIsaw,”hesaid,ashecameup.“It’saprettylittlechild:theoldfellowseemstowanttokeepitthat’sstrangeforamiserlikehim.ButIgavehimatrifletohelphimout:theparishisn’tlikelytoquarrelwithhimfortherighttokeepthechild.” “NobutI’veseenthetimewhenImighthavequarrelledwithhimforitmyself.It’stoolatenow,though.Ifthechildranintothefire,youraunt’stoofattoovertakeit:shecouldonlysitandgruntlikeanalarmedsow.Butwhatafoolyouare,Godfrey,tocomeoutinyourdancingshoesandstockingsinthisway—andyouoneofthebeauxoftheevening,andatyourownhouse!Whatdoyoumeanbysuchfreaks,youngfellow?HasMissNancybeencruel,anddoyouwanttospiteherbyspoilingyourpumps?” “Oh,everythinghasbeendisagreeableto-night.Iwastiredtodeathofjiggingandgallanting,andthatbotheraboutthehornpipes.AndI’dgottodancewiththeotherMissGunn,”saidGodfrey,gladofthesubterfugehisunclehadsuggestedtohim. Theprevaricationandwhitelieswhichamindthatkeepsitselfambitiouslypureisasuneasyunderasagreatartistunderthefalsetouchesthatnoeyedetectsbuthisown,arewornaslightlyasmeretrimmingswhenoncetheactionshavebecomealie. GodfreyreappearedintheWhiteParlourwithdryfeet,and,sincethetruthmustbetold,withasenseofreliefandgladnessthatwastoostrongforpainfulthoughtstostrugglewith.Forcouldhenotventurenow,wheneveropportunityoffered,tosaythetenderestthingstoNancyLammeter—topromiseherandhimselfthathewouldalwaysbejustwhatshewoulddesiretoseehim?Therewasnodangerthathisdeadwifewouldberecognized:thosewerenotdaysofactiveinquiryandwidereportandasfortheregistryoftheirmarriage,thatwasalongwayoff,buriedinunturnedpages,awayfromeveryone’sinterestbuthisown.DunseymightbetrayhimifhecamebackbutDunseymightbewontosilence. Andwheneventsturnoutsomuchbetterforamanthanhehashadreasontodread,isitnotaproofthathisconducthasbeenlessfoolishandblameworthythanitmightotherwisehaveappeared?Whenwearetreatedwell,wenaturallybegintothinkthatwearenotaltogetherunmeritorious,andthatitisonlyjustweshouldtreatourselveswell,andnotmarourowngoodfortune.Where,afterall,wouldbetheuseofhisconfessingthepasttoNancyLammeter,andthrowingawayhishappiness?—nay,hers?forhefeltsomeconfidencethatshelovedhim.Asforthechild,hewouldseethatitwascaredfor:hewouldneverforsakeithewoulddoeverythingbutownit.Perhapsitwouldbejustashappyinlifewithoutbeingownedbyitsfather,seeingthatnobodycouldtellhowthingswouldturnout,andthat—isthereanyotherreasonwanted?—well,then,thatthefatherwouldbemuchhappierwithoutowningthechild.