About the Novel
Silas Marner was Eliot’s third novel and is among the best known of her works. Many of the novel’s themes and concerns stem from Eliot’s own life experiences. Silas’s loss of religious faith recalls Eliot’s own struggle with her faith, and the novel’s setting in the vanishing English countryside reflects Eliot’s concern that England was fast becoming industrialised and impersonal. The novel’s concern with class and family can likewise be linked back to Eliot’s own life. The voice of the novel’s narrator can thus, to some extent, be seen as Eliot’s own voice—one tinged with slight condescension, but fond of the setting and thoroughly empathetic with the characters. Though Silas Mamer is in a sense a very personal novel for Eliot, its treatment of the themes of faith, family, and class has nonetheless given it universal appeal, especially at the time of publication, when English society and institutions were undergoing rapid change.
Major Characters
Silas Marner: The protagonist of the novel by same name, Silas is a simple, honest, and kind- hearted weaver. He is described as a pallid, bent man with bulging eyes and poor eyesight.
He is framed for the crime he did not commit by his closest friend, William Dane. This hurts Silas very deeply. As a result, he loses faith in both God and other men. Shunned from his hometown, Lantern Yard, he comes to live in Raveloe.
He lives there as a solitary miser for fifteen years, dedicating his time and energy to his work and his hoard of gold. Catastrophe strikes and his money is stolen. He is devastated for the second time. But, a small fair-haired girl, Eppie, enters his life and restores his faith and trust. He raises her lovingly and she becomes more precious to him than his lost gold which is restored by his adopted daughter, Eppie.
Eppie: She is Silas Marner’s adopted daughter who fills the void left in his heart after the betrayal of his closest friend and, later, the theft of his gold.
She is the child of Godfrey Cass and his secret wife, Molly Farren. Eppie is beautiful and lively and loves Silas unconditionally. When, towards the end of the narrative, she discovers her real father, she chooses to stay with Silas for he is the only family she has known since she was two years old.
Godfrey Cass: He is the eldest son of Squire Cass. He is good-natured but selfish and weak- willed. Godfrey is secretly married to Molly Farren and has a daughter with her. He is the biological father of Eppie.
He loves Nancy Lammeter and wishes to marry her. However, his secret marriage is an obstacle; his younger brother, Dunstan (or Dunsey) Cass, uses this information to blackmail him. Godfrey lacks the moral courage to face the situation and allows himself to be used by Dunstan.
Dunstan (Dunsey) Cass: He is the Squire’s younger son. He is a cruel, lazy, manipulative and greedy person, ready to do or say anything to get what he wants. He blackmails his brother, Godfrey, by threatening to spill the beans about the latter’s secret marriage. He convinces his brother to sell off his favourite horse, Wildfire. He strikes a good bargain for the animal with Bryce, but his foolish greed gets the animal killed.
While returning home, he stops by at Silas’s cottage and steals his money. He disappears after the act and his dead body is found years later when Stone-pits is drained.
Dolly Winthrop: She is the wife of the wheelwright, Ben Winthrop, and the mother of Aaron. Dolly Winthrop takes it upon herself to help Silas raise Eppie. She persuades Silas to trust in God always.
Dolly later becomes Eppie’s godmother and mother-in-law. She is kind and patient, and is devoutly religious. She becomes Eppie’s godmother and later, her mother-in-law.
Squire Cass: He is the richest man in Raveloe. The Squire is described as lazy, complacent, selfish and short-tempered. He is the father of Godfrey and Dunstan. However, he seems to care more for his money than his sons. He allows them to do whatever they please as long as they do not involve his tenants in any way.
Molly Farren: She is Godfrey’s secret wife and Eppie’s mother. She was a pretty woman when Godfrey first met her; however, addiction to opium and alcohol destroys her completely. She becomes vengeful and is determined to reveal the secret of their marriage to the Squire. However, she dies before she can reach the latter and tell her tale.
Nancy Lammeter: Nancy is Mr. Lammeter’s daughter and Godfrey’s sweetheart whom he eventually marries after the death of Molly. She is described a pretty and caring person with a remarkable strength of character and high principles.
She refuses to adopt a child after the death of their only child. But, when she comes to know of the secret marriage of her husband and the child from that marriage, she willingly agrees to accept Eppie and take her home.
Priscilla Lammeter: She is Nancy’s elder sister and is very homely and plainspoken. She is very good at everything she does. In fact, she is the one who manages Mr. Lammeter’s farm and dairy. A cheerful and wise spinster, Priscilla, has the ability to laugh at herself.
Aaron Winthrop: He is the son of Dolly and Ben Winthrop. He promises to help Silas and Eppie , with their garden and other household chores. At the end of the narrative, he marries Eppie.
William Dane: He is the friend Silas was closest to when he was in Lantern Yard. In spite of their ‘friendship, William frames Silas in a theft to disgrace him and to marry his (Silas’s) fiancée. He reveals himself as a scheming person who can go to any lengths to get what he wants.
Minor Characters
Ben Winthrop: He is the wheelwright of Raveloe. He is Dolly’s husband and Aaron’s father. He is a happy, jovial man and enjoys company and drinks at the Rainbow.
Bob Cass: Bob is one of the younger brothers of Godfrey Cass.
Bob Lundy: He is the butcher. He is a good-natured, reserved person.
Bryce: Bryce is friend to both Godfrey and Dunsey. He agrees to buy Godfrey’s horse at a good price. He is also the one who informs Godfrey about how Wildfire died.
Dr. and Mrs. Kimble: Dr. Kimble is the village physician. Every one addresses him as ‘Doctor’ even though he does not have a degree. He inherits this position from his father. He is Godfrey’s uncle and godfather. He loves to talk but becomes irritable while playing cards. Mrs. Kimble is the sister of Squire Cass. She is a stout woman, has a good nature and is very proud of her husband.
Fowler: Fowler is Squire Cass’s tenant. He paid his dues to Godfrey, who in turn gave it to Dunstan.
Jem Rodney: He is a habituaj. poacher and has a very bad reputation. He once witnesses Silas in the midst of one of his cataleptic fits. Silas accuses him of stealing his gold.
Miss Gunns: The Gunn Sisters come to the Squire’s New Year’s dance from a neighbouring town. They look down upon Raveloe’s rustic ways; despite that, they remain impressed by Nancy Lammeter’s beauty.
Mr. Crackenthorp: He is the rector of the Raveloe church.
Mrs. Crackenthorp: She is his wife who is “a small blinking woman who fidgeted incessantly.”
Mr. Dowlas: He is the blacksmith of the town. His job is to shoe the horses and tend to livestock diseases. He is too full of himself and considers himself a strict rationalist.
Mr. Lammeter: Mr. Lammeter is proud and uncompromising. He is Nancy’s and Priscilla’s father.
Mr. Macey: A tailor by profession, he is the parish clerk of Raveloe. Mr. Macey is a well-meaning person but is biased and smug.
He .visits Silas soon after the theft and assures him that he will find his money. At the end of the narrative, he witnesses the bridal party and is pleased to know that his assurance about the gold came true.
Mr. and Mrs. Osgood: Mr. Osgood is the maternal uncle of Nancy and Priscilla. His sister had married Mr. Lammeter.
Mrs. Osgood is very close to Nancy.
Mr. Snell: He is the landlord of the local tavern, the Rainbow. He has a very conciliatory disposition and always tries to resolve conflicts and settle arguments.
Mr. Tookey: He is the assistant tailor and deputy clerk. His job is to aid Mr. Macey. He is also the target of sarcasm from others.
Sally Oates: Sally is the cobbler’s wife. She is suffering from a heart disease and dropsy. Silas sees her and is reminded of his mother’s suffering. He eases her pain with a concoction of foxglove.
Sarah: Silas’s fiancée in Lantern Yard. Sarah gets put off by Silas’s cataleptic fits and breaks off her engagement after Silas is accused. She marries William Dane.
Solomon Macey: Solomon is a famous fiddler and the brother of the tailor/parish clerk, Mr. Macey.
The Pedlar: An anonymous person who comes through Raveloe shortly before the theft of Silas’s money. He becomes a suspect because of his tinderbox.
Summary of the Novel
Silas is a weaver living in a manufacturing city in the north of England. He and his friends are Dissenters, Christians who don’t belong to the state-sponsored Anglican Church that was (and is) dominant in England. Things are good. He’s got a best friend named William Dane, a best girl named Sarah, and the only minor issue is that he occasionally spaces out—like, really spaces out, to the point that he doesn’t know what’s going on around him.
And then he’s accused of theft. The group kicks him out, and Silas makes his way south to the Midlands, where he sets up his loom and settles down in the village of Raveloe. Business is good, but the villagers think he’s a weird loner. For fifteen whole years, he weaves and holds nightly sessions with his growing hoard of money.
Meanwhile, things aren’t going well for Raveloe’s wealthy family up at the Red House. The head of the family, old Mr. Cass, is a jerk, and he’s got a jerky younger son, Dunstan. His older son, Godfrey is secretly married to the opium-addled Molly. This is depressing to Godfrey, because these are pre-regular divorce days, and he’s got his eye on another girl, Nancy Lammeter.
When the main action of the story opens, Dunstan convinces Godfrey to sell his horse to pay a debt, and even offers to sell it for him. Big mistake, Godfrey. Before getting the money, Dunstan takes the horse off hunting, but he makes a stupid move and the horse ends up dead. As Dustan is walking home, he spies Silas’s cottage and has the bright idea to steal the money everyone suspects Silas has.
Silas, who can’t catch a break and knows it, promptly sinks into depression. He’s depressed all through Christmas, and then New Year arrives. Up at the Red House, Mr. Cass is giving his big annual party. Godfrey recklessly flirts with Nancy. Dunstan is nowhere to be found, and hasn’t been for a while.
Down near the Stone-Pits by Silas’s cottage, Molly trudges along the snow-covered road carrying a child. She takes some opium (dumb), sits down under a bush (dumb), and falls asleep (really, really dumb, but also sad). The child wakes up and toddles off, accidentally—or miraculously?— deciding to cuddle up in front of Silas’s hearth.
Silas refuses to let anyone take the child: she’s his replacement for the gold. Cue the life-changing montage. Silas takes advice from his neighbours, has her baptised, and stops hoarding for the sake of hoarding. The next sixteen years pass in a haze of neighbourly good-feeling and childish hijinks.
When Part two opens, we meet a grown-up Eppie. She’s eighteen, adorable, and everyone loves her, most especially Dolly Winthrop’s son Aaron. But all is not well up at the Red House: Godfrey and Nancy are childless. One day, Godfrey comes to give Nancy some news: first, they’ve found Dunstan. He was lying drowned at the bottom of the quarry, which has been drained as a nearby landowner improves his land. Second, Dunstan had stolen Silas’s money, and the money has now been returned to Silas. Third, Eppie is Godfrey’s child.
Nancy and Godfrey offer to adopt Eppie, but she refuses. She loves Silas, she loves the villagers, and she’s going to marry Aaron. The novel ends with a wedding. As Aaron, Silas, and Eppie— who would be unbearably annoying, if she weren’t fictional—enter their little cottage, Eppie sighs with happiness.
Chaperwise Summary
PART-I
Chapter-1
Once upon a time it was a common sight to see men bent under heavy bags in country areas. They were weavers who came from distant places. There was general distrust towards them because they were not “born and bred in a visible manner.” Silas Marner was one such weaver who lived near Raveloe. The village boys were scared of his pale face and protruding eyes. The adults did not like him either, thanks to the rumours that he had some strange powers. In fact, Jem Rodney once saw him standing as stiff as a dead man only to recover and walk away after sometime. Silas had also cured Sally Oates when she was sick. In other words, people considered it best to be on his good side.
Silas came to Raveloe fifteen years earlier from a city to the north. He had been a faithful member of a religious sect in Lantern Yard. His initial fits of unconsciousness were seen as an indication of special grace. He had a very close friend, William Dane; they were so close that they were called David and Jonathon. This friendship did not cool down even after Silas’ engagement to a young serving woman. However, William did think that his fit was a visitation of Satan and Silas was pained by this.
It was at this time that the senior deacon fell ill and members of the congregation took turns to look after him. The deacon died during Silas’ turn. The latter went to seek help, but not finding any, he went to work. The minister, along with William, came to him to take him to the vestry. It was disclosed that a bag of money had been taken from the deacon’s bureau and Silas’ knife had been found there. The empty bag was found in his room after a search. It was then that Silas remembered the time he had last used the knife – it was to cut a strap for William. He said nothing.
The church members decided to draw lots to see whether Silas told the truth. He was declared guilty. He was so disappointed and disillusioned that he declared that there was no just God. He accused William of the theft, but to no avail. Sarah broke their engagement just as he had expected.
She married William Dane a month later and Silas left Lantern Yard forever.
Chapter-2
After he left Lantern Yard, Marner settled down in the village of Raveloe. This place was completely opposite to Lantern Yard. It was a land of plenty, without any of the austerities, seriousness of devout churchgoers on Lantern Yard.
William Dane’s betrayal left Silas in a state of shock. He, therefore, sought solace in his loom where he worked day and night. He continued in the same fashion when he settled in Raveloe. The table-linen that he finished for Mrs. Osgood earned him five gold guineas; thus a new and powerful force entered his life.
In his initial days at Raveloe he did get opportunities for to meet people and make friends with them. Once he saw the cobbler’s wife in a fit of dropsy. He recognised the symptoms since his mother had died in the same manner. Silas was able to heal her using his knowledge of herbs that he had got from his mother. The people came to a conclusion that Silas must be an occult healer and began to go to him for healing. Silas, however, refused their requests hence they thought he did not want to help them.
In the midst of isolation Silas did retain a tiny amount of affection. He had a brown earthenware pot that he used to keep water. He was very affectionate towards it. But, one day, while returning from the well, he stumbled on a stile and dropped his pot. It broke into three pieces. He gathered the fragments, put them together and placed them thus restored pot in its usual place as a memorial. In any case, all the time that he spent in Raveloe, his existence revolved around weaving and hoarding his coins.
Chapter-3
This chapter introduces and describes the Cass family headed by Squire Cass. They came from an important and a very wealthy noble lineage. Godfrey and Dunstan were two of the four sons of the Squire. While Dunstan was Considered the mischievous one, Godfrey was seen to be following in his brother’s footsteps of late. There was no love lost between the brothers. However, they realised that they need each other for their own selfish motives.
Dunstan hinted at Godfrey’s dark secret – his marriage to “a drunken woman,” Molly Farren, without the knowledge of his father. Godfrey was now in love with Nancy Lammeter, but could not marry her, or even express his feelings to her. Moreover, he seemed to be in financial trouble, having borrowed money from his father’s tenant.
Dunstan used this information as a leverage to blackmail Godfrey into doing him favours. He succeeded in convincing his brother to sell his prized horse, Wildfire, in order to settle the debt.
Godfrey pondered upon his situation at the end of the chapter – “The yoke a man creates for himself by wrong-doing will breed hate in the kindliest nature…” It seemed that this “good- humoured, affectionate-hearted” young man “was fast becoming a bitter man.
Chapter-4
Dunstan Cass set off early to sell Wildfire. On his way he contemplated the prospect of suggesting Godfrey to persuade Silas to lend of money from the gold he has been hoarding over the years. He was able to negotiate a good price for the horse; but, while on his way to delivering the animal at the appointed place, he decided to win some money by participating in a hunt with dogs. Unfortunately for him, tragedy struck during the hunt — while jumping a fence. Wildfire got pierced with a hedge-stake and died immediately. There was nothing left for Dunstan but to walk home. He passed by Silas’ house and thought of persuading the old, lonely weaver to loan him some of his gold. He knocked but soon realised that no one was at home. He entered to find himself greeted by a warm fire. He looked around for Marner’s gold since he knew that weavers hoard their money. He removed some sandy bricks only to discover bags of Silas’ gold. He picked them and walked out into the darkness.
Chapter-5
Silas returned shortly afterwards after finishing an errand. He was looking forward to his tasty dinner. He entered the cottage that he had left unattended and unlocked and found everything in its place. The roast-meat wasn’t ready yet so he decided to take out his gold. He checked under the bricks but it was not there. He was horrified to find it gone. He looked for it again and again, all over the place, but to no avail. He considered the hand of some supernatural power that had come to torment him again.
He began to work at his loom when the thought of a robbery came to him. Nothing had happened to his treasure in the past fifteen years. But, with this new idea, the name of Jem Rodney as the thief came to his mind.
No sooner did he think about this, he set out for the Rainbow, hoping to meet the powerful people of Raveloe, Squire Cass being one of them, and try to get his money back. But, none of them were there that night since they were attending Mrs. Osgood’s birthday dance.
Chapter-6
The common people of Raveloe had gathered at the Rainbow; the rich and the powerful were enjoying themselves at Mrs. Osgood’s birthday party. Mr. Snell, the landlord, was good at starting conversations. Soon the men gathered at the Rainbow were having a lively discussion about a cow, which had been chopped up by the butcher the day before. This led to a talk about its owner, Mr. Lammeter, and the conversation was diverted to the Lammeter family.
The chapter introduces a host of characters, namely Mr. Snell, Mr. Macey, the farrier, the butcher and many others.
Chapter-7
Silas entered the Rainbow and told the people gathered there about the robbery at his house. This was the first time some of those gathered had seen Silas in a public place and they remained sceptic about his story. Others, however, felt quite sorry for him and offered to help in any way they can.
The author indicates at a positive change in Silas as he began to grow socially in this chapter. Thanks to his need to denounce the robbery and recover his gold he was forced to communicate with the people of Raveloe. They, in their turn, warmed up to the solitary weaver, comforted him and promised help in the matter.
They reflected upon the situation as a group and decided to appoint someone as a deputy- constable in the place of the sick constable. After a heated argument as to who will become the deputy-clerk, it was decided that Mr. Snell and Mr. Dowlas would go with Silas to investigate the crime.
Chapter-8
Godfrey returned from the party in high spirits. He did not see his brother, but that did not upset him. The next morning, the entire town of Raveloe was seen involved with the robbery at Silas’ house. Everyone was either talking about it or doing something to find the truth. Squire Cass, Mr. Crackenthorp, even Godfrey himself were equally busy with the robbery. Mr. Snell discovered a tinderbox not very far from Silas’ cottage and the needle of suspicion shifted to a pedlar who was seen in the neighbourhood some days ago.
Godfrey began to lose his peace of mind at his brother’s continued absence. Unable to wait any more, he began riding towards Batherley. He feared that Dunstan had sold off his horse and fled with the money. He met Bryce on the way who updated him with the news of Wildfire’s death.
Godfrey now found himself in a difficult situation and decided to confess everything to this father next morning. He convinced himself that that was the best thing to do. However, he couldn’t muster up enough courage to speak to his father and decided to let the situation remain the way it was.
Chapter-9
The chapter begins with a detailed description of Squire Cass. He was very proud of his family lineage and was deeply concerned about its integrity. Godfrey found him having his breakfast when he went to tell him about Wildfire. The Squire informed him that he was sending Winthrop to Fowler for the money. At this Godfrey admitted to having taken the money from the latter. He had however given it to Dunstan. The Squire became angry at this and demanded to see his younger son to find out what he needed the money for. On being told that he hadn’t returned, the Squire asks Godfrey to tell him not to come back.
Godfrey assured him that he would pay off the debt but the Squire began enquiring about his intentions of marrying Nancy Lammeter. He wanted to know if his son had proposed to her still and offered to talk to her father. Godfrey requested him to let the things be and that he would do the required thing himself.
Chapter-10
No progress had been made regarding the robbery. The tinderbox, though seemingly important, ceased to be a topic of conversation. People didn’t seem overly worried about Dunstan.
Silas had become a more confused man and felt even more desolate. He spent a good part of his day bent over in a chair, with his hands holding his head. The loom was there, the work was happening but there was no prospect in his life – so he felt. His neighbours began to be less suspicious of him but considered him crazier than ever.
He ignored the idea of going to church in spite of Mr. Macey’s and Dolly Winthrop’s coaxing. He still didn’t believe in religion. And so, he found himself all alone on the Christmas day.
Chapter-11
The chapter began with a description of Nancy Lammeter. She was beautiful and had a very prim character. She was unhappy that Godfrey was leading her on. Not knowing about his secret marriage, his behaviour confused her.
The chapter is dedicated to the merrymaking at the New Year’s party at the Red House. There are descriptions of ladies dressing up for the party, the gossips they exchange with each other. Dance follows the dinner and Godfrey dances with Nancy.
Chapter-12
It was the New Year’s Eve. Godfrey was happy in Nancy’s company. Unknown to him, his wife, Molly, was on her way to Raveloe with her child. She had planned to fling a surprise at the Cass family. This was a “premeditated act of vengeance which she had kept in her heart ever since Godfrey, in a fit of passion, had told her he would sooner die than acknowledge her as his wife.”
She walked all the way to Raveloe in the bitter cold. Overcome with exhaustion, she took a sip of alcohol and lay down to rest on the snow bank. The sleeping child woke up and crawled out of her arms and entered Silas’ house through the open door. Once there, the child settled in front of the warm fire and slept.
Silas had had one of his fits and was unaware of the child entering his house. When he came around he found her sleeping in front of the fire. Presently, the child opened her eyes and began to cry. Silas warmed up some porridge and fed her tenderly. Then, he went out to see where the child had come from and stumbles upon the frozen body of the mother.
Chapter-13
Silas took the child in his arms and marched to the Red House in search of a doctor. He feared that the mother of the child is dead. He told everyone how he found the baby on his hearth and how he discovered the mother’s frozen body outside the cottage. Godfrey saw him first and was astonished to see his child with the weaver. Upon listening to his words, he realised that this woman was Molly, his wife. There was some suggestion that Silas should leave the child with the women who did not go down well with him. He realised that he had become attached to the baby in such a short time. He said “I can’t part with it, I can’t let it go.”
The search party accompanied Silas and the child back to his cottage. The doctor pronounced the woman dead after examining her. Godfrey, who had accompanied the search party, went to see the woman to ensure that she was his wife. He returned happily in the knowledge that now he could propose to Nancy. What is more? He wouldn’t have to father his daughter as Silas had made it absolutely clear that he would keep her with him. Godfrey promised to himself that he would ensure she was taken care of.
Chapter-14
Silas began a new life with the child. Some found it odd to see a tramp raise a little child but nobody prevented him from doing so. Dolly Winthrop became a willing assistant to Silas for the upbringing of the child and eventually became her godmother. She convinced Silas for the christening of the child. It was done and the child got a name – Eppie.
Silas had found another obsession after his gold – Eppie and her welfare. She, in turn, just adored him and warmed ” him into joy because she had joy.” He also began to attend the church in Raveloe, a thing that he hadn’t done since Lantern Yard.
Chapter-15
Godfrey kept an eye on how Eppie was being brought up by the weaver. He would gift them small things without arousing suspicion. Dunstan was given up as gone forever; even the townspeople. didn’t seem to miss him. Godfrey could now breathe a sigh of relief and anticipate a life of bliss with Nancy and their future children. But, he resolves not to ignore Eppie and her well-being simply because “That was a father’s duty.”
PART-II
Chapter-16
The chapter commences with a sixteen year leap – the exact time that Eppie first came in Silas’ life. Life had changed for everyone. Godfrey did get to marry Nancy and they now lived in the Red House.
Silas and Eppie walked out of the church and Aaron Winthrop approached them. He expressed his willingness to help them build their garden. Silas’ cottage had also changed considerably. There was more furniture, thanks to the Godfrey’s generosity. There were many pets, too. Silas had finally been able to come to terms with his past. He shared the story of life in Lantern Yard with Dolly.
Later in the day, Eppie talked to him about the possibility of her marriage with Aaron. The old weaver realised that if she had fallen in love and it was time for her to marry. They agree to talk,to Dolly that afternoon.
Chapter-17
The chapter describes the point of view of Nancy Cass. Even though everything was spic and span in the Red House, the Sundays were meant for filial pursuits. Nancy didn’t seem at peace with herself. She was happy and grateful to be Godfrey’s wife. However, the lack of a child ate up Godfrey from within. He had suggested adoption, but Nancy had refused it completely. It was Eppie that Godfrey had wanted to adopt, but Nancy did not agree on bringing up a child that wasn’t theirs.
While Godfrey went for his Sunday afternoon pursuits, Nancy would sit down to read the Bible, but soon would give and slip into reflecting over her life.
Chapter-18
A shocked Godfrey told about Dunstans’ death to his wife. The Stone-pit had run dry and his skeleton was found wedged between two great stones. Along with him were his watch, seals, Godfrey’s gold whip and Silas’ money. Nancy sympathised with her husband in the light the fact that his kin had robbed the weaver. Godfrey also confessed about his first wife and the daughter – Eppie. Nancy was overwhelmed by the revelation and yet didn’t seem bitter about it. She chided her husband for not having told her earlier – for they could have gone and got the child home. She admitted that she would have willingly adopted Eppie as her own. She urges him to do his duty and acknowledge her as his daughter.
They decide to go to visit Silas that night and take up the matter with him.
Chapter-19
Silas and Eppie talked about the discovery of Dunstan’s body and the money he had stolen from the former. Just then Godfrey and Nancy Cass came to meet them. Godfrey apologised for the later hour and the theft committed by his own brother so many years ago. But, Silas didn’t consider it important saying that it wasn’t Godfrey’s fault. He emphasised that the gold had no meaning for him and that he would much rather have Eppie than the gold.
Godfrey revealed his intention of taking Eppie home. Silas protested and Eppie declined. He revealed the truth to both – that he was Eppie’s father, and hence had a claim on her. He chided Silas for standing in the way of his beloved daughter’s future prospects. Silas understood the reasoning and left the decision to the girl. Eppie’s mind was made up. Under no circumstances would she leave Silas because he is the only father she’s ever known. Godfrey left the cottage without as much as polite goodbye. Nancy tried her best to make amends for her husband’s behaviour and wishes both of them well.
Chapter-20
Godfrey and Nancy returned home empty handed. Eppie’s decision was final – in no way would she leave Silas. Godfrey resigned himself to helping Eppie from a distance and decided it best to maintain the secret. “Where would be the good to anybody?” he asked.
They guessed that Eppie would marry Aaron. Nancy approved of the young man, and Godfrey wistfully commented on how beautiful had Eppie grown to be. He mentioned that Eppie began to dislike him when he confessed that he was her father; he accepted this as his punishment for having lacked in his duty as a father. He told Nancy, however, that he was grateful for having had an opportunity to marry her and promised to be satisfied with what they had.
Chapter-21
Now that he got his money back, Silas decided to visit Lantern Yard along with Eppie. He wished to know if Mr. Paston, the minister, was able to find the real thief. He was also keen to know more about the drawing of the lots.
The father and daughter set out one day on a long journey. Eppie encouraged him to ask the people the whereabouts. When finally they arrived at the destination, Silas was shocked beyond words to find it completely erased. There was nothing left of the old Lantern Yard as he knew it.
He returned home for that was the only home he had now. He told Dolly that he would never know if his name was cleared. And yet, he still believed in that power that was looking over him. He was finally able to let his past go and settle down in a happy life in his home with his daughter.
Leave a Reply