04-02-02-织工马南 [1]
．At the end of fifteen years they said exactly the same things about him，but they believed them more strongly．They also said that he had saved up a lot of money since he had come to Raveloe．
Silas had come from a large town to the north of Raveloe．Here he had lived a very different life．Because he was one of a large number of weavers，he was not considered strange，and he belonged to an enthusiastic religious group．They met every Sunday at the chapel in Light Street．Once，at a chapel meeting，Silas had become unconscious and had sat without moving，hearing or seeing，for over an hour．This experience made him specially interesting to the rest of the group．
'We should not call this strange unconsciousness a fit，'the minister，Mr Paston，told them．'No， it's much more than that．In that moment，when he is absent from us，our young friend Silas's soul is open，open to a possible message from God．I believe he has been chosen by God！'
silas's best friend at chapel was William Dane，a serious young man who was，some people thought，a little too sure of his own goodness and cleverness．Silas，however，could see no fault in him，and trusted his friend completely．They remained good friends，when Silas became engaged to a young woman，Sarah，who belonged to the same chapel．In fact Silas was de－lighted that Sarah did not mind if William joined them some－times on their Sunday walks．
Strangely，when Silas had his fit at the chapel meeting，William was the only one who disagreed with the minister．
'To me it looks more like the devil's work than God's，'William had said．'Look deep into yourself，friend Silas．Is there any evil hiding in your soul？'
Silas was hurt that his friend doubted him，and he began to be worried，too，about Sarah．She seemed to be showing signs of dislike towards him，but when he asked her about it，she did not give him any answer．
At that time one of the chapel leaders was dangerously ill，and because he had no family，some of the young men offered to sit with him at night．One night Silas was sitting alone at the old man's bedside．Time seemed to pass slowly in the quiet，dark room．But suddenly he realized that the man was no longer breathing．He was dead．
'Strange！'thought Silas．'His body's cold！He's been dead for some time！Why did't I notice？Perhaps I've had anoth－er fit．And it's already four o'clock in the morning．Why hasn't William come？He promised he'd come at two o'clock！'He hurried out of the house to call the doctor and the minister，and then went to work as usual，still wondering why William had not arrived．
But that evening，after work，William came to his room，with the minister．They were both looking very serious．
'You must come to the chapel at once，'said Mr Paston．
'But why？'asked Silas，looking unhappily at them．
'You will hear when you get there，was the only answer．
Then，in the chapel，Silas stood alone，in front of all the peo－ple who were once his friends．The room was silent．There was a pocket－knife in the minister's hand．
'Where did you leave this knife？'he asked．
Silas was trembling at this strange question．I don't re－member，'he answered．
'Silas，Silas，you must confess！'cried the minister．'Tell us the truth！This knife，your knife，was found at the dead man's bedside，and the bag of church money，which I saw there myself only yesterday，has gone！
Silas did not speak for a moment．Then he said，'God knows I did not steal the money．Search my room－you won't find the money．I'm not a thief．'
'You were the only one in our dead friend's house last night，when the money was stolen，'said Mr Paston．'William tells us he was suddenly ill，which prevented him from coming to take your place．We will search your room．
And when they went to Silas's room，Willia m fond the missing bag，now empty，under Silas's bed．
'Silas，my friend，'cried William，'confess your crime to us now！Send the devil away from your soul！'
Silas turned to the man he had always trusted．'William，in the nine years since we've been friends，have I ever told you a lie？But God will prove the truth．'
As he looked at William，he suddenly remembered something
Silas had come from a large town to the north of Raveloe．Here he had lived a very different life．Because he was one of a large number of weavers，he was not considered strange，and he belonged to an enthusiastic religious group．They met every Sunday at the chapel in Light Street．Once，at a chapel meeting，Silas had become unconscious and had sat without moving，hearing or seeing，for over an hour．This experience made him specially interesting to the rest of the group．
'We should not call this strange unconsciousness a fit，'the minister，Mr Paston，told them．'No， it's much more than that．In that moment，when he is absent from us，our young friend Silas's soul is open，open to a possible message from God．I believe he has been chosen by God！'
silas's best friend at chapel was William Dane，a serious young man who was，some people thought，a little too sure of his own goodness and cleverness．Silas，however，could see no fault in him，and trusted his friend completely．They remained good friends，when Silas became engaged to a young woman，Sarah，who belonged to the same chapel．In fact Silas was de－lighted that Sarah did not mind if William joined them some－times on their Sunday walks．
Strangely，when Silas had his fit at the chapel meeting，William was the only one who disagreed with the minister．
'To me it looks more like the devil's work than God's，'William had said．'Look deep into yourself，friend Silas．Is there any evil hiding in your soul？'
Silas was hurt that his friend doubted him，and he began to be worried，too，about Sarah．She seemed to be showing signs of dislike towards him，but when he asked her about it，she did not give him any answer．
At that time one of the chapel leaders was dangerously ill，and because he had no family，some of the young men offered to sit with him at night．One night Silas was sitting alone at the old man's bedside．Time seemed to pass slowly in the quiet，dark room．But suddenly he realized that the man was no longer breathing．He was dead．
'Strange！'thought Silas．'His body's cold！He's been dead for some time！Why did't I notice？Perhaps I've had anoth－er fit．And it's already four o'clock in the morning．Why hasn't William come？He promised he'd come at two o'clock！'He hurried out of the house to call the doctor and the minister，and then went to work as usual，still wondering why William had not arrived．
But that evening，after work，William came to his room，with the minister．They were both looking very serious．
'You must come to the chapel at once，'said Mr Paston．
'But why？'asked Silas，looking unhappily at them．
'You will hear when you get there，was the only answer．
Then，in the chapel，Silas stood alone，in front of all the peo－ple who were once his friends．The room was silent．There was a pocket－knife in the minister's hand．
'Where did you leave this knife？'he asked．
Silas was trembling at this strange question．I don't re－member，'he answered．
'Silas，Silas，you must confess！'cried the minister．'Tell us the truth！This knife，your knife，was found at the dead man's bedside，and the bag of church money，which I saw there myself only yesterday，has gone！
Silas did not speak for a moment．Then he said，'God knows I did not steal the money．Search my room－you won't find the money．I'm not a thief．'
'You were the only one in our dead friend's house last night，when the money was stolen，'said Mr Paston．'William tells us he was suddenly ill，which prevented him from coming to take your place．We will search your room．
And when they went to Silas's room，Willia m fond the missing bag，now empty，under Silas's bed．
'Silas，my friend，'cried William，'confess your crime to us now！Send the devil away from your soul！'
Silas turned to the man he had always trusted．'William，in the nine years since we've been friends，have I ever told you a lie？But God will prove the truth．'
As he looked at William，he suddenly remembered something