04-02-02-织工马南 [18]
．He opened his door several times during the evening，and stared out，but he saw and heard nothing in the silent，freezing night．The last time，as he was standing at the door，he had one of his fits，and stood there completely uncon-scions，holding the door open． When he became conscious again，he closed the door and turned back to the fire．But when his shortsighted eyes looked at the floor in front of the fire，he seemed to see gold there！Gold—his own gold—taken and then brought back to him in the same strange way！His heart beat excitedly，and for a few moments he was unable to move．At last he reached out his hand to touch the gold，but instead of hard，metal coins his fin－gers felt soft，warm curls．
With great surprise Silas fell on his knees to look at this wonderful thing．It was a sleeping child．Was he dreaming？Could it be his little sister，who had died when he was a child himself？If it wasn't a dream，how had the child entered the cottage？But thinking of his sister made him remember the past，and his life at the Light Street chapel．He wondered if this child was some kind of message from his past，sent perhaps by the God he had once trusted．
Just then the child woke up，and began to cry．Silas held it in his arms，and spoke softly to quieten it．He remembered that he had made some porridge earlier，and gave a little to the child to eat．She stopped crying，and lifted her blue eyes with a smile to Silas's face as she ate．But then she pulled at her wet shoes，trying to take them off，and Silas suddenly realized she had come to the cottage through the snow．So he picked her up and went to the door．As he opened it and went out into the dark，the child cried'Mummy！'and reached forward，almost jump-ing out of his arms．A few steps away，Silas found a young woman's body，half-covered with snow．
At the Red House，everybody was enjoying the party．Some people were still eating，while others were dancing or playing cards．Godfrey was looking forward to his next dance with Nancy．He was watching her dreamily across the room，when suddenly he saw something that made his lips go white and his whole body tremble． It was his own child，carried in Silas Marner's arms．The weaver had come straight into the hall，where the dancing was going on．
Several people turned to look at the strange figure in the doorway．The Squire could not understand why Sllas had come in uninvited． He stood up and asked angrily，'Marner， what are you doing here？'
'I've come for the doctor，'replied Silas hurriedly．' There's a woman－dead，I think－near my cottage．'
Godfrey had one great fear at that moment，that the woman was not dead．If she were his wife，and she were dead，he would be free to marry Nancy！
While the Squire was calling for Dr Kimble，the ladies came closer to look at the pretty child．
'Whose child is it？'one of them asked．
'I don't know，'replied Godfrey wildly．'Some poor woman's－she's been found in the snow，I think．'
'You'd better leave the poor child here with us then，Master Marner，'offered Mrs Kimble kindly．
'No－I can't let it go，'said Silas unexpectedly．'It's come to me—I don't know where from—I want to keep it！''Well！'said Mrs Kimble，surprised．'A single man like you！Take care of a child！Well！'But the little one was holding on to Silas，and smiling up at him confidently．
Dr Kimble hurried into the hall．'Where is this poor woman？Near the old quarry？Someone had better fetch Dolly Winthrop．I'll need her to help me．
'I'll go！'cried Godfrey．He wanted to get away，before any one noticed his white face and shaking hands， and he needed time to think． He ran out into the night．
When he and Dolly arrived at the quarry，the doctor had moved the woman into Silas's cottage，and Godfrey had to wait outside．He walked up and down in the snow，for what seemed like hours． He knew he should tell the truth about the woman and the child，but he could not make himself do what he knew was right．'Is she dead？'the voice inside his head asked．'If she is，I can marry Nancy．And then I'll be good，and have no more secrets．And I'll make sure the child is taken care of，of course．
When Dr Kimble came out of the cottage
With great surprise Silas fell on his knees to look at this wonderful thing．It was a sleeping child．Was he dreaming？Could it be his little sister，who had died when he was a child himself？If it wasn't a dream，how had the child entered the cottage？But thinking of his sister made him remember the past，and his life at the Light Street chapel．He wondered if this child was some kind of message from his past，sent perhaps by the God he had once trusted．
Just then the child woke up，and began to cry．Silas held it in his arms，and spoke softly to quieten it．He remembered that he had made some porridge earlier，and gave a little to the child to eat．She stopped crying，and lifted her blue eyes with a smile to Silas's face as she ate．But then she pulled at her wet shoes，trying to take them off，and Silas suddenly realized she had come to the cottage through the snow．So he picked her up and went to the door．As he opened it and went out into the dark，the child cried'Mummy！'and reached forward，almost jump-ing out of his arms．A few steps away，Silas found a young woman's body，half-covered with snow．
At the Red House，everybody was enjoying the party．Some people were still eating，while others were dancing or playing cards．Godfrey was looking forward to his next dance with Nancy．He was watching her dreamily across the room，when suddenly he saw something that made his lips go white and his whole body tremble． It was his own child，carried in Silas Marner's arms．The weaver had come straight into the hall，where the dancing was going on．
Several people turned to look at the strange figure in the doorway．The Squire could not understand why Sllas had come in uninvited． He stood up and asked angrily，'Marner， what are you doing here？'
'I've come for the doctor，'replied Silas hurriedly．' There's a woman－dead，I think－near my cottage．'
Godfrey had one great fear at that moment，that the woman was not dead．If she were his wife，and she were dead，he would be free to marry Nancy！
While the Squire was calling for Dr Kimble，the ladies came closer to look at the pretty child．
'Whose child is it？'one of them asked．
'I don't know，'replied Godfrey wildly．'Some poor woman's－she's been found in the snow，I think．'
'You'd better leave the poor child here with us then，Master Marner，'offered Mrs Kimble kindly．
'No－I can't let it go，'said Silas unexpectedly．'It's come to me—I don't know where from—I want to keep it！''Well！'said Mrs Kimble，surprised．'A single man like you！Take care of a child！Well！'But the little one was holding on to Silas，and smiling up at him confidently．
Dr Kimble hurried into the hall．'Where is this poor woman？Near the old quarry？Someone had better fetch Dolly Winthrop．I'll need her to help me．
'I'll go！'cried Godfrey．He wanted to get away，before any one noticed his white face and shaking hands， and he needed time to think． He ran out into the night．
When he and Dolly arrived at the quarry，the doctor had moved the woman into Silas's cottage，and Godfrey had to wait outside．He walked up and down in the snow，for what seemed like hours． He knew he should tell the truth about the woman and the child，but he could not make himself do what he knew was right．'Is she dead？'the voice inside his head asked．'If she is，I can marry Nancy．And then I'll be good，and have no more secrets．And I'll make sure the child is taken care of，of course．
When Dr Kimble came out of the cottage