The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-07-29
Ya0tes' porttolto.
The Weaver Of RavelOe.
BY GEORGE ELIOT,
CONDENSED for the Farmer. }

things about him as at the beginning. tie
was subject to catlepsy and to the villagers
there was something mysterious IN these
as q nature of a stroke to let a man stand
on his legs like a horse between the shafts,
and then walk eff as soon as you Can say
s.Gee!"
So had his way of life mysterious pecu-
~liarities be invited no conner to step across
his door sill, and he never strolle1 into the
village to drink a pint at the Rainbow, and
lie sought no man or woman, save for the
purposes of his calling, or to supply him.
self with the necessaries of life.
He had knowledge of herbs-andc charms
too they thought-and perhaps he was pos
sessed of an evil spirit, so 1T was partly to
his vague fear that Mariner was indebted for
protecting him from persecution. and still
more that as ineD-weaver, his handlcraft
made him a highly welcome settler to the
rich housewives Of the district. There was
only one important addition which the
wears brought; it was, that Master Mariner
had laid by a fine sight of money some
where.
His life had reduced itself to the mere
functions of weaving and boarding. But
about Christmas of that 10Th year, a great
change came over Manners life, and his
history became blent in a singular manner
with the life of his ~neighbors.
The greatest man in RavelOe was Squire
Cass. OF his Two sons, Dunsey the second,
the %neighbors said it was no matter what
became of him, a spiteful j%eering fellow,
whose taste for drinking, betting and swop-
ping might turn him out to be a sowing Of
something worse than wild oats.
But it would be a pity if Mr.. Godfrey,
the eldest, a fine, open-faeed, good-na-
tured young man, should take the same
road as his brother which he seemed in
clined to do of late.
Godfrey was in Dunftan's power as he
had secretly married a coarse beauty whose
love of drink had made her an unfit com
panion for any one, and he lived in fear of
his father learning the dreadful secret and
turning him adrift so Dunstan made con-
slant demands on him for hush money.
Driven to desperation by his prohigate
brother he had given him permission to
sell his favorite horse if he would make no
further demands upon him.
So Dunsey rode the horse to the races.
and before he had a chance to sell. killed
the horse, and went from the grounds in a
drunken, pcnnyless state.
As he was plodning home through the
dark be saw a light in Manners house. He
knocked and no one answered, and in step,
ping in he found it vacant. Where could
he be, leaving his supper a cooking and the
~ IL q @ ool N. iulhN lShN
and perhaps he had gone out for fuel and
fallen in The stone pits.
That was an interesting idea to Dunstan.
if the weaver was dead who had a right to
his money ? Who would know where his
money was hiddeD2 Who would know
that anybody had come to take it away?
He saw a place near the loom where the
sand had finger marks, he darted to it, lif-
ted the bricks and found two leathern bags.
ITo hacta,ol ~ ~ @Jo l>,.o ,r,tI H. h.
the rain and darkness had got thicker, but
he was glad of it.
Silas came soon after, and after getting
warm he thought he would put his beloved
guineas on that table before him. asst would
be pleasant to see them as be ate his un-
wonted feast. For JOY is the best of wine.
aud S,las's guiLeas were a golden wine of
that sort. The sight of the empty hole
made his heart leap violently, but the be-
lief that his gold was gone could not come
at once. He had pat his gold somewhere
else. and then forgotten it. He turned his
head over he looked in the brick oven.
He felt once more all around the hole.
He could see every object in his cottage
aud his gold was not there. He put mis-
trembling hands to his head and gave a wild
ringing scream, the cry of desolation. The
cry had relieved him from the first madden
ing pressure.
lie tottered towards his loom, and got
into the seat where he worked, instinctively
seeking this as the strongest assurance of
reality. The idea of a thief began to present
tjelf. He started from the loom to the
door. He rushed out in the rain and made
his way to the inn. There Silas told his
story under frequent questioning, as the
mysterious character of tie robbery became
evident.
The slight suspicion with which his hear
ers at first listened to him, gradually melted
away before the convincing simplicity of his
distress.
Dunsey Cass had never been heard from,
and on New Years eve Squire Cass gave q
walking with slow uncertain steps through
the snow covered lanes of Raveloe, carrying
her child in her arms.
Soon she felt numb with cold and fatigue,
and then nothing but a sunreme immediatf