CHAPTER	O
I	O
In	O
the	O
days	O
when	O
the	O
spinning-wheels	O
hummed	O
busily	O
in	O
the	O
farmhouses	O
--	O
and	O
even	O
great	O
ladies	O
,	O
clothed	O
in	O
silk	O
and	O
thread-lace	O
,	O
had	O
their	O
toy	O
spinning-wheels	O
of	O
polished	O
oak	O
--	O
there	O
might	O
be	O
seen	O
in	O
districts	O
far	O
away	O
among	O
the	O
lanes	O
,	O
or	O
deep	O
in	O
the	O
bosom	O
of	O
the	O
hills	O
,	O
certain	O
pallid	O
undersized	O
men	O
,	O
who	O
,	O
by	O
the	O
side	O
of	O
the	O
brawny	O
country-folk	O
,	O
looked	O
like	O
the	O
remnants	O
of	O
a	O
disinherited	O
race	O
.	O

The	O
shepherd	O
's	O
dog	O
barked	O
fiercely	O
when	O
one	O
of	O
these	O
alien-looking	O
men	O
appeared	O
on	O
the	O
upland	O
,	O
dark	O
against	O
the	O
early	O
winter	O
sunset	O
;	O
for	O
what	O
dog	O
likes	O
a	O
figure	O
bent	O
under	O
a	O
heavy	O
bag	O
?	O

--	O
and	O
these	O
pale	O
men	O
rarely	O
stirred	O
abroad	O
without	O
that	O
mysterious	O
burden	O
.	O

The	O
shepherd	O
himself	O
,	O
though	O
he	O
had	O
good	O
reason	O
to	O
believe	O
that	O
the	O
bag	O
held	O
nothing	O
but	O
flaxen	O
thread	O
,	O
or	O
else	O
the	O
long	O
rolls	O
of	O
strong	O
linen	O
spun	O
from	O
that	O
thread	O
,	O
was	O
not	O
quite	O
sure	O
that	O
this	O
trade	O
of	O
weaving	O
,	O
indispensable	O
though	O
it	O
was	O
,	O
could	O
be	O
carried	O
on	O
entirely	O
without	O
the	O
help	O
of	O
the	O
Evil	O
One	O
.	O

In	O
that	O
far-off	O
time	O
superstition	O
clung	O
easily	O
round	O
every	O
person	O
or	O
thing	O
that	O
was	O
at	O
all	O
unwonted	O
,	O
or	O
even	O
intermittent	O
and	O
occasional	O
merely	O
,	O
like	O
the	O
visits	O
of	O
the	O
pedlar	O
or	O
the	O
knife-grinder	O
.	O

No	O
one	O
knew	O
where	O
wandering	O
men	O
had	O
their	O
homes	O
or	O
their	O
origin	O
;	O
and	O
how	O
was	O
a	O
man	O
to	O
be	O
explained	O
unless	O
you	O
at	O
least	O
knew	O
somebody	O
who	O
knew	O
his	O
father	O
and	O
mother	O
?	O

To	O
the	O
peasants	O
of	O
old	O
times	O
,	O
the	O
world	O
outside	O
their	O
own	O
direct	O
experience	O
was	O
a	O
region	O
of	O
vagueness	O
and	O
mystery	O
:	O
to	O
their	O
untravelled	O
thought	O
a	O
state	O
of	O
wandering	O
was	O
a	O
conception	O
as	O
dim	O
as	O
the	O
winter	O
life	O
of	O
the	O
swallows	O
that	O
came	O
back	O
with	O
the	O
spring	O
;	O
and	O
even	O
a	O
settler	O
,	O
if	O
he	O
came	O
from	O
distant	O
parts	O
,	O
hardly	O
ever	O
ceased	O
to	O
be	O
viewed	O
with	O
a	O
remnant	O
of	O
distrust	O
,	O
which	O
would	O
have	O
prevented	O
any	O
surprise	O
if	O
a	O
long	O
course	O
of	O
inoffensive	O
conduct	O
on	O
his	O
part	O
had	O
ended	O
in	O
the	O
commission	O
of	O
a	O
crime	O
;	O
especially	O
if	O
he	O
had	O
any	O
reputation	O
for	O
knowledge	O
,	O
or	O
showed	O
any	O
skill	O
in	O
handicraft	O
.	O

All	O
cleverness	O
,	O
whether	O
in	O
the	O
rapid	O
use	O
of	O
that	O
difficult	O
instrument	O
the	O
tongue	O
,	O
or	O
in	O
some	O
other	O
art	O
unfamiliar	O
to	O
villagers	O
,	O
was	O
in	O
itself	O
suspicious	O
:	O
honest	O
folk	O
,	O
born	O
and	O
bred	O
in	O
a	O
visible	O
manner	O
,	O
were	O
mostly	O
not	O
overwise	O
or	O
clever	O
--	O
at	O
least	O
,	O
not	O
beyond	O
such	O
a	O
matter	O
as	O
knowing	O
the	O
signs	O
of	O
the	O
weather	O
;	O
and	O
the	O
process	O
by	O
which	O
rapidity	O
and	O
dexterity	O
of	O
any	O
kind	O
were	O
acquired	O
was	O
so	O
wholly	O
hidden	O
,	O
that	O
they	O
partook	O
of	O
the	O
nature	O
of	O
conjuring	O
.	O

In	O
this	O
way	O
it	O
came	O
to	O
pass	O
that	O
those	O
scattered	O
linen-weavers	O
--	O
emigrants	O
from	O
the	O
town	O
into	O
the	O
country	O
--	O
were	O
to	O
the	O
last	O
regarded	O
as	O
aliens	O
by	O
their	O
rustic	O
neighbours	O
,	O
and	O
usually	O
contracted	O
the	O
eccentric	O
habits	O
which	O
belong	O
to	O
a	O
state	O
of	O
loneliness	O
.	O

In	O
the	O
early	O
years	O
of	O
this	O
century	O
,	O
such	O
a	O
linen-weaver	O
,	O
named	O
Silas	O
Marner	O
,	O
worked	O
at	O
his	O
vocation	O
in	O
a	O
stone	O
cottage	O
that	O
stood	O
among	O
the	O
nutty	O
hedgerows	O
near	O
the	O
village	O
of	O
Raveloe	O
,	O
and	O
not	O
far	O
from	O
the	O
edge	O
of	O
a	O
deserted	O
stone-pit	O
.	O

The	O
questionable	O
sound	O
of	O
Silas	O
's	O
loom	O
,	O
so	O
unlike	O
the	O
natural	O
cheerful	O
trotting	O
of	O
the	O
winnowing-machine	O
,	O
or	O
the	O
simpler	O
rhythm	O
of	O
the	O
flail	O
,	O
had	O
a	O
half-fearful	O
fascination	O
for	O
the	O
Raveloe	O
boys	O
,	O
who	O
would	O
often	O
leave	O
off	O
their	O
nutting	O
or	O
birds	O
'	O
-	O
nesting	O
to	O
peep	O
in	O
at	O
the	O
window	O
of	O
the	O
stone	O
cottage	O
,	O
counterbalancing	O
a	O
certain	O
awe	O
at	O
the	O
mysterious	O
action	O
of	O
the	O
loom	O
,	O
by	O
a	O
pleasant	O
sense	O
of	O
scornful	O
superiority	O
,	O
drawn	O
from	O
the	O
mockery	O
of	O
its	O
alternating	O
noises	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
the	O
bent	O
,	O
tread-mill	O
attitude	O
of	O
the	O
weaver	O
.	O

But	O
sometimes	O
it	O
happened	O
that	O
Marner	O
,	O
pausing	O
to	O
adjust	O
an	O
irregularity	O
in	O
his	O
thread	O
,	O
became	O
aware	O
of	O
the	O
small	O
scoundrels	O
,	O
and	O
,	O
though	O
chary	O
of	O
his	O
time	O
,	O
he	O
liked	O
their	O
intrusion	O
so	O
ill	O
that	O
he	O
would	O
descend	O
from	O
his	O
loom	O
,	O
and	O
,	O
opening	O
the	O
door	O
,	O
would	O
fix	O
on	O
them	O
a	O
gaze	O
that	O
was	O
always	O
enough	O
to	O
make	O
them	O
take	O
to	O
their	O
legs	O
in	O
terror	O
.	O

For	O
how	O
was	O
it	O
possible	O
to	O
believe	O
that	O
those	O
large	O
brown	O
protuberant	O
eyes	O
in	O
Silas	O
Marner	O
's	O
pale	O
face	O
really	O
saw	O
nothing	O
very	O
distinctly	O
that	O
was	O
not	O
close	O
to	O
them	O
,	O
and	O
not	O
rather	O
that	O
their	O
dreadful	O
stare	O
could	O
dart	O
cramp	O
,	O
or	O
rickets	O
,	O
or	O
a	O
wry	O
mouth	O
at	O
any	O
boy	O
who	O
happened	O
to	O
be	O
in	O
the	O
rear	O
?	O

They	O
had	O
,	O
perhaps	O
,	O
heard	O
their	O
fathers	O
and	O
mothers	O
hint	O
that	O
Silas	O
Marner	O
could	O
cure	O
folks	O
'	O
rheumatism	O
if	O
he	O
had	O
a	O
mind	O
,	O
and	O
add	O
,	O
still	O
more	O
darkly	O
,	O
that	O
if	O
you	O
could	O
only	O
speak	O
the	O
devil	O
fair	O
enough	O
,	O
he	O
might	O
save	O
you	O
the	O
cost	O
of	O
the	O
doctor	O
.	O

Such	O
strange	O
lingering	O
echoes	O
of	O
the	O
old	O
demon-worship	O
might	O
perhaps	O
even	O
now	O
be	O
caught	O
by	O
the	O
diligent	O
listener	O
among	O
the	O
grey-haired	O
peasantry	O
;	O
for	O
the	O
rude	O
mind	O
with	O
difficulty	O
associates	O
the	O
ideas	O
of	O
power	O
and	O
benignity	O
.	O

A	O
shadowy	O
conception	O
of	O
power	O
that	O
by	O
much	O
persuasion	O
can	O
be	O
induced	O
to	O
refrain	O
from	O
inflicting	O
harm	O
,	O
is	O
the	O
shape	O
most	O
easily	O
taken	O
by	O
the	O
sense	O
of	O
the	O
Invisible	O
in	O
the	O
minds	O
of	O
men	O
who	O
have	O
always	O
been	O
pressed	O
close	O
by	O
primitive	O
wants	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
whom	O
a	O
life	O
of	O
hard	O
toil	O
has	O
never	O
been	O
illuminated	O
by	O
any	O
enthusiastic	O
religious	O
faith	O
.	O

To	O
them	O
pain	O
and	O
mishap	O
present	O
a	O
far	O
wider	O
range	O
of	O
possibilities	O
than	O
gladness	O
and	O
enjoyment	O
:	O
their	O
imagination	O
is	O
almost	O
barren	O
of	O
the	O
images	O
that	O
feed	O
desire	O
and	O
hope	O
,	O
but	O
is	O
all	O
overgrown	O
by	O
recollections	O
that	O
are	O
a	O
perpetual	O
pasture	O
to	O
fear	O
.	O

"	O
Is	O
there	O
anything	O
you	O
can	O
fancy	O
that	O
you	O
would	O
like	O
to	O
eat	O
?	O
"	O

I	O
once	O
said	EVENT
to	O
an	O
old	O
labouring	O
man	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
in	O
his	O
last	O
illness	O
,	O
and	O
who	O
had	O
refused	EVENT
all	O
the	O
food	O
his	O
wife	O
had	O
offered	EVENT
him	O
.	O

"	O
No	O
,	O
"	O
he	O
answered	EVENT
,	O
"	O
I	O
've	O
never	O
been	O
used	O
to	O
nothing	O
but	O
common	O
victual	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
ca	O
n't	O
eat	O
that	O
.	O
"	O

Experience	O
had	O
bred	O
no	O
fancies	O
in	O
him	O
that	O
could	O
raise	O
the	O
phantasm	O
of	O
appetite	O
.	O

And	O
Raveloe	O
was	O
a	O
village	O
where	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
old	O
echoes	O
lingered	O
,	O
undrowned	O
by	O
new	O
voices	O
.	O

Not	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
those	O
barren	O
parishes	O
lying	O
on	O
the	O
outskirts	O
of	O
civilization	O
--	O
inhabited	O
by	O
meagre	O
sheep	O
and	O
thinly-scattered	O
shepherds	O
:	O
on	O
the	O
contrary	O
,	O
it	O
lay	O
in	O
the	O
rich	O
central	O
plain	O
of	O
what	O
we	O
are	O
pleased	O
to	O
call	O
Merry	O
England	O
,	O
and	O
held	O
farms	O
which	O
,	O
speaking	O
from	O
a	O
spiritual	O
point	O
of	O
view	O
,	O
paid	O
highly-desirable	O
tithes	O
.	O

But	O
it	O
was	O
nestled	O
in	O
a	O
snug	O
well-wooded	O
hollow	O
,	O
quite	O
an	O
hour	O
's	O
journey	O
on	O
horseback	O
from	O
any	O
turnpike	O
,	O
where	O
it	O
was	O
never	O
reached	O
by	O
the	O
vibrations	O
of	O
the	O
coach-horn	O
,	O
or	O
of	O
public	O
opinion	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
an	O
important-looking	O
village	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
fine	O
old	O
church	O
and	O
large	O
churchyard	O
in	O
the	O
heart	O
of	O
it	O
,	O
and	O
two	O
or	O
three	O
large	O
brick-and-stone	O
homesteads	O
,	O
with	O
well-walled	O
orchards	O
and	O
ornamental	O
weathercocks	O
,	O
standing	O
close	O
upon	O
the	O
road	O
,	O
and	O
lifting	O
more	O
imposing	O
fronts	O
than	O
the	O
rectory	O
,	O
which	O
peeped	O
from	O
among	O
the	O
trees	O
on	O
the	O
other	O
side	O
of	O
the	O
churchyard	O
:	O
--	O
a	O
village	O
which	O
showed	O
at	O
once	O
the	O
summits	O
of	O
its	O
social	O
life	O
,	O
and	O
told	O
the	O
practised	O
eye	O
that	O
there	O
was	O
no	O
great	O
park	O
and	O
manor-house	O
in	O
the	O
vicinity	O
,	O
but	O
that	O
there	O
were	O
several	O
chiefs	O
in	O
Raveloe	O
who	O
could	O
farm	O
badly	O
quite	O
at	O
their	O
ease	O
,	O
drawing	O
enough	O
money	O
from	O
their	O
bad	O
farming	O
,	O
in	O
those	O
war	O
times	O
,	O
to	O
live	O
in	O
a	O
rollicking	O
fashion	O
,	O
and	O
keep	O
a	O
jolly	O
Christmas	O
,	O
Whitsun	O
,	O
and	O
Easter	O
tide	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
fifteen	O
years	O
since	O
Silas	O
Marner	O
had	O
first	O
come	EVENT
to	O
Raveloe	O
;	O
he	O
was	O
then	O
simply	O
a	O
pallid	O
young	O
man	O
,	O
with	O
prominent	O
short-sighted	O
brown	O
eyes	O
,	O
whose	O
appearance	O
would	O
have	O
had	O
nothing	O
strange	O
for	O
people	O
of	O
average	O
culture	O
and	O
experience	O
,	O
but	O
for	O
the	O
villagers	O
near	O
whom	O
he	O
had	O
come	EVENT
to	O
settle	O
it	O
had	O
mysterious	O
peculiarities	O
which	O
corresponded	O
with	O
the	O
exceptional	O
nature	O
of	O
his	O
occupation	O
,	O
and	O
his	O
advent	O
from	O
an	O
unknown	O
region	O
called	O
"	O
North	O
'	O
ard	O
"	O
.	O

So	O
had	O
his	O
way	O
of	O
life	O
:	O
--	O
he	O
invited	O
no	O
comer	O
to	O
step	O
across	O
his	O
door-sill	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
never	O
strolled	O
into	O
the	O
village	O
to	O
drink	O
a	O
pint	O
at	O
the	O
Rainbow	O
,	O
or	O
to	O
gossip	O
at	O
the	O
wheelwright	O
's	O
:	O
he	O
sought	O
no	O
man	O
or	O
woman	O
,	O
save	O
for	O
the	O
purposes	O
of	O
his	O
calling	O
,	O
or	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
supply	O
himself	O
with	O
necessaries	O
;	O
and	O
it	O
was	O
soon	O
clear	O
to	O
the	O
Raveloe	O
lasses	O
that	O
he	O
would	O
never	O
urge	O
one	O
of	O
them	O
to	O
accept	O
him	O
against	O
her	O
will	O
--	O
quite	O
as	O
if	O
he	O
had	O
heard	O
them	O
declare	O
that	O
they	O
would	O
never	O
marry	O
a	O
dead	O
man	O
come	O
to	O
life	O
again	O
.	O

This	O
view	O
of	O
Marner	O
's	O
personality	O
was	O
not	O
without	O
another	O
ground	O
than	O
his	O
pale	O
face	O
and	O
unexampled	O
eyes	O
;	O
for	O
Jem	O
Rodney	O
,	O
the	O
mole-catcher	O
,	O
averred	EVENT
that	O
one	O
evening	O
as	O
he	O
was	O
returning	EVENT
homeward	O
,	O
he	O
saw	EVENT
Silas	O
Marner	O
leaning	O
against	O
a	O
stile	O
with	O
a	O
heavy	O
bag	O
on	O
his	O
back	O
,	O
instead	O
of	O
resting	O
the	O
bag	O
on	O
the	O
stile	O
as	O
a	O
man	O
in	O
his	O
senses	O
would	O
have	O
done	O
;	O
and	O
that	O
,	O
on	O
coming	EVENT
up	O
to	O
him	O
,	O
he	O
saw	EVENT
that	O
Marner	O
's	O
eyes	O
were	O
set	O
like	O
a	O
dead	O
man	O
's	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
spoke	EVENT
to	O
him	O
,	O
and	O
shook	EVENT
him	O
,	O
and	O
his	O
limbs	O
were	O
stiff	O
,	O
and	O
his	O
hands	O
clutched	EVENT
the	O
bag	O
as	O
if	O
they	O
'd	O
been	O
made	O
of	O
iron	O
;	O
but	O
just	O
as	O
he	O
had	O
made	EVENT
up	O
his	O
mind	O
that	O
the	O
weaver	O
was	O
dead	O
,	O
he	O
came	EVENT
all	O
right	O
again	O
,	O
like	O
,	O
as	O
you	O
might	O
say	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
winking	O
of	O
an	O
eye	O
,	O
and	O
said	EVENT
"	O
Good-night	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
walked	EVENT
off	O
.	O

All	O
this	O
Jem	O
swore	EVENT
he	O
had	O
seen	EVENT
,	O
more	O
by	O
token	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
very	O
day	O
he	O
had	O
been	O
mole-catching	EVENT
on	O
Squire	O
Cass	O
's	O
land	O
,	O
down	O
by	O
the	O
old	O
saw-pit	O
.	O

Some	O
said	EVENT
Marner	O
must	O
have	O
been	O
in	O
a	O
"	O
fit	EVENT
"	O
,	O
a	O
word	O
which	O
seemed	O
to	O
explain	O
things	O
otherwise	O
incredible	O
;	O
but	O
the	O
argumentative	O
Mr.	O
Macey	O
,	O
clerk	O
of	O
the	O
parish	O
,	O
shook	EVENT
his	O
head	O
,	O
and	O
asked	EVENT
if	O
anybody	O
was	O
ever	O
known	O
to	O
go	O
off	O
in	O
a	O
fit	O
and	O
not	O
fall	O
down	O
.	O

A	O
fit	O
was	O
a	O
stroke	O
,	O
was	O
n't	O
it	O
?	O

and	O
it	O
was	O
in	O
the	O
nature	O
of	O
a	O
stroke	O
to	O
partly	O
take	O
away	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
a	O
man	O
's	O
limbs	O
and	O
throw	O
him	O
on	O
the	O
parish	O
,	O
if	O
he	O
'd	O
got	O
no	O
children	O
to	O
look	O
to	O
.	O

No	O
,	O
no	O
;	O
it	O
was	O
no	O
stroke	O
that	O
would	O
let	O
a	O
man	O
stand	O
on	O
his	O
legs	O
,	O
like	O
a	O
horse	O
between	O
the	O
shafts	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
walk	O
off	O
as	O
soon	O
as	O
you	O
can	O
say	O
"	O
Gee	O
!	O
"	O

But	O
there	O
might	O
be	O
such	O
a	O
thing	O
as	O
a	O
man	O
's	O
soul	O
being	O
loose	O
from	O
his	O
body	O
,	O
and	O
going	O
out	O
and	O
in	O
,	O
like	O
a	O
bird	O
out	O
of	O
its	O
nest	O
and	O
back	O
;	O
and	O
that	O
was	O
how	O
folks	O
got	O
over-wise	O
,	O
for	O
they	O
went	O
to	O
school	O
in	O
this	O
shell-less	O
state	O
to	O
those	O
who	O
could	O
teach	O
them	O
more	O
than	O
their	O
neighbours	O
could	O
learn	O
with	O
their	O
five	O
senses	O
and	O
the	O
parson	O
.	O

And	O
where	O
did	O
Master	O
Marner	O
get	O
his	O
knowledge	O
of	O
herbs	O
from	O
--	O
and	O
charms	O
too	O
,	O
if	O
he	O
liked	O
to	O
give	O
them	O
away	O
?	O

Jem	O
Rodney	O
's	O
story	O
was	O
no	O
more	O
than	O
what	O
might	O
have	O
been	O
expected	O
by	O
anybody	O
who	O
had	O
seen	O
how	O
Marner	O
had	O
cured	EVENT
Sally	O
Oates	O
,	O
and	O
made	EVENT
her	O
sleep	EVENT
like	O
a	O
baby	O
,	O
when	O
her	O
heart	O
had	O
been	O
beating	O
enough	O
to	O
burst	O
her	O
body	O
,	O
for	O
two	O
months	O
and	O
more	O
,	O
while	O
she	O
had	O
been	O
under	O
the	O
doctor	O
's	O
care	O
.	O

He	O
might	O
cure	O
more	O
folks	O
if	O
he	O
would	O
;	O
but	O
he	O
was	O
worth	O
speaking	O
fair	O
,	O
if	O
it	O
was	O
only	O
to	O
keep	O
him	O
from	O
doing	O
you	O
a	O
mischief	O
.	O