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Chapter 9

Godfrey confesses at last

At the Red House Nancy was waiting patiently for Godfrey to come home to tea. Suddenly one of the servants ran into the sitting-room, crying excitedly, ‘Madam, there are lots of people in the street! They’re all running the same way, towards the quarry! Perhaps there’s been an accident!’

‘Jane, don’t get so excited,’ replied Nancy calmly. ‘I expect it’s nothing serious. Go and get the tea ready. Mr Godfrey will be back soon.’ But secretly she was saying to herself, ‘I hope nothing’s happened to Godfrey!’

So when he came into the room, a few minutes later, she was very relieved. ‘My dear, I’m so thankful you’ve come,’ she said, going towards him. ‘I was beginning to think—’

She stopped suddenly when she saw Godfrey’s shaking hands and white face. She put her hand on his arm, but he did not seem to notice, and threw himself into a chair.

‘Sit down - Nancy,’ he said with difficulty. ‘I came back as soon as I could, to prevent anyone telling you except me. It’s terrible news for me, but I’m more worried about how you will feel about it.’

‘It isn’t father or Priscilla?’ said Nancy, trying to control her trembling lips.

‘No, it’s nobody living,’ said Godfrey. ‘It’s Dunstan, my brother, who left home sixteen years ago and never came back. We’ve found him .. . found his body - all that’s left of it - in the old quarry.’

Nancy felt calmer now. That was not terrible news.

‘You know the men have been draining our fields near the quarry. Well, as a result, the quarry has suddenly gone dry, ana we’ve found him lying at the bottom. We know it’s him because he’s wearing his watch and his rings.’

Godfrey paused. It was not easy to say what came next.

‘Do you think he drowned himself?’ asked Nancy, wondering why her husband was so shaken by the death of a brother he had never loved.

‘No, he fell in,’ replied Godfrey in a low voice. ‘Dunstan was the man who robbed Silas Marner. The bags of gold were found with his body.’

‘Oh Godfrey! I am sorry!’ said Nancy. She understood how ashamed her husband must be. The Casses were so proud of their family name.

‘I had to tell you. I couldn’t keep it from you,’ Godfrey continued, and then stopped, looking at the ground for two long minutes. Nancy knew that he had something more to say.

Finally Godfrey lifted his eyes to her face, and said, ‘Everybody’s secrets are discovered sooner or later, Nancy. I’ve lived with a secret ever since I married you, but I’m going to confess it now.

I don’t want you to discover it from someone else, or hear about it when I’m dead. I was weak and hesitating when I was younger - I’m going to be firm with myself now.’

Nancy could not speak. She stared at her husband in horror.

What secret could he possibly have from her?

‘Nancy,’ said Godfrey slowly, ‘when I married you, I hid something from you -1 was wrong not to tell you. That woman Silas Marner found dead in the snow - Eppie’s mother - that poor woman - was my wife. Eppie is my child.’

He paused, looking worriedly at Nancy. But she sat quite still, although her face looked rather white.

‘Perhaps you won’t be able to love me any more,’ he said, his v°ice trembling a little.

She was silent.

‘I was wrong, I know I was wrong to marry Molly and then to keep it a secret. But I loved you, Nancy, I only ever wanted to marry you.’

Still Nancy was silent, looking down at her hands. And Godfrey almost expected her to get up and say she would leave him and go to live with her father and sister. She was so religious, and so firm in her ideas of right and wrong!

But at last she lifted her eyes to his and spoke. She did not sound angry, but only sad. ‘Oh Godfrey, why didn’t you tell me this long ago? I didn’t know Eppie was yours and so I refused to adopt her. Of course I’d accept your child into our home! But oh, Godfrey - how sad to think we’ve spent all these years with no children! Why didn’t you confess the truth before we married? We could be so happy now, with a beautiful daughter, who would love me as her mother!’ Tears were running down Nancy’s face.

‘But Nancy,’ cried Godfrey, bitterly angry with himself, ‘I couldn’t tell you everything! I was in danger of losing you if I told you the truth!’

‘I don’t know about that, Godfrey. I certainly never wanted to marry anyone else. But it wasn’t worth doing wrong just so that you could marry me. And our marriage hasn’t been as happy for you as you thought it would be.’ There was a sad smile on Nancy’s face as she said the last words.

‘Can you ever forgive me for what I’ve done, Nancy?’

‘You have only hurt me a little, Godfrey, and you’ve been a good husband to me for fifteen years. But it’s the other woman who you’ve hurt the most, and I don’t see how you can put that right.’

‘But we can take Eppie into our home now,’ said Godfrey.

‘It’ll be different now that she’s grown up,’ said Nancy, shaking her head sadly. ‘It’ll be more difficult for her to get used to us. But it’s our duty to take care of your child, and I’ll ask God to make her love me.’

‘Then we’ll go to the weaver’s cottage tonight,’ said Godfrey, ‘and talk to Marner and Eppie about it.’