It seemed surprising that Ben Winthrop, who loved his
quart-pot and his joke, got along so well with Dolly; but she took her
husband's jokes and joviality as patiently as everything else,
considering that 'men would be so', and viewing the stronger sex in
the light of animals whom it had pleased Heaven to make naturally
troublesome, like bulls and turkey-cocks.
This good wholesome woman could hardly fail to have her mind
drawn strongly towards Silas Marner, now that he appeared in the light
of a sufferer; and one Sunday afternoon she took her little boy
Aaron with her, and went to call on Silas, carrying in her hand some
small lard-cakes, flat paste-like articles, much esteemed in
Raveloe. Aaron, an apple-cheeked youngster of seven, with a clean
starched frill, which looked like a plate for the apples, needed all
his adventurous curiosity to embolden him against the possibility that
the big-eyed weaver might do him some bodily injury; and his dubiety
was much increased when, on arriving at the Stone-pits, they heard the
mysterious sound of the loom.
'Ah, it is as I thought,' said Mrs Winthrop, sadly.
They had to knock loudly before Silas heard them; but when he did
come to the door, he showed no impatience, as he would once have done,
at a visit that had been unasked for and unexpected. Formerly, his
heart had been as a locked casket with its treasure inside; but now
the casket was empty, and the lock was broken.
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