'
In the open yard before the Rainbow, the party of guests were
already assembled, though it was still nearly an hour before the
appointed feast-time. But by this means they could not only enjoy
the slow advent of their pleasure; they had also ample leisure to talk
of Silas Marner's strange history, and arrive by due degrees at the
conclusion that he had brought a blessing on himself by acting like
a father to a lone motherless child. Even the farrier did not negative
this sentiment: on the contrary, he took it up as peculiarly his
own, and invited any hardy person present to contradict him. But he
met with no contradiction; and all differences among the company
were merged in a general agreement with Mr Snell's sentiment, that
when a man had deserved his good luck, it was the part of his
neighbours to wish him joy.
As the bridal group approached, a hearty cheer was raised in the
Rainbow yard; and Ben Winthrop, whose jokes had retained their
acceptable flavour, found it agreeable to turn in there and receive
congratulations; not requiring the proposed interval of quiet at the
Stone-pits before joining the company.
Eppie had a larger garden than she had ever expected there now; and
in other ways there had been alterations at the expense of Mr Cass,
the landlord, to suit Silas's larger family. For he and Eppie had
declared that they would rather stay at the Stone-pits than go to
any new home.
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