Silas Marner Part II

Soon afterwards there is a New Year Dance, for the local gentry and that night, Marner sits up, trying to tell himself that his gold will come back to him. Godfrey goes to the dance, to flirt with Nancy. He is concerned that Dunstan hasn't been seen for a little while. While the dance is going on, Molly Cass is carrying her child to show her off at the ball, but she collapses in the snow near Silas' cottage. The baby toddles into his kitchen and he finds her mother, dying. He goes to summon help at the pub, and the locals call the doctor who is at the dance. Godfrey realises that thw woman must be his wife, and he goes out to see her. She dies and he wonders what to do. He is now free to marry but the baby is there and his daughter. Silas has been shaken up by the sudden appearance of a small child, and he tells the doctor and Godfrey that since the child has noone and he has noone, he wants to keep her. They protest that he is an old bachelor, but he insists. Godfrey feels releived that there is no need to tell his father that he was ever married or had a child, and he resolves to help out old Marner in looking after the child. Silas finds that his having a small child helps him to get to know his neighbours. Dolly Winthrop, a good hearted woman offers to show him how to look after the baby and they become freinds. She has a son, Aaron who is a few years older and as time passes Silas becomes a bit closer to the locals and his adopted daughter whom he calls Eppie, is his joy. Godfrey gets married to Nancy, who is a warm hearted kindly woman and very virtuous. She and he are very happy. The squire dies and no news ever comes of Dunstan so they think that he just disappeared and is living abroad. The one sorrow that Godfrey and Nancy have is that they have one baby who dies at birth, and then no more children.