to
the red lady-birds and the round pebbles.
    Silas began now to think of Raveloe life entirely in relation to Eppie: she
must have everything that was a good in Raveloe; and he listened docilely, that
he might come to understand better what this life was, from which, for fifteen
years, he had stood aloof as from a strange thing, wherewith he could have no
communion: as some man who has a precious plant to which he would give a
nurturing home in a new soil, thinks of the rain, and the sunshine, and all
influences, in relation to his nursling, and asks industriously for all
knowledge that will help him to satisfy the wants of the searching roots, or to
guard leaf and bud from invading harm. The disposition to hoard had been utterly
crushed at the very first by the loss of his long-stored gold: the coins he
earned afterwards seemed as irrelevant as stones brought to complete a house
suddenly buried by an earthquake; the sense of bereavement was too heavy upon
him for the old thrill of satisfaction to arise again at the touch of the
newly-earned coin. And now something had come to replace his hoard which gave a
growing purpose to the earnings, drawing his hope and joy continually onward
beyond the money.
    In old days there were angels who came and took men by the hand and led them
away from the city of destruction. We see no white-winged angels now. But yet
men are led away from threatening destruction: a hand is put into theirs, which
leads them forth gently towards a calm and bright land, so that they look no
more backward; and the hand may be a little child's.
 

                                   Chapter XV

There was one person, as you will believe, who watched with keener though more
hidden interest than any other, the prosperous growth of Eppie under the
weaver's care. He dared not do anything that would imply a stronger interest in
a poor man's adopted child than could be expected from the kindliness of the
young Squire, when a chance meeting suggested a little present to a simple old
fellow whom others noticed with goodwill; but he told himself that the time
would come when he might do something towards furthering the welfare of his
daughter without incurring suspicion. Was he very uneasy in the mean time at his
inability to give his daughter her birthright? I cannot say that he was. The
child was being taken care of, and would very likely be happy, as people in
humble stations often were - happier, perhaps, than those who are brought up in
luxury.
    That