nd I hope
you'll have none the worse luck."

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.
The garden was fenced with stones on two sides, but in front there was
an open fence, through which the flowers shone with answering gladness,
as the four united people came within sight of them.

"O father," said Eppie, "what a pretty home ours is! I think nobody
could be happier than we are."

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Silas Marner, by George Eliot

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