At six o'clock, William arrived at Silas's house. The priest was with him.
'Silas Marner,' said the priest, 'we have come to call you to the chapel, to appear before the people.'
'But why?' asked Silas, puzzled.
'You will know soon enough,' was the only reply.
Nothing more was said until Silas stood in the chapel. Everyone was staring at him with unfriendly eyes. The priest took out a small knife and showed it to Silas.
'Is this your knife?'
'Yes,' replied Silas, still puzzled.
Do you know where you left it?' asked the priest.
'I did not realize I had lost it,' said Silas.
'Tell the truth now,' said the priest.
Silas could not believe what he heard. He was silent.
Accused!
'This knife,' said the priest, ' was found in the desk beside the old man's bed, in the place where he always kept the bag with the money for the chapel. The money was still there last night; I saw it myself. When I looked there this morning, the money had disappeared -- and that knife was there.
'Someone has stolen the money,' continued the priest, 'and if the thief is not the owner of this knife, who else can he be?'
More of this story in
Silas Marner
by
George Eliot
Oxford Progressive English Readers
Grade 3
ISBN 0 19 586 311 9
This text is copyright Oxford University Press 1994.
If you can read this sample easily, you can enjoy any Oxford Progressive English Reader from Grade 1 through to Grade 3.