was to sit down in it. Dolly, as soon as she was seated, removed
the white cloth that covered her lard-cakes, and said in her gravest
way--

"I'd a baking yisterday, Master Marner, and the lard-cakes turned out
better nor common, and I'd ha' asked you to accept some, if you'd
thought well. I don't eat such things myself, for a bit o' bread's
what I like from one year's end to the other; but men's stomichs are
made so comical, they want a change--they do, I know, God help 'em."

Dolly sighed gently as she held out the cakes to Silas, who thanked her
kindly and looked very close at them, absently, being accustomed to
look so at everything he took into his hand--eyed all the while by the
wondering bright orbs of the small Aaron, who had made an outwork of
his mother's chair, and was peeping round from behind it.

"There's letters pricked on 'em," said Dolly. "I can't read 'em
myself, and there's nobody, not Mr. Macey himself, rightly knows what
they mean; but they've a good meaning, for they're the same as is on
the pulpit-cloth at church. What are they, Aaron, my dear?"

Aaron retreated completely behind his outwork.

"Oh, go, that's naughty," said his mother, mildly. "Well, whativer the
letters are, they've a good meaning; and it's a stamp as has been in
our house, Ben says, ever since he was a little un, and his mother used
to put it on the cakes, and I've allays put it on too; for if there's
any good, we've need of it i' this world."

"It's I. H. S.," said Silas, at which proof of learning Aaron peeped
round the chair again.

"Well, to be sure, you can read 'em off," said Dolly. "Ben's read 'em
to me many and many a time, but they slip out o' my mind again; the
more's the pity, for they're good letters, else they wouldn't be in the
church; and so I prick 'em on all the loaves and all the cakes, though
sometimes they won't hold, because o' the rising--for, as I said, if
there's any good to be got we've need of it i' this world--that we
have; and I hope they'll bring good to you, Master Marner, for it's wi'
that will I brought you the cakes; and you see the letters have held
better nor common."

Silas was as unable to interpret the letters as Dolly, but there was no
possibility of misunderstanding the desire to give comfort that made
itself heard in her quiet tones. He said, with more feeling than
before--"Thank you--thank you kindly." But he laid down the cakes and
seated himself absently--drearily unc