He had a sense that the old man meant to be good-natured and neighbourly; but the kindness fell on him as sunshine falls on the wretched--he had no heart to taste it, and felt that it was very far off him.
"Come, Master Marner, have you got nothing to say to that ?" said Mr.
Macey at last, with a slight accent of impatience.
"Oh," said Marner, slowly, shaking his head between his hands, "I thank you--thank you--kindly." "Aye, aye, to be sure: I thought you would," said Mr.Macey; "and my advice is--have you got a Sunday suit ?" "No," said Marner.
"I doubted it was so," said Mr.Macey.

"Now, let me advise you to get a Sunday suit: there's Tookey, he's a poor creatur, but he's got my tailoring business, and some o' my money in it, and he shall make a suit at a low price, and give you trust, and then you can come to church, and be a bit neighbourly.

Why, you've never heared me say "Amen" since you come into these parts, and I recommend you to lose no time, for it'll be poor work when Tookey has it all to himself, for I mayn't be equil to stand i' the desk at all, come another winter." Here Mr.Macey paused, perhaps expecting some sign of emotion in his hearer; but not observing any, he went on.

"And as for the money for the suit o' clothes, why, you get a matter of a pound a-week at your weaving, Master Marner, and you're a young man, eh, for all you look so mushed.

Why, you couldn't ha' been five-and-twenty when you come into these parts, eh ?" Silas started a little at the change to a questioning tone, and answered mildly, "I don't know; I can't rightly say--it's a long while since." After receiving such an answer as this, it is not surprising that Mr.
Macey observed, later on in the evening at the Rainbow, that Marner's head was "all of a muddle", and that it was to be doubted if he ever knew when Sunday came round, which showed him a worse heathen than many a dog.
Another of Silas's comforters, besides Mr.Macey, came to him with a mind highly charged on the same topic.