The Black Lion was so far off, and occupied such a length of timein the getting at, that notwithstanding the strong presumptiveevidence she had about her of the late events being real and ofactual occurrence, Dolly could not divest herself of the beliefthat she must be in a dream which was lasting all night. Nor wasshe quite certain that she saw and heard with her own propersenses, even when the coach, in the fulness of time, stopped at theBlack Lion, and the host of that tavern approached in a gush ofcheerful light to help them to dismount, and give them heartywelcome.
There too, at the coach door, one on one side, one upon the other,were already Edward Chester and Joe Willet, who must have followedin another coach: and this was such a strange and unaccountableproceeding, that Dolly was the more inclined to favour the idea ofher being fast asleep. But when Mr Willet appeared--old Johnhimself--so heavy-headed and obstinate, and with such a doublechin as the liveliest imagination could never in its boldestflights have conjured up in all its vast proportions--then shestood corrected, and unwillingly admitted to herself that she wasbroad awake.
And Joe had lost an arm--he--that well-made, handsome, gallantfellow! As Dolly glanced towards him, and thought of the pain hemust have suffered, and the far-off places in which he had beenwandering, and wondered who had been his nurse, and hoped thatwhoever it was, she had been as kind and gentle and considerate asshe would have been, the tears came rising to her bright eyes, oneby one, little by little, until she could keep them back no longer,and so before them all, wept bitterly.
"We are all safe now, Dolly," said her father, kindly. "We shallnot be separated any more. Cheer up, my love, cheer up!"
The locksmith"s wife knew better perhaps, than he, what ailed herdaughter. But Mrs Varden being quite an altered woman--for theriots had done that good--added her word to his, and comforted herwith similar representations.
"Mayhap," said Mr Willet, senior, looking round upon the company,"she"s hungry. That"s what it is, depend upon it--I am, myself."
The Black Lion, who, like old John, had been waiting supper pastall reasonable and conscionable hours, hailed this as aphilosophical discovery of the profoundest and most penetratingkind; and the table being already spread, they sat down to supperstraightway.
The conversation was not of the liveliest nature, nor were theappetites of some among them very keen. But, in both theserespects, old John more than atoned for any deficiency on the partof the rest, and very much distinguished himself.
It was not in point of actual conversation that Mr Willet shone sobrilliantly, for he had none of his old cronies to "tackle," andwas rather timorous of venturing on Joe; having certain vaguemisgivings within him, that he was ready on the shortest notice,and on receipt of the slightest offence, to fell the Black Lion tothe floor of his own parlour, and immediately to withdraw to Chinaor some other remote and unknown region, there to dwell forevermore, or at least until he had got rid of his remaining arm andboth legs, and perhaps an eye or so, into the bargain. It was witha peculiar kind of pantomime that Mr Willet filled up every pause;and in this he was considered by the Black Lion, who had been hisfamiliar for some years, quite to surpass and go beyond himself,and outrun the expectations of his most admiring friends.
The subject that worked in Mr Willet"s mind, and occasioned thesedemonstrations, was no other than his son"s bodily disfigurement,which he had never yet got himself thoroughly to believe, orcomprehend. Shortly after their first meeting, he had beenobserved to wander, in a state of great perplexity, to the kitchen,and to direct his gaze towards the fire, as if in search of hisusual adviser in all matters of doubt and difficulty. But therebeing no boiler at the Black Lion, and the rioters having so beatenand battered his own that it was quite unfit for further service,he wandered out again, in a perfect bog of uncertainty and mentalconfusion, and in that state took the strangest means of resolvinghis doubts: such as feeling the sleeve of his son"s greatcoat asdeeming it possible that his arm might be there; looking at his ownarms and those of everybody else, as if to assure himself that twoand not one was the usual allowance; sitting by the hour togetherin a brown study, as if he were endeavouring to recall Joe"s imagein his younger days, and to remember whether he really had in thosetimes one arm or a pair; and employing himself in many otherspeculations of the same kind.