Eliot's use of nature images has been noted earlier. The whole environment sometimes reflects a character's reaction to his situation or his relationship with humanity. Recall the darkness and rain that accompanied Dunstan, the darkness that had fallen on Lantern Yard. Here sunshine is the harbinger of happiness for Eppie and Aaron, as well as for Silas. Important imagery is continued in other ways: Eppie's hair is a "dash of gold"; she is dressed in pure white, recalling that she was once pictured as a "white-winged angel."
The relationship with Godfrey is brought into its final focus. It is apparent that Godfrey still feels some pain for his daughter, for he has found reason to be out of town. The truth is still not known in Raveloe, however, and that ignorance is made the source of a double irony. Raveloe thinks the most important part of Godfrey's feeling is that Silas "had been wronged by one of his own family." This is true, but the guilty party is not the one they think of. This is followed by a more personal reference from Priscilla: "I could ha' wished Nancy had had the luck to find a child like that and bring her up." Priscilla's more intimate knowledge, coupled with an ignorance equal to the villagers', gives a new angle of irony.
A final word is heard from the chorus, mainly in the persons of Macey and the farrier. Community sentiment toward Silas is summed up in the general feeling "that he had brought a blessing on himself." For once, there is no contradiction.
