Mr Thornton leaves Higgins' house just as Margaret is leaving the Boucher's. Feeling impelled to speak to her, he catches up with Margaret and informs her that he has given Higgins a job. Now in control of herself, Margaret says coolly that she is glad. Mr. Thornton asks her if she can give him an explanation for everything which occurred the night of Leonard's death: she must know how it appears. Margaret hesitates, unsure how much she can tell him without betraying Frederick, and Mr. Thornton misinterprets her silence as an unwillingness to give him any explanation. He coldly tells her that he isn't asking for personal reasons, but as a friend of her father's. Margaret says that she is aware that the situation looks bad, but that the secret is another person's and she cannot reveal it for fear of harming him. Growing angry at the thought of the lover he supposes Margaret is protecting, Thornton says he has no interest in prying into that gentleman's affairs... he speaks only as a disinterested family friend and, he assures Margaret, the feelings he once professed to her are long gone. Margaret says quietly and sadly that she's sure that they are. Thornton takes his leave of her and stalks away.
Nicholas Higgins goes to Marlborough Mill to see Mr. Thornton as Margaret requested. Mr. Thornton is in no good mood when Higgins is shown in; he's going over the company's books and the outlook is grim. Shortly before the strike, he had invested in new machinery and bought large amounts of cotton to fill the orders placed with the mill. Now, in the aftermath of the strike with orders late, unfilled, or cancelled, bills are coming due for which there is no money to pay. Then in walks Nicholas Higgins, strike leader. Thornton is somewhat incredulous that Higgins would have the nerve to ask him for a job after everything that has happened. Not very humbly, Nicholas says that he wouldn't ask for anything if it weren't for the fact that he has to provide for Boucher's widow and children. Thornton says that he neither knows nor cares if Higgins' tale of woe is true, but points out his hypocracy. He says that the union- and Higgins- shamed and harrassed working men who were desperate enough to break ranks with the strikers in order to feed there families and now, supposedly in the same position, Higgins is essentially doing the same thing. He tells Higgins that he won't give him a job and Higgins says that he never thought he would, but that a woman who mistakenly thought he had a heart talked him into asking. Thornton snaps that whoever she is should mind her own business, Higgins gets in a parting shot about Thornton's manners, and the two men part. After Higgins leaves, however, Thornton asks the porter how long Higgins had been waiting to talk to him: the man says five hours, and Thornton muses that it's a long time for a man to wait with little hope of success. Meanwhile, after her acrimonious exchange with Mrs. Thornton Margaret retreats to her bedroom where she paces the floor in agitation. Reviewing the visit, she realizes that Mrs. Thornton never attacked her over the lie she told to the police inspector. She knows this means that Mr. Thornton never told his mother about it because the outspoken and angry woman would never have held back if she was aware of what occurred. Margaret feels gratitude to him for this kindness, but also embarassment and shame as she realizes that Thornton, like his mother, must believe that Frederick is her lover. It tortures her that he now must despise her, and she wishes that she might explain but, even if she could, he has been avoiding their house lately. Margaret decides to pay a call on the Bouchers, something she has been doing regularly because Mrs. Boucher, always sickly, is now dying. Neighbours have been caring for the children, and Margaret learns that earlier in the day, Mary Higgins took the three youngest over to their house. She heads over there and finds Nicholas amusing them by spinning coins. She picks up the smallest child asks Higgins how his interview with Mr. Thornton went. She is crestfallen when he tells her that the millowner turned him down and says that she's disappointed in Mr. Thornton. As the words leave her mouth, there's a noise behind her and she turns to find that Mr. Thornton has entered the house, and is looking at her in surprise and annoyance. Mortified, she bows her head silently and passes by him out the door, almost fleeing back to the Boucher's. Just as silently Thornton steps back to let her by and then addresses a bemused Higgins. He says exasperatedly that Higgins could have told him that it was Miss Hale who had sent him. Nicholas asks sarcastically why, would it have made him more polite in his refusal? It turns out, however, that Thornton has come to offer Higgins a job. Following their words the previous day, Thornton reflected with dissatisfaction on his own behaviour, acknowledging that he'd been in a bad mood and hadn't troubled himself to give the man a fair hearing. The fact that Nicholas had waited to speak to him for five hours inclined Thornton to believe he was telling the truth and he investigated further, learning about the quarrel between Higgins and Boucher, Boucher's subsequent suicide, and Higgins' struggle to financially support the dead man's family. Acting on this knowledge, Thornton has sought him out; he apologizes for not believing him and offers Higgins employment. Nicholas is a bit sceptical: he points out that Thornton has called him a liar and a troublemaker, and he has called Thornton a tyrant and a cruel master. Does Thornton really think that they can get along together? Thornton laughs and says dryly that it's not his intention that they get on, and one thing is certain- they can never think worse of each other than they do now. Higgins sees the truth- and humour- in this statement and decides to accept Thornton's job offer. The two men shake hands on it. Mr Thornton leaves Higgins' house just as Margaret is leaving the Boucher's. Feeling impelled to speak to her, he catches up with Margaret and informs her that he has given Higgins a job. Now in control of herself, Margaret says coolly that she is glad. Mr. Thornton asks her if she can give him an explanation for everything which occurred the night of Leonard's death: she must know how it appears. Margaret hesitates, unsure how much she can tell him without betraying Frederick, and Mr. Thornton misinterprets her silence as an unwillingness to give him any explanation. He coldly tells her that he isn't asking for personal reasons, but as a friend of her father's. Margaret says that she is aware that the situation looks bad, but that the secret is another person's and she cannot reveal it for fear of harming him. Growing angry at the thought of the lover he supposes Margaret is protecting, Thornton says he has no interest in prying into that gentleman's affairs... he speaks only as a disinterested family friend and, he assures Margaret, the feelings he once professed to her are long gone. Margaret says quietly and sadly that she's sure that they are. Thornton takes his leave of her and stalks away. That evening, Mr. Hale is startled to find Margaret, who has been quiet and sorrowful since her mother died, chattering on in a way which is completely out of character for her. Her conversation is humorous, but in a forced way, with a hard, brittle edge to it. Later on, he thinks that he sees the trace of tears on Margaret's face but can't be sure, and for the next few days he is quite anxious about her as her moods seem to him to be strange and unsettled. He is relieved to get a letter from Mr. Bell saying that he is coming to Milton on business and will visit with them. He hopes that this news will perk Margaret up, but she struggles to care. Around the same time, she gets a letter from Edith, stating that the hot climate in Greece doesn't agree with the baby and that her husband is thinking about leaving the army. If so, they will all be returning to live in London though Edith says it won't be the same without Margaret there. Margaret, physically and emotionally exhausted, thinks longingly of the once despised London, musing that it would be nice to go there to get some rest and recover her peace of mind... or at least escape mention of Mr. Thornton for a while. Desiring to put the painful thoughts of their interactions out of her head, Margaret finds this impossible: if she visits the Higgins, there is talk of him since Nicholas is now in his employ. Thornton has resumed his readings with Mr. Hale who, naively unaware of what has passed between the two of them, is constantly telling Margaret of his discussions with his pupil. Even Mr. Bell's letters are full of Thornton, as he is coming to Milton to renegotiate Thornton's lease. Margaret feels trapped and longs for an escape- even temporarily- from her grief and guilt. (To Be Continued)
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