At last Mrs. Thornton came in, rustling in handsome black silk, as washer wont; her muslins and laces rivalling, not excelling, the purewhiteness of the muslins and netting of the room. Margaret explainedhow it was that her mother could not accompany them to return Mrs.
Thornton"s call; but in her anxiety not to bring back her father"s fearstoo vividly, she gave but a bungling account, and left the impression onMrs. Thornton"s mind that Mrs. Hale"s was some temporary or fancifulfine-ladyish indisposition, which might have been put aside had therebeen a strong enough motive; or that if it was too severe to allow her tocome out that day, the call might have been deferred. Remembering,too, the horses to her carriage, hired for her own visit to the Hales, andhow Fanny had been ordered to go by Mr. Thornton, in order to payevery respect to them, Mrs. Thornton drew up slightly offended, and gave Margaret no sympathy--indeed, hardly any credit for the statementof her mother"s indisposition.
"How is Mr. Thornton?" asked Mr. Hale. "I was afraid he was not well,from his hurried note yesterday."
"My son is rarely ill; and when he is, he never speaks about it, or makesit an excuse for not doing anything. He told me he could not get leisureto read with you last night, sir. He regretted it, I am sure; he values thehours spent with you."
"I am sure they are equally agreeable to me," said Mr. Hale. "It makes mefeel young again to see his enjoyment and appreciation of all that is finein classical literature."
"I have no doubt the classics are very desirable for people who haveleisure. But, I confess, it was against my judgment that my son renewedhis study of them. The time and place in which he lives, seem to me torequire all his energy and attention. Classics may do very well for menwho loiter away their lives in the country or in colleges; but Milton menought to have their thoughts and powers absorbed in the work of to-day.
At least, that is my opinion." This last clause she gave out with "the pridethat apes humility."
"But, surely, if the mind is too long directed to one object only, it willget stiff and rigid, and unable to take in many interests," said Margaret.
"I do not quite understand what you mean by a mind getting stiff andrigid. Nor do I admire those whirligig characters that are full of thisthing to-day, to be utterly forgetful of it in their new interest to-morrow.
Having many interests does not suit the life of a Milton manufacturer. Itis, or ought to be, enough for him to have one great desire, and to bringall the purposes of his life to bear on the fulfilment of that."
"And that is--?" asked Mr. Hale.
Her sallow cheek flushed, and her eye lightened, as she answered:
"To hold and maintain a high, honourable place among the merchants ofhis country--the men of his town. Such a place my son has earned forhimself. Go where you will--I don"t say in England only, but in Europe-thename of John Thornton of Milton is known and respected amongstall men of business. Of course, it is unknown in the fashionable circles,"
she continued, scornfully. "Idle gentlemen and ladies are not likely toknow much of a Milton manufacturer, unless he gets into parliament, ormarries a lord"s daughter."
Both Mr. Hale and Margaret had an uneasy, ludicrous consciousnessthat they had never heard of this great name, until Mr. Bell had writtenthem word that Mr. Thornton would be a good friend to have in Milton.
The proud mother"s world was not their world of Harley Streetgentilities on the one hand, or country clergymen and Hampshiresquires on the other. Margaret"s face, in spite of all her endeavours to keep it simply listening in its expression told the sensitive Mrs.
Thornton this feeling of hers.
"You think you never heard of this wonderful son of mine, Miss Hale.
You think I"m an old woman whose ideas are bounded by Milton, andwhose own crow is the whitest ever seen."
"No," said Margaret, with some spirit. "It may be true, that I was thinkingI had hardly heard Mr. Thornton"s name before I came to Milton. Butsince I have come here, I have heard enough to make me respect andadmire him, and to feel how much justice and truth there is in what youhave said of him."
"Who spoke to you of him?" asked Mrs. Thornton, a little mollified, yetjealous lest any one else"s words should not have done him full justice.
Margaret hesitated before she replied. She did not like this authoritativequestioning. Mr. Hale came in, as he thought, to the rescue.
"It was what Mr. Thornton said himself, that made us know the kind ofman he was. Was it not, Margaret?"
Mrs. Thornton drew herself up, and said-"
My son is not the one to tell of his own doings. May I again ask you,Miss Hale, from whose account you formed your favourable opinion ofhim? A mother is curious and greedy of commendation of her children,you know."
Margaret replied, "It was as much from what Mr. Thornton withheld ofthat which we had been told of his previous life by Mr. Bell,--it wasmore that than what he said, that made us all feel what reason you haveto be proud of him."
"Mr. Bell! What can he know of John? He, living a lazy life in a drowsycollege. But I"m obliged to you, Miss Hale. Many a missy young ladywould have shrunk from giving an old woman the pleasure of hearingthat her son was well spoken of."
"Why?" asked Margaret, looking straight at Mrs. Thornton, inbewilderment.
"Why! because I suppose they might have consciences that told themhow surely they were making the old mother into an advocate for them,in case they had any plans on the son"s heart."
She smiled a grim smile, for she had been pleased by Margaret"sfrankness; and perhaps she felt that she had been asking questions toomuch as if she had a right to catechise. Margaret laughed outright at thenotion presented to her; laughed so merrily that it grated on Mrs.
Thornton"s ear, as if the words that called forth that laugh, must havebeen utterly and entirely ludicrous.
Margaret stopped her merriment as soon as she saw Mrs. Thornton"sannoyed look.
"I beg your pardon, madam. But I really am very much obliged to you for exonerating me from making any plans on Mr. Thornton"s heart."
"Young ladies have, before now," said Mrs. Thornton, stiffly.
"I hope Miss Thornton is well," put in Mr. Hale, desirous of changing thecurrent of the conversation.
