'Oh! he's failed, or something of the kind, that Henry told you

of that day you had such a headache,--what was it? (There, that's

capital, Dixon. Miss Hale does us credit, does she not?) I wish I

was as tall as a queen, and as brown as a gipsy, Margaret.' 'But about Mr. Thornton?' 'Oh I really have such a terrible head for law business. Henry

will like nothing better than to tell you all about it. I know

the impression he made upon me was, that Mr. Thornton is very

badly off, and a very respectable man, and that I'm to be very

civil to him; and as I did not know how, I came to you to ask you

to help me. And now come down with me, and rest on the sofa for a

quarter of an hour.' The privileged brother-in-law came early and Margaret reddening

as she spoke, began to ask him the questions she wanted to hear

answered about Mr. Thornton.

'He came up about this sub-letting the property--Marlborough

Mills, and the house and premises adjoining, I mean. He is unable

to keep it on; and there are deeds and leases to be looked over,

and agreements to be drawn up. I hope Edith will receive him

properly; but she was rather put out, as I could see, by the

liberty I had taken in begging for an invitation for him. But I

thought you would like to have some attention shown him: and one

would be particularly scrupulous in paying every respect to a man

who is going down in the world.' He had dropped his voice to

speak to Margaret, by whom he was sitting; but as he ended he

sprang up, and introduced Mr. Thornton, who had that moment

entered, to Edith and Captain Lennox.

Margaret looked with an anxious eye at Mr. Thornton while he was

thus occupied. It was considerably more than a year since she had

seen him; and events had occurred to change him much in that

time. His fine figure yet bore him above the common height of

men; and gave him a distinguished appearance, from the ease of

motion which arose out of it, and was natural to him; but his

face looked older and care-worn; yet a noble composure sate upon

it, which impressed those who had just been hearing of his

changed position, with a sense of inherent dignity and manly

strength. He was aware, from the first glance he had given round

the room, that Margaret was there; he had seen her intent look of

occupation as she listened to Mr. Henry Lennox; and he came up to

her with the perfectly regulated manner of an old friend. With

his first calm words a vivid colour flashed into her cheeks,

which never left them again during the evening. She did not seem

to have much to say to him. She disappointed him by the quiet way

in which she asked what seemed to him to be the merely necessary

questions respecting her old acquaintances, in Milton; but others

came in--more intimate in the house than he--and he fell into the

background, where he and Mr. Lennox talked together from time to

time.




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