'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.