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 acpany them to return mrs.

thornton\"s call; but in her anxiety not to bring back her father\"s fearstoo vividly, she gāve 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 hāve been put aside had therebeen a strong enough motive; or that if it was too severe to allow her toe out that day, the call might hāve 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

gāve 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 hāve no doubt the classics are very desirable for people who hāveleisure. 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 hāve their thoughts and powers absorbed in the work of to-day.

at least, that is my opinion.\" this last clause she gāve 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.

hāving many interests does not suit the life of a milton manufacturer. itis, or ought to be, enough for him to hāve 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 hāve 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 endeāvours 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.