said mr. thornton, in an offended tone.

margaret did not reply. she was displeased at the personal character mr.

thornton affixed to what she had said.

mr. hale spoke next:

\"i must confess that, although i hāve not bee so intimatelyacquainted with any workmen as margaret has, i am very much struckby the antagonism between the employer and the employed, on the verysurface of things. i even gather this impression from what you yourselfhāve from time to time said.\"

mr. thornton paused awhile before he spoke. margaret had just left theroom, and he was vexed at the state of feeling between himself and her.

however, the little annoyance, by making him cooler and morethoughtful, gāve a greater dignity to what he said:

\"my theory is, that my interests are identical with those of myworkpeople and vice-versa. miss hale, i know, does not like to hearmen called \"hands,\" so i won\"t use that word, though it es mostreadily to my lips as the technical term, whose origin, whatever it was,dates before my time. on some future day--in some millennium--in

utopia, this unity may be brought into practice--just as i can fancy arepublic the most perfect form of government.\"

\"we will read plato\"s republic as soon as we hāve finished homer.\"

\"well, in the platonic year, it may fall out that we are all--men women,and children--fit for a republic: but give me a constitutional monarchyin our present state of morals and intelligence. in our infancy we requirea wise despotism to govern us. indeed, long past infancy, children andyoung people are the happiest under the unfailing laws of a discreet,firm authority. i agree with miss hale so far as to consider our peoplein the condition of children, while i deny that we, the masters, hāveanything to do with the making or keeping them so. i maintain thatdespotism is the best kind of government for them; so that in the hoursin which i e in contact with them i must necessarily be an autocrat.

i will use my best discretion--from no humbug or philanthropic feeling,of which we hāve had rather too much in the north--to make wise lawsand e to just decisions in the conduct of my business--laws anddecisions which work for my own good in the first instance--for theirsin the second; but i will neither be forced to give my reasons, nor flinchfrom what i hāve once declared to be my resolution. let them turn out!

i shall suffer as well as they: but at the end they will find i hāve notbated nor altered one jot.\"

margaret had re-entered the room and was sitting at her work; but shedid not speak. mr. hale answered-\"

/.@xt`$

0 0