"She is as well as she ever is. She is not strong," replied Mrs. Thornton,shortly.
"And Mr. Thornton? I suppose I may hope to see him on Thursday?"
"I cannot answer for my son"s engagements. There is someuncomfortable work going on in the town; a threatening of a strike. Ifso, his experience and judgment will make him much consulted by hisfriends. But I should think he could come on Thursday. At any rate, Iam sure he will let you know if he cannot."
"A strike!" asked Margaret. "What for? What are they going to strike for?"
"For the mastership and ownership of other people"s property," said Mrs.
Thornton, with a fierce snort. "That is what they always strike for. If myson"s work-people strike, I will only say they are a pack of ungratefulhounds. But I have no doubt they will."
"They are wanting higher wages, I suppose?" asked Mr. Hale.
"That is the face of the thing. But the truth is, they want to be masters,and make the masters into slaves on their own ground. They are alwaystrying at it; they always have it in their minds and every five or sixyears, there comes a struggle between masters and men. They"ll findthemselves mistaken this time, I fancy,--a little out of their reckoning. Ifthey turn out, they mayn"t find it so easy to go in again. I believe, themasters have a thing or two in their heads which will teach the men notto strike again in a hurry, if they try it this time."
"Does it not make the town very rough?" asked Margaret.
"Of course it does. But surely you are not a coward, are you? Milton isnot the place for cowards. I have known the time when I have had tothread my way through a crowd of white, angry men, all swearing theywould have Makinson"s blood as soon as he ventured to show his noseout of his factory; and he, knowing nothing of it, some one had to goand tell him, or he was a dead man, and it needed to be a woman,--so Iwent. And when I had got in, I could not get out. It was as much as mylife was worth. So I went up to the roof, where there were stones piledready to drop on the heads of the crowd, if they tried to force the factorydoors. And I would have lifted those heavy stones, and dropped themwith as good an aim as the best man there, but that I fainted with theheat I had gone through. If you live in Milton, you must learn to have abrave heart, Miss Hale."
"I would do my best," said Margaret rather pale. "I do not know whether Iam brave or not till I am tried; but I am afraid I should be a coward."
"South country people are often frightened by what our Darkshire menand women only call living and struggling. But when you"ve been tenyears among a people who are always owing their betters a grudge, andonly waiting for an opportunity to pay it off, you"ll know whether youare a coward or not, take my word for it."
Mr. Thornton came that evening to Mr. Hale"s. He was shown up intothe drawing-room, where Mr. Hale was reading aloud to his wife anddaughter.
"I am come partly to bring you a note from my mother, and partly toapologise for not keeping to my time yesterday. The note contains theaddress you asked for; Dr. Donaldson."
"Thank you!" said Margaret, hastily, holding out her hand to take thenote, for she did not wish her mother to hear that they had been makingany inquiry about a doctor. She was pleased that Mr. Thornton seemedimmediately to understand her feeling; he gave her the note withoutanother word of explanation.
Mr. Hale began to talk about the strike. Mr. Thornton"s face assumed alikeness to his mother"s worst expression, which immediately repelledthe watching Margaret.
"Yes; the fools will have a strike. Let them. It suits us well enough. Butwe gave them a chance. They think trade is flourishing as it was lastyear. We see the storm on the horizon and draw in our sails. Butbecause we don"t explain our reasons, they won"t believe we"re actingreasonably. We must give them line and letter for the way we choose tospend or save our money. Henderson tried a dodge with his men, out atAshley, and failed. He rather wanted a strike; it would have suited hisbook well enough. So when the men came to ask for the five per cent.
they are claiming, he told "em he"d think about it, and give them hisanswer on the pay day; knowing all the while what his answer wouldbe, of course, but thinking he"d strengthen their conceit of their ownway. However, they were too deep for him, and heard something aboutthe bad prospects of trade. So in they came on the Friday, and drewback their claim, and now he"s obliged to go on working. But we Miltonmasters have to-day sent in our decision. We won"t advance a penny.
We tell them we may have to lower wages; but can"t afford to raise. Sohere we stand, waiting for their next attack."
"And what will that be?" asked Mr. Hale.
"I conjecture, a simultaneous strike. You will see Milton without smokein a few days, I imagine, Miss Hale."
"But why," asked she, "could you not explain what good reason you havefor expecting a bad trade? I don"t know whether I use the right words,but you will understand what I mean."
"Do you give your servants reasons for your expenditure, or youreconomy in the use of your own money? We, the owners of capital,have a right to choose what we will do with it."
"A human right," said Margaret, very low.
"I beg your pardon, I did not hear what you said."
"I would rather not repeat it," said she; "it related to a feeling which I donot think you would share."
"Won"t you try me?" pleaded he; his thoughts suddenly bent uponlearning what she had said. She was displeased with his pertinacity, butdid not choose to affix too much importance to her words.
"I said you had a human right. I meant that there seemed no reason butreligious ones, why you should not do what you like with your own.
"I know we differ in our religious opinions; but don"t you give me creditfor having some, though not the same as yours?"
He was speaking in a subdued voice, as if to her alone. She did not wishto be so exclusively addressed. She replied out in her usual tone:
