Her sharp Damascus blade seemed out of place, and useless among rose-leaves. She was silent, because she was trying to task herself up to herduty At last, she stung herself into its performance by a suspicionwhich, in spite of all probability, she allowed to cross her mind, that allthis sweetness was put on with a view of propitiating Mr. Thornton;that, somehow, the other attachment had fallen through, and that itsuited Miss Hale"s purpose to recall her rejected lover. Poor Margaret!
there was perhaps so much truth in the suspicion as this: that Mrs.
Thornton was the mother of one whose regard she valued, and feared tohave lost; and this thought unconsciously added to her natural desire ofpleasing one who was showing her kindness by her visit. Mrs. Thorntonstood up to go, but yet she seemed to have something more to say. Shecleared her throat and began:
"Miss Hale, I have a duty to perform. I promised your poor mother that,as far as my poor judgment went, I would not allow you to act in anyway wrongly, or (she softened her speech down a little here)inadvertently, without remonstrating; at least, without offering advice,whether you took it or not."
Margaret stood before her, blushing like any culprit, with her eyesdilating as she gazed at Mrs. Thornton. She thought she had come tospeak to her about the falsehood she had told--that Mr. Thornton hademployed her to explain the danger she had exposed herself to, of beingconfuted in full court! and although her heart sank to think he had notrather chosen to come himself, and upbraid her, and receive herpenitence, and restore her again to his good opinion, yet she was toomuch humbled not to bear any blame on this subject patiently andmeekly.
Mrs. Thornton went on:
"At first, when I heard from one of my servants, that you had been seenwalking about with a gentleman, so far from home as the Outwoodstation, at such a time of the evening, I could hardly believe it. But myson, I am sorry to say, confirmed her story. It was indiscreet, to say theleast; many a young woman has lost her character before now----"
Margaret"s eyes flashed fire. This was a new idea--this was tooinsulting. If Mrs. Thornton had spoken to her about the lie she had told,well and good--she would have owned it, and humiliated herself But tointerfere with her conduct--to speak of her character! she--Mrs.
Thornton, a mere stranger--it was too impertinent! She would notanswer her--not one word. Mrs. Thornton saw the battle-spirit inMargaret"s eyes, and it called. up her combativeness also.
"For your mother"s sake, I have thought it right to warn you against suchimproprieties; they must degrade you in the long run in the estimationof the world, even if in fact they do not lead you to positive harm."
"For my mother"s sake," said Margaret, in a tearful voice, "I will bearmuch; but I cannot bear everything. She never meant me to be exposedto insult, I am sure."
"Insult, Miss Hale!"
"Yes, madam," said Margaret more steadily, "it is insult. What do youknow of me that should lead you to suspect--Oh!" said she, breakingdown, and covering her face with her hands--"I know now, Mr.
Thornton has told you----"
"No, Miss Hale," said Mrs. Thornton, her truthfulness causing her toarrest the confession Margaret was on the point of making, though hercuriosity was itching to hear it. "Stop. Mr. Thornton has told menothing. You do not know my son. You are not worthy to know him.
He said this. Listen, young lady, that you may understand, if you can,what sort of a man you rejected. This Milton manufacturer, his greattender heart scorned as it was scorned, said to me only last night, "Go toher. I have good reason to know that she is in some strait, arising out ofsome attachment; and she needs womanly counsel." I believe thosewere his very words. Farther than that--beyond admitting the fact ofyour being at the Outwood station with a gentleman, on the evening ofthe twenty-sixth--he has said nothing--not one word against you. If hehas knowledge of anything which should make you sob so, he keeps itto himself."
Margaret"s face was still hidden in her hands, the fingers of which werewet with tears. Mrs. Thornton was a little mollified.
"Come, Miss Hale. There may be circumstances, I"ll allow, that, ifexplained, may take off from the seeming impropriety."
Still no answer. Margaret was considering what to say; she wished tostand well with Mrs. Thornton; and yet she could not, might not, giveany explanation. Mrs. Thornton grew impatient.
"I shall be sorry to break off an acquaintance; but for Fanny"s sake--as Itold my son, if Fanny had done so we should consider it a great disgrace-and Fanny might be led away----"
"I can give you no explanation," said Margaret, in a low voice. "I havedone wrong, but not in the way you think or know about. I think Mr.
Thornton judges me more mercifully than you;"--she had hard work tokeep herself from choking with her tears--"but, I believe, madam, youmean to do rightly."
"Thank you," said Mrs. Thornton, drawing herself up; "I was not awarethat my meaning was doubted. It is the last time I shall interfere. I wasunwilling to consent to do it, when your mother asked me. I had notapproved of my son"s attachment to you, while I only suspected it. Youdid not appear to me worthy of him. But when you compromisedyourself as you did at the time of the riot, and exposed yourself to thecomments of servants and workpeople, I felt it was no longer right toset myself against my son"s wish of proposing to you--a wish, by theway, which he had always denied entertaining until the day of the riot."
Margaret winced, and drew in her breath with a long, hissing sound; ofwhich, however, Mrs. Thornton took no notice. "He came; you hadapparently changed your mind. I told my son yesterday, that I thought itpossible, short as was the interval, you might have heard or learntsomething of this other lover----"
"What must you think of me, madam?" asked Margaret, throwing herhead back with proud disdain, till her throat curved outwards like aswan"s. "You can say nothing more, Mrs. Thornton. I decline everyattempt to justify myself for anything. You must allow me to leave theroom."
And she swept out of it with the noiseless grace of an offended princess.