There was a little battle in Mrs. Shaw’s mind between ease and a sense of matronly propriety; but the former gained the day; and with many an injunction to Margaret to be careful of herself, and not to catch any fever, such as was always lurking in such places, her aunt permitted her to go where she had often been before without taking any precaution or requiring any permission.

Nicholas was out; only Mary and one or two of the Boucher children at home.  Margaret was vexed with herself for not having timed her visit better.  Mary had a very blunt intellect, although her feelings were warm and kind; and the instant she understood what Margaret’s purpose was in coming to see them, she began to cry and sob with so little restraint that Margaret found it useless to say any of the thousand little things which had suggested themselves to her as she was coming along in the coach.  She could only try to comfort her a little by suggesting the vague chance of their meeting again, at some possible time, in some possible place, and bid her tell her father how much she wished, if he could manage it, that he should come to see her when he had done his work in the evening.

As she was leaving the place, she stopped and looked round; then hesitated a little before she said: 

‘I should like to have some little thing to remind me of Bessy.’

Instantly Mary’s generosity was keenly alive.  What could they give?  And on Margaret’s singling out a little common drinking-cup, which she remembered as the one always standing by Bessy’s side with drink for her feverish lips, Mary said: 

‘Oh, take summut better; that only cost fourpence!’

‘That will do, thank you,’ said Margaret; and she went quickly away, while the light caused by the pleasure of having something to give yet lingered on Mary’s face.

‘Now to Mrs. Thornton’s,’ thought she to herself.  ’It must be done.’  But she looked rather rigid and pale at the thought of it, and had hard work to find the exact words in which to explain to her aunt who Mrs. Thornton was, and why she should go to bid her farewell.

They (for Mrs. Shaw alighted here) were shown into the drawing-room, in which a fire had only just been kindled.  Mrs. Shaw huddled herself up in her shawl, and shivered.

‘What an icy room!’ she said.

They had to wait for some time before Mrs. Thornton entered.  There was some softening in her heart towards Margaret, now that she was going away out of her sight.  She remembered her spirit, as shown at various times and places even more than the patience with which she had endured long and wearing cares.  Her countenance was blander than usual, as she greeted her; there was even a shade of tenderness in her manner, as she noticed the white, tear-swollen face, and the quiver in the voice which Margaret tried to make so steady.

’Allow me to introduce my aunt, Mrs. Shaw.  I am going away from Milton to-morrow; I do not know if you are aware of it; but I wanted to see you once again, Mrs. Thornton, to—­to apologise for my manner the last time I saw you; and to say that I am sure you meant kindly—­however much we may have misunderstood each other.’