‘Do you like new music simply for its newness, then?’

’Oh; one knows it is the fashion in London, or else the singers would not bring it down here.  You have been in London, of course.’

‘Yes,’ said Margaret, ‘I have lived there for several years.’

‘Oh!  London and the Alhambra are the two places I long to see!’

‘London and the Alhambra!’

’Yes! ever since I read the Tales of the Alhambra.  Don’t you know them?’

’I don’t think I do.  But surely, it is a very easy journey to London.’

‘Yes; but somehow,’ said Fanny, lowering her voice, ’mamma has never been to London herself, and can’t understand my longing.  She is very proud of Milton; dirty, smoky place, as I feel it to be.  I believe she admires it the more for those very qualities.’

’If it has been Mrs. Thornton’s home for some years, I can well understand her loving it,’ said Margaret, in her clear bell-like voice.

‘What are you saying about me, Miss Hale?  May I inquire?’

Margaret had not the words ready for an answer to this question, which took her a little by surprise, so Miss Thornton replied: 

’Oh, mamma! we are only trying to account for your being so fond of Milton.’

‘Thank you,’ said Mrs. Thornton.  ’I do not feel that my very natural liking for the place where I was born and brought up,—­and which has since been my residence for some years, requires any accounting for.’

Margaret was vexed.  As Fanny had put it, it did seem as if they had been impertinently discussing Mrs. Thornton’s feelings; but she also rose up against that lady’s manner of showing that she was offended.

Mrs. Thornton went on after a moment’s pause: 

’Do you know anything of Milton, Miss Hale?  Have you seen any of our factories? our magnificent warehouses?’

‘No!’ said Margaret.  ’I have not seen anything of that description as yet.  Then she felt that, by concealing her utter indifference to all such places, she was hardly speaking with truth; so she went on: 

’I dare say, papa would have taken me before now if I had cared.  But I really do not find much pleasure in going over manufactories.’

‘They are very curious places,’ said Mrs. Hale, ’but there is so much noise and dirt always.  I remember once going in a lilac silk to see candles made, and my gown was utterly ruined.’

‘Very probably,’ said Mrs. Thornton, in a short displeased manner.  ’I merely thought, that as strangers newly come to reside in a town which has risen to eminence in the country, from the character and progress of its peculiar business, you might have cared to visit some of the places where it is carried on; places unique in the kingdom, I am informed.  If Miss Hale changes her mind and condescends to be curious as to the manufactures of Milton, I can only say I shall be glad to procure her admission to print-works, or reed-making, or the more simple operations of spinning carried on in my son’s mill.  Every improvement of machinery is, I believe, to be seen there, in its highest perfection.’