‘And that is—?’ asked Mr. Hale.

Her sallow cheek flushed, and her eye lightened, as she answered: 

’To hold and maintain a high, honourable place among the merchants of his country—­the men of his town.  Such a place my son has earned for himself.  Go where you will—­I don’t say in England only, but in Europe—­the name of John Thornton of Milton is known and respected amongst all men of business.  Of course, it is unknown in the fashionable circles,’ she continued, scornfully.

’Idle gentlemen and ladies are not likely to know much of a Milton manufacturer, unless he gets into parliament, or marries a lord’s daughter.’  Both Mr. Hale and Margaret had an uneasy, ludicrous consciousness that they had never heard of this great name, until Mr. Bell had written them word that Mr. Thornton would be a good friend to have in Milton.  The proud mother’s world was not their world of Harley Street gentilities on the one hand, or country clergymen and Hampshire squires on the other.  Margaret’s face, in spite of all her endeavours to keep it simply listening in its expression told the sensitive Mrs. Thornton this feeling of hers.

’You think you never heard of this wonderful son of mine, Miss Hale.  You think I’m an old woman whose ideas are bounded by Milton, and whose own crow is the whitest ever seen.’

‘No,’ said Margaret, with some spirit.  ’It may be true, that I was thinking I had hardly heard Mr. Thornton’s name before I came to Milton.  But since I have come here, I have heard enough to make me respect and admire him, and to feel how much justice and truth there is in what you have said of him.’

‘Who spoke to you of him?’ asked Mrs. Thornton, a little mollified, yet jealous lest any one else’s words should not have done him full justice.  Margaret hesitated before she replied.  She did not like this authoritative questioning.  Mr. Hale came in, as he thought, to the rescue.

’It was what Mr. Thornton said himself, that made us know the kind of man he was.  Was it not, Margaret?’

Mrs. Thornton drew herself up, and said—­

’My son is not the one to tell of his own doings.  May I again ask you, Miss Hale, from whose account you formed your favourable opinion of him?  A mother is curious and greedy of commendation of her children, you know.’

Margaret replied, ’It was as much from what Mr. Thornton withheld of that which we had been told of his previous life by Mr. Bell,—­it was more that than what he said, that made us all feel what reason you have to be proud of him.’

’Mr. Bell!  What can he know of John?  He, living a lazy life in a drowsy college.  But I’m obliged to you, Miss Hale.  Many a missy young lady would have shrunk from giving an old woman the pleasure of hearing that her son was well spoken of.’

‘Why?’ asked Margaret, looking straight at Mrs. Thornton, in bewilderment.

’Why! because I suppose they might have consciences that told them how surely they were making the old mother into an advocate for them, in case they had any plans on the son’s heart.’