’I used the comparison (suggested by Miss Hale) of the position of the master to that of a parent; so I ought not to complain of your turning the simile into a weapon against me.  But, Mr. Hale, when you were setting up a wise parent as a model for us, you said he humoured his children in their desire for independent action.  Now certainly, the time is not come for the hands to have any independent action during business hours; I hardly know what you would mean by it then.  And I say, that the masters would be trenching on the independence of their hands, in a way that I, for one, should not feel justified in doing, if we interfered too much with the life they lead out of the mills.  Because they labour ten hours a-day for us, I do not see that we have any right to impose leading-strings upon them for the rest of their time.  I value my own independence so highly that I can fancy no degradation greater than that of having another man perpetually directing and advising and lecturing me, or even planning too closely in any way about my actions.  He might be the wisest of men, or the most powerful—­I should equally rebel and resent his interference I imagine this is a stronger feeling in the North of England that in the South.’

’I beg your pardon, but is not that because there has been none of the equality of friendship between the adviser and advised classes?  Because every man has had to stand in an unchristian and isolated position, apart from and jealous of his brother-man:  constantly afraid of his rights being trenched upon?’

’I only state the fact.  I am sorry to say, I have an appointment at eight o’clock, and I must just take facts as I find them to-night, without trying to account for them; which, indeed, would make no difference in determining how to act as things stand—­the facts must be granted.’

‘But,’ said Margaret in a low voice, ’it seems to me that it makes all the difference in the world—.’  Her father made a sign to her to be silent, and allow Mr. Thornton to finish what he had to say.  He was already standing up and preparing to go.

’You must grant me this one point.  Given a strong feeling of independence in every Darkshire man, have I any right to obtrude my views, of the manner in which he shall act, upon another (hating it as I should do most vehemently myself), merely because he has labour to sell and I capital to buy?’

‘Not in the least,’ said Margaret, determined just to say this one thing; ’not in the least because of your labour and capital positions, whatever they are, but because you are a man, dealing with a set of men over whom you have, whether you reject the use of it or not, immense power, just because your lives and your welfare are so constantly and intimately interwoven.  God has made us so that we must be mutually dependent.  We may ignore our own dependence, or refuse to acknowledge that others depend upon us in more respects than the payment of weekly wages; but the thing must be, nevertheless.  Neither you nor any other master can help yourselves.  The most proudly independent man depends on those around him for their insensible influence on his character—­his life.  And the most isolated of all your Darkshire Egos has dependants clinging to him on all sides; he cannot shake them off, any more than the great rock he resembles can shake off—­’