Page:Gaskell - North and South, vol. I, 1855.djvu/305

 "Why are you going round by Crampton?"

"To ask after Miss Hale."

"I will send. Williams must take the water-bed she came to ask for. He shall inquire how she is."

"I must go myself."

"Not merely to ask how Miss Hale is?"

"No, not merely for that. I want to thank her for the way in which she stood between me and the mob."

"What made you go down at all? It was putting head into the lion's mouth!"

He glanced sharply at her; saw that she did not know what had passed between him and Margaret in the drawing-room; and replied by another question:

"Shall you be afraid to be left without me, until I can get some of the police; or had we better send Williams for them now, and they could be here by the time we have done tea? There's no time to be lost. I must be off in a quarter of an hour."

Mrs. Thornton left the room. Her servants wondered at her directions, usually so sharply-cut and decided, now confused and uncertain. Mr.Thornton remained in the dining-room, trying to think of the business he had to do at the police-office, and in reality thinking of Margaret. Everything seemed dim and vague beyond—behind—besides the touch of her arms round his neck-the soft clinging which made the dark colour come and go in his cheek as he thought of it.

The tea would have been very silent, but for Fanny's perpetual description of her own feelings; how she had been alarmed—and then thought they