So far, so good. But where was Mr. Hale? In the drawing-room. Margaret went in half breathless with the hurried story she had to tell. Of course, she told it incompletely; and her father was rather "taken aback" by the idea of the drunken weaver awaiting him in his quiet study, with whom he was expected to drink tea, and on whose behalf Margaret was anxiously pleading. The meek, kind-hearted Mr. Hale would have readily tried to console him in his grief, but, unluckily, the point Margaret dwelt upon most forcibly was the fact of his having been drinking, and her having brought him home with her as a last expedient to keep him from the gin-shop. One little event had come out of another so naturally that Margaret was hardly conscious of what she had done, till she saw the slight look of repugnance on her father's face.
"Oh, papa! he really is a man you will not dislike--if you won't be shocked to begin with."
"But, Margaret, to bring a drunken man home--and your mother so ill!"

So far, so good. But where was Mr. Hale? In the drawing-room. Margaret went in half breathless with her hurried story. Her father was rather taken aback by the idea of the drunken weaver awaiting him in his quiet study, with whom he was expected to drink tea. The meek, kind-hearted Mr. Hale would have readily tried to console him in his grief, but unluckily, Margaret dwelt on the fact of his having been drinking, and said she had brought him home with her as a last resort to keep him from the gin-shop. She was hardly conscious of what she had done, till she saw the look of repugnance on her father's face.
'Oh, papa! he really is a man you will not dislike.'
'But, Margaret, to bring a drunken man home - and your mother so ill!'
