"Just tell me, Miss Hale, are you yourself ever influenced--no, that is not a fair way of putting it;--but if you are ever conscious of being influenced by others, and not by circumstances, have those others been working directly or indirectly? Have they been labouring to exhort, to enjoin, to act rightly for the sake of example, or have they been simple, true men, taking up their duty, and doing it unflinchingly, without a thought of how their actions were to make this man industrious, that man saving? Why, if I were a workman, I should be twenty times more impressed by the knowledge that my master was honest, punctual, quick, resolute in all his doings (and hands are keener spies even than valets), than by any amount of interference, however kindly meant, with my ways of going on out of work-hours. I do not choose to think too closely on what I am myself; but, I believe, I rely on the straightforward honesty of my hands, and the open nature of their opposition, in contra-distinction to the way in which the turn-out will be managed in some mills, just because they know I scorn to take a single dishonourable advantage, or do an underhand thing myself. It goes farther than a whole course of lectures on 'Honesty is the Best Policy'--life diluted into words. No, no! What the master is, that will the men be, without over-much taking thought on his part."
"That is a great admission," said Margaret, laughing. "When I see men violent and obstinate, in pursuit of their rights, I may safely infer that the master is the same; that he is a little ignorant of that spirit which suffereth long, and is kind, and seeketh not her own."

'Just tell me, Miss Hale - if you are ever conscious of being influenced by others, have those others been working directly or indirectly? Have they exhorted you to act rightly, or have they been simply doing their duty unflinchingly? Why, if I were a workman, I should be twenty times more impressed by knowing that my master was honest, punctual, and resolute, than by any amount of interference, however kindly meant. I rely on the straightforward honesty of my hands, and the open nature of their opposition, in contrast to the way in which the turnout will be managed in some mills - because they know I will not take a dishonourable advantage, or do an underhand thing myself. It goes farther than a whole course of lectures on "Honesty is the Best Policy" - life diluted into words. No, no! What the master is, that will the men be.'
'That is a great admission,' said Margaret, laughing. 'When I see men violent and obstinate in pursuit of their rights, I may safely infer that the master is the same: that he is a little ignorant of that spirit which suffereth long, and is kind and selfless.'
