Mr. Thornton was not spending the morning so satisfactorily as his mother. She, at any rate, was fulfilling her determined purpose. He was trying to understand where he stood; what damage the strike had done him. A good deal of his capital was locked up in new and expensive machinery; and he had also bought cotton largely, with a view to some great orders which he had in hand. The strike had thrown him terribly behindhand, as to the completion of these orders. Even with his own accustomed and skilled workpeople, he would have had some difficulty in fulfilling his engagements; as it was, the incompetence of the Irish hands, who had to be trained to their work, at a time requiring unusual activity, was a daily annoyance.
It was not a favourable hour for Higgins to make his request. But he had promised Margaret to do it at any cost. So, though every moment added to his repugnance, his pride, and his sullenness of temper, he stood leaning against the dead wall, hour after hour, first on one leg, then on the other. At last the latch was sharply lifted, and out came Mr. Thornton.

Mr. Thornton was not spending the morning so satisfactorily as his mother. He was trying to understand what damage the strike had done him. A good deal of his capital was locked up in new and expensive machinery; and he had also bought in cotton with a view to some large orders. The strike had thrown him terribly behindhand in the completion of these orders. Even with his own skilled workpeople, he would have had some difficulty in fulfilling them; as it was, the incompetence of the Irish hands, who had to be trained, was an annoyance.
It was not a favourable hour for Higgins to make his request. But he had promised Margaret to do it. So, though every moment added to his repugnance, pride and sullenness, he stood leaning against the wall, hour after hour, first on one leg, then on the other. At last Mr. Thornton came out.
