When Mr. Thornton had left the house that morning he was almost blinded by his baffled passion. He was as dizzy as if Margaret, instead of looking, and speaking, and moving like a tender graceful woman, had been a sturdy fish-wife, and given him a sound blow with her fists. He had positive bodily pain--a violent headache, and a throbbing intermittent pulse. He could not bear the noise, the garish light, the continued rumble and movement of the street. He called himself a fool for suffering so; and yet he could not, at the moment, recollect the cause of his suffering, and whether it was adequate to the consequences it had produced. It would have been a relief to him, if he could have sat down and cried on a door-step by a little child, who was raging and storming, through his passionate tears, at some injury he had received. He said to himself, that he hated Margaret, but a wild, sharp sensation of love cleft his dull, thunderous feeling like lightning, even as he shaped the words expressive of hatred. His greatest comfort was in hugging his torment and in feeling, as he had indeed said to her, that though she might despise him, contemn him, treat him with her proud sovereign indifference, he did not change one whit. She could not make him change. He loved her, and would love her; and defy her, and this miserable bodily pain.

When Mr. Thornton had left the Hales' house that morning he was almost blinded by his baffled passion. He was as dizzy as if Margaret, instead of speaking like a tender graceful woman, had been a sturdy fish-wife, and given him a sound blow with her fists. He had a violent headache, and a throbbing pulse. He could not bear the noise, the garish light, the rumble and movement of the street. He called himself a fool for suffering so; and yet it would have been a relief if he could have sat down and cried on a door-step beside a little child who was raging and storming there.
He said to himself that he hated Margaret - but a wild, sharp sensation of love cleft his thunderous feeling like lightning, even as he shaped the words. His greatest comfort was in thinking that though she might despise him and treat him with proud indifference, he did not change one whit. She could not make him change. He loved her, and would love her; and defy her, and this miserable pain.
