For many months, the embarrassment caused by the strike had been an obstacle in Mr. Thornton's way; and often, when his eye fell on Higgins, he could have spoken angrily to him without any present cause, just from feeling how serious was the injury that had arisen from this affair in which he was implicated. 
For many months, the embarrassment caused by the strike had been an obstacle in Mr. Thornton's way; and when he saw Higgins, he could have spoken angrily to him just because of this sense of injury.
