At precisely half past two, Mr. Thornton arrived at the Hale's. He was a stoic man and not prone to sentimentality, however, his present mood was eager and almost buoyant. On his current walk to his friend's home, there had been much time for reflection. Was it possible that Miss Hale – Margaret, he thought with a private smile - had feelings for him? Recollecting her lovely blush as she bid him farewell, Mr. Thornton allowed himself a slight hope. He abruptly shook his head to bring his thoughts to the issue at hand; that is, the strike and Miss Hale's optimistic plan to bring the troublesome thing to a close.
'You are come!' called Mr. Hale jovially. Mr. Thornton was gladdened to note the older man's obvious pleasure in his presence and fleetingly wondered if Mr. Hale would be equally agreeable to his suit for Margaret's hand. Mr. Hale was seated in the chair nearest the fireplace and Margaret was perched upon her usual chair, studiously embroidering what looked to be intended for an infant. She briefly raised her eyes and wordlessly nodded at Mr. Thornton as he chose the seat closest to Margaret, who colored as he did so.
'I believe this meeting was at Miss Hale's behest, so perhaps she should be the first to speak. Miss Hale, what are your thoughts upon the strike? How propose you to conclude this nasty business as soon as may be possible?'
Margaret was endeavoring to appear unaffected in Mr. Thornton's company and nearly missed his question. She smiled - they were on to the business of the strike. Mr. Thornton's forthright and resolute nature would allow nothing else.
'Actually, sir, whatever plans I may have conceived will of necessity require others for their fulfillment. In Milton, there are two separate classes of people who are wholly interdependent upon each other for their livelihood; yet, these classes continually are at odds or, at best, apparently indifferent to the welfare of the other.
The masters are obliged to retain workers in their mills so that the businesses may remain successful and those who work in the mills are, of course, dependent on their employers. I have heard you, Mr. Thornton, on many occasions refer to your workers as 'hands' instead of men (as seems to be common parlance) and I have also heard you referred to by those same people in less than complimentary terms. Although it may be difficult to hear, it is my fervent belief that this discord, this foundational lack of respect is the groundwork for any strikes. If it is plain to those who labor in a place that the master does not hold his employees in any esteem, the natural result can only be strife. Intelligence is not in the sole possession of the wealthy; there are those from straitened circumstances who hold great cleverness. It does not follow that for one to be an employee and not the owner means that individual is not worthy of notice or appreciation. I believe that if you and the other mill owners were to explain thoroughly to representatives of the Union, likely their Committee, your reasons for not wishing to increase wages - understanding that both you and the Committee will be liable to compromise at least part of your positions – and then the Committee was to explain their particular situation, perhaps a solution may be found.'
From his demeanor, Mr. Thornton had been listening closely but not necessarily with pleasure. He nodded and looked up. 'I do have a few questions, Miss Hale. If the mill owners were to agree to this . . . . . . discussion, would it be witnessed so that neither party could claim abuse?' He paused to give Margaret a chance to answer.
'The process is called arbitration. I have done research on it lately in order that my knowledge might cause a lessening of suffering for all involved. The meeting is overseen by an objective, learned individual, who makes the final ruling in the case. Both sides of the dispute sign a legally binding document agreeing to the arbitrator's ruling and terms. You may certainly have a solicitor present if that were to make you more easy.'
'Who will be these representatives of the Union? Will these be men, similar to those who (with a glance to Mr. Hale) might seek to harm the masters?'
Margaret compressed her lips, still upset by the memory of Boucher and his cohorts attacking Mr. Thornton. She replied quietly, 'No, Mr. Thornton, the men of their Committee are thinking, patient individuals who had tried to impress the other workers of the import of waiting and doing no harm. I am acquainted with one such person and, if you wish, you could be introduced to him.' She watched his face carefully, determining his comfort with such an idea.
'Nay, Margaret,' interrupted Mr. Hale nervously, 'Let us not force an introduction upon Mr. Thornton if he is not amenable. We are at a preliminary stage of your idea, are we not?' Mr. Hale desired an equitable outcome of the strike but, as the Hales were so recently moved to Milton and not intimately familiar with its history and workings, he fretted that Margaret's proposal would distress his friend.
Mr. Thornton replied, 'In truth, this concept is one of which I had heard but have not had the opportunity to see in practice. My curiosity is certainly aroused and if it can assist in diminishing the persistent rancor between the owners and the men, perhaps this is very worth the time to inquire about its efficacy.'
Turning to Margaret, he asked, 'My final question, for the moment, is wondering whether this arbitration procedure would force itself upon all involved if were to be a future strike? Are we legally required to return to this same method, if a better one may be available?'
Smiling, Margaret realized that Mr. Thornton was interested in hearing her idea in its entirety. She truly had never met a man who listened to her so completely and without the usual condescension shown to a female, which she had received even from Henry Lennox who professed to love her. Was there conceivably a chance for happiness between Mr. Thornton and herself? Margaret shook her head to clear these distracting thoughts and turned her full attention to the dark man (although, she had to admit, he was also handsome) sitting near her. 'To the best of my knowledge and, of course, I do hope that you would protect yourself and your investments by checking all of this information independently, engaging in arbitration this time does not necessitate repeating the process a second time. I would be pleased to provide you with the name of a solicitor who is familiar with these types of proceedings and likely he could direct you to an appropriate arbitrator.'
Mr. Hale looked with surprise upon his daughter. 'Margaret, how did you come to be in possession of this information and a solicitor's name? This is the first I have heard of such things.'
Margaret appeared somewhat disconcerted by the question and Mr. Thornton wondered if she had deliberately kept her father uninformed. 'Papa,' she responded gently without looking up, 'I do not believe that Mama would approve of my newfound pursuit so my investigations were done very discreetly. Henry Lennox was kind enough to provide the name of a local solicitor experienced in these matters and –' Her voice died away for a moment until she lifted her chin and faced her father bravely. 'I contacted him under an assumed name and have been in correspondence with him for about a month. His name is Mr. Joseph Scott, Esquire of Manchester. If you would like, Mr. Thornton, I could give you his address so that you may make your own inquiries.'
Mr. Thornton was wrestling with his pride in Margaret's courage at seeking answers to aid so many others, despite having to do so in a clandestine manner, and his burning need to know who Henry Lennox was to Margaret. He answered in a voice more calm than he felt, 'My appreciation, Miss Hale. You have done an excellent job of exploring avenues for returning Milton to a productive town. I would welcome it if you would write out the direction for Mr. Scott so that I may contact him.' He desperately wanted to ask Margaret about Henry Lennox but knew that it was not his right.
Mr. Hale rose from his seat to bid farewell to Mr. Thornton, relief that the younger man had not taken offense obvious on his features. 'John, may I expect you tomorrow at our regular time for reading? I do enjoy our time and our conversations.'
After taking his leave of Mr. Hale, Margaret asked Mr. Thornton to wait for a moment while she collected the address he had requested. She returned quickly with a scrap of paper and silently handed it to Mr. Thornton who placed the bit in his pocket without reading. He left and walked with his usual rapid pace as he navigated the familiar streets of Milton. Margaret found herself again watching Mr. Thornton's figure as it disappeared, confused as to the source of discomfiture that seemed to radiate off of the man when he had left. Was it the plan that had upset him so? No, she had felt in accord with him during most of their conversation. Margaret stood, deep in contemplation. He had appeared to close up when they had discussed her contacting the solicitor. Did he find that inappropriate for a woman? Did he know Mr. Scott previously and disapproved of him? But he made no complaint and she had noted no sign of recognition, so that could not be the reason. Margaret continued her analysis throughout the remainder of the day but could not settle upon a firm answer. She couldn't ask him directly – that would be much too forward but she could not request her father to glean understanding. It was going to persist in bothering her because . . . why? Did she seek Mr. Thornton's good opinion? If she had to admit it, then yes, she desired his thinking well of her. Margaret comprehended that she had much ruminating to do on this subject and waited patiently through the rest of her day until night so that she might have the silence and privacy to seek the answers that she needed.