Angel Visits
- Mr. Hale and Margaret are preparing to go to the Thorntons' party. Mrs. Hale can't go, but she likes talking with Margaret about what Margaret plans on wearing. Girl talk!
- Earlier in the day, Margaret visits Bessy and tells her about going to the Thorntons' for the party. Bessy is impressed. Margaret seems to be tight with people on both sides of the workers' strike.
- Bessy also wants to talk with Margaret about what she'll wear.
- Bessy tells Margaret that she had a dream about her even before they ever met. Margaret thinks this is silly, but Bessy insists that it's true.
- They start talking about the strike, which is now in full swing. Nicholas Higgins comes in and hears them. He starts railing against the bosses and their greed. Margaret can tell from his slurred speech that he's been drinking. He also finds out that Margaret is going to dinner at Thornton's and tells her to deliver a message for Thornton to stop being such a jerk.
- Meanwhile, Mr. Hale learns about the suffering of Milton's workers from some friends he's made in town and he mentions the suffering to Thornton. Thornton, though, says that their suffering is inevitable if they're going to insist on defying their masters. For him, it's all free market, free market, free market. Human beings don't decide what's good and moral; the laws of supply and demand do.
- Back at the Higgins' house, Margaret sees Nicholas with a man named Boucher who has a huge family that he can't support. Nicholas has a soft spot for this man and tries to help him whenever he can.
- Turns out that Bessy's health is getting worse, and Nicholas swears that if she dies he'll blame the bosses who made her work in unsanitary factory conditions. For him, that's why she has always had problems with her breathing. It's all the cotton dust she's been inhaling over the years.
- When Nicholas and Boucher step out for a moment, Margaret takes the opportunity to press some money into Bessy's hand. Bessy thanks her for the generosity.