A Blow and its Consequences
- Fanny greets Margaret at the front door and apologizes that her mother isn't ready to speak yet. While they wait, Fanny tells her that Mr. Thornton has indeed imported cheap labor from Ireland to run his mill, and this has angered his regular workers.
- When Mrs. Thornton comes in, her face is dark with anger. She calls for the servants to barricade all the gates to the house, saying that the workers are about to attack.
- Sure enough, a huge pack of workers shows up outside the house. The women gather at the windows and peek out to see the crowd.
- Soon after, Mr. Thornton comes in. He apologizes to Margaret, saying that she can't go home now until the angry mob outside has gone. It turns out that he has already sent word for the British army to send troops to break up the mob. They won't arrive for at least another ten minutes, though.
- Glancing back out on the crowd, Margaret spots a man named Boucher, whom Nicholas Higgins has always tried to help, because the man has a large family and no special skills. This man seems to be one of the main agitators in the group.
- Margaret is mortified to learn that the soldiers are going to use force to break up the mob. She calls Mr. Thornton a coward and tells him to go down among the men and reason with them.
- Mr. Thornton is visibly angry at getting called out like this, but he goes downstairs anyway and Margaret runs after him.
- Once outside, Thornton talks sternly to the mob and tells them to go away. He isn't the most charming of dudes, so the mob just gets angrier. Eventually, they move forward to jump him, but Margaret jumps in the way and hangs her arms around his neck. She even gets hit in the head with a rock that was meant for Thornton.
- Seeing that a lady has been hurt, the mob gets timid and ashamed and they eventually break up and go away. Meanwhile, John Thornton holds a half-conscious Margaret in his arms, thinking that she has just risked her life for him. He tells her that he is in love with her and will do anything to be with her, although it doesn't seem like Margaret can understand him.
- After he brings Margaret into the house, Mrs. Thornton comes in and sees her son moaning over Margaret's body. He tells her that Margaret has been hurt and that she needs help.
- Margaret regains her senses and insists on heading straight home in case anything has happened to her mother while she's been out. Mrs. Thornton advises against it, but she has already decided.