North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 39 | Audiobook

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 39 "Making Friends" narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on KO-FI and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Margaret shuts herself up in her room after her meeting with Mrs. Thornton, thinking over everything that was said and waiting for the woman to leave the house. Though disappointed, she determines that she is innocent of her accusations and cannot be hurt by the matron’s words. But she also comes to the conclusion that Mr. Thornton must also take Frederick for a lover, and is shocked, and is curious why she is shocked; why should she care. While thinking about all of this she gets ready to leave the house. She goes on a walk in the countryside and when she returns, she runs into her father at the door and says that she will go and visit Mrs. Boucher. The woman in incredibly ill, and more or less on her deathbed. She goes instead to visit Higgins. He is looking after some of Mrs. Boucher’s children. Margaret asks him if he went to Mr. Thornton. The man’s attitude suddenly changes, and he tells her that he wasn’t given a job and says that Thornton spoke to him in a similar way to the other Masters. Margaret goes to say how disappointed she is in Thornton, only to hear a footstep on the door, to turn around, and to see Thornton standing there. She bows politely and rushes out of the room. Thornton feels very awkward about Margaret having been there. Thornton was shocked by the 5 hours that Higgins spent waiting to talk to him, and while he didn’t have 5 hours to spare, he spent 2 hours going around trying to confirm Higgins’ story and was very pleased to find it to be truthful. He then asks Higgins if the “woman” he spoke about was Margaret. He then asks about the children, asking if they are his. Higgins retaliates a little to this and defends his position from that morning. Thornton then asks if Higgins will take work with him. Higgins looks at the children, and says that Thornton called him names, and he called him names in return, finally asking, if after all they, they could get on together. Thornton laughs a little at this and says that they can’t think worse of each other than they do now. The then talk a little business and Mr Thornton then leaves. Outside he runs again into Margaret, and instead of leaving her, he finally bucks up the courage to speak with her. He tells her that he took Higgins on and apologises for what he said about women meddling. Margaret then goes to say that Higgins didn’t tell him the whole truth, but the word Truth makes her stop. Thornton catches on this and asks her why she lied about being at the station. Margaret refuses, saying that she cannot betray the trust of the man she was with. Thornton leaves her. Walking home, Margaret is very confused about everything that he said to her. When home, she gets a letter from cousin Edith saying that she will be moving back to Harley Street, filling Margaret with joy at the possibility of returning to London life with her friends.SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.