[The roll of thunder is heard as John Thornton walks to the front door of the Hale’s house. He knocks on the door, takes his hat off and smiles.]

[In the sitting room, John Thornton talks energetically to Mr. Hale while Margaret tries not to fall asleep in a chair.]

John Thornton:  …All motion and energy but truly a thing of beauty.  Classics will have to be re-written to include it. [Mr. Hale chuckles]

[John Thornton turns to look at Margaret and she stirs from her half-asleep state.]

John Thornton:  Ah... I’m afraid we’re boring Miss Hale with our enthusiasm for Arkwright's invention.

Margaret Hale:  [sitting up] No…indeed I’m sure it’s fascinating. I’m a little tired that’s all.

[Margaret gets up to pour the tea.  Rain and thunder can be heard outside. As Margaret pours the tea, John Thornton watches her intently.  Margaret hands John a cup, glancing into his eyes before looking down. As John accepts the cup, their fingers touch briefly.]

[Mrs. Hale enters the room, putting on a smile for their guest, but it is clearly half-hearted.  John Thornton and Mr. Hale stand as she comes in.]

Mr. Hale:   Er...Mr Thornton has been admiring our newly redecorated rooms, Maria.

Mr. Hale:   Oh yes, Mr. Thornton. Hmm …well, there...there wasn’t a great deal of choice but these papers are of a similar shade to our drawing room in Helstone.  But not quite.

John Thornton:   [smiling]  Well.... On behalf of Milton taste, I’m glad we’ve almost passed muster.

[John Thornton glances over at Margaret.  Margaret looks away.]

Mrs. Hale:  Yes..yes well… clearly you're very proud of Milton.  My husband admires its energy and its …..its. people.. are very busy making their businesses successful.

John Thornton:  I won’t deny it – I’d rather be toiling here success or failure than leading a dull prosperous life in the south ….with their slow careless days of ease.

Margaret Hale:  [indignantly] You are mistaken. You don’t know anything about the South.  It may be a little less energetic in its pursuit of competitive trade but then there is less suffering than I have seen in your mills….and all for what?

John Thornton:  We make cotton.

Margaret Hale:  Which no one wants to wear!

John Thornton:  I think that I might say that you do not know the North.  We masters are not all the same whatever your prejudice against Milton men and their ways.

Margaret Hale:  I’ve seen the way you treat your men.  You treat them as you wish because they are beneath you.

John Thornton:  [frustrated but calm]  No. I do not.

Margaret Hale:  [Interrupting with her continued tirade before he can finish his response.]  You’ve been blessed with good luck and fortune, but others have not..

John Thornton:   [speaking with some emotion] I do know something of hardship…  [He gives Margaret a pointed look and she now sits silently.]  …sixteen years ago my father died... in very miserable circumstances.  I became the head of the family very quickly.  I was taken out of school.  I think that I might say that my only good luck was to have a mother of such strong will and integrity.  I went to work in a draper’s shop and my mother managed so that I could put three shillings aside a week.  That taught me self-denial.  Now I’m able to keep my mother in such comfort as her age requires and I thank her, every day for that early training… so,  Miss Hale, I do not think that I was especially blessed with good fortune or luck…

[Margaret’s eyes slowly lower away from his searching gaze.]

John Thornton:  I have outstayed my welcome.

[John stands.]

Mr. Hale:  Oh..no, John… [Mr. Hale stands also.]

John Thornton:  Come Miss Hale, let us part friends despite our differences.  If we become more familiar with each other’s traditions, we may learn to be more tolerant, I think.

[John Thornton puts out his hand to shake Margaret’s as she turns to let him pass to the door, refusing his polite handshake. Confused by this rejection, he clinches his fist and lowers his hand.]

[John Thornton walks out with Mr. Hale.  Mr. Hale glances at Margaret as he accompanies John out of the room.]

John Thornton:  [to Mr. Hale.]  I’ll see myself out.

Mr. Hale:  Please, please come again, John.

[Mr. Hale returns to drawing room where Margaret is clearing away the tea things.]

Mr. Hale:  Margaret!  The handshake is used up here in all forms of society… I think you gave Mr. Thornton real offence by refusing to take his hand.

Margaret Hale:  I’m sorry Father…I’m sorry I am so slow to learn the rules of civility in Milton... but I am tired…I have spent the whole day washing curtains so that Mr Thornton should feel at home…. [Margaret takes a seat on the sofa.] so please… excuse me if I misunderstood the handshake… I’m sure in London, a gentleman would never expect a lady to take his hand like that… all unexpectedly.

[Mrs. Hale looks very sympathetically at her daughter.]

Mrs. Hale:  And I’m sure I didn’t know where to look when he talked about his past… his father might have died in the workhouse!

Mr. Hale:  …I think it might have been worse than that. [He takes a seat in an easy chair.]  According to my friend Mr. Bell, his father speculated wildly, and lost…he um…he was swindled by a business partner in London. He…um…he killed himself….because he couldn’t bear the disgrace.  [Margaret looks ashamed and chastised while Mrs. Hale appears very uncomfortable with the conversation.]  Mother, and son and daughter lived on nothing for years, so that the creditors could be repaid... long after they had given up any hope of settlement…. Margaret?

Margaret Hale:  I think it very fine Father. I’m sorry to have offended your friend.  And I must go to bed.

[Margaret leaves the room]