[Nicholas Higgins paces outside the mill gate.  He stops, rubbing his eyes and looking tired.  John Thornton is walking swiftly towards him, bent on some urgent business.  Higgins intercepts him on the way out.]

Nicholas Higgins:   I need to talk to you, sir.

John Thornton:   I can't stop now.  [He puts on his hat and rushes past.]

[Nicholas watches him go and collapses against the gatepost with a look of hoplessness.]

[The banker, Mr. Latimer is playing billiards at a club.]

Mr. Latimer:   You've seen the new figures?

Thornton:   I'd hoped to reduce the bank loan by now.

Mr. Latimer:   Eh, it's a pity so much is tied up in the new machinery.

Thornton:   I needed the machinery because we were doing well.  We had large orders.  And I needed to buy the cotton in bulk.  Obviously I wasn't expecting not to be able to fulfill the contracts.

Mr. Latimer:   But you've been back to work for a good while now.

Thornton:   But we're still behind with the orders and we'll not catch up for ... It's not looking like we WILL catch up.

Mr. Latimer:   Well, the bank can extend the loan.  Temporarily.  But we'll have to be careful.

Thornton:   I don't think anyone has ever accused me of being careLESS!  Or frivolous!  [huge sigh, shakes head] Forgive me.  I don't know how I could have prevented this or what to do next.

Mr. Latimer:   Well, there are more ... modern financial procedures.  Investments.  [billiard ball clunks]  I could let you know when I hear of any such schemes.

Thornton:   Speculation?  [shakes his head]  I'll not risk everything on some idiot money scheme.

Mr. Latimer:   Well, if matters carry on like this you might not have anything left to risk.  [He looks John in the face before he leaves.]

[Higgins still waits outside the gates.  Thornton walks back to the mill, his head down, face troubled.]

Nicholas:   Sir.

Thornton:   Good Lord!  Are you still here?

Nicholas:   Yes, sir.  I want to speak to you.

Thornton:   You'd better come in then.

[Nicholas worries his cap in his hands, standing in front of Thornton's desk while he waits for the master to look over the messages that have come in.]

Thornton:   Well, so what do you want with me?

Nicholas:   My name is Higgins...

Thornton:   I know who you are.  What do you want?

Nicholas:   I want work.

Thornton:   Work?  You've got a nerve.

Nicholas:   Hamper'll tell you I'm a good worker.

Thornton:   I'm not sure you'd like to hear all of what Hamper would have to say about you.  I've had to turn away 100 of my best hands for following you and your union.  And you think that I should take you on?  Might as well set fire to the cotton waste and have done with it.

Nicholas:   [looking like he just may turn and go, hesitates]  I promise you, I'd not speak against you.  If I found anything wrong I'd give you fair warning before taking action.  I'm a steady man. I work hard.

Thornton:   [sneering]  How do I know you're not just planning mischief ... or maybe you're just interested in saving up money against another strike.

Nicholas:   I need work, for the family of a man who were driven mad.  He had his job taken by one of those Irishmen you hired.  Didn't know one end of a loom from another.

Thornton:   YOUR UNION forced me into hiring those Irish.  Much good it did me!  Most of them have gone home. [He contiues with his paperwork, getting up to get something and sitting down again, practically dismissing Nicholas.]  If I were to believe your reason ... I can't say that I'm inclined to.  I'd advise you to try some other work and leave Milton.

Nicholas:   If it were warmer, I'd take Paddy's work and never come back again.  But come winter, those children will starve.  If you knew any place away from mills ... I'd take any wage they thought I was worth for the sake of those children.

Thornton:   Oh, you'd take wages less than others?  They have no union of course.  Your union'd be down like a ton of bricks on my Irish for trying to feed their families, and yet you'd do this for these children?  I'll not give you work.  You're wasting your time.  [starts to read his papers]

Nicholas:   [with a sour smile]  And YOURS.  I was told to ask you by a woman.  Thought you had a kindness about you.  She was mistaken.  But I'm not the first to be misled by a woman.

Thornton:   Tell her to mind her own business next time and stop wasting your time and mine.  [Nicholas turns and goes out, but Thornton's fist comes up to his mouth as he considers Higgins parting words.]

[Williams is watching over the workroom when Thornton comes up beside him.]

Thornton:   How long has that man Higgins been waiting to speak to me?  [They watch Nicholas walk away outside the window.]

Williams:   He was outside the gate when I arrived, sir, and it's four now.  [Thornton looks consideringly at Williams.]

[It's snowing. Margaret enters a shop among crowds of people.  Fanny Thornton is there examining lace on some linen.]

Fanny Thornton:   Oh!  [Upon seeing Margaret, she flourishes her engagement ring on her hand.]  Miss Hale! [giggle]

Margaret:   I must congratulate you.

Fanny:   Yes, we are to be married SOON!  [turning to future husband, Watson]

Mr. Watson:   Delighted to see you again, Miss Hale.  [He lifts his hat and takes Margaret's hand.]  You must hurry, Miss Hale, for my dear girl is busy buying up the whole shop.

Fanny:   [laughs, then quietly aside to Margaret]  He is a little grey, but he's very well set up.  He's a very good match for us Thorntons.  He has been trying to interest John in a speculation.

Margaret:   Speculation?  Oh, excuse me, I just didn't think that Mr. Thornton would participate in any kind of risky venture.

Fanny:   Ah!  Everybody does it!  All business is risk, as my Watson would say.  John will have to be more modern in his ideas if he's to keep up.  [Turns toward the shopkeeper where Watson is about to sign the bill.]  Oh, no! You must send the bills to Marlborough Mills.  [to Watson]  You must not pay for a button.  We are quite rich enough!  [laughs, while Margaret looks like she might doubt this]

[At the Thornton's house, Fanny sets down a pile of linen and bills on the table where John works on his papers and his mother sews.]

Fanny:   Honestly!  Miss Hale could do with having just a little humility about her position.  She was at Green's and stopped to congratulate me.  She seemed surprised when I told her of my wedding plans.  She's so grave and disapproving, as if we couldn't afford it.  [John is frowning.]  I soon put her right.  It's not as if she will ever get a husband.  [Mrs. Thornton glances toward her son.]  She's much older than me.  And so severe!  I told her about Watson's business proposition and she really turned up her nose at me!  She as much as said you wouldn't be interested, as if she knew you better than me.  So superior.

John Thornton:   I'll thank you not to discuss my business affairs in the street.  [Fanny looks insulted.]  What do you know about anything anyway, Fanny, except how to SPEND money?

Fanny:   I know that if you were to take up Watson's offer and join him in the speculation, you would be certain to profit. Tenfold....

John:   [interrupting]  There is nothing certain about speculation.  [Hannah thoughtfully listening.]  I will not risk the livelihoods of my men by joining Watson's tomfool schemes.  If I lose money, how will I be expected to pay off the expense of your wedding?

Fanny:   [very angry]  You'll be sorry.  [She stalks off, John bows his head, resting it on his fist.  His mother approaches.]

Mrs. Thornton:   Is the speculation so risky?

John:   Do you need to ask me that, Mother?  It's very risky.  If it succeeds, all our financial problems will be over and no one will ever know how bad things are.

Mrs. Thornton:   If it fails?

John:   At the moment, the payroll is safe.  Would you advise me to risk it?

Mrs. Thornton:   If you succeeded, they'd never know.

John:   And if it fails, I would have injured others.  Would you ask me to risk that?

Mrs. Thornton:   [Makes a negative motion and steps forward to put her hands on her son's shoulders.]   Tell me what to do.

John:   Pray for a good summer.  People will buy cotton clothes.  Pray that some of our buyers pay their bills on time ... and pray that Fanny doesn't have time to order any more from the draper's.  [Hannah's sudden smile breaks through and she strokes John's hair as he barely manages a smile himself.]