North and South Volume 1, Chapter 21 Summary

The Dark Night

  • After the Thorntons' party, Margaret and her dad decide to walk home. They chat about how Thornton is put off about the strike. They agree that deep down, Thornton wants his workers to like him. But he's also very stubborn when it comes to getting his own way.
  • Margaret confesses that she feels like a hypocrite for attending a fancy dinner party when she claims to be on the side of the working poor.
  • When they get home, Dixon comes running up to them and says that the doctor is there. Mrs. Hale has almost died from her illness while they were out at the party. Mr. Hale almost faints on Margaret's arm when he hears the news. The doctor takes him into see Mrs. Hale.
  • Mr. Hale gets mad at Margaret for not telling him about his wife's illness.
  • The doctor informs Mr. Hale that the best thing they can do is make Mrs. Hale comfortable, since they won't be able to cure her disease.
  • Mr. Hale goes in to see his wife, who dreams of the days when their family lived at Helstone. Of course, this just makes Mr. Hale feel worse for making them move.
  • When Mrs. Hale reawakens the next day, she has no memory of how sick she was the night before.
  • Margaret asks Dr. Donaldson what more they can do for her mother, and he recommends a waterbed. The Hales don't have one but the Thorntons do, so Margaret decides to go out and ask Mrs. Thornton for one.
  • While she walks to the Thorntons' house, Margaret realizes that the people in the streets seem restless. When she arrives at the Thorntons', the man at the gate is quick to lock the gate behind her. It seems like everyone is on edge.
  • Margaret enters the house, realizing that she can't hear any noises coming from the factory as she goes in. It looks like Thornton's men are on strike.