North and South Volume 2, Chapter 18 Summary

Margaret's Flittin'

  • Margaret's aunt, Mrs. Shaw, has no time for the town of Milton. She finds the whole place noisy, smoky, and dirty. She is certain that Margaret will never be healthy again until she leaves Milton behind and comes down to London. Margaret agrees and leaves Dixon in charge of paying the bills, shutting up the house, and getting rid of all the furniture.
  • Before she leaves, though, Margaret gets a letter from Mr. Bell. In the letter, he tells her that if he ever dies, she'll get all his money and property.
  • When Margaret is done reading, her aunt comes in and orders the servants to make Margaret more comfortable.
  • Margaret gets up and goes through her stuff, sorting out what she wants to take to London and what she doesn't.
  • The next day, Margaret says she wants to go wish a friend goodbye before she leaves Milton. Her aunt objects though, saying she wants to get going as quickly as they can.
  • Margaret goes to the Higgins' house anyway and finds that Nicholas isn't at home. She' sad to leave Milton without saying goodbye to him, but she tells his daughter Mary to say that she stopped by. Before she leaves, Mary gives her the cup that Bessy Higgins always used to drink from.
  • Next, Margaret goes to visit Mrs. Thornton. While they say goodbye, Margaret assures Mrs. Thornton that she (Margaret) is not guilty of anything that Mrs. Thornton might have once suspected her of. Aunt Shaw invites Mrs. Thornton to visit her in London sometime, but Mrs. Thornton tells her it's not likely they'll be meeting again. She's not trying to be harsh—just honest.
  • At this moment, Mr. Thornton enters the room. He and Margaret say goodbye to one another. Thornton is visibly upset. While he escorts Margaret and her aunt to their carriage, he thinks about asking Margaret again about marriage. But then draws back and promises himself he'll never ask again.
  • Before leaving, Margaret is able to meet with Nicholas Higgins, who expresses his sadness over the death of Mr. Hale. Margaret gives Nicholas her father's Bible, hoping that he'll be able to find his faith by reading it. She also gives him some money to spend on Boucher's children.