XXVI-XXX Summary

Mr. Thornton walks back from Margaret's house with their talk very much on his mind. Back at the Millhouse, Mrs. Thornton waits for news of her son's engagement. She realizes that her time is up and though jealous of her son's love, she thinks Margaret is a good match. If Margaret were from Milton, Mrs. Thornton would positively like her. Mr. Thornton arrives back and immediately his mother can see in his face that things did not go well. She curses Margaret and says how much she hates her; however, Mr. Thornton says he will not hear a bad word said about her. He changes the conversation to the strike, and the narrator explains mother and son lapse into their usual fact-based conversation.

Thornton goes to the court ,where he is a magistrate and deals with a case brought against John Boucher. On...