North and South

While Maria makes plans for helping the villagers during the winter, Margaret listens, saddened to know they will be gone before winter arrives. She thinks of all those in her community she will miss. Not yet knowing about the move, Maria thinks Margaret is ill and sends her to her room. Margaret paces and stares out the window at the church. She feels God is distant from her: “[S]he sat down, too full of sorrow to cry, but with a cold dull pain, which seemed to have pressed the youth and buoyancy out of her heart” (57). Richard comes in, and they pray together by the window. She feels guilty over her doubts but feels closer to God through her father’s prayers. Nightmares that Lennox has been murdered haunt her.

Margaret takes her mother for a walk and delivers the news about the move. Maria does not believe it at first and then becomes angry that Richard did not tell her sooner. Maria does not understand the nature of his doubts about the church and is skeptical of moving to an industrial town. Richard returns from delivering his last sermon, and Maria is reduced to tears. The scene saddens Margaret, and she runs to her room crying.