III
Very Decided
The indefatigable Mrs.┬аSparsit, with a violent cold upon her, her voice reduced to a whisper, and her stately frame so racked by continual sneezes that it seemed in danger of dismemberment, gave chase to her patron until she found him in the metropolis; and there, majestically sweeping in upon him at his hotel in St.┬аJamesтАЩs Street, exploded the combustibles with which she was charged, and blew up. Having executed her mission with infinite relish, this high-minded woman then fainted away on Mr.┬аBounderbyтАЩs coat-collar.
Mr.┬аBounderbyтАЩs first procedure was to shake Mrs.┬аSparsit off, and leave her to progress as she might through various stages of suffering on the floor. He next had recourse to the administration of potent restoratives, such as screwing the patientтАЩs thumbs, smiting her hands, abundantly watering her face, and inserting salt in her mouth. When these attentions had recovered her (which they speedily did), he hustled her into a fast train without offering any other refreshment, and carried her back to Coketown more dead than alive.
Regarded as a classical ruin, Mrs.┬аSparsit was an interesting spectacle on her arrival at her journeyтАЩs end; but considered in any other light, the amount of damage she had by that time sustained was excessive, and impaired her claims to admiration. Utterly heedless of the wear and tear of her clothes and constitution, and adamant to her pathetic sneezes, Mr.┬аBounderby immediately crammed her into a coach, and bore her off to Stone Lodge.
тАЬNow, Tom Gradgrind,тАЭ said Bounderby, bursting into his father-in-lawтАЩs room late at night; тАЬhereтАЩs a lady hereтБатАФMrs.┬аSparsitтБатАФyou know Mrs.┬аSparsitтБатАФwho has something to say to you that will strike you dumb.тАЭ
тАЬYou have missed my letter!тАЭ exclaimed Mr.┬аGradgrind, surprised by the apparition.
тАЬMissed your letter, sir!тАЭ bawled Bounderby. тАЬThe present time is no time for letters. No man shall talk to Josiah Bounderby of Coketown about letters, with his mind in the state itтАЩs in now.тАЭ
тАЬBounderby,тАЭ said Mr.┬аGradgrind, in a tone of temperate remonstrance, тАЬI speak of a very special letter I have written to you, in reference to Louisa.тАЭ
тАЬTom Gradgrind,тАЭ replied Bounderby, knocking the flat of his hand several times with great vehemence on the table, тАЬI speak of a very special messenger that has come to me, in reference to Louisa. Mrs.┬аSparsit, maтАЩam, stand forward!тАЭ
That unfortunate lady hereupon essaying to offer testimony, without any voice and with painful gestures expressive of an inflamed throat, became so aggravating and underwent so many facial contortions, that Mr.┬аBounderby, unable to bear it, seized her by the arm and shook her.
тАЬIf you canтАЩt get it out, maтАЩam,тАЭ said Bounderby, тАЬleave me to get it out. This is not a time for a lady, however highly connected, to be totally inaudible, and seemingly swallowing marbles. Tom Gradgrind, Mrs.┬аSparsit latterly found herself, by accident, in a situation to overhear a conversation out of doors between your daughter and your precious gentleman-friend, Mr.┬аJames Harthouse.тАЭ
тАЬIndeed!тАЭ said Mr.┬аGradgrind.
тАЬAh! Indeed!тАЭ cried Bounderby. тАЬAnd in that conversationтБатАФтАЭ
тАЬIt is not necessary to repeat its tenor, Bounderby. I know what passed.тАЭ
тАЬYou do? Perhaps,тАЭ said Bounderby, staring with all his might at his so quiet and assuasive father-in-law, тАЬyou know where your daughter is at the present time!тАЭ
тАЬUndoubtedly. She is here.тАЭ
тАЬHere?тАЭ
тАЬMy dear Bounderby, let me beg you to restrain these loud outbreaks, on all accounts. Louisa is here. The moment she could detach herself from that interview with the person of whom you speak, and whom I deeply regret to have been the means of introducing to you, Louisa hurried here, for protection. I myself had not been at home many hours, when I received herтБатАФhere, in this room. She hurried by the train to town, she ran from town to this house, through a raging storm, and presented herself before me in a state of distraction. Of course, she has remained here ever since. Let me entreat you, for your own sake and for hers, to be more quiet.тАЭ
Mr.┬аBounderby silently gazed about him for some moments, in every direction except Mrs.┬аSparsitтАЩs direction; and then, abruptly turning upon the niece of Lady Scadgers, said to that wretched woman:
тАЬNow, maтАЩam! We shall be happy to hear any little apology you may think proper to offer, for going about the country at express pace, with no other luggage than a Cock-and-a-Bull, maтАЩam!тАЭ
тАЬSir,тАЭ whispered Mrs.┬аSparsit, тАЬmy nerves are at present too much shaken, and my health is at present too much impaired, in your service, to admit of my doing more than taking refuge in tears.тАЭ (Which she did.)
тАЬWell, maтАЩam,тАЭ said Bounderby, тАЬwithout making any observation to you that may not be made with propriety to a woman of good family, what I have got to add to that, is that there is something else in which it appears to me you may take refuge, namely, a coach. And the coach in which we came here being at the door, youтАЩll allow me to hand you down to it, and pack you home to the Bank: where the best course for you to pursue, will be to put your feet into the hottest water you can bear, and take a glass of scalding rum and butter after you get into bed.тАЭ With these words, Mr.┬аBounderby extended his right hand to the weeping lady, and escorted her to the conveyance in question, shedding many plaintive sneezes by the way. He soon returned alone.
тАЬNow, as you showed me in your face, Tom Gradgrind, that you wanted to speak to me,тАЭ he resumed, тАЬhere I am. But, I am not in a very agreeable state, I tell you plainly: not relishing this business, even as it is, and not considering that I am at any time as dutifully and submissively treated by your daughter, as Josiah Bounderby of Coketown ought to be treated by his wife. You have your opinion, I dare say; and I have mine, I know. If you mean to say anything to me tonight, that goes against this candid remark, you had better let it alone.тАЭ
Mr.┬аGradgrind, it will be observed, being much softened, Mr.┬аBounderby took particular pains to harden himself at all points. It was his amiable nature.
тАЬMy dear Bounderby,тАЭ Mr.┬аGradgrind began in reply.
тАЬNow, youтАЩll excuse me,тАЭ said Bounderby, тАЬbut I donтАЩt want to be too dear. That, to start with. When I begin to be dear to a man, I generally find that his intention is to come over me. I am not speaking to you politely; but, as you are aware, I am not polite. If you like politeness, you know where to get it. You have your gentleman-friends, you know, and theyтАЩll serve you with as much of the article as you want. I donтАЩt keep it myself.тАЭ
тАЬBounderby,тАЭ urged Mr.┬аGradgrind, тАЬwe are all liable to mistakesтБатАФтАЭ
тАЬI thought you couldnтАЩt make тАЩem,тАЭ interrupted Bounderby.
тАЬPerhaps I thought so. But, I say we are all liable to mistakes and I should feel sensible of your delicacy, and grateful for it, if you would spare me these references to Harthouse. I shall not associate him in our conversation with your intimacy and encouragement; pray do not persist in connecting him with mine.тАЭ
тАЬI never mentioned his name!тАЭ said Bounderby.
тАЬWell, well!тАЭ returned Mr.┬аGradgrind, with a patient, even a submissive, air. And he sat for a little while pondering. тАЬBounderby, I see reason to doubt whether we have ever quite understood Louisa.тАЭ
тАЬWho do you mean by we?тАЭ
тАЬLet me say I, then,тАЭ he returned, in answer to the coarsely blurted question; тАЬI doubt whether I have understood Louisa. I doubt whether I have been quite right in the manner of her education.тАЭ
тАЬThere you hit it,тАЭ returned Bounderby. тАЬThere I agree with you. You have found it out at last, have you? Education! IтАЩll tell you what education isтБатАФTo be tumbled out of doors, neck and crop, and put upon the shortest allowance of everything except blows. ThatтАЩs what I call education.тАЭ
тАЬI think your good sense will perceive,тАЭ Mr.┬аGradgrind remonstrated in all humility, тАЬthat whatever the merits of such a system may be, it would be difficult of general application to girls.тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt see it at all, sir,тАЭ returned the obstinate Bounderby.
тАЬWell,тАЭ sighed Mr.┬аGradgrind, тАЬwe will not enter into the question. I assure you I have no desire to be controversial. I seek to repair what is amiss, if I possibly can; and I hope you will assist me in a good spirit, Bounderby, for I have been very much distressed.тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt understand you, yet,тАЭ said Bounderby, with determined obstinacy, тАЬand therefore I wonтАЩt make any promises.тАЭ
тАЬIn the course of a few hours, my dear Bounderby,тАЭ Mr.┬аGradgrind proceeded, in the same depressed and propitiatory manner, тАЬI appear to myself to have become better informed as to LouisaтАЩs character, than in previous years. The enlightenment has been painfully forced upon me, and the discovery is not mine. I think there areтБатАФBounderby, you will be surprised to hear me say thisтБатАФI think there are qualities in Louisa, whichтБатАФwhich have been harshly neglected, andтБатАФand a little perverted. AndтБатАФand I would suggest to you, thatтБатАФthat if you would kindly meet me in a timely endeavour to leave her to her better nature for a whileтБатАФand to encourage it to develop itself by tenderness and considerationтБатАФitтБатАФit would be the better for the happiness of all of us. Louisa,тАЭ said Mr.┬аGradgrind, shading his face with his hand, тАЬhas always been my favourite child.тАЭ
The blustrous Bounderby crimsoned and swelled to such an extent on hearing these words, that he seemed to be, and probably was, on the brink of a fit. With his very ears a bright purple shot with crimson, he pent up his indignation, however, and said:
тАЬYouтАЩd like to keep her here for a time?тАЭ
тАЬIтБатАФI had intended to recommend, my dear Bounderby, that you should allow Louisa to remain here on a visit, and be attended by Sissy (I mean of course Cecilia Jupe), who understands her, and in whom she trusts.тАЭ
тАЬI gather from all this, Tom Gradgrind,тАЭ said Bounderby, standing up with his hands in his pockets, тАЬthat you are of opinion that thereтАЩs what people call some incompatibility between Loo Bounderby and myself.тАЭ
тАЬI fear there is at present a general incompatibility between Louisa, andтБатАФandтБатАФand almost all the relations in which I have placed her,тАЭ was her fatherтАЩs sorrowful reply.
тАЬNow, look you here, Tom Gradgrind,тАЭ said Bounderby the flushed, confronting him with his legs wide apart, his hands deeper in his pockets, and his hair like a hayfield wherein his windy anger was boisterous. тАЬYou have said your say; I am going to say mine. I am a Coketown man. I am Josiah Bounderby of Coketown. I know the bricks of this town, and I know the works of this town, and I know the chimneys of this town, and I know the smoke of this town, and I know the hands of this town. I know тАЩem all pretty well. TheyтАЩre real. When a man tells me anything about imaginative qualities, I always tell that man, whoever he is, that I know what he means. He means turtle soup and venison, with a gold spoon, and that he wants to be set up with a coach and six. ThatтАЩs what your daughter wants. Since you are of opinion that she ought to have what she wants, I recommend you to provide it for her. Because, Tom Gradgrind, she will never have it from me.тАЭ
тАЬBounderby,тАЭ said Mr.┬аGradgrind, тАЬI hoped, after my entreaty, you would have taken a different tone.тАЭ
тАЬJust wait a bit,тАЭ retorted Bounderby; тАЬyou have said your say, I believe. I heard you out; hear me out, if you please. DonтАЩt make yourself a spectacle of unfairness as well as inconsistency, because, although I am sorry to see Tom Gradgrind reduced to his present position, I should be doubly sorry to see him brought so low as that. Now, thereтАЩs an incompatibility of some sort or another, I am given to understand by you, between your daughter and me. IтАЩll give you to understand, in reply to that, that there unquestionably is an incompatibility of the first magnitudeтБатАФto be summed up in thisтБатАФthat your daughter donтАЩt properly know her husbandтАЩs merits, and is not impressed with such a sense as would become her, by George! of the honour of his alliance. ThatтАЩs plain speaking, I hope.тАЭ
тАЬBounderby,тАЭ urged Mr.┬аGradgrind, тАЬthis is unreasonable.тАЭ
тАЬIs it?тАЭ said Bounderby. тАЬI am glad to hear you say so. Because when Tom Gradgrind, with his new lights, tells me that what I say is unreasonable, I am convinced at once it must be devilish sensible. With your permission I am going on. You know my origin; and you know that for a good many years of my life I didnтАЩt want a shoeing-horn, in consequence of not having a shoe. Yet you may believe or not, as you think proper, that there are ladiesтБатАФborn ladiesтБатАФbelonging to familiesтБатАФfamilies!тБатАФwho next to worship the ground I walk on.тАЭ
He discharged this like a rocket, at his father-in-lawтАЩs head.
тАЬWhereas your daughter,тАЭ proceeded Bounderby, тАЬis far from being a born lady. That you know, yourself. Not that I care a pinch of candle-snuff about such things, for you are very well aware I donтАЩt; but that such is the fact, and you, Tom Gradgrind, canтАЩt change it. Why do I say this?тАЭ
тАЬNot, I fear,тАЭ observed Mr.┬аGradgrind, in a low voice, тАЬto spare me.тАЭ
тАЬHear me out,тАЭ said Bounderby, тАЬand refrain from cutting in till your turn comes round. I say this, because highly connected females have been astonished to see the way in which your daughter has conducted herself, and to witness her insensibility. They have wondered how I have suffered it. And I wonder myself now, and I wonтАЩt suffer it.тАЭ
тАЬBounderby,тАЭ returned Mr.┬аGradgrind, rising, тАЬthe less we say tonight the better, I think.тАЭ
тАЬOn the contrary, Tom Gradgrind, the more we say tonight, the better, I think. That is,тАЭ the consideration checked him, тАЬtill I have said all I mean to say, and then I donтАЩt care how soon we stop. I come to a question that may shorten the business. What do you mean by the proposal you made just now?тАЭ
тАЬWhat do I mean, Bounderby?тАЭ
тАЬBy your visiting proposition,тАЭ said Bounderby, with an inflexible jerk of the hayfield.
тАЬI mean that I hope you may be induced to arrange in a friendly manner, for allowing Louisa a period of repose and reflection here, which may tend to a gradual alteration for the better in many respects.тАЭ
тАЬTo a softening down of your ideas of the incompatibility?тАЭ said Bounderby.
тАЬIf you put it in those terms.тАЭ
тАЬWhat made you think of this?тАЭ said Bounderby.
тАЬI have already said, I fear Louisa has not been understood. Is it asking too much, Bounderby, that you, so far her elder, should aid in trying to set her right? You have accepted a great charge of her; for better for worse, forтБатАФтАЭ
Mr.┬аBounderby may have been annoyed by the repetition of his own words to Stephen Blackpool, but he cut the quotation short with an angry start.
тАЬCome!тАЭ said he, тАЬI donтАЩt want to be told about that. I know what I took her for, as well as you do. Never you mind what I took her for; thatтАЩs my look out.тАЭ
тАЬI was merely going on to remark, Bounderby, that we may all be more or less in the wrong, not even excepting you; and that some yielding on your part, remembering the trust you have accepted, may not only be an act of true kindness, but perhaps a debt incurred towards Louisa.тАЭ
тАЬI think differently,тАЭ blustered Bounderby. тАЬI am going to finish this business according to my own opinions. Now, I donтАЩt want to make a quarrel of it with you, Tom Gradgrind. To tell you the truth, I donтАЩt think it would be worthy of my reputation to quarrel on such a subject. As to your gentleman-friend, he may take himself off, wherever he likes best. If he falls in my way, I shall tell him my mind; if he donтАЩt fall in my way, I shanтАЩt, for it wonтАЩt be worth my while to do it. As to your daughter, whom I made Loo Bounderby, and might have done better by leaving Loo Gradgrind, if she donтАЩt come home tomorrow, by twelve oтАЩclock at noon, I shall understand that she prefers to stay away, and I shall send her wearing apparel and so forth over here, and youтАЩll take charge of her for the future. What I shall say to people in general, of the incompatibility that led to my so laying down the law, will be this. I am Josiah Bounderby, and I had my bringing-up; sheтАЩs the daughter of Tom Gradgrind, and she had her bringing-up; and the two horses wouldnтАЩt pull together. I am pretty well known to be rather an uncommon man, I believe; and most people will understand fast enough that it must be a woman rather out of the common, also, who, in the long run, would come up to my mark.тАЭ
тАЬLet me seriously entreat you to reconsider this, Bounderby,тАЭ urged Mr.┬аGradgrind, тАЬbefore you commit yourself to such a decision.тАЭ
тАЬI always come to a decision,тАЭ said Bounderby, tossing his hat on: тАЬand whatever I do, I do at once. I should be surprised at Tom GradgrindтАЩs addressing such a remark to Josiah Bounderby of Coketown, knowing what he knows of him, if I could be surprised by anything Tom Gradgrind did, after his making himself a party to sentimental humbug. I have given you my decision, and I have got no more to say. Good night!тАЭ
So Mr.┬аBounderby went home to his town house to bed. At five minutes past twelve oтАЩclock next day, he directed Mrs.┬аBounderbyтАЩs property to be carefully packed up and sent to Tom GradgrindтАЩs; advertised his country retreat for sale by private contract; and resumed a bachelor life.