VII + 

Whelp-Hunting + 

Before the ring formed round the Old Hell Shaft was broken, one figure had disappeared from within it. Mr.┬аBounderby and his shadow had not stood near Louisa, who held her fatherтАЩs arm, but in a retired place by themselves. When Mr.┬аGradgrind was summoned to the couch, Sissy, attentive to all that happened, slipped behind that wicked shadowтБатАФa sight in the horror of his face, if there had been eyes there for any sight but oneтБатАФand whispered in his ear. Without turning his head, he conferred with her a few moments, and vanished. Thus the whelp had gone out of the circle before the people moved. + 

When the father reached home, he sent a message to Mr.┬аBounderbyтАЩs, desiring his son to come to him directly. The reply was, that Mr.┬аBounderby having missed him in the crowd, and seeing nothing of him since, had supposed him to be at Stone Lodge. + 

тАЬI believe, father,тАЭ said Louisa, тАЬhe will not come back to town tonight.тАЭ Mr.┬аGradgrind turned away, and said no more. + 

In the morning, he went down to the Bank himself as soon as it was opened, and seeing his sonтАЩs place empty (he had not the courage to look in at first) went back along the street to meet Mr.┬аBounderby on his way there. To whom he said that, for reasons he would soon explain, but entreated not then to be asked for, he had found it necessary to employ his son at a distance for a little while. Also, that he was charged with the duty of vindicating Stephen BlackpoolтАЩs memory, and declaring the thief. Mr.┬аBounderby quite confounded, stood stock-still in the street after his father-in-law had left him, swelling like an immense soap-bubble, without its beauty. + 

Mr.┬аGradgrind went home, locked himself in his room, and kept it all that day. When Sissy and Louisa tapped at his door, he said, without opening it, тАЬNot now, my dears; in the evening.тАЭ On their return in the evening, he said, тАЬI am not able yetтБатАФtomorrow.тАЭ He ate nothing all day, and had no candle after dark; and they heard him walking to and fro late at night. + 

But, in the morning he appeared at breakfast at the usual hour, and took his usual place at the table. Aged and bent he looked, and quite bowed down; and yet he looked a wiser man, and a better man, than in the days when in this life he wanted nothingтБатАФbut Facts. Before he left the room, he appointed a time for them to come to him; and so, with his gray head drooping, went away. + 

тАЬDear father,тАЭ said Louisa, when they kept their appointment, тАЬyou have three young children left. They will be different, I will be different yet, with HeavenтАЩs help.тАЭ + 

She gave her hand to Sissy, as if she meant with her help too. + 

тАЬYour wretched brother,тАЭ said Mr.┬аGradgrind. тАЬDo you think he had planned this robbery, when he went with you to the lodging?тАЭ + 

тАЬI fear so, father. I know he had wanted money very much, and had spent a great deal.тАЭ + 

тАЬThe poor man being about to leave the town, it came into his evil brain to cast suspicion on him?тАЭ + 

тАЬI think it must have flashed upon him while he sat there, father. For I asked him to go there with me. The visit did not originate with him.тАЭ + 

тАЬHe had some conversation with the poor man. Did he take him aside?тАЭ + 

тАЬHe took him out of the room. I asked him afterwards, why he had done so, and he made a plausible excuse; but since last night, father, and when I remember the circumstances by its light, I am afraid I can imagine too truly what passed between them.тАЭ + 

тАЬLet me know,тАЭ said her father, тАЬif your thoughts present your guilty brother in the same dark view as mine.тАЭ + 

тАЬI fear, father,тАЭ hesitated Louisa, тАЬthat he must have made some representation to Stephen BlackpoolтБатАФperhaps in my name, perhaps in his ownтБатАФwhich induced him to do in good faith and honesty, what he had never done before, and to wait about the Bank those two or three nights before he left the town.тАЭ + 

тАЬToo plain!тАЭ returned the father. тАЬToo plain!тАЭ + 

He shaded his face, and remained silent for some moments. Recovering himself, he said: + 

тАЬAnd now, how is he to be found? How is he to be saved from justice? In the few hours that I can possibly allow to elapse before I publish the truth, how is he to be found by us, and only by us? Ten thousand pounds could not effect it.тАЭ + 

тАЬSissy has effected it, father.тАЭ + 

He raised his eyes to where she stood, like a good fairy in his house, and said in a tone of softened gratitude and grateful kindness, тАЬIt is always you, my child!тАЭ + 

тАЬWe had our fears,тАЭ Sissy explained, glancing at Louisa, тАЬbefore yesterday; and when I saw you brought to the side of the litter last night, and heard what passed (being close to Rachael all the time), I went to him when no one saw, and said to him, тАШDonтАЩt look at me. See where your father is. Escape at once, for his sake and your own!тАЩ He was in a tremble before I whispered to him, and he started and trembled more then, and said, тАШWhere can I go? I have very little money, and I donтАЩt know who will hide me!тАЩ I thought of fatherтАЩs old circus. I have not forgotten where Mr.┬аSleary goes at this time of year, and I read of him in a paper only the other day. I told him to hurry there, and tell his name, and ask Mr.┬аSleary to hide him till I came. тАШIтАЩll get to him before the morning,тАЩ he said. And I saw him shrink away among the people.тАЭ + 

тАЬThank Heaven!тАЭ exclaimed his father. тАЬHe may be got abroad yet.тАЭ + 

It was the more hopeful as the town to which Sissy had directed him was within three hoursтАЩ journey of Liverpool, whence he could be swiftly dispatched to any part of the world. But, caution being necessary in communicating with himтБатАФfor there was a greater danger every moment of his being suspected now, and nobody could be sure at heart but that Mr.┬аBounderby himself, in a bullying vein of public zeal, might play a Roman partтБатАФit was consented that Sissy and Louisa should repair to the place in question, by a circuitous course, alone; and that the unhappy father, setting forth in an opposite direction, should get round to the same bourne by another and wider route. It was further agreed that he should not present himself to Mr.┬аSleary, lest his intentions should be mistrusted, or the intelligence of his arrival should cause his son to take flight anew; but, that the communication should be left to Sissy and Louisa to open; and that they should inform the cause of so much misery and disgrace, of his fatherтАЩs being at hand and of the purpose for which they had come. When these arrangements had been well considered and were fully understood by all three, it was time to begin to carry them into execution. Early in the afternoon, Mr.┬аGradgrind walked direct from his own house into the country, to be taken up on the line by which he was to travel; and at night the remaining two set forth upon their different course, encouraged by not seeing any face they knew. + 

The two travelled all night, except when they were left, for odd numbers of minutes, at branch-places, up illimitable flights of steps, or down wellsтБатАФwhich was the only variety of those branchesтБатАФand, early in the morning, were turned out on a swamp, a mile or two from the town they sought. From this dismal spot they were rescued by a savage old postilion, who happened to be up early, kicking a horse in a fly: and so were smuggled into the town by all the back lanes where the pigs lived: which, although not a magnificent or even savoury approach, was, as is usual in such cases, the legitimate highway. + 

The first thing they saw on entering the town was the skeleton of SlearyтАЩs Circus. The company had departed for another town more than twenty miles off, and had opened there last night. The connection between the two places was by a hilly turnpike-road, and the travelling on that road was very slow. Though they took but a hasty breakfast, and no rest (which it would have been in vain to seek under such anxious circumstances), it was noon before they began to find the bills of SlearyтАЩs Horse-Riding on barns and walls, and one oтАЩclock when they stopped in the marketplace. + 

A Grand Morning Performance by the Riders, commencing at that very hour, was in course of announcement by the bellman as they set their feet upon the stones of the street. Sissy recommended that, to avoid making inquiries and attracting attention in the town, they should present themselves to pay at the door. If Mr.┬аSleary were taking the money, he would be sure to know her, and would proceed with discretion. If he were not, he would be sure to see them inside; and, knowing what he had done with the fugitive, would proceed with discretion still. + 

Therefore, they repaired, with fluttering hearts, to the well-remembered booth. The flag with the inscription SlearyтАЩs Horse-Riding was there; and the Gothic niche was there; but Mr.┬аSleary was not there. Master Kidderminster, grown too maturely turfy to be received by the wildest credulity as Cupid any more, had yielded to the invincible force of circumstances (and his beard), and, in the capacity of a man who made himself generally useful, presided on this occasion over the exchequerтБатАФhaving also a drum in reserve, on which to expend his leisure moments and superfluous forces. In the extreme sharpness of his look out for base coin, Mr.┬аKidderminster, as at present situated, never saw anything but money; so Sissy passed him unrecognised, and they went in. + 

The Emperor of Japan, on a steady old white horse stencilled with black spots, was twirling five wash-hand basins at once, as it is the favourite recreation of that monarch to do. Sissy, though well acquainted with his Royal line, had no personal knowledge of the present Emperor, and his reign was peaceful. Miss Josephine Sleary, in her celebrated graceful Equestrian Tyrolean Flower Act, was then announced by a new clown (who humorously said Cauliflower Act), and Mr.┬аSleary appeared, leading her in. + 

Mr.┬аSleary had only made one cut at the Clown with his long whiplash, and the Clown had only said, тАЬIf you do it again, IтАЩll throw the horse at you!тАЭ when Sissy was recognised both by father and daughter. But they got through the Act with great self-possession; and Mr.┬аSleary, saving for the first instant, conveyed no more expression into his locomotive eye than into his fixed one. The performance seemed a little long to Sissy and Louisa, particularly when it stopped to afford the Clown an opportunity of telling Mr.┬аSleary (who said тАЬIndeed, sir!тАЭ to all his observations in the calmest way, and with his eye on the house) about two legs sitting on three legs looking at one leg, when in came four legs, and laid hold of one leg, and up got two legs, caught hold of three legs, and threw тАЩem at four legs, who ran away with one leg. For, although an ingenious Allegory relating to a butcher, a three-legged stool, a dog, and a leg of mutton, this narrative consumed time; and they were in great suspense. At last, however, little fair-haired Josephine made her curtsey amid great applause; and the Clown, left alone in the ring, had just warmed himself, and said, тАЬNow IтАЩll have a turn!тАЭ when Sissy was touched on the shoulder, and beckoned out. + 

She took Louisa with her; and they were received by Mr.┬аSleary in a very little private apartment, with canvas sides, a grass floor, and a wooden ceiling all aslant, on which the box company stamped their approbation, as if they were coming through. тАЬThethilia,тАЭ said Mr.┬аSleary, who had brandy and water at hand, тАЬit doth me good to thee you. You wath alwayth a favourite with uth, and youтАЩve done uth credith thinth the old timeth IтАЩm thure. You mutht thee our people, my dear, afore we thpeak of bithnith, or theyтАЩll break their hearthтБатАФethpethially the women. HereтАЩth Jothphine hath been and got married to E. W. B. Childerth, and thee hath got a boy, and though heтАЩth only three yearth old, he thtickth on to any pony you can bring againtht him. HeтАЩth named The Little Wonder of Thcolathtic Equitation; and if you donтАЩt hear of that boy at AthleyтАЩth, youтАЩll hear of him at Parith. And you recollect Kidderminthter, that wath thought to be rather thweet upon yourthelf? Well. HeтАЩth married too. Married a widder. Old enough to be hith mother. Thee wath Tightrope, thee wath, and now theeтАЩth nothingтБатАФon accounth of fat. TheyтАЩve got two children, tho weтАЩre thtrong in the Fairy bithnith and the Nurthery dodge. If you wath to thee our Children in the Wood, with their father and mother both a dyinтАЩ on a hortheтБатАФtheir uncle a retheiving of тАЩem ath hith wardth, upon a hortheтБатАФthemthelvth both a goinтАЩ a black-berryinтАЩ on a hortheтБатАФand the Robinth a coming in to cover тАЩem with leavth, upon a hortheтБатАФyouтАЩd thay it wath the completetht thing ath ever you thet your eyeth on! And you remember Emma Gordon, my dear, ath wath aтАЩmotht a mother to you? Of courthe you do; I neednтАЩt athk. Well! Emma, thee lotht her huthband. He wath throwтАЩd a heavy back-fall off a Elephant in a thort of a Pagoda thing ath the Thultan of the Indieth, and he never got the better of it; and thee married a thecond timeтБатАФmarried a Cheethemonger ath fell in love with her from the frontтБатАФand heтАЩth a Overtheer and makinтАЩ a fortun.тАЭ + 

These various changes, Mr.┬аSleary, very short of breath now, related with great heartiness, and with a wonderful kind of innocence, considering what a bleary and brandy-and-watery old veteran he was. Afterwards he brought in Josephine, and E. W. B. Childers (rather deeply lined in the jaws by daylight), and the Little Wonder of Scholastic Equitation, and in a word, all the company. Amazing creatures they were in LouisaтАЩs eyes, so white and pink of complexion, so scant of dress, and so demonstrative of leg; but it was very agreeable to see them crowding about Sissy, and very natural in Sissy to be unable to refrain from tears. + 

тАЬThere! Now Thethilia hath kithd all the children, and hugged all the women, and thaken handth all round with all the men, clear, every one of you, and ring in the band for the thecond part!тАЭ + 

As soon as they were gone, he continued in a low tone. тАЬNow, Thethilia, I donтАЩt athk to know any thecreth, but I thuppothe I may conthider thith to be Mith Thquire.тАЭ + 

тАЬThis is his sister. Yes.тАЭ + 

тАЬAnd tтАЩother onтАЩth daughter. ThatтАЩh what I mean. Hope I thee you well, mith. And I hope the ThquireтАЩth well?тАЭ + 

тАЬMy father will be here soon,тАЭ said Louisa, anxious to bring him to the point. тАЬIs my brother safe?тАЭ + 

тАЬThafe and thound!тАЭ he replied. тАЬI want you jutht to take a peep at the Ring, mith, through here. Thethilia, you know the dodgeth; find a thpy-hole for yourthelf.тАЭ + 

They each looked through a chink in the boards. + 

тАЬThatтАЩh Jack the Giant KillerтБатАФpiethe of comic infant bithnith,тАЭ said Sleary. тАЬThereтАЩth a property-houthe, you thee, for Jack to hide in; thereтАЩth my Clown with a thauthepan-lid and a thpit, for JackтАЩth thervant; thereтАЩth little Jack himthelf in a thplendid thoot of armour; thereтАЩth two comic black thervanth twithe ath big ath the houthe, to thtand by it and to bring it in and clear it; and the Giant (a very ecthpenthive bathket one), he anтАЩt on yet. Now, do you thee тАЩem all?тАЭ + 

тАЬYes,тАЭ they both said. + 

тАЬLook at тАЩem again,тАЭ said Sleary, тАЬlook at тАЩem well. You thee em all? Very good. Now, mith;тАЭ he put a form for them to sit on; тАЬI have my opinionth, and the Thquire your father hath hith. I donтАЩt want to know what your brotherтАЩth been up to; ith better for me not to know. All I thay ith, the Thquire hath thtood by Thethilia, and IтАЩll thtand by the Thquire. Your brother ith one them black thervanth.тАЭ + 

Louisa uttered an exclamation, partly of distress, partly of satisfaction. + 

тАЬIth a fact,тАЭ said Sleary, тАЬand even knowinтАЩ it, you couldnтАЩt put your finger on him. Let the Thquire come. I thall keep your brother here after the performanth. I thant undreth him, nor yet wath hith paint off. Let the Thquire come here after the performanth, or come here yourthelf after the performanth, and you thall find your brother, and have the whole plathe to talk to him in. Never mind the lookth of him, ath long ath heтАЩth well hid.тАЭ + 

Louisa, with many thanks and with a lightened load, detained Mr.┬аSleary no longer then. She left her love for her brother, with her eyes full of tears; and she and Sissy went away until later in the afternoon. + 

Mr.┬аGradgrind arrived within an hour afterwards. He too had encountered no one whom he knew; and was now sanguine with SlearyтАЩs assistance, of getting his disgraced son to Liverpool in the night. As neither of the three could be his companion without almost identifying him under any disguise, he prepared a letter to a correspondent whom he could trust, beseeching him to ship the bearer off at any cost, to North or South America, or any distant part of the world to which he could be the most speedily and privately dispatched. + 

This done, they walked about, waiting for the Circus to be quite vacated; not only by the audience, but by the company and by the horses. After watching it a long time, they saw Mr.┬аSleary bring out a chair and sit down by the side-door, smoking; as if that were his signal that they might approach. + 

тАЬYour thervant, Thquire,тАЭ was his cautious salutation as they passed in. тАЬIf you want me youтАЩll find me here. You muthnтАЩt mind your thon having a comic livery on.тАЭ + 

They all three went in; and Mr.┬аGradgrind sat down forlorn, on the ClownтАЩs performing chair in the middle of the ring. On one of the back benches, remote in the subdued light and the strangeness of the place, sat the villainous whelp, sulky to the last, whom he had the misery to call his son. + 

In a preposterous coat, like a beadleтАЩs, with cuffs and flaps exaggerated to an unspeakable extent; in an immense waistcoat, knee-breeches, buckled shoes, and a mad cocked hat; with nothing fitting him, and everything of coarse material, moth-eaten and full of holes; with seams in his black face, where fear and heat had started through the greasy composition daubed all over it; anything so grimly, detestably, ridiculously shameful as the whelp in his comic livery, Mr.┬аGradgrind never could by any other means have believed in, weighable and measurable fact though it was. And one of his model children had come to this! + 

At first the whelp would not draw any nearer, but persisted in remaining up there by himself. Yielding at length, if any concession so sullenly made can be called yielding, to the entreaties of SissyтБатАФfor Louisa he disowned altogetherтБатАФhe came down, bench by bench, until he stood in the sawdust, on the verge of the circle, as far as possible, within its limits from where his father sat. + 

тАЬHow was this done?тАЭ asked the father. + 

тАЬHow was what done?тАЭ moodily answered the son. + 

тАЬThis robbery,тАЭ said the father, raising his voice upon the word. + 

тАЬI forced the safe myself overnight, and shut it up ajar before I went away. I had had the key that was found, made long before. I dropped it that morning, that it might be supposed to have been used. I didnтАЩt take the money all at once. I pretended to put my balance away every night, but I didnтАЩt. Now you know all about it.тАЭ + 

тАЬIf a thunderbolt had fallen on me,тАЭ said the father, тАЬit would have shocked me less than this!тАЭ + 

тАЬI donтАЩt see why,тАЭ grumbled the son. тАЬSo many people are employed in situations of trust; so many people, out of so many, will be dishonest. I have heard you talk, a hundred times, of its being a law. How can I help laws? You have comforted others with such things, father. Comfort yourself!тАЭ + 

The father buried his face in his hands, and the son stood in his disgraceful grotesqueness, biting straw: his hands, with the black partly worn away inside, looking like the hands of a monkey. The evening was fast closing in; and from time to time, he turned the whites of his eyes restlessly and impatiently towards his father. They were the only parts of his face that showed any life or expression, the pigment upon it was so thick. + 

тАЬYou must be got to Liverpool, and sent abroad.тАЭ + 

тАЬI suppose I must. I canтАЩt be more miserable anywhere,тАЭ whimpered the whelp, тАЬthan I have been here, ever since I can remember. ThatтАЩs one thing.тАЭ + 

Mr.┬аGradgrind went to the door, and returned with Sleary, to whom he submitted the question, How to get this deplorable object away? + 

тАЬWhy, IтАЩve been thinking of it, Thquire. ThereтАЩth not muth time to lothe, tho you muth thay yeth or no. Ith over twenty mileth to the rail. ThereтАЩth a coath in half an hour, that goeth to the rail, тАЩpurpothe to cath the mail train. That train will take him right to Liverpool.тАЭ + 

тАЬBut look at him,тАЭ groaned Mr.┬аGradgrind. тАЬWill any coachтБатАФтАЭ + 

тАЬI donтАЩt mean that he thould go in the comic livery,тАЭ said Sleary. тАЬThay the word, and IтАЩll make a Jothkin of him, out of the wardrobe, in five minutes.тАЭ + 

тАЬI donтАЩt understand,тАЭ said Mr.┬аGradgrind. + 

тАЬA JothkinтБатАФa Carter. Make up your mind quick, Thquire. ThereтАЩll be beer to feth. IтАЩve never met with nothing but beer athтАЩll ever clean a comic blackamoor.тАЭ + 

Mr.┬аGradgrind rapidly assented; Mr.┬аSleary rapidly turned out from a box, a smock frock, a felt hat, and other essentials; the whelp rapidly changed clothes behind a screen of baize; Mr.┬аSleary rapidly brought beer, and washed him white again. + 

тАЬNow,тАЭ said Sleary, тАЬcome along to the coath, and jump up behind; IтАЩll go with you there, and theyтАЩll thuppothe you one of my people. Thay farewell to your family, and tharpтАЩth the word.тАЭ With which he delicately retired. + 

тАЬHere is your letter,тАЭ said Mr.┬аGradgrind. тАЬAll necessary means will be provided for you. Atone, by repentance and better conduct, for the shocking action you have committed, and the dreadful consequences to which it has led. Give me your hand, my poor boy, and may God forgive you as I do!тАЭ + 

The culprit was moved to a few abject tears by these words and their pathetic tone. But, when Louisa opened her arms, he repulsed her afresh. + 

тАЬNot you. I donтАЩt want to have anything to say to you!тАЭ + 

тАЬO Tom, Tom, do we end so, after all my love!тАЭ + 

тАЬAfter all your love!тАЭ he returned, obdurately. тАЬPretty love! Leaving old Bounderby to himself, and packing my best friend Mr.┬аHarthouse off, and going home just when I was in the greatest danger. Pretty love that! Coming out with every word about our having gone to that place, when you saw the net was gathering round me. Pretty love that! You have regularly given me up. You never cared for me.тАЭ + 

тАЬTharpтАЩth the word!тАЭ said Sleary, at the door. + 

They all confusedly went out: Louisa crying to him that she forgave him, and loved him still, and that he would one day be sorry to have left her so, and glad to think of these her last words, far away: when someone ran against them. Mr.┬аGradgrind and Sissy, who were both before him while his sister yet clung to his shoulder, stopped and recoiled. + 

For, there was Bitzer, out of breath, his thin lips parted, his thin nostrils distended, his white eyelashes quivering, his colourless face more colourless than ever, as if he ran himself into a white heat, when other people ran themselves into a glow. There he stood, panting and heaving, as if he had never stopped since the night, now long ago, when he had run them down before. + 

тАЬIтАЩm sorry to interfere with your plans,тАЭ said Bitzer, shaking his head, тАЬbut I canтАЩt allow myself to be done by horse-riders. I must have young Mr.┬аTom; he mustnтАЩt be got away by horse-riders; here he is in a smock frock, and I must have him!тАЭ + 

By the collar, too, it seemed. For, so he took possession of him. + 