CHAPTER II MURDERING THE INNOCENTS

ThomasGradgrind,sir.Amanofrealities.Amanoffactsandcalculations.Amanwhoproceedsupontheprinciplethattwoandtwoarefour,andnothingover,andwhoisnottobetalkedintoallowingforanythingover.ThomasGradgrind,sir—peremptorilyThomas—ThomasGradgrind.Witharuleandapairofscales,andthemultiplicationtablealwaysinhispocket,sir,readytoweighandmeasureanyparcelofhumannature,andtellyouexactlywhatitcomesto.Itisamerequestionoffigures,acaseofsimplearithmetic.YoumighthopetogetsomeothernonsensicalbeliefintotheheadofGeorgeGradgrind,orAugustusGradgrind,orJohnGradgrind,orJosephGradgrind(allsupposititious,non-existentpersons),butintotheheadofThomasGradgrind—no,sir! InsuchtermsMr.Gradgrindalwaysmentallyintroducedhimself,whethertohisprivatecircleofacquaintance,ortothepublicingeneral.Insuchterms,nodoubt,substitutingthewords‘boysandgirls,’for‘sir,’ThomasGradgrindnowpresentedThomasGradgrindtothelittlepitchersbeforehim,whoweretobefilledsofulloffacts. Indeed,asheeagerlysparkledatthemfromthecellaragebeforementioned,heseemedakindofcannonloadedtothemuzzlewithfacts,andpreparedtoblowthemcleanoutoftheregionsofchildhoodatonedischarge.Heseemedagalvanizingapparatus,too,chargedwithagrimmechanicalsubstituteforthetenderyoungimaginationsthatweretobestormedaway. ‘Girlnumbertwenty,’saidMr.Gradgrind,squarelypointingwithhissquareforefinger,‘Idon’tknowthatgirl.Whoisthatgirl?’ ‘SissyJupe,sir,’explainednumbertwenty,blushing,standingup,andcurtseying. ‘Sissyisnotaname,’saidMr.Gradgrind.‘Don’tcallyourselfSissy.CallyourselfCecilia.’ ‘It’sfatherascallsmeSissy,sir,’returnedtheyounggirlinatremblingvoice,andwithanothercurtsey. ‘Thenhehasnobusinesstodoit,’saidMr.Gradgrind.‘Tellhimhemustn’t.CeciliaJupe.Letmesee.Whatisyourfather?’ ‘Hebelongstothehorse-riding,ifyouplease,sir.’ Mr.Gradgrindfrowned,andwavedofftheobjectionablecallingwithhishand. ‘Wedon’twanttoknowanythingaboutthat,here.Youmustn’ttellusaboutthat,here.Yourfatherbreakshorses,don’the?’ ‘Ifyouplease,sir,whentheycangetanytobreak,theydobreakhors