CHAPTER II MURDERING THE INNOCENTS

perthanshehadblushedallthistime.Bitzer,afterrapidlyblinkingatThomasGradgrindwithbotheyesatonce,andsocatchingthelightuponhisquiveringendsoflashesthattheylookedliketheantenn?ofbusyinsects,puthisknucklestohisfreckledforehead,andsatdownagain. Thethirdgentlemannowsteppedforth.Amightymanatcuttinganddrying,hewasagovernmentofficerinhisway(andinmostotherpeople’stoo),aprofessedpugilistalwaysintraining,alwayswithasystemtoforcedownthegeneralthroatlikeabolus,alwaystobeheardofatthebarofhislittlePublic-office,readytofightallEngland.Tocontinueinfisticphraseology,hehadageniusforcominguptothescratch,whereverandwhateveritwas,andprovinghimselfanuglycustomer.Hewouldgoinanddamageanysubjectwhateverwithhisright,followupwithhisleft,stop,exchange,counter,borehisopponent(healwaysfoughtAllEngland)totheropes,andfalluponhimneatly.Hewascertaintoknockthewindoutofcommonsense,andrenderthatunluckyadversarydeaftothecalloftime.Andhehaditinchargefromhighauthoritytobringaboutthegreatpublic-officeMillennium,whenCommissionersshouldreignuponearth. ‘Verywell,’saidthisgentleman,brisklysmiling,andfoldinghisarms.‘That’sahorse.Now,letmeaskyougirlsandboys,Wouldyoupaperaroomwithrepresentationsofhorses?’ Afterapause,onehalfofthechildrencriedinchorus,‘Yes,sir!’Uponwhichtheotherhalf,seeinginthegentleman’sfacethatYeswaswrong,criedoutinchorus,‘No,sir!’—asthecustomis,intheseexaminations. ‘Ofcourse,No.Whywouldn’tyou?’ Apause.Onecorpulentslowboy,withawheezymannerofbreathing,venturedtheanswer,Becausehewouldn’tpaperaroomatall,butwouldpaintit. ‘Youmustpaperit,’saidthegentleman,ratherwarmly. ‘Youmustpaperit,’saidThomasGradgrind,‘whetheryoulikeitornot.Don’ttellusyouwouldn’tpaperit.Whatdoyoumean,boy?’ ‘I’llexplaintoyou,then,’saidthegentleman,afteranotherandadismalpause,‘whyyouwouldn’tpaperaroomwithrepresentationsofhorses.Doyoueverseehorseswalkingupanddownthesidesofroomsinreality—infact?Doyou?’ ‘Yes,sir!’fromonehalf.‘No,sir!’fromtheother. ‘Ofcourseno,’saidthegentleman,withanindigna