CHAPTER II MURDERING THE INNOCENTS

ntlookatthewronghalf.‘Why,then,youarenottoseeanywhere,whatyoudon’tseeinfactyouarenottohaveanywhere,whatyoudon’thaveinfact.WhatiscalledTaste,isonlyanothernameforFact.’ThomasGradgrindnoddedhisapprobation. ‘Thisisanewprinciple,adiscovery,agreatdiscovery,’saidthegentleman.‘Now,I’lltryyouagain.Supposeyouweregoingtocarpetaroom.Wouldyouuseacarpethavingarepresentationofflowersuponit?’ Therebeingageneralconvictionbythistimethat‘No,sir!’wasalwaystherightanswertothisgentleman,thechorusofNowasverystrong.OnlyafewfeeblestragglerssaidYes:amongthemSissyJupe. ‘Girlnumbertwenty,’saidthegentleman,smilinginthecalmstrengthofknowledge. Sissyblushed,andstoodup. ‘Soyouwouldcarpetyourroom—oryourhusband’sroom,ifyouwereagrownwoman,andhadahusband—withrepresentationsofflowers,wouldyou?’saidthegentleman.‘Whywouldyou?’ ‘Ifyouplease,sir,Iamveryfondofflowers,’returnedthegirl. ‘Andisthatwhyyouwouldputtablesandchairsuponthem,andhavepeoplewalkingoverthemwithheavyboots?’ ‘Itwouldn’thurtthem,sir.Theywouldn’tcrushandwither,ifyouplease,sir.Theywouldbethepicturesofwhatwasveryprettyandpleasant,andIwouldfancy—’ ‘Ay,ay,ay!Butyoumustn’tfancy,’criedthegentleman,quiteelatedbycomingsohappilytohispoint.‘That’sit!Youarenevertofancy.’ ‘Youarenot,CeciliaJupe,’ThomasGradgrindsolemnlyrepeated,‘todoanythingofthatkind.’ ‘Fact,fact,fact!’saidthegentleman.And‘Fact,fact,fact!’repeatedThomasGradgrind. ‘Youaretobeinallthingsregulatedandgoverned,’saidthegentleman,‘byfact.Wehopetohave,beforelong,aboardoffact,composedofcommissionersoffact,whowillforcethepeopletobeapeopleoffact,andofnothingbutfact.YoumustdiscardthewordFancyaltogether.Youhavenothingtodowithit.Youarenottohave,inanyobjectofuseorornament,whatwouldbeacontradictioninfact.Youdon’twalkuponflowersinfactyoucannotbeallowedtowalkuponflowersincarpets.Youdon’tfindthatforeignbirdsandbutterfliescomeandperchuponyourcrockeryyoucannotbepermittedtopaintforeignbirdsandbutterfliesuponyourcrockery.Younevermeetwithquadrupedsgoingupanddownwallsyoum