CHAPTER III A LOOPHOLE

ssituatedonamoorwithinamileortwoofagreattown—calledCoketowninthepresentfaithfulguide-book. Averyregularfeatureonthefaceofthecountry,StoneLodgewas.Nottheleastdisguisetoneddownorshadedoffthatuncompromisingfactinthelandscape.Agreatsquarehouse,withaheavyporticodarkeningtheprincipalwindows,asitsmaster’sheavybrowsovershadowedhiseyes.Acalculated,castup,balanced,andprovedhouse.Sixwindowsonthissideofthedoor,sixonthatsideatotaloftwelveinthiswing,atotaloftwelveintheotherwingfour-and-twentycarriedovertothebackwings.Alawnandgardenandaninfantavenue,allruledstraightlikeabotanicalaccount-book.Gasandventilation,drainageandwater-service,alloftheprimestquality.Ironclampsandgirders,fire-prooffromtoptobottommechanicalliftsforthehousemaids,withalltheirbrushesandbroomseverythingthatheartcoulddesire. Everything?Well,Isupposeso.ThelittleGradgrindshadcabinetsinvariousdepartmentsofsciencetoo.Theyhadalittleconchologicalcabinet,andalittlemetallurgicalcabinet,andalittlemineralogicalcabinetandthespecimenswereallarrangedandlabelled,andthebitsofstoneandorelookedasthoughtheymighthavebeenbrokenfromtheparentsubstancesbythosetremendouslyhardinstrumentstheirownnamesand,toparaphrasetheidlelegendofPeterPiper,whohadneverfoundhiswayintotheirnursery,IfthegreedylittleGradgrindsgraspedatmorethanthis,whatwasitforgoodgraciousgoodness’sake,thatthegreedylittleGradgrindsgraspedit! Theirfatherwalkedoninahopefulandsatisfiedframeofmind.Hewasanaffectionatefather,afterhismannerbuthewouldprobablyhavedescribedhimself(ifhehadbeenput,likeSissyJupe,uponadefinition)as‘aneminentlypractical’father.Hehadaparticularprideinthephraseeminentlypractical,whichwasconsideredtohaveaspecialapplicationtohim.Whatsoe