CHAPTER IV MR. BOUNDERBY

knowswell—suchandsuchhiseducationwas,however,andyoumayforcehimtoswallowboilingfat,butyoushallneverforcehimtosuppressthefactsofhislife.’ Beingheatedwhenhearrivedatthisclimax,JosiahBounderbyofCoketownstopped.Hestoppedjustashiseminentlypracticalfriend,stillaccompaniedbythetwoyoungculprits,enteredtheroom.Hiseminentlypracticalfriend,onseeinghim,stoppedalso,andgaveLouisaareproachfullookthatplainlysaid,‘BeholdyourBounderby!’ ‘Well!’blusteredMr.Bounderby,‘what’sthematter?WhatisyoungThomasinthedumpsabout?’ HespokeofyoungThomas,buthelookedatLouisa. ‘Wewerepeepingatthecircus,’mutteredLouisa,haughtily,withoutliftinguphereyes,‘andfathercaughtus.’ ‘And,Mrs.Gradgrind,’saidherhusbandinaloftymanner,‘Ishouldassoonhaveexpectedtofindmychildrenreadingpoetry.’ ‘Dearme,’whimperedMrs.Gradgrind.‘Howcanyou,LouisaandThomas!Iwonderatyou.Ideclareyou’reenoughtomakeoneregreteverhavinghadafamilyatall.IhaveagreatmindtosayIwishIhadn’t.Thenwhatwouldyouhavedone,Ishouldliketoknow?’ Mr.Gradgrinddidnotseemfavourablyimpressedbythesecogentremarks.Hefrownedimpatiently. ‘Asif,withmyheadinitspresentthrobbingstate,youcouldn’tgoandlookattheshellsandmineralsandthingsprovidedforyou,insteadofcircuses!’saidMrs.Gradgrind.‘Youknow,aswellasIdo,noyoungpeoplehavecircusmasters,orkeepcircusesincabinets,orattendlecturesaboutcircuses.Whatcanyoupossiblywanttoknowofcircusesthen?Iamsureyouhaveenoughtodo,ifthat’swhatyouwant.Withmyheadinitspresentstate,Icouldn’trememberthemerenamesofhalfthefactsyouhavegottoattendto.’ ‘That’sthereason!’poutedLouisa. ‘Don’ttellmethat’sthereason,becauseitcan’tbenothingofthesort,’saidMrs.Gradgrind.‘Goandbesomethingologicaldirectly.’Mrs.Gradgrindwasnotascientificcharacter,andusuallydismissedherchildrentotheirstudieswiththisgeneralinjunctiontochoosetheirpursuit. Intruth,Mrs.Gradgrind’sstockoffactsingeneralwaswoefullydefectivebutMr.Gradgrindinraisinghertoherhighmatrimonialposition,hadbeeninfluencedbytworeasons.Firstly,shewasmostsatisfactoryasaquestionoffiguresand,secondly,shehad‘nononsense’abouther.Bynonsensehemeantfancyandtrulyitisprobableshewasasfreefromanyalloyofthatnature,asanyhumanbeingnotarrivedattheperfectionofanabsoluteidiot,everwas. ThesimplecircumstanceofbeingleftalonewithherhusbandandMr.Bounderby,wassufficienttostunthisadmirableladyagainwithoutcollisionbetweenherselfandanyotherfact.So,sheoncemorediedaway,andnobodymindedher. ‘Bounderby,’saidMr.Gradgrin