CHAPTER IV MR. BOUNDERBY

d,drawingachairtothefireside,‘youarealwayssointerestedinmyyoungpeople—particularlyinLouisa—thatImakenoapologyforsayingtoyou,Iamverymuchvexedbythisdiscovery.Ihavesystematicallydevotedmyself(asyouknow)totheeducationofthereasonofmyfamily.Thereasonis(asyouknow)theonlyfacultytowhicheducationshouldbeaddressed.‘Andyet,Bounderby,itwouldappearfromthisunexpectedcircumstanceofto-day,thoughinitselfatriflingone,asifsomethinghadcreptintoThomas’sandLouisa’smindswhichis—orrather,whichisnot—Idon’tknowthatIcanexpressmyselfbetterthanbysaying—whichhasneverbeenintendedtobedeveloped,andinwhichtheirreasonhasnopart.’ ‘Therecertainlyisnoreasoninlookingwithinterestataparcelofvagabonds,’returnedBounderby.‘WhenIwasavagabondmyself,nobodylookedwithanyinterestatmeIknowthat.’ ‘Thencomesthequestionsaidtheeminentlypracticalfather,withhiseyesonthefire,‘inwhathasthisvulgarcuriosityitsrise?’ ‘I’lltellyouinwhat.Inidleimagination.’ ‘Ihopenot,’saidtheeminentlypractical‘Iconfess,however,thatthemisgivinghascrossedmeonmywayhome.’ ‘Inidleimagination,Gradgrind,’repeatedBounderby.‘Averybadthingforanybody,butacursedbadthingforagirllikeLouisa.IshouldaskMrs.Gradgrind’spardonforstrongexpressions,butthatsheknowsverywellIamnotarefinedcharacter.Whoeverexpectsrefinementinmewillbedisappointed.Ihadn’tarefinedbringingup.’ ‘Whether,’saidGradgrind,ponderingwithhishandsinhispockets,andhiscavernouseyesonthefire,‘whetheranyinstructororservantcanhavesuggestedanything?WhetherLouisaorThomascanhavebeenreadinganything?Whether,inspiteofallprecautions,anyidlestory-bookcanhavegotintothehouse?Because,inmindsthathavebeenpracticallyformedbyruleandline,fromthecradleupwards,thisissocurious,soincomprehensible.’ ‘Stopabit!’criedBounderby,whoallthistimehadbeenstanding,asbefore,onthehearth,burstingattheveryfurnitureoftheroomwithexplosivehumility.‘Youhaveoneofthosestrollers’childrenintheschool.’ ‘CeciliaJupe,byname,’saidMr.Gradgrind,withsomethingofastrickenlookathisfriend. ‘Now,stopabit!’criedBounderbyagain.‘Howdidshecomethere?’ ‘Why,thefactis,Isawthegirlmyself,forthefirsttime,onlyjustnow.Shespeciallyappliedhereatthehousetobeadmitted,asnotregularlybelongingtoourtown,and—yes,youareright,Bounderby,youareright.’ ‘Now,stopabit!’criedBounderby,oncemore.‘Louisasawherwhenshecame?’ ‘Louisacertainlydidseeher,forshementionedtheapplicationtome.ButLouisasawher,Ihavenodoubt,inMrs.Gradgrind’spresence.’ ‘