CHAPTER V THE KEYNOTE

ghteenmonths’solitary,hadhimselfsaid(notthathehadevershownhimselfparticularlyworthyofbelief)hisruinbegan,ashewasperfectlysureandconfidentthatotherwisehewouldhavebeenatip-topmoralspecimen.ThencameMr.GradgrindandMr.Bounderby,thetwogentlemenatthispresentmomentwalkingthroughCoketown,andbotheminentlypractical,whocould,onoccasion,furnishmoretabularstatementsderivedfromtheirownpersonalexperience,andillustratedbycasestheyhadknownandseen,fromwhichitclearlyappeared—inshort,itwastheonlyclearthinginthecase—thatthesesamepeoplewereabadlotaltogether,gentlementhatdowhatyouwouldforthemtheywereneverthankfulforit,gentlementhattheywererestless,gentlementhattheyneverknewwhattheywantedthattheyliveduponthebest,andboughtfreshbutterandinsistedonMochacoffee,andrejectedallbutprimepartsofmeat,andyetwereeternallydissatisfiedandunmanageable.Inshort,itwasthemoraloftheoldnurseryfable: Therewasanoldwoman,andwhatdoyouthink? Sheliveduponnothingbutvictualsanddrink Victualsanddrinkwerethewholeofherdiet, AndyetthisoldwomanwouldNEVERbequiet. Isitpossible,Iwonder,thattherewasanyanalogybetweenthecaseoftheCoketownpopulationandthecaseofthelittleGradgrinds?Surely,noneofusinoursobersensesandacquaintedwithfigures,aretobetoldatthistimeofday,thatoneoftheforemostelementsintheexistenceoftheCoketownworking-peoplehadbeenforscoresofyears,deliberatelysetatnought?ThattherewasanyFancyinthemdemandingtobebroughtintohealthyexistenceinsteadofstrugglingoninconvulsions?Thatexactlyintheratioastheyworkedlongandmonotonously,thecravinggrewwithinthemforsomephysicalrelief—somerelaxation,encouraginggoodhumourandgoodspirits,andgivingthemavent—somerecognizedholiday,thoughitwerebutforanhonestdancetoastirringbandofmusic—someoccasionallightpieinwhichevenM’Choakumchildhadnofinger—whichcravingmustandwouldbesatisfiedaright,ormustandwouldinevitablygowrong,untilthelawsoftheCreationwererepealed? ‘ThismanlivesatPod’sEnd,andIdon’tquiteknowPod’sEnd,’saidMr.Gradgrind.‘Whichisit,Bounderby?’ Mr.Bounderbyknewitwassomewh