CHAPTER VI SLEARY’S HORSEMANSHIP

walkedinacuriousmannerwiththeirlegswiderapartthanthegeneralrunofmen,andwithaveryknowingassumptionofbeingstiffintheknees.ThiswalkwascommontoallthemalemembersofSleary’scompany,andwasunderstoodtoexpress,thattheywerealwaysonhorseback. ‘PoorSissy!Hehadbetterhaveapprenticedher,’saidChilders,givinghishairanothershake,ashelookedupfromtheemptybox.‘Now,heleavesherwithoutanythingtotaketo.’ ‘Itiscreditabletoyou,whohaveneverbeenapprenticed,toexpressthatopinion,’returnedMr.Gradgrind,approvingly. ‘Ineverapprenticed?IwasapprenticedwhenIwassevenyearold.’ ‘Oh!Indeed?’saidMr.Gradgrind,ratherresentfully,ashavingbeendefraudedofhisgoodopinion.‘Iwasnotawareofitsbeingthecustomtoapprenticeyoungpersonsto—’ ‘Idleness,’Mr.Bounderbyputinwithaloudlaugh.‘No,bytheLordHarry!NorI!’ ‘Herfatheralwayshaditinhishead,’resumedChilders,feigningunconsciousnessofMr.Bounderby’sexistence,‘thatshewastobetaughtthedeuce-and-allofeducation.Howitgotintohishead,Ican’tsayIcanonlysaythatitnevergotout.Hehasbeenpickingupabitofreadingforher,here—andabitofwritingforher,there—andabitofcipheringforher,somewhereelse—thesesevenyears.’ Mr.E.W.B.Childerstookoneofhishandsoutofhispockets,strokedhisfaceandchin,andlooked,withagooddealofdoubtandalittlehope,atMr.Gradgrind.Fromthefirsthehadsoughttoconciliatethatgentleman,forthesakeofthedesertedgirl. ‘WhenSissygotintotheschoolhere,’hepursued,‘herfatherwasaspleasedasPunch.Icouldn’taltogethermakeoutwhy,myself,aswewerenotstationaryhere,beingbutcomersandgoersanywhere.Isuppose,however,hehadthismoveinhismind—hewasalwayshalf-cracked—andthenconsideredherprovidedfor.Ifyoushouldhappentohavelookedinto-night,forthepurposeoftellinghimthatyouweregoingtodoheranylittleservice,’saidMr.Childers,strokinghisfaceagain,andrepeatinghislook,‘itwouldbeveryfortunateandwell-timedveryfortunateandwell-timed.’ ‘Onthecontrary,’returnedMr.Gradgrind.‘Icametotellhimthatherconnectionsmadehernotanobjectfortheschool,andthatshemustnotattendanymore.Still,ifherfatherreallyhaslefther,withoutanyconnivanceonherpart—Bounderby,letmehaveawordwithyou.’ Uponthis,Mr.Childerspolitelybetookhimself,withhisequestrianwalk,tothelandingoutsidethedoor,andtherestoodstrokinghisface,andsoftlywhistling.Whilethusengaged,heoverheardsuchphrasesinMr.Bounderby’svoiceas‘No.Isayno.Iadviseyounot.Isaybynomeans.’While,fromMr.Gradgrind,heheardinhismuchlowertonethewords,‘ButevenasanexampletoLouisa,ofwhatthispursuitwhichhasbeenthesubjectofavulgarcuriosity,leadstoandendsin.Thinkofit,Bounderby,inthatpointofview.’ Meanwhile,thevariousmembersofSleary’scompanygraduallygatheredtogetherfromtheupperregions,wheretheywerequartered,and,fromstandingabout,talkinginlowvoicestooneanotherandtoMr.Childers,graduallyinsinuatedthemselvesandhimintotheroom.Thereweretwoorthreehandsomeyoungwomenamongthem,withtheirtwoorthreehusbands,andtheirtwoorthreemothers,andtheireightorninelittlechildren,whodidthefairybusinesswhenrequired.Thefatherofoneofthefamilieswasinthehabitofbalancingthefatherofanotherofthefamiliesonthetopofagreatpolethefatherofathirdfamilyoftenmadeapyramidofboththosefathers,withMasterKidderminsterfortheapex,andhimselfforthebaseallthefatherscoulddanceuponrollingcasks,standuponbottles,catchknivesandballs,twirlhand-basins,rideuponanything,jumpovereverything,andstickatnothing.Allthemotherscould(anddid)dance,upontheslackwireandthetight-rope,andperformrapidactsonbare-backedsteedsnoneofthemwereatallparticularinrespectofshowingtheirlegsandoneofthem,aloneinaGreekchariot,drovesixinhandintoeverytowntheycameto.Theyallassumedtobemightyrakishandknowing,theywerenotverytidyintheirprivatedresses,theywerenotatallorderlyintheirdomesticarrangements,andthecombinedliteratureofthewholecompanywouldhaveproducedbutapoorletteronanysubject.Yettherewasaremarkablegentlenessandchildishnessaboutthesepeople,aspecialinaptitudeforanykindofsharppractice,andanuntiringreadinesstohelpandpityoneanother,deservingoftenofasmuchrespect,andalwaysofasmuchgenerousconstruction,astheevery-dayvirtuesofanyclassofpeopleintheworld. LastofallappearedMr.Sleary:astoutmanasalreadymentioned,withonefixedeye,andonelooseeye,avoice(ifitcanbecalledso)liketheeffortsofabrokenoldpairofbellows,aflabbysurface,andamuddledheadwhichwasneversoberandneverdrunk. ‘Thquire!’saidMr.Sleary,whowastroubledwithasthma,andwhosebreathcamefartoothickandheavyfortheletters,‘Yourthervant!Thithithabadpietheofbithnith,thithith.You’veheardofmyClownandhithdogbeingthuppothedtohavemorrithed?’ HeaddressedMr.Gradgrind,whoanswered‘Yes.’ ‘Well,Thquire,’hereturned,takingoffhishat,andrubbingtheliningwithhispocket-handker