CHAPTER VI SLEARY’S HORSEMANSHIP

chief,whichhekeptinsideforthepurpose.‘Ithityourintenthiontodoanythingforthepoorgirl,Thquire?’ ‘Ishallhavesomethingtoproposetoherwhenshecomesback,’saidMr.Gradgrind. ‘Gladtohearit,Thquire.NotthatIwanttogetridofthechild,anymorethanIwanttothtandinherway.I’mwillingtotakeherprentith,thoughatherageithlate.Myvoitheithalittlehuthky,Thquire,andnoteathyheardbythemathdon’tknowmebutifyou’dbeenchilledandheated,heatedandchilled,chilledandheatedintheringwhenyouwathyoung,athoftenathIhavebeen,yourvoithewouldn’thavelathtedout,Thquire,nomorethanmine.’ ‘Idaresaynot,’saidMr.Gradgrind. ‘Whatthallitbe,Thquire,whileyouwait?ThallitbeTherry?Giveitaname,Thquire!’saidMr.Sleary,withhospitableease. ‘Nothingforme,Ithankyou,’saidMr.Gradgrind. ‘Don’tthaynothing,Thquire.Whatdothyourfriendthay?Ifyouhaven’ttookyourfeedyet,haveaglathofbitterth.’ HerehisdaughterJosephine—aprettyfair-hairedgirlofeighteen,whohadbeentiedonahorseattwoyearsold,andhadmadeawillattwelve,whichshealwayscarriedaboutwithher,expressiveofherdyingdesiretobedrawntothegravebythetwopiebaldponies—cried,‘Father,hush!shehascomeback!’ThencameSissyJupe,runningintotheroomasshehadrunoutofit.Andwhenshesawthemallassembled,andsawtheirlooks,andsawnofatherthere,shebrokeintoamostdeplorablecry,andtookrefugeonthebosomofthemostaccomplishedtight-ropelady(herselfinthefamily-way),whokneltdownonthefloortonurseher,andtoweepoverher. ‘Ithaninternalthame,uponmythoulitith,’saidSleary. ‘Omydearfather,mygoodkindfather,whereareyougone?Youaregonetotrytodomesomegood,Iknow!Youaregoneawayformysake,Iamsure!Andhowmiserableandhelplessyouwillbewithoutme,poor,poorfather,untilyoucomeback!’Itwassopathetictohearhersayingmanythingsofthiskind,withherfaceturnedupward,andherarmsstretchedoutasifsheweretryingtostophisdepartingshadowandembraceit,thatnoonespokeaworduntilMr.Bounderby(growingimpatient)tookthecaseinhand. ‘Now,goodpeopleall,’saidhe,‘thisiswantonwasteoftime.Letthegirlunderstandthefact.Lethertakeitfromme,ifyoulike,whohavebeenrunawayfrom,myself.Here,what’syourname!Yourfatherhasabsconded—desertedyou—andyoumustn’texpecttoseehimagainaslongasyoulive.’ TheycaredsolittleforplainFact,thesepeople,andwereinthatadvancedstateofdegeneracyonthesubject,thatinsteadofbeingimpressedbythespeaker’sstrongcommonsense,theytookitinextraordinarydudgeon.Themenmuttered‘Shame!’andthewomen‘Brute!’andSleary,insomehaste,communicatedthefollowinghint,aparttoMr.Bounderby. ‘Itellyouwhat,Thquire.Tothpeakplaintoyou,myopinioniththatyouhadbettercutitthort,anddropit.They’reaverygoodnatur’dpeople,mypeople,butthey’reaccuthtomedtobequickintheirmovementhandifyoudon’tactuponmyadvithe,I’mdamnedifIdon’tbelievethey’llpithyououto’winder.’ Mr.Bounderbybeingrestrainedbythismildsuggestion,Mr.Gradgrindfoundanopeningforhiseminentlypracticalexpositionofthesubject. ‘Itisofnomoment,’saidhe,‘whetherthispersonistobeexpectedbackatanytime,orthecontrary.Heisgoneaway,andthereisnopresentexpectationofhisreturn.That,Ibelieve,isagreedonallhands.’ ‘Thathagreed,Thquire.Thicktothat!’FromSleary. ‘Wellthen.I,whocameheretoinformthefatherofthepoorgirl,Jupe,thatshecouldnotbereceivedattheschoolanymore,inconsequenceoftherebeingpracticalobjections,intowhichIneednotenter,tothereceptionthereofthechildrenofpersonssoemployed,ampreparedinthesealteredcircumstancestomakeaproposal.Iamwillingtotakechargeofyou,Jupe,andtoeducateyou,andprovideforyou.Theonlycondition(overandaboveyourgoodbehaviour)Imakeis,thatyoudecidenow,atonce,whethertoaccompanymeorremainhere.Also,thatifyouaccompanymenow,itisunderstoodthatyoucommunicatenomorewithanyofyourfriendswhoareherepresent.Theseobservationscomprisethewholeofthecase.’ ‘Atthethametime,’saidSleary,‘Imuthtputinmyword,Thquire,thothatboththidesofthebannermaybeequallytheen.Ifyoulike,Thethilia,tobeprentitht,youknowthenaturoftheworkandyouknowyourcompanionth.EmmaGordon,inwhothelapyou’realyingatprethent,wouldbeamothertoyou,andJoth’phinewouldbeathithtertoyou.Idon’tpretendtobeoftheangelbreedmyself,andIdon’tthaybutwhat,whenyoumith’dyourtip,you’dfindmecutuprough,andthwearanoathortwoatyou.ButwhatIthay,Thquire,ith,thatgoodtemperedorbadtempered,Ineverdidahortheainjuryyet,nomorethanthwearingathimwent,andthatIdon’texpectIthallbeginotherwitheatmytimeoflife,witharider.IneverwathmuchofaCackler,Thquire,andIhavethedmythay.’ ThelatterpartofthisspeechwasaddressedtoMr.Gradgrind,whoreceiveditwithagraveinclinationofhishead,andthenremarked: ‘TheonlyobservationIwillmaketoyou,Jupe,inthewayofinfluencingyourdecision,is,thatitishighlydesirabletohaveasoundpracticaleducation,andthatevenyourfatherhimself(fr