CHAPTER VII MRS. SPARSIT

s.Sparsit’s.Inthemeasurethathewouldnotallowhisownyouthtohavebeenattendedbyasinglefavourablecircumstance,hebrightenedMrs.Sparsit’sjuvenilecareerwitheverypossibleadvantage,andshoweredwaggon-loadsofearlyrosesalloverthatlady’spath.‘Andyet,sir,’hewouldsay,‘howdoesitturnoutafterall?Whyheresheisatahundredayear(Igiveherahundred,whichsheispleasedtotermhandsome),keepingthehouseofJosiahBounderbyofCoketown!’ Nay,hemadethisfoilofhissoverywidelyknown,thatthirdpartiestookitup,andhandleditonsomeoccasionswithconsiderablebriskness.ItwasoneofthemostexasperatingattributesofBounderby,thathenotonlysanghisownpraisesbutstimulatedothermentosingthem.Therewasamoralinfectionofclap-trapinhim.Strangers,modestenoughelsewhere,startedupatdinnersinCoketown,andboasted,inquitearampantway,ofBounderby.TheymadehimouttobetheRoyalarms,theUnion-Jack,MagnaCharta,JohnBull,HabeasCorpus,theBillofRights,AnEnglishman’shouseishiscastle,ChurchandState,andGodsavetheQueen,allputtogether.Andasoften(anditwasveryoften)asanoratorofthiskindbroughtintohisperoration, ‘Princesandlordsmayflourishormayfade, Abreathcanmakethem,asabreathhasmade,’ —itwas,forcertain,moreorlessunderstoodamongthecompanythathehadheardofMrs.Sparsit. ‘Mr.Bounderby,’saidMrs.Sparsit,‘youareunusuallyslow,sir,withyourbreakfastthismorning.’ ‘Why,ma’am,’hereturned,‘IamthinkingaboutTomGradgrind’swhim’TomGradgrind,forabluffindependentmannerofspeaking—asifsomebodywerealwaysendeavouringtobribehimwithimmensesumstosayThomas,andhewouldn’t‘TomGradgrind’swhim,ma’am,ofbringingupthetumbling-girl.’ ‘Thegirlisnowwaitingtoknow,’saidMrs.Sparsit,‘whethersheistogostraighttotheschool,oruptotheLodge.’ ‘Shemustwait,ma’am,’answeredBounderby,‘tillIknowmyself.WeshallhaveTomGradgrinddownherepresently,Isuppose.Ifheshouldwishhertoremainhereadayortwolonger,ofcourseshecan,ma’am.’ ‘Ofcourseshecanifyouwishit,Mr.Bounderby.’ ‘ItoldhimIwouldgiveherashake-downhere,lastnight,inorderthathemightsleeponitbeforehedecidedtoletherhaveanyassociationwithLouisa.’ ‘Indeed,Mr.Bounderby?Verythoughtfulofyou!’Mrs.Sparsit’sCoriolaniannoseunderwentaslightexpansionofthenostrils,andherblackeyebrowscontractedasshetookasipoftea. ‘It’stolerablycleartome,’saidBounderby,‘thatthelittlepusscangetsmall