Chapter II. Mr Tulliver, of Dorlcote Mill, Declares His Resolution about Tom

“WhatIwant,youknow,”saidMrTulliver,—“whatIwantistogiveTomagoodeddicationaneddicationas’llbeabreadtohim.ThatwaswhatIwasthinkingofwhenIgavenoticeforhimtoleavetheacademyatLady-day.ImeantoputhimtoadownrightgoodschoolatMidsummer.Thetwoyearsatth’academy’udha’donewellenough,ifI’dmeanttomakeamillerandfarmerofhim,forhe’shadafinesightmoreschoolin’norIevergot.Allthelearnin’myfathereverpaidforwasabito’birchatoneendandthealphabetatth’other.ButIshouldlikeTomtobeabitofascholard,soashemightbeuptothetrickso’thesefellowsastalkfineandwritewithaflourish.It’udbeahelptomewi’theselawsuits,andarbitrations,andthings.Iwouldn’tmakeadownrightlawyero’thelad,—Ishouldbesorryforhimtobearaskill,—butasorto’engineer,orasurveyor,oranauctioneerandvallyer,likeRiley,oroneo’themsmartishbusinessesasareallprofitsandnooutlay,onlyforabigwatch-chainandahighstool.They’reprettynighallone,andthey’renotfaroffbeingevenwi’thelaw,IbelieveforRileylooksLawyerWakemi’thefaceashardasonecatlooksanother.He’snonefrightenedathim.” MrTulliverwasspeakingtohiswife,ablondcomelywomaninafan-shapedcap(Iamafraidtothinkhowlongitissincefan-shapedcapswereworn,theymustbesonearcominginagain.Atthattime,whenMrsTulliverwasnearlyforty,theywerenewatStOgg’s,andconsideredsweetthings). “Well,MrTulliver,youknowbest:I’venoobjections.Buthadn’tIbetterkillacoupleo’fowl,andhaveth’auntsandunclestodinnernextweek,soasyoumayhearwhatsisterGleggandsisterPullethavegottosayaboutit?There’sacoupleo’fowlwantskilling!” “Youmaykilleveryfowli’theyardifyoulike,BessybutIshallaskneitherauntnorunclewhatI’mtodowi’myownlad,”saidMrTulliver,defiantly. “Dearheart!”saidMrsTulliver,shockedatthissanguinaryrhetoric,“howcanyoutalkso,MrTulliver?Butit’syourwaytospeakdisrespectfulo’myfamilyandsisterGleggthrowsalltheblameupo’me,thoughI’msureI’masinnocentasthebabeunborn.Fornobody’severheardmesayasitwasn’tluckyformychildrentohaveauntsandunclesascanliveindependent.Howiver,ifTom’stogotoanewschool,IshouldlikehimtogowhereIcanwashhimandmendhimelsehemightaswellhavecalicoaslinen,forthey’dbeoneasyallowasth’otherbeforethey’dbeenwashedhalf-a-dozent