hard times(艰难时世)-第5章
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knocking me about and starving me； everybody of all ages
knocked me about and starved me。 They were right； they had no
business to do anything else。 I was a nuisance； an incumbrance；
and a pest。 I know that； very well。”
His pride in having at any time of his life achieved such a great
social distinction as to be a nuisance； an incumbrance； and a pest；
was only to be satisfied by three sonorous repetitions of the boast。
“I was to pull through it I suppose； Mrs Gradgrind。 Whether I
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was to do it or not； ma’am； I did it。 I pulled through it； though
nobody threw me out a rope。 Vagabond； errand…boy； vagabond；
labourer； porter； clerk； chief manager； small partner； Josiah
Bounderby of Coketown。 Those are the antecedents； and the
culmination。 Josiah Bounderby of Coketown learnt his letters
from the outsides of the shops； Mrs Gradgrind； and was first able
to tell the time upon a dial…plate； from studying the steeple clock of
St Giles’s Church； London； under the direction of a drunken
cripple； who was a convicted thief and an incorrigible vagrant。 Tell
Josiah Bounderby of Cocktown； of your district schools and your
model schools； and your training schools； and your whole kettle…
of…fish of schools； and Josiah Bounderby of Coketown； tells you
plainly； all right； all correct—he hadn’t such advantages—but let
us have hard…headed； solid…fisted people—the education that made
him won’t do for everybody； he know well—such and such his
education was； however； and you may force him to swallow boiling
fat； but you shall never force him to suppress the facts of his life。”
Being heated when he arrived at this climax； Josiah Bounderby
of Coketown stopped。 He stopped just as his eminently practical
friend； still accompanied by the two young culprits； entered the
room。 His eminently practical friend； on seeing him； stopped also；
and gave Louisa a reproachful look that plainly said； “Behold your
Bounderby！”
“Well！” blustered Mr Bounderby； “what’s the matter？ What is
young Thomas in the dumps about？”
He spoke of young Thomas； but he looked at Louisa。
“We were peeping at the circus；” muttered Louisa haughtily；
without lifting up her eyes； “and father caught us。”
“And Mrs Gradgrind；” said her husband in a lofty manner； “I
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should as soon have expected to find my children reading poetry。”
“Dear me；” whimpered Mrs Gradgrind。 “How can you； Louisa
and Thomas！ I wonder at you。 I declare you’re enough to make
one regret ever having had a family at all。 I have a great mind to
say I wish I hadn’t。 Then what would you have done； I should like
to know。”
Mr Gradgrind did not seem favourably impressed by these
cogent remarks。 He frowned impatiently。
“As if； with my head in its present throbbing state； you couldn’t
go and look at the shells and minerals and things provided for you；
instead of circuses！” said Mrs Gradgrind。 “You know； as well as I
do； no young people have circus masters； or keep circuses in
cabinets； or attend lectures about circuses。 What can you possibly
want to know of circuses then？ I am sure you have enough to do； if
that’s what you want。 With my head in its present state； I couldn’t
remember the mere names of half the facts you have got to attend
to。”
“That’s the reason！” pouted Louisa。
“Don’t tell me that’s the reason； because it can be nothing of the
sort；” said Mrs Gradgrind。 “Go and be somethingological directly。”
Mrs Gradgrind was not a scientific character； and usually
dismissed her children to their studies with this general injunction
to choose their pursuit。
In truth； Mrs Gradgrind’s stock of facts in general was woefully
defective； but Mr Gradgrind in raising her to her high matrimonial
position； had been influenced by two reasons。 Firstly； she was
most satisfactory as a question of figures； and； secondly； she had
“no nonsense” about her。 By nonsense he meant fancy； and truly
it is probable she was as free from any alloy of that nature； as any
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human being not arrived at the perfection of an absolute idiot；
ever was。
The simple circumstance of being left alone with her husband
and Mr Bounderby； was sufficient to stun this admirable lady
again； without collision between herself and any other fact。 So； she
once more died away； and nobody minded her。
“Bounderby；” said Mr Gradgrind； drawing a chair to the
fireside； “you are always so interested in my young people—
particularly in Louisa—that I make no apology for saying to you； I
am very much vexed by this discovery。 I have systematically
devoted myself （as you know） to the education of the reason of my
family。 The reason is （as you know） the only faculty to which
education should be addressed。 And yet； Bounderby； it would
appear from this unexpected circumstance of today； though in
itself a trifling one； as if something had crept into Thomas’s and
Louisa’s minds which is—or rather； which is not—I don’t know
that I can express myself better than by saying—which has never
been intended to be developed； and in which their reason has no
part。”
“There certainly is no reason in looking with interest at a parcel
of vagabonds；” returned Bounderby。 “When I was a vagabond
myself； nobody looked with any interest at me； I know that。”
“Then comes the question；” said the eminently practical father；
with his eyes on the fire； “in what has this vulgar curiosity its
rise？”
“I’ll tell you in what。 In idle imagination。”
“I hope not；” said eminently practical； “I confess； however； that
the misgiving has crossed me on my way home。”
“In idle imagination； Gradgrind；” repeated Bounderby。 “A very
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bad thing for anybody； but a cursed bad thing for a girl like
Louisa。 I should ask Mrs Gradgrind’s pardon for strong
expressions； but that she knows very well I am not a refined
character。 Whoever expects refinement in me will be
disappointed。 I hadn’t a refined bringing up。”
“Whether；” said Mr Gradgrind； pondering with his hands in his
pockets； and his cavernous eyes on the fire； “whether any
instructor or servant can have suggested anything？ Whether
Louisa or Thomas can have been reading anything？ Whether； in
spite of all percautions； any idle storybook can have got into the
house？ Because； in minds that have been practically formed by
rule and line； from the cradle upwards； this is so curious； so
incomprehensible。”
“Stop a bit！” cried Bounderby； who all this time had been
standing； as before； on the hearth； bursting at the very furniture of
the room with explosive humility。 “You have one of those strollers’
children in the school。”
“Cecilia Jupe； by name；” said Mr Gradgrind； with something of
a stricken look at his friend。
“Now； stop a bit！” cried Bounderby again。 “How did she come
there？”
“Why； the fact is； I saw the girl myself； for the first time； only
just now。 She specially applied here at the house to be admitted；
as not regularly belonging to our town； and—yes； you are right；
Bounderby； you are right。”
“Now； stop a bit！” cried Bounderby； once more。 “Louisa saw
her when she came？”
“Louisa certainly did see her； for she mentioned the application
to me。 But Louisa saw her； I have no doubt； in Mrs Gradgrind’s
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presence。”
“Pray； Mrs Gradgrind；” said Bounderby； “what passed？”
“Oh； my poor health！” returned Mrs Gradgrind。 “The girl
wanted to come to the school； and Mr Gradgrind wanted girls to
come to the school； and Louisa and Thomas both said that the girl
wanted to come； and that Mr Gradgrind wanted girls to come； and
how was it possible to contradict them when such was the fact！”
“Now I tell you what； Gradgrind！” said Mr Bounderby。 “Turn
this girl to the rightabout； and there’s an end of it。”
“I am much of your opinion。”
“Do it at once；” said Bounderby； “has always been my motto
from a child。 When I thought I would run away from my egg…box
and my grandmother； I did it at once。 Do you the same。 Do this at
once！”
“Are you walking？” asked his friend。 “I have the father’s
address。 Perhaps you would not mind walking to town with me？”
“Not the least in the world；” said Mr Bounderby； “as long as
you do it at once！”
So； Mr Bounderby threw on his hat—he always threw it on； as
expressing a man who had been far too busily employed in making
himself； to acquire any fashion of wearing his hat—and with his
hands in his pockets； sauntered out into the hall。 “I never wear
gloves；” it was his custom to say。 “I didn’t climb up the ladder in
t
