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'I hope, said Harthouse, lazily, 'not our friend Blackpot? 'Say Pool instead of Pot, sir, returned Bounderby, 'and that's the man. Louisa faintly uttered some word of incredulity and surprise. 'O yes! I know! said Bounderby, immediately catching at the sound. 'I know! I am used to that. I know all about it. They are the finest people in the world, these fellows are.
Bounderby, how he was born in a ditch, and, abandoned by his mother, how he ran away from his grandmother, who starved and ill-used him, and so became a vagabond. "I pulled through it," he would say, "though nobody threw me out a rope. Vagabond, errand-boy, labourer, porter, clerk, chief manager, small partner Josiah Bounderby, of Coketown."
'I hope not, said the eminently practical; 'I confess, however, that the misgiving has crossed me on my way home. 'In idle imagination, Gradgrind, repeated Bounderby. 'A very 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.
'And in that conversation 'It is not necessary to repeat its tenor, Bounderby. I know what passed. 'You do? Perhaps, said Bounderby, staring with all his might at his so quiet and assuasive father-in-law, 'you know where your daughter is at the present time! 'Undoubtedly. She is here. 'Here? 'My dear Bounderby, let me beg you to restrain these loud out- breaks, on all accounts.
And I hope, sir, said Mrs. Sparsit, concluding in an impressively compassionate manner, 'I fondly hope that Miss Gradgrind may be all you desire, and deserve! Nothing moved Mrs. Sparsit from that position any more. It was in vain for Bounderby to bluster or to assert himself in any of his explosive ways; Mrs. Sparsit was resolved to have compassion on him, as a Victim.
'We will make an example of half a dozen Slackbridges. We'll indict the blackguards for felony, and get 'em shipped off to penal settlements. Stephen gravely shook his head. 'Don't tell me we won't, man, said Mr. Bounderby, by this time blowing a hurricane, 'because we will, I tell you!
'My visiting time is later this year than usual, for I have been rather troubled with shortness of breath, and so put it off till the weather was fine and warm. Well, but what has this to do with this good lass, says you? I'm going to tell you. I have heard of Mr. Bounderby being married.
Bounderby ask me to marry him? Yes, he does. The sole remaining question then is: Shall I marry him? I think nothing can be plainer than that? 'Shall I marry him? repeated Louisa, with great deliberation. 'Precisely.
The dawn coming, the morning coming, and the day coming, and neither message nor letter coming with either, he went down to the country house. There, the report was, Mr. Bounderby away, and Mrs. Bounderby in town. Left for town suddenly last evening. Not even known to be gone until receipt of message, importing that her return was not to be expected for the present.
'I don't see it at all, sir, returned the obstinate Bounderby. 'Well, sighed Mr. Gradgrind, 'we will not enter into the question. I assure you I have no desire to be controversial. I seek to repair what is amiss, if I possibly can; and I hope you will assist me in a good spirit, Bounderby, for I have been very much distressed.
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