invalid, I am to be trampled upon by my
relations. Then, what am I to call him!"

Nobody present having any suggestion to
offer in the remarkable emergency, Mrs.
Gradgrind departed this life for the time
being, after delivering the following codicil to
her remarks already executed:

"As to the wedding, all I ask, Louisa, is,—
and I ask it with a fluttering in my chest,
which actually extends to the soles of my feet,
—that it may take place soon. Otherwise, I
know it is one of those subjects I shall
never hear the last of."

When Mr. Gradgrind had presented Mrs.
Bounderby, Sissy had suddenly turned her
head, and looked, in wonder, in pity, in sorrow,
in doubt, in a multitude of emotions, towards
Louisa. Louisa had known it, and seen it,
without looking at her. From that moment
she was impassive, proud, and cold—held
Sissy at a distance—changed to her
altogether.

CHAPTER XVI.

MR. BOUNDERBY'S first disquietude, on
hearing of his happiness, was occasioned by
the necessity of imparting it to Mrs. Sparsit.
He could not make up his mind how to do
that, or what the consequences of the step
might be. Whether she would instantly depart
bag and baggage, to Lady Scadgers, or would
positively refuse to budge from the premises;
whether she would be plaintive or abusive,
tearful or tearing; whether she would break
her heart, or break the looking-glass; Mr.
Bounderby could not at all foresee. However,
as it must be done, he had no choice but to
do it; so, after attempting several letters,
and failing in them all, he resolved to do it
by word of mouth.

On his way home, on the evening he
set aside for this momentous purpose, he
took the precaution of stepping into a
chemist's shop and buying a bottle of the
very strongest smelling-salts. "By George!"
said Mr. Bounderby, "if she takes it in
the fainting way, I'll have the skin off her
nose, at all events!" But, in spite of
being thus forearmed, he entered his own
house with anything but a courageous
air; and appeared, before the object of his
misgivings, like a dog who was conscious of
coming direct from the pantry.

"Good evening, Mr. Bounderby!"

"Good evening, ma'am, good evening."
He drew up his chair, and Mrs. Sparsit drew
back hers, as who should say, "Your fireside,
sir. I freely admit it. It is for you to occupy
it all, if you think proper."

"Don't go to the North Pole, ma'am!"
said Mr. Bounderby.

"Thank you, sir," said Mrs. Sparsit, and
returned, though short of her former
position.

Mr. Bounderby sat looking at her, as, with
the points of a stiff, sharp pair of scissors, she
picked out holes for some inscrutable
ornamental purpose, in a piece of cambric. An
operation which, taken in connexion with the
bushy eyebrows and the Roman nose, suggested
with some liveliness the idea of a hawk
engaged upon the eyes of a tough little bird.
She was so stedfastly occupied, that many
minutes elapsed before she looked up from
her work; when she did so, Mr. Bounderby
bespoke her attention with a hitch of his
head.

"Mrs. Sparsit ma'am," said Mr. Bounderby,
putting his hands in his pockets, and assuring
himself with his right hand that the cork of
the little bottle was ready for use, "I have
no occasion to say to you, that you are not
only a lady born and bred, but a devilish
sensible woman."

"Sir," returned the lady, "this is indeed not
the first time that you have honored me with
similar expressions of your good opinion."

"Mrs. Sparsit ma'am," said Mr.
Bounderby, "I am going to astonish you."

"Yes, sir?" returned Mrs. Sparsit,
interrogatively, and in the most tranquil manner
possible. She generally wore mittens, and
she now laid down her work, and smoothed
those mittens.

"I am going, ma'am," said Bounderby, "to
marry Tom Gradgrind's daughter."

"Yes, sir?" returned Mrs. Sparsit. "I hope
you may be happy, Mr. Bounderby. Oh,
indeed I hope you may be happy, sir!" And
she said it with such great condescension, as
well as with such great compassion for him, that
Bounderby,—far more disconcerted than if
she had thrown her work-box at the mirror,
or swooned on the hearth-rug,—corked up the
smelling-salts tight in his pocket, and thought,
"Now con-found this woman, who could have
ever guessed that she would take it in this
way!"

"I wish with all my heart, sir," said Mrs.
Sparsit, in a highly superior manner; somehow
she seemed, in a moment, to have
established a right to pity him ever afterwards;
"that you may be in all respects very happy."

"Well, ma'am," returned Bounderby, with
some resentment in his tone: which was
clearly lowered, though in spite of himself,
"I am obliged to you. I hope I shall be."

"Do you, sir!" said Mrs. Sparsit, with
great affability. "But naturally you do; of
course you do."

A very awkward pause on Mr. Bounderby's
part succeeded. Mrs. Sparsit sedately resumed
her work, and occasionally gave a small
cough, which sounded like the cough of
conscious strength and forbearance.

"Well, ma'am," resumed Bounderby,
"under these circumstances, I imagine it
would not be agreeable to a character like
yours to remain here, though you would be
very welcome here?"

"Oh dear no, sir, I could on no account
think of that!" Mrs. Sparsit shook her
head, still in her highly superior manner, and
a little changed the small cough—coughing