The last words had a visible effect upon her. She stopped in her wild crying, a little detached herself from Emma Gordon, and turned her face full upon her patron. The whole company perceived the force of the change, and drew a long breath together, that plainly said, “she will go.”
“Be sure you know your own mind, Jupe,” Mr. Gradgrind cautioned her; “I say no more. Be sure you know your own mind!”
“When father comes back,” cried the girl, bursting into tears again after a minute’s silence, “how will he ever find me if I go away!”
“You may be quite at ease,” said Mr. Gradgrind, calmly; he worked out the whole matter like a sum: “you may be quite at ease, Jupe, on that score. In such a case, your father, I apprehend, must find out Mr. – ”
“Thleary. Thath my name, Thquire. Not athamed of it. Known all over England, and alwayth paythe ith way.”
“Must find out Mr. Sleary, who would then let him know where you went. I should have no power of keeping you against his wish, and he would have no difficulty at any time, in finding Mr. Thomas Gradgrind of Coketown. I am well known.”
“Well known,” assented Mr. Sleary, rolling his loose eye.
“You’re one of the thort, Thquire, that keepth a prethiouth thight out money out of the houthe. But never mind that at prethent.”
There was another silence; and then she exclaimed, sobbing with her hands before her face, “Oh give me my clothes, give me my clothes, and let me go away before I break my heart!”
The women sadly bestirred themselves to get the clothes together – it was soon done, for they were not many – and to pack them in a basket which had often travelled with them. Sissy sat all the time, upon the ground, still sobbing, and covering her eyes. Mr. Gradgrind and his friend Bounderby stood near the door, ready to take her away. Mr. Sleary stood in the middle of the room, with the male members of the company about him, exactly as he would have stood in the centre of the ring during his daughter Josephine’s performance. He wanted nothing but his whip.
The basket packed in silence, they brought her bonnet to her, and smoothed her disordered hair, and put it on. Then they pressed about her, and bent over her in very natural attitudes, kissing and embracing her: and brought the children to take leave of her; and were a tender-hearted, simple, foolish set of women altogether.
“Now, Jupe,” said Mr. Gradgrind. “If you are quite determined, come!”
But she had to take her farewell of the male part of the company yet, and every one of them had to unfold his arms (for they all assumed the professional attitude when they found themselves near Sleary), and give her a parting kiss – Master Kidderminister excepted, in whose young nature there was an original flavour of the misanthrope, who was also known to have harboured matrimonial views, and who moodily withdrew. Mr. Sleary was reserved until the last. Opening his arms wide he took her by both her hands, and would have sprung her up and down, after the riding-master manner of congratulating young ladies on their dismounting from a rapid act; but there was no rebound in Sissy, and she only stood before him crying.
“Good bye, my dear!” said Sleary. “You’ll make your fortun, I hope, and none of our poor folkth will ever trouble you, I’ll pound it. I with your father hadn’t taken hith dog with him; ith a ill-conwenienth to have the dog out of the billth. But on thecond thoughth, he wouldn’t have performed without hith mathter, tho ith ath broad ath ith long!”
With that he regarded her attentively with his fixed eye, surveyed his company with his loose one, kissed her, shook his head, and handed her to Mr. Gradgrind as to a horse.
“There the ith, Thquire,” he said, sweeping her with a professional glance as if she were being adjusted in her seat, “and the’ll do you juthtithe. Good bye, Thethilia!”
“Good bye, Cecilia!” “Good bye, Sissy!” “Good bless you, dear!” In a variety of voices from all the room.