In some stages of his manufacture of the human fabric, the processes of Time are very rapid. Young Thomas and Sissy being both at such a stage of their working up, these changes were effected in a year or two; while Mr. Gradgrind himself seemed stationary in his course, and underwent no alteration. Except one, which was apart from his necessary progress through the mill. Time hustled him into a little noisy and rather dirty machinery, in a by-corner, and made him Member of Parliament for Coketown: one of the respected members for ounce weights and measures, one of the representatives of the multiplication table, one of the deaf honorable gentlemen, dumb honorable gentlemen, blind honorable gentlemen, lame honorable gentlemen, dead honorable gentlemen, to every other consideration. Else wherefore live we in a Christian land, eighteen hundred and odd years after our Master?
All this while, Louisa had been passing on, so quiet and reserved, and so much given to watching the bright ashes at twilight as they fell into the grate and became extinct, that from the period when her father had said she was almost a young woman – which seemed but yesterday – she had scarcely attracted his notice again, when he found her quite a young woman.
“Quite a young woman,” said Mr. Gradgrind, musing. “Dear me!”
Soon after this discovery he became more thoughtful than usual for several days, and seemed much engrossed by one subject. On a certain night, when he was going out, and Louisa came to bid him good-bye before his departure – as he was not to be home until late and she would not see him again until the morning – he held her in his arms, looking at her in his kindest manner, and said:
“My dear Louisa, you are a woman!”
She answered him with the old, quick, searching look of the night when she was found at the Circus; then cast down her eyes. “Yes, father.”
“My dear,” said Mr. Gradgrind, “I must speak with you alone and seriously. Come to me in my room after breakfast to-morrow, will you?”
“Yes, father.”
“Your hands are rather cold, Louisa. Are you not well?”
“Quite well, father
“And cheerful?”
She looked at him again, and smiled in her peculiar manner. “I am as cheerful, father, as I usually am, or usually have been.”
“That’s well,” said Mr. Gradgrind. So, he kissed her and went away; and Louisa returned to the serene apartment of the hair-cutting character, and leaning her elbow on her hand, looked again at the short-lived sparks that soon subsided into ashes.
“Are you there, Loo?” said her brother, looking in at the door. He was quite a young gentleman of pleasure now, and not quite a prepossessing one.
“Dear Tom,” she answered, rising and embracing him, “how long it is since you have been to see me!”
“Why, I have been otherwise engaged, Loo, in the evenings; and in the daytime old Bounderby has been keeping me at it rather. But I touch him up with you, when he comes it too strong, and so we preserve an understanding. I say! Has father said anything particular to you, to-day or yesterday, Loo?”
“No, Tom. But he told me to-night that he wished to do so in the morning.”
“Ah! that’s what I mean,” said Tom. “Do you know where he is to-night?” – with a deep expression.
“No.”
“Then I’ll tell you. He’s with old Bounderby. They are having a regular confab together, up at the Bank. Why at the Bank, do you think? Well, I’ll tell you again. To keep Mrs. Sparsit’s ears as far off as possible, I expect.”
With her hand upon her brother’s shoulder, Louisa still stood looking at the fire. Her brother glanced at her face with greater interest than usual, and encircling her waist with his arm, drew her coaxingly to him.
“You are very fond of me, an’t you, Loo?”
“Indeed I am, Tom, though you do let such long intervals go by without coming to see me.”
“Well, sister of mine,” said Tom, “when you say that, you are near my thoughts. We might be so much oftener together – mightn’t we? Always together, almost – mightn’t we? It would do me a great deal of good if you were to make up your mind to I know what, Loo. It would be a splendid thing for me. It would be uncommonly jolly!”