Chapter 16 - Page 2

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 hearthrug, — corked up the smelling-salts tight in his pocket, and thought, ‘Now confound 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 now, as if the spirit of prophecy rose within her, but had better be coughed down.

‘However, ma’am,’ said Bounderby, ‘there are apartments at the Bank, where a born and bred lady, as keeper of the place, would be rather a catch than otherwise; and if the same terms — ’

‘I beg your pardon, sir. You were so good as to promise that you would always substitute the phrase, annual compliment.’

‘Well, ma’am, annual compliment. If the same annual compliment would be acceptable there, why, I see nothing to part us, unless you do.’

‘Sir,’ returned Mrs Sparsit. ‘The proposal is like yourself, and if the position I shall assume at the Bank is one that I could occupy without descending lower in the social scale — ’

‘Why, of course it