He really liked Sissy too well to have a contempt for her; otherwise he held her calculating powers in such very slight estimation that he must have fallen upon that conclusion. Somehow or other, he had become possessed by an idea that there was something in this girl which could hardly be set forth in a tabular form. Her capacity of definition might be easily stated at a very low figure, her mathematical knowledge at nothing; yet he was not sure that if he had been required, for example, to tick her off into columns in a parliamentary return, he would have quite known how to divide her.

“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 so 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 today or yesterday, Loo?”

“No, Tom. But he told me tonight that he wished to do so in the morning.”

“Ah! That’s what I mean,” said Tom. “Do you know where he is tonight?”⁠—with a very 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.”