Gunpowder

           Mr.JamesHarthouse,‘goingin’forhisadoptedparty,soonbegantoscore.Withtheaidofalittlemorecoachingforthepoliticalsages,alittlemoregenteellistlessnessforthegeneralsociety,andatolerablemanagementoftheassumedhonestyindishonesty,mosteffectiveandmostpatronizedofthepolitedeadlysins,hespeedilycametobeconsideredofmuchpromise.Thenotbeingtroubledwithearnestnesswasagrandpointinhisfavour,enablinghimtotaketothehardFactfellowswithasgoodagraceasifhehadbeenbornoneofthetribe,andtothrowallothertribesoverboard,asconscioushypocrites.

           ‘Whomnoneofusbelieve,mydearMrs.Bounderby,andwhodonotbelievethemselves.Theonlydifferencebetweenusandtheprofessorsofvirtueorbenevolence,orphilanthropy—nevermindthename—is,thatweknowitisallmeaningless,andsayso;whiletheyknowitequallyandwillneversayso.’

           Whyshouldshebeshockedorwarnedbythisreiteration?Itwasnotsounlikeherfather’sprinciples,andherearlytraining,thatitneedstartleher.