consented. Now, however, at Bounderby's
advice, he wished he had not done so, and started off with the other to
The Pegasus's Arms to find Signor Jupe and deny to little Sissy the
right of any more schooling.

Poor Jupe had been in great trouble that day. For a long time he had
felt that he was growing too old for the circus business. His joints
were getting stiff, he missed in his tumbling, and he could no longer
make the people laugh as he had once done. He knew that before long
Sleary would be obliged to discharge him, and this he thought he could
not bear to have Sissy see.

He had therefore made up his mind to leave the company and disappear. He
was too poor to take Sissy with him, so, loving her as he did, he
decided to leave her there where at least she had some friends. He had
come to this melancholy conclusion this very day, and had sent Sissy out
on an errand so that he might slip away, accompanied only by his dog,
Merrylegs, while she was absent.

Sissy was returning when she met Mr. Gradgrind and Bounderby, and came
with them to find her father. But at the public house she met only
sympathizing looks, for all of the performers had guessed what her
father had done. They told her as gently as they could, but poor Sissy
was at first broken-hearted in her grief and was comforted only by the
assurance that her father would certainly come back to her before long.

While Sissy wept Mr. Gradgrind had been pondering. He saw here an
excellent chance to put his "system" to the test. To take this untaught
girl and bring her up from the start entirely on facts would be a good
experiment. With this in view, then, he proposed to take Sissy to his
house and to care for and teach her, provided she promised to have
nothing further to do with the circus or its members.

Sissy knew how anxious her father had been to have her learn, so she
agreed, and was taken at once to Stone Lodge and set to work upon facts.

But alas! Mr. Gradgrind's education seemed to make Sissy low-spirited,
but no wiser. Every day she watched and longed for some message from her
father, but none came. She was loving and lovable, and Louisa liked her
and comforted her as well as she could. But Louisa was far too unhappy
herself to be of much help to any one else.

Several years went by. Sissy's father had never returned. She had grown
into a quiet, lovely girl, the only ray of light in that gloomy home.
Mr. Gradgrind had realized one of his ambiti