From that time Sissy lived at Stone Lodge on equal terms with the rest of the family, and after Louisa’s marriage, cared for fretful Mrs. Gradgrind in her invalidism, with a sweet patience that endeared her to the poor woman.  Indeed the entire household were deeply attached to Sissy, and, seeing the unselfishness of her daily life, even Mr. Gradgrind himself was forced to acknowledge that there was a greater Teacher than M’Choakumchild, with a system of education superior to the Gradgrind system, and that the same great Teacher had educated the clown’s daughter to a higher degree of usefulness and courage than the Gradgrind system had yet been able to produce.

In fact, as time went on, Mr. Gradgrind was slowly discovering the flaws in his mathematical theories; finding out that laws and logic can never take the place of love in the development of a nature, and the discovery was a bitter one to him.

Despite their careful bringing-up by rule and measure, neither Louisa nor Thomas Gradgrind, in their maturity, did any credit to their father’s system, and when his mistakes with them became evident to the cold, proud man, and he realized how nearly he had wrecked their lives by those errors, the weight of his suffering was heavy upon him.  Then, realizing that all the Facts in his storehouse of learning, could not teach him how to save his children, and win their love, it was to Sissy that he turned for the information that he needed.

When young Thomas Gradgrind robbed the Bank with which he was connected, and was obliged to flee from justice, it was Sissy who saved him from ruin.  She sent him, with a note of explanation, to her old friend, Mr. Sleary,—­whose whereabouts she happened to know at the time, and asked him to hide young Thomas until he should have further advice from her.  Then she and Louisa and Mr. Gradgrind journeyed hurriedly to the town, where they found the Circus.  A performance was just beginning when they arrived, and they found the culprit in the ring, disguised as a black servant.

When the performance was over, Mr. Sleary came out and greeted them with great heartiness, exclaiming; “Thethilia, it doth me good to thee you.  You wath always a favorite with uth, and you’ve done uth credit thinth the old timeth, I’m thure.”

He then suggested that such members of his troupe as would remember her be called to see her, and presently Sissy found herself amid the familiar scenes of her childhood, surrounded by an eager and affectionate group of her old comrades.  While she was busily talking with them, Mr. Sleary entered into a consultation with Mr. Gradgrind upon the subject of his erring son’s future.  He then told the poor, distressed father that for Sissy’s sake, and because Mr. Gradgrind had been so kind to her, he would help the culprit to escape from the country, secretly, by night Then, growing confidential, he added: 

“Thquire, you don’t need to be told that dogth ith wonderful animalth.”