Hard Times Family Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #10

'Everybody does lose who bets. May I hint at the probability of your sometimes supplying [Tom] with money for these purposes? […] I will confide to you my doubt whether he has had many advantages. Whether — forgive my plainness — whether any great amount of confidence is likely to have been established between himself and his most worthy father […] Or, between himself, and — I may trust to your perfect understanding of my meaning, I am sure — and his highly esteemed brother-in-law.' [Louisa] flushed deeper and deeper, and was burning red when she replied in a fainter voice, 'I do not think that likely, either.' 'Mrs. Bounderby,' said Harthouse, after a short silence, 'may there be a better confidence between yourself and me? Tom has borrowed a considerable sum of you?' […] 'When I married, I found that my brother was even at that time heavily in debt. Heavily for him, I mean. Heavily enough to oblige me to sell some trinkets. They were no sacrifice. I sold them very willingly. I attached no value to them. They were quite worthless to me.' Either she saw in his face that he knew, or she only feared in her conscience that he knew, that she spoke of some of her husband's gifts. She stopped, and reddened again. If he had not known it before, he would have known it then, though he had been a much duller man than he was. (2.7.34-46)

This invasively revealing conversation is deeply unsettling. It seems to rid Louisa of any privacy, secrets, or hidden emotions. Harthouse really has her cornered here.