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1 Pip meets a stranger

My first name was Philip but when I was a small child I could only manage to say Pip So Pip was what every-body called me I lived in a small village in Essex with my sister who was over twenty years older than me and married to Joe Gargery the village blacksmith My parents had died when I was a baby so I could not remember them at all but quite often I used to visit the churchyard abut a mile from the village to look at their names on their gravestones

My first memory is of sitting on a gravestone in that church-yard one cold grey December afternoon looking out at the dark flat wild marshes divided by the black line of the River Thames and listening to the rushing sound of the sea in the distance

Don't say a word cried a terrible voice as a man jumped up from among the graves and caught hold of me If you shout I'll cut your throat He was a big man dressed all in grey with an iron chain on his leg His clothes were wet and torn He looked exhausted and hungry and very fierce I had never been so frightened in my whole life

Oh Don't cut my throat sir I begged in terror

Tell me your name boy Quick he said still holding me And show me where you live

My name's Pip sir And I live in the village over there

He picked me up and turned me upside-down Nothing fell out of my pocket except a piece of old bread He ate it in two bites like a dog and put me back on the gravestone

So where are your father and mother he asked

There sir I answered pointing to their graves

What he cried and was about to run when he saw where I was pointing Oh he said I see They're dead Well who do you live with if I let you live which I haven't decided yet

With my sister sir wife of Joe Gargery the blacksmith

Blacksmith you say And he looked down at his leg Then he held me by both arms and stared fiercely down into my eyes

Now look here You bring me a file You know what that is And you bring me some food If you don't or if you tell anyone about me I'll cut your heart out

I promise I'll do it sir I answered I was badly fright ened and my whole body was trembling .

You see he continued smiling unpleasantly I travel with a young man a friend of mine who roasts boys hearts and eats them He'll find you wherever you are and he'll have your heart So bring the file and the food to that wooden shelter over there early tomorrow morning if you want to keep your heart that is Remember you promised

I watched him turn and walk with difficulty across the marshes the chain hanging clumsily around his leg Then I ran home as fast as I could

My sister Mrs Joe Gargery was very proud of the fact that she had brought me up by hand Nobody explained to me what this meant and because she had a hard and heavy hand which she used freely on her husband as well as me I supposed that Joe and I were both brought up by hand She was not a beautiful woman being tall and thin with black hair and eyes and a very red face She clearly felt that Joe and I caused her a lot of trouble and she frequently complained about it Joe on the other hand was a gentle kind man with fair hair and weak blue eyes who quietly accepted her scolding

Because Joe and I were in the same position of being scolded by Mrs Joe we were good friends and Joe protected me from her anger whenever he could So when I ran breathless into the kitchen he gave me a friendly warning She's out look-ing for you Pip And she's got the stick with her This stick had been used so often for beating me that it was now quite smooth

Just then Mrs Joe rushed in

Where have you been you young monkey she shouted I jumped behind Joe to avoid being hit with the stick

Only to the churchyard I whispered starting to cry

Churchyard If I hadn't brought you up you'd be in the churchyard with our parents You'll send me to the church-yard one day Now let me get your supper ready both of you

For the rest of the evening I thought of nothing but the stranger on the marshes Sometimes as the wind blew round the house I imagined I heard his voice outside and I thought with horror of the young man who ate boys hearts

Just before I went to bed we heard the sound of a big gun on the marshes Was that a gun Joe I asked

Ah said Joe Another convict's escaped One got away last night They always fire the gun when one escapes

Who fires the gun I asked Joe shook his head to warn me

Too many questions frowned my sister If you must know it's the men in the prison-ships who fire the gun

I wonder who is put into prison-ships and why I asked in a general way quietly desperate to know the answer

This was too much for Mrs Joe Listen my boy I didn't bring you up by hand to annoy people to death There are ships on the river which are used as prisons People who steal and murder are put in the prison-ships and they stay there for years sometimes And they always begin their life of crime by asking too many questions Now go to bed

I could not sleep at all that night I was in terror of the young man who wanted my heart I was in terror of the man with the iron chain I was in terror of my sister who would soon discover I had stolen her food As soon as there was a lit-tle light in the sky outside my window I got up and went qui-etly down to the kitchen I stole some bread cheese and a big meat pie hoping that as there was a lot of food ready for Christmas nobody would notice what was missing I did not dare take the whole brandy bottle so I poured some into a smaller bottle to take away with me Then I filled up the brandy bottle with what I thought was water from a big brown bottle I took a file from Joe's box of tools and ran out on to the dark marshes

The mist was so thick that I could not see anything Al-though I knew my way to the shelter very well I almost got lost this time I was near it when I saw a man sitting on the ground half asleep I went up and touched his shoulder He jumped up and it was the wrong man He was dressed in grey too and had an iron chain on his leg He ran away into the mist

It's the young man I thought feeling a pain in my heart

When I arrived at the shelter I found the right man He looked so cold and hungry that I felt sorry for him Trembling violently he swallowed the brandy and ate the food like a hunt-ed animal looking around him all the time for danger

You're sure you didn't tell anyone Or bring anyone

No sir I'm glad you're enjoying the food sir

Thank you my boy You've been good to a poor man

But I'm afraid there won't be any left for him

Him Who's that My friend stopped in the middle of eating

The young man who travels with you

Oh him he replied smiling He doesn't want any food

I thought he looked rather hungry I answered

He stared at me in great surprise Looked When

Just now over there I found him half asleep and I thought it was you He was dressed like you and I was anxious to express this politely -he had the same reason for wanting to borrow a file

Then I did hear them fire the gun last night You know boy when you're on the marsh alone at night you imagine all kinds of things voices calling guns firing soldiers marching But show me where this man went I'll find him and I'll fin-ish with him I'll smash his face Give me the file first

I was afraid of him now that he was angry again

I'm sorry I must go home now I said He did not seem to hear so I left him bending over his leg and filing away at his iron chain like a madman Halfway home I stopped in the mist to listen and I could still hear the sound of the file

2 Catching a convict

All that morning I was frightened that my sister would discover that I had stolen from her but luckily she was so busy cleaning the house and roasting the chickens for our Christmas lunch that she did not notice that I had been out or that any food was missing At half-past one our two guests arrived Mr Wopsle had a large nose and a shining bald forehead and was the church clerk Mr Pumblechook who had a shop in the nearest town was a fat middle-aged man witn a mouth like a fish and staring eyes He was really Joe's uncle but it was Mrs Joe who called him uncle Every Christmas Day he arrived with two bottles of wine handing them proudly to my sister

Oh Uncle Pumblechook This is kind she always replied

It's no more than you deserve was the answer every time

Sitting at table with these guests I would have felt uncomfortable even if I hadn't robbed my sister Not only was Pumblechook's elbow in my eye but I wasn't allowed to speak and they gave me the worst pieces of meat Even the chickens must have been ashamed of those parts of their bodies when they were alive And worse than that the adults never left me in peace

Before we eat let us thank God for the food in front of us said Mr Wopsle in the deep voice he used in church

Do you hear that whispered my sister to me Be grateful

Especially said Mr Pumblechook firmly be grateful boy to those who brought you up by hand

Why are the young never grateful wondered Mr Wopsle sadly

Their characters are naturally bad answered Mr Pumblechook and all three looked unpleasantly at me

When there were guests Joe's position was even lower than usual if that was possible but he always tried to help me if he could Sometimes he comforted me by giving me extra gravy He did that now

Just imagine boy said Mr Pumblechook if your sister hadn't brought you up

You listen to this said my sister to me crossly

If as I say she hadn't spent her life looking after you where would you be now

Joe offered me more gravy

He was a lot of trouble to you madam Mr Wopsle said sympathetically to my sister

Trouble she cried Trouble And then she started on a list of all my illnesses accidents and crimes while everybody except Joe looked at me with disgust Joe added more gravy to the meat swimming on my plate and I wanted to pull Mr Wopsle's nose

In the end Mrs Joe stopped for breath and said to Mr Pumblechook Have a little brandy uncle There is a bottle al-ready open

It had happened at last Now she would discover I had stolen some brandy and put water in the bottle Mr Pumblechook held his glass up to the light smiled importantly at it and drank it When immediately afterwards he jumped up and began to rush round the room in a strange wild dance we all stared at him in great surprise Was he mad I wondered if I had murdered him but if so how At last he threw himself gasping into a chair crying Medicine Then I understood Instead of filling up the brandy bottle with water I had put Mrs Joe's strongest and most unpleasant medicine in by mistake That was what the big brown bottle contained

But how could my medicine get into a brandy bottle asked my sister Fortunately she had no time to find the answer as Mr Pumblechook was calling for a hot rum to remove the taste of the medicine And now she said when the fat man was calmer you must all try Uncle Pumblechook's pre-sent to us A really delicious meat pie

That's right Mrs Joe said Mr Pumblechook looking more cheerful now Bring in the pie

You shall have some Pip said Joe kindly

I knew what would happen next I could not sit there any longer I jumped down from the table and ran out of the room

But at the front door I ran straight into a group of soldiers Mrs Joe was saying as she came out of the kitchen The pie-has-gone but stopped when she saw the soldiers

Excuse me ladies and gentlemen said the officer in charge I'm here in the King's name and I want the black-smith

And why do you want him said my sister crossly

Madam replied the officer Politely speaking for myself I'd like the pleasure of meeting his fine wife Speaking for the King I'd like him to repair these handcuffs

Ah very good very good said Mr Pumblechook clap-ping

The soldiers waited in the kitchen while Joe lit the forge fire and started work I began to feel better now that everyone had forgotten the missing pie

How far are we from the marshes asked the officer

About a mile replied Mrs Joe

That's good We'll catch them before it's dark

Convicts officer asked Mr Wopsle

Yes two escaped convicts out on the marshes Has anyone here seen them

The others all shook their heads Nobody asked me When the handcuffs were ready Joe suggested we should go with the soldiers and as Mrs Joe was curious to know what happened she agreed So Joe Mr wopsle and I walked behind the men through the village and out on to the marshes

I hope we don't find those poor men Joe I whispered

I hope not either Pip he whispered back It was cold with an east wind blowing from the sea and it was getting dark

Suddenly we all stopped We heard shouts in the distance

This way Run the officer ordered and we all rushed in that direction The shouts became clearer Murder Escaped convict Help At last we discovered two men fighting each other One was my convict and the other was the man who had run away when I had seen him near the shelter Somehow the soldiers held the men apart and put the hand-cuffs on them

Here he is I'm holding him for you shouted my convict

Officer he tried to murder me cried the other man His face was bleeding and he was clearly very frightened

Murder him No said the first that would be too easy I want him to suffer more back on the prison-ship He's lying as he did at our trial You can't trust Compeyson

Just then he noticed me for the first time I shook my head at him to show that I had not wanted the soldiers to find him He stared at me but I did not know if he understood or not

The prisoners were taken to the riverside where a boat was waiting to take them on to the prison-ship Just as he was about to leave my convict said Officer after my escape I stole some food from the blacksmith's house Bread cheese brandy and a meat pie I'm sorry I ate your pie blacksmith

I'm glad you did replied Joe kindly We don't know why you're a convict but we wouldn't want you to die of hunger

The man rubbed his eyes with the back of his dirty hand We watched the small boat carry him out to the middle of the river where the great black prison-ship stood high out of the water held by its rusty chains He disappeared into the ship and I thought that was the last I had seen of him

3 An opportunity for Pip

I always knew I would be apprenticed to Joe as soon as I was old enough and so I used to spend most of the day helping him in the forge However I also attended the village evening school which was organized by an ancient relation of Mr Wopsle's Her teaching mostly consisted of falling asleep while we children fought each other but Mr Wopsle's young cousin Biddy tried to keep us under control and teach us to read write and count Mr Wopsle examined us every three months In fact he did not ask us any questions at all but read aloud from Shakespeare waving his arms dramatically and enjoying the sound of his own voice

One night about a year after the escaped convicts had been caught I was sitting by the kitchen fire writing a letter to Joe I didn't need to because he was sitting right next to me but I wanted to practise my writing After an hour or two of hard work I passed this letter to him

Pip old boy cried Joe opening his kind blue eyes very wide What a lot you've learnt Here's a J and an O that's for Joe isn't it Pip

I wondered whether I would have to teach Joe from the beginning so I asked How do you write Gargery Joe

I don't write it at all said Joe But you know I am fond of reading Give me a good book or newspaper a good fire and I ask no more Well When you come to a J and an O how interesting reading is

Didn't you ever go to school Joe when you were young

No Pip You see my father drank a lot and when he drank he used to hit my mother and me too sometimes So she and I ran away from him several times And she used to say Now Joe you can go to school But my father had such a good heart that he didn't want to be without us So he always came to find us and took us home and hit us So you see Pip I never learnt much

Poor Joe

But remember Pip my father had a good heart

I wondered about that but said nothing

He let me become a blacksmith which was his job too only he never worked at it I earned the money for the family until he died And listen to this Pip I wanted to put this on his gravestone

Whatever the fault he had from the start

Remember reader he had a good heart

Did you invent that yourself Joe I asked surprised .

I did said Joe proudly It came to me in a moment From my own head But Pip sad to say there wasn't enough money for the gravestone My poor mother needed it In bad health she was She died soon after Found peace at last Joe's blue eyes were watery I was lonely then and I met your sister Now Pip Joe looked firmly at me because he knew I was not going to agree with him your sister is a fine woman

I could think of nothing better to say than I'm glad you think so Joe

So am I said Joe I'm glad I think so Very kind of her bringing you up by hand Such a tiny baby you were So when I offered to marry your sister I said And bring the poor little child to live with us There's room for him at the forge

I put my arms round Joe's neck and cried into his shirt

Don't cry old boy he said Always the best of friends you and me As I dried my tears he continued So here we are Pip Now if you teach me a bit and I warn you now that I'm very stupid Mrs Joe must never know And why Because she likes to be-in charge-you know-giving the orders

Joe I asked why don't you ever rebel

Well said Joe to start with your sister's clever And I'm not And another thing and this is serious old boy when I think of my poor mother's hard life I'm afraid of not behaving right to a woman So I'd much rather seem a bit weak with Mrs Joe than shout at her or hurt her or hit her I'm just sorry she scolds you as well Pip and hits you with the stick I wish I could take all the scolding myself But there it is Pip

Just then we heard the sound of a horse on the road Mrs Joe and Uncle Pumblechook were returning from market The carriage arrived and in a rush of cold air they were in the kitchen

Now said Mrs Joe excitedly throwing off her cloak if this boy isn't grateful tonight he never will be

She's offering the boy a great opportunity agreed Pumblechook Trying to look grateful I looked at Joe making the word She with my lips He clearly did not know either

You were speaking of a she he said Politely to them

She is a she I suppose Mrs Joe replied crossly Unless you call Miss Havisham a he And even you wouldn't do that

The rich Miss Havisham who lives all alone in the big house in town asked Joe

There aren't any other Miss Havishams that I know of She wants a boy to go and play there She asked Uncle Pumblechook if he knew of anyone And Uncle Pumblechook thinking of us as he always does suggested this boy And what's more Uncle Pumblechook realizing that this boy's fortune may be made by going to Miss Havisham's has of-fered to take him into town tonight in his carriage and let him sleep in his own house and deliver him tomorrow to Miss Havisham's And just look she cried catching hold of me Look at the dirt on this by

I was washed from top to toe in Mrs Joe's usual violent manner and handed over in my tightest Sunday clothes to Mr Pumblechook In the carriage taking me into town I cried a little I had never been away from Joe before and I had no idea what was going to happen to me at Miss Havisham's

Mr Pumblechook seemed to agree with my sister that I should be punished as much as possible even when eating and so for breakfast next morning he gave me a large piece of bread with very little butter and a cup of warm water with very little milk and insisted on checking my learning

What's seven and thirteen boy He continued testing me all through breakfast And nine And eleven

So I was glad to arrive at Miss Havisham's house at about ten o clock It was a large house made of old stone and with iron bars on the windows We rang the bell and waited at the gate Even then Mr Pumblechook said And fourteen but I pretended not to hear him Then a young lady came to open the gate and let me in Mr Pumblechook was following me when she stopped him

Do you wish to see Miss Havisham she asked

If Miss Havisham wishes to see me answered Mr Pumblechook a little confused

Ah said the girl but you see she doesn't

Mr Pumblechook dared not protest but he whispered angrily to me before he turned away Boy Behave well here and re-member those who brought you up by hand I thought he would come back and call through the gate And sixteen but he did not

The young lady took me through the untidy garden to the house Although she called me boy she was the same age as me but she seemed much older than me She was beautiful and as proud as a queen We went through many dark passages until we reached a door where she left me taking her candle with her

I knocked at the door and was told to enter I found myself in a large room where the curtains were closed to allow no daylight in and the candles were lit In the centre of the room sitting at a table was the strangest lady I have ever seen or shall ever see She was wearing a wedding dress made of rich material She had a bride's flowers in her hair but her hair was white There were suitcases full of dresses and Jewels around her ready for a journey She only had one white shoe on Then I realized that over the years the white wedding dress had become yellow and the flowers in her hair had died and the bride inside the dress had grown old Everything in the room was ancient and dying The only brightness in the room was in her dark old eyes that stared at me

Who are you said the lady at the table

Pip madam Mr Pumblechook's boy Come-to play

Come close Let me look at you As I stood in front of her I noticed that her watch and a clock in the room had both stopped at twenty minutes to nine

You aren't afraid of a woman who has never seen the sun since you were born asked Miss Havisham

I am sorry to say I told a huge lie by saying No

Do you know what ths is she asked putting her hand on her left side

Yes madam It made me think of my convict's travel-ling companion Your heart madam I added

My heart Broken she cried almost proudly with a strange smile Then she said I am tired I want to see some-thing different Play

No order could be more difficult to obey in that house and that room I was desperate enough to consider rushing round the table pretending to be Pumblechook's carriage but I could not make myself do it and just stood there helplessly

I'm very sorry madam I said my sister will be very angry with me if you complain but I can't play just now Everything is so strange and new and sad I stopped afraid to say more Miss Havisham looked down at her dress and then at her face in the mirror on the table

So strange to him so well-known to me she whispered

So new to him so old to me And so sad to us both Call Es-tella

When Estella finally came with her candle along the dark passage Miss Havisham picked up a jewel from her table and put it in Estella's hair Very pretty my dear It will be yours one day Now let me see you play cards with this boy

With this boy But he's a common working boy

I thought I heard Miss Havisham whisper Well You can break his heart She sat like a dead body ready for the grave watching us play cards in the candle-light I almost wondered if she was afraid that daylight would turn her into dust

What coarse hands this boy has And what thick boots cried Estella in disgust before we had finished our first game I was suddenly aware that what she said was true

What do you think of her Whispered Miss Havisham to me

I think she's very proud I whispered back

Anything else

I think she's very pretty

Anything else

I think she's very rude And-and I'd like to go home

And never see her again although she's so pretty

I don't know I'd-I'd like to go home now

Miss Havisham smiled You can go home Come again in six days'time Estella give him some food GO Pip

And so I found myself back in the overgrown garden in the bright daylight Estella put some bread and meat down on the ground for me like a dog I was so offended by her behaviour towards me that tears came to my eyes As soon as she saw this She gave a delighted laugh and pushed me out of the gate I walked the four miles home to the forge thinking about all I had seen As I looked sadly at my hands and boots I remembered that I was only a common working boy and wished I could be different

My sister was curious to know all the details of my visit and kept asking me question after question Somehow I felt I could not or did not want to explain about Miss Havisham and her strange house I knew my sister would not understand And the worst of it was that old fool Pumblechook arrived at tea-time to ask more questions Just looking at his fishy staring eyes and open mouth made me want to keep silent

Leave this boy to me madam he told Mrs Joe I'll make him concentrate Now boy what's forty-three and seventy-two

I don't know I said I didn't care either

Is it eighty-five for example he joked

Yes I answered although I knew it wasn't My sister hit me hard on the head

Boy he continued Describe Miss Havisham

Very tall and dark I said lying

Is she uncle asked my sister eagerly

Oh yes answered Mr Pumblechook So I knew immediately that he had never seen her This is the way to get information from this boy he added quietly to Mrs Joe

How well you make him obey you uncle said Mrs Joe

Now boy What was she doing when you arrived

She was sitting in a black carriage I replied

Mr Pumblechook and Mrs Joe stared at each other In a black carriage they repeated

Yes I said becoming more confident And Miss Estella her niece I think handed in gold plates with cake and wine through the windows

Was anybody else there asked Mr Pumblechook

Four dogs huge ones They ate meat out of a silver basket

Where was this carriage boy

In her room But there weren't any horses

Can this be possible uncle asked Mrs Joe

She's a strange woman madam It's quite possible What did you play at boy

We played with flags I answered What lies I was telling Estella waved a blue one and I had a red one and Miss Havisham waved one with little gold stars on out of the carriage window

Fortunately they asked no more questions and were still discussing the wonderful things I had seen when Joe came in from the forge When I saw his blue eyes open wide in surprise I felt very sorry I had lied and that evening as soon as I found Joe alone for a moment I confessed to him that I had lied about my visit to Miss Havisham

Is none of it true Pip he asked shocked No black carriage ? But at least there were dogs weren't there Pip No Not even one dog

No Joe I'm sorry

Pip old boy His kind face looked very unhappy If you tell lies where do you think you'll go when you die

I know Joe it's terrible I don't know what happened Oh I wish I didn't have such thick boots and such coarse hands I'm so miserable Joe That beautiful young lady at Miss Havisham's said I was common And I know I am Somehow that made me tell lies One thing to remember Pip said Joe lighting his pipe slowly is that lies are always wrong You can't stop being common by telling lies That's not the way to do it And you're learning all the time Pip Look at that letter you wrote me last night Even the King had to start learning at the beginning, didn't he That reminds me any flags at Miss Havisham's No That's a pity Look here Pip this is a true friend speaking to you Take my advice No more lies live well, and die happy.

Encouraged by Joe's honest words I went to bed but I couldn't stop myself thinking that Estella would consider Joe's boots too thick and his hands too coarse and our whole family common That was a day I shall never forget

4 A present from a stranger

I desperately wanted to be accepted by Estella I realized I could never become well-educated just by attending old Mrs Wopsle's evening school so I asked Mr Wopsle's cousin Biddy to teach me everything she knew She helped me as much as she could but I knew it would take a long time to reach Estella's level

One evening I went to fetch Joe from the village pub, where my sister sometimes allowed him to smoke his pipe and have a beer Mr Wopsle and Joe were sitting with a stranger a man I'd never seen before One of his eyes was half closed,and he wore a big hat which covered most of his head He suddenly looked interested when I arrived and rubbed his leg in a rather strange way He had just ordered hot rum for the three of them

It' s lonely country round here gentlemen he said Yes said Joe just marshes down to the river

Do people ever spend the night on the marshes

No replied Joe except an escaped prisoner sometimes Difficult to find they are Went out to look for one once me and Mr Wopsle and young Pip here Didn't we Pip

Yes Joe.

The stranger looked at me with his good eye

What's his name Pip Your son is he

The boy is the blacksmith's wife's brother explained Mr Wopsle in his official church clerk's voice

When the drinks arrived the stranger did something that he wanted nobody to see except me. He mixed his hot rum and water not with a spoon but with a file which he put back in his pocket when he had finished As soon as I saw the file I knew it was the one I had stolen from Joe and I knew that this man knew my convict. I stared at him in horror.

The men continued their conversation in a friendly way until Joe stood up to leave and took my hand

Wait a moment 'I said the stranger I'd like to give the boy something 'and wrapping a coin in some old paper from his pocket handed it to me. That' s yours he told me giving me a look full of meaning .

Thank you sir 'I said still staring at him Together Joe and I walked home Joe with his mouth open all the way so that my sister would not notice the smell of rum on his breath .

But when we arrived home we found the stranger had giv-en me two Pound notes as well as the coin My sister thought it must have been a mistake and kept the pound notes in case he came back for them But I knew they came from my con vict and I felt that having criminal friends made me more common than ever.

The next time I went to Miss Havisham's I was shown in to a different room to wait. Several ladies and gentlemen relations of hers were there. They all turned and looked at me in disgust when I was the first to be called by Estella

As Estella was leading me along the dark passages she stopped suddenly and put her face close to mine

Look at me boy Am I pretty '

Yes I think you're very pretty '

Am I rude to you '

Not as much as last time '

She hit my face as hard as she could.

Now you coarse little boy what do you think of me

I won't tell you

Why don't you cry again you fool '

Because I'll never cry for you again 'I said which was a very false promise because I was crying inside at the time and only I know how much I cried for her later

On our way upstairs we met a gentleman coming down in the dark He was a large heavy man with a very dark skin sharp eyes and a huge head almost bald on the top His hands smelt strongly of perfumed soap I didn't know then how important he would ha later on in my life. Who's this he asked Estella stopping to look at me. A local boy. Miss Havisham sent for him 'she replied Well in my experience most boys are bad 'he said to me. Behave yourself 'He bit the side of his large finger as he frowned at me and then continued downstairs.

This time Miss Havisham was in another room which I had not seen before All the furniture was covered in dust In the candle light I could see a long table in the middle of which was a large yellow shape with hundreds of insects feeding off it

This said Miss Havisham pointing to the table is where they will put me when I'm dead I'll lie on the table and my relations can come and look at me ' She put a bony hand on my shoulder but I didn't want her to touch me I was afraid she would die there and then And that she added pointing to the yellow shape that was my wedding cake Mine She looked all round the room angrily Come she said suddenly Help me walk round the room And call Estella

I held her arm to support her as she walked We were still going slowly and painfully round the room when Estella brought in the relations who had been waiting downstairs They stood watching us at the door I thought they blamed me for Miss Havisham's cold manner towards them

Dear Miss Havisham said one of the ladies lovingly How well you look

I do not replied Miss Havisham sharply I am yellow skin and bone '

How could Miss Havisham look well after all her suffer ing said a second lady quickly Impossible What a silly idea

And how are you Miss Havisham asked this lady As we were close to her then I would have stopped but Miss Havisham insisted on walking past .It seemed rather rude

Not well at all 'said this lady sadly. I don't want to talk too much about my feelings but well I often lie awake at night thinking of you dear Miss Havisham '

Well don't said Miss Havisham crossly as we hurried past the little group again.

I'm afraid I can't stop myself I often wish I were less sensitive and loving . But that's my character and I have to live with it 'And she started crying softly Look at Matthew now she added through her tears. Matthew never comes to see dear Miss Havisham .But I-

When she heard Matthew's name Miss Havisham stopped walking and stood looking at the speaker who suddenly became silent. Matthew will come in the end 'said Miss Havisham firmly when I die and am laid on that table. You will stand around and look at me you here you there you next to her you two there Now you know where to stand And now go '

The ladies and gentlemen went slowly out of the room some protesting quietly that they had not seen enough of their dear relation. When they had all gone Miss Havisham said to me

This is my birthday Pip I don't allow anyone to speak of it My relations always come on this day once a year This day long before you were born was my wedding day .Pehaps I shall die on this day too And when they lay me in my wedding dress on that table I'll have my revenge on him

In the heavy air of that dark dusty room she was a ghostly figure in her yellow white dress There was a long silence

As usual I left the house and walked towards the gate but this time something strange happened In the garden I met a pale young gentleman with fair hair

Hello he said Come and fight This way

I was so surprised that I followed him without a word

Wait a minute he said turning round quickly I must give you a reason for fighting There it is And he pulled my hair then pushed his head hard into my stomach I was ready to fight him after this but he danced abut so much that I couldn't get close to bim

Follow the laws of the game he said eagerly preparing himself for our fight He seemed to know so much about fighting that I was very surprised when I knocked him down with my first hit and then again with my second He always got up immediately and seemed very glad to be fighting in the correct manner I admired him greatly for his bravery and his cheerfulness Finally he had to agree I had won and we said goodbye When I reached the gate I found Estella waiting for me She seemed very pleased about something I wondered if she had been watching our fight Before I went out she said

Here you can kiss me if you like

I kissed her cheek It was true I wanted to kiss her very much but I felt that kiss was almost like a coin thrown to a poor common boy and not worth anything

I didn't see the pale young gentleman there again I continued my visits to Miss Havisham for almost a year She took great pleasure in watching my growing admiration for Estella and my unhappiness when Estella laughed at me

Go on my love she used to whisper in Estella's ear break men's hearts and have no mercy I want my revenge '

Meanwhile my sister and that fool Pumblechook never stopped discussing Miss Havisham and her considerable wealth They were sure I could expect a large present from her either before or after her death But one day Miss Havisham decided it was time to apprentice me to Joe and told me to bring him to her house My sister was very angry because she was not invited as well

Dear old Joe simply could not believe his eyes when he and I entered Miss Havisham s room the next day The darkness the candles the dust the ancient furniture the old lady in her bride's dress it was almost too much for Joe's limited intelligence That may be why he refused to speak to Miss Havisham directly but spoke only to me during the conversation I was ashamed of him especially as I could see Estella laughing at me over Miss Havisham's shoulder

So began Miss Havisham you Joe Gargery black smith are ready to take Pip as an apprentice '

You know Pip replied Joe how we've both been looking forward to working together Haven't we Pip '

You don't expect any payment when he becomes your ap prentice 'she continued

Now Pip said Joe rather offended that question doesn't need an answer. Between you and me. Does it Pip

Miss Havisham looked kindly at Joe. I think she understood more of his character than Estella did She picked up a little bag from the table Pip has earned something here There are twenty-five pounds in this bag .Give it to your master Pip '

The strange situation seemed to have made Joe go mad.Even now he insisted on speaking to me

This is very generous of you Pip Very generous Now old boy we must try to do our duty to each other Mustn't we Pip

Goodbye Pip said Miss Havisham Take them out Estella

Shall I come again I asked

No Gargery is your master now. Gargery Remember I'm giving you this money because he has been a good boy Don't expect anything more

Somehow I managed to get Joe out of the house and in the daylight he gradually became normal again In fact I think his intelligence was improved by the interview because as we walked home he invented a surprisingly clever plan

Well 'cried my sister as we arrived so you've finished visiting your fine ladies have you I'm surprised you bother to come home at all

Miss Havisham asked me to send 'said Joe as if trying to remember the exact words her-best wishes was it Pip to Mrs J Gargery '

Best wishes 'I agreed

And apologized for not being well enough what was it Pip

To have the pleasure 'I said

To have the pleasure of a lady 's company he nodded giving the impression of a man glad to pass on a message ocr rectly .

Well said my sister pleased She could have sent that message earlier but better late than never And what did she give the boy

Nothing said Joe firmly stopping Mrs Joe from speaking by raising his hand What she gave she gave to his sister Mrs J Gargery That' s what she said Didn't she Pip

And how much did she give asked my sister laughing She was actually laughing

What would you say to ten pounds asked Joe

Not bad said my sister

It's more than that What would you say to twenty pounds That's good said my sister Well here you are it s twenty-five pounds said Joe de lightedly handing the bag to my sister

5 Pip's sister is attacked

I n a single year everything had changed Before I went to Miss Havisham 's and met Estella I had always wanted to be apprenticed to Joe and I had always been happy at home in spite of my sister' s scolding Now I was ashamed of my home and my work I was very miserable Because of Joe however I stayed at the forge and did my best to work hard .I'm glad that I never told him how unhappy I was then. I tried to follow his example and become an honest happy hardworking man But all the time I thought of Estella My worst fear was that one day she would come to the forge and see me working as a common blacksmith with black face and hands She would certainly turn away in disgust

In the evenings I studied as hard as I could educating my-self for Estella Whatever I learnt I shared with Joe not I'm afraid so that he would be more educated but so that I would be less ashamed of him in front of Estella One Sunday Joe and I went out on the marshes as usual to study together I don't think he ever remembered anything from one week to the next but he smoked his pipe comfortably looking as intelli gent as he could . I had a question I had been intending to ask him

Joe,do you think I should visit Miss Havisham again

Well Pip said Joe will she think you expect her to give you something She told me she wouldn't give you any thing else '

But Joe I've been apprenticed nearly a year now and I've never thanked her

That's true Pip 'said Joe slowly

Could you give me a half day's holiday tomorrow Joe I would like to visit Miss Est-Havisham '

Her name isn't Estavisham as far as I know Pip said Joe very seriously

I know Joe Please Joe

All right Pip but if she isn't happy to see you better not go again .'

Joe had another blacksmith working for him at the forge His name was Orlick and he had no friends or family in the village.He was a big strong lazy man who moved about in a strangely unhurried way his shoulders bent and his eyes on the ground .For some reason he never liked me even when I was a child and when I became Joe's apprentice he seemed to hate me When he heard about my half-day holiday he threw down his hammer angrily .

Come now master 'he said to Joe. If young Pip 's having a holiday give me one too '

Well nodded Joe after thinking for a moment I will '

Just then my sister who had secretly been listening outside the forge called to Joe through one of the windows You fool You think you' re a rich man giving a holiday to a lazy man like that Orlick I wish I were his master I'd soon show him You want to be everybody's master ' Orlick told her angrily And what's more you're a wicked, ugly old woman '

What did you say ' cried my sister beginning to scream. Oh Oh What did you call me Hold me someone Little by little she was deliberately making herself angry Joe and I had seen this happen many times before

Hold you said Orlick in disgust If you were my wife I'd hold you tight round the neck until you couldn't breathe '

Oh screamed my sister Me a married woman Being spoken to like this In my own house And my husband standing nearby Oh Oh And like a mad woman she pulled her hair loose and rushed at the forge door which I had luckily locked.

Poor Joe had no choice He had to challenge Orlick to fight But Joe was the strongest man in the village and very soon Orlick like the pale young gentleman was lying on the ground .Then Joe unlocked the door and picked up my sister, who had dropped unconscious to the ground but only after watching the fight through the window She stayed in the kitchen for the rest of the day and Joe and Orlick shared a glass of beer peacefully together in the forge

That afternoon when I arrived at Miss Havisham's house it wasn't Estella who opened the gate but a cousin of the old lady's Miss Havisham looked just the same as before

Well she said I hope you don't expect me to give you anything No indeed Miss Havisham I only want you to know that I'm very grateful to you for helping me become Joe's apprentice. Good Come and see me again on your birthday Ah she cried suddenly you're looking for Estella aren't you Answer Ye-yes I admitted I hope Miss Estella is well She's abroad, receiving a lady's education She's more beautiful than ever and admired by all who see her .Do you feel you've lost her ' She gave such an unpleasant laugh with these last words that I didn't know what to say and as I left the house I felt even more miserable

On my way through town I met Mr Wopsle and together we started the long walk home to the village It was a dark wet misty night and we could only just see someone ahead of us

Hello we called. Is that Orlick

Yes he answered I'll walk home with you Been in town all afternoon I have Did you hear the big gun firing from the prison-ships Must be some prisoners who' ve escaped 'That made me think of my convict We didn't talk any more but walked along in silence We heard the gun firing several times.

It was late by the time we got to the village and we were surprised to see lights on at the pub and people running in and out . Mr Wopsle went in to discover what was happening and after a few minutes rushed out calling Something wrong up at the forge Pip Run They say perhaps it was an escaped convict who got into the house while Joe was out Someone's been attacked

We didn't stop running until we reached the forge In Mrs Joe's kitchen there was a doctor and Joe and a group of Women . And on the floor in the middle of them all was my sister lying unconscious She would never scold us again

Joe had been at the pub that evening and when he arrived home just before ten he found her on the floor Nothing had been stolen .She had been hit violently on the back of the head with a heavy weapon On the floor beside her was a convict's iron chain It did not belong to the prisoners who had escaped that day

The police spent the next week investigating the attack but did not arrest anybody. I felt sure the iron chain belonged to my convict but I did not think he had attacked my sister. The attacker could have been either Orlick or the stranger who had shown me the file . But several witnesses had seen Or lick in town all evening My only reason for suspecting him was his quarrel with my sister but she had quarrelled with everyone in the village ten thousand times And if the stranger had come to ask for his two pounds back my sister would gladly have given it to him So I could not imagine who her attacker was

She lay ill in bed for a long time She could not speak or understand much and her character was greatly changed She had become quiet patient and grateful for all our care She used to write a word or draw a picture when she wanted some thing and we tried to discover what she meant She needed someone to take care of her all the time and luckily old Mrs Wopsle had just died so Biddy came to live with us. She understood my sister perfectly and looked after us all very well.

One day my sister drew a T and seemed to want it very much I brought her toast and tea but Biddy knew immediately.

It's not a T it's Orlick's hammer she cried She's forgotten his name but she wants to see Orlick

I must say l expected to see my sister accuse Orlick of at tacking her but instead she seemed very pleased to see him. She often used to ask for him after that and nobody knew why.

One Sunday I asked Biddy to come for a walk on the marshes

Biddy I said seriously promise to keep this a secret I'm going to tell you something I want to be a gentleman.'

Don't you think you're happier as you are she replied

I had often wondered this myself but I didn't want to hear it from her. It's a pity I know I said It would have been much better if I could have been happy working at the forge Perhaps you and I would have spent more time together I would have been good enough for you wouldn't I Biddy

Oh yes she said sadly But I don't ask for very much '

The point is 'I continued crossly if nobody had told me I was coarse and common I wouldn't have thought abut it

Biddy looked at me interested That wasn't a true or polite thing to say. Who said it

It was the beautiful young lady at Miss Havisham's and I admire her greatly and I want to be a gentleman for her 'The words rushed out before I could stop them

Biddy said gently She may not be worth the trouble Pip.

That may be true but I can't stop myself admiring her.'

Biddy was the most sensible of girls and did not try to persuade me any more As we walked home I felt rested and comforted

Pip what a fool you are 'I said to myself I realized how much happier I would always be with Biddy than with Estella

Biddy I wish I could make myself fall in love with you I said suddenly You don't mind my speaking so openly as you're such an old friend

No of course not But you never will fall in love with me you see 'she answered a little sadly .

I wondered if I should continue working with Joe in a plain honest way of life and perhaps marry Biddy. Or dare I hope that Miss Havisham would make my fortune and marry me to Estella

6 Great expectations

One Saturday evening when I had been apprenticed to Joe for four years he and I were sitting in the pub with some of the villagers, listening to Mr Wopsle He was giving a dramatic reading of a newspaper report of a murder trial, and we all enjoyed watching him act the main characters. His witnesses were old and feeble his lawyers were clever and sharp-eyed and his accused was a violent wicked murderer.

Suddenly we became aware of a strange gentleman who had also been listening and was now looking coldly at us.

Well he said to us biting the side of his finger. So you've decided the accused was the murderer have you '

Sir 'answered Mr Wopsle firmly yes I do think he is guilty. We all nodded our heads in agreement.

But said the stranger do you or do you not know that the law of England supposes every man to be innocent until he is proved-proved-to be guilty

Sir began Mr Wopsle as an Englishman myself I-

Come said the stranger don't avoid the question Either you know it or you don't know it Which is it

Of course I know it answered poor Mr Wopsle.

Then why didn't you say so at first Another question. Do you know that this trial isn't finished yet

Mr Wopsle hesitated and we all began to have a rather bad opinion of him .

And you were going to say that the accused was guilty before the end of the trial before he has been proved guilty We realized that the unfortunate Wopsle had no understanding of the law or indeed anything at all.

Now the stranger stood in front of our little group.

I'm looking for the blacksmith Joe Gargery he said and his apprentice Pip He did not recognize me but I knew he was the gentleman I had met on the stairs when visiting Miss Havisham. There was even the same smell of per fumed soap on his large hands. I want to speak to you two in private he said and so Joe and I left the pub and walked home with him

My name is Jaggers and I'm a lawyer he said when he reached the forge Joe Gargery I am sent by someone who suggests cancelling this boy's apprenticeship to you Would you want any money if you lost your apprentice '

I'd never stand in Pip's way never 'said Joe staring. The answer is no.

Don't try to change that answer later said Mr Jaggers . Now what I have to say and remember I'm only an agent I don't speak for myself is that this young man has great expectations.

Joe and I gasped and looked at each other.

I have been told to say that he will be very rich when he is older.In addition the person who sent me wants the young man to be removed from his home and educated as a gentleman who expects to inherit a fortune.'

My dream had come true. Miss Havisham was making me rich

Now Mr Pip continued the lawyer there are two conditions The first is that you always use the name of Pip The second is that the name of the person who has heen so generous to you must remain a secret until that person chooses to tell you You are forbidden to ask any questions or try to discover who the person is Do you accept these conditions

My heart was beating fast as I whispered Yes '.

Now to details I have been given enough money for you to live the life of a gentleman in London while you are studying .You will come to me to ask for whatever you need .I suggest Mr Matthew Pocket as a teacher I remembered that was the name of one of Miss Havisham 's relations the one who did not visit her often You must buy some new clothes Shall I leave you twenty pounds He counted twenty coins out of his large purse onto the table And when can you come to London Next Saturday

I agreed feeling very confused He looked at Joe who seemed even more confused.

Well Joe Gargery Perhaps I only say perhaps I promise nothing he said throwing his purse carelessly from one hand to another perhaps I have been told to give you a present when you lose your apprentice '

Joe put his great strong hand on my shoulder in the gentlest possible way . Pip can go freely to fortune and happiness he knows that But if you think that money can ever pay me back for losing the little child who came to the forge and always the best of friends He could not continue.

Dear good Joe I was so ready to leave you and so ungrateful to you I can see you now with your strong blacksmith's arm in front of your eyes and your shoulders shaking and tears on your cheeks. But at the time I was so excited by my good luck that I forgot what I owed to Joe. Mr Jaggers clearly thought Joe was a fool for refusing money and left the house reminding me to go straight to his office in London in a week's time.

Joe told Biddy what had happened and both congratulated me. They were very quiet and sad at first because I would be leaving them but I promised I would never forget them and would often return to visit them. Biddy tried to explain the good news to my sister but the poor woman could not under-stand

As Joe and Biddy became a little more cheerful discussing my possible plans for the future I became more miserable. Now that I could be a gentleman as I had always wished I was not sure if I wanted to leave my home which was full of happy memories.

That week passed slowly. I took a last walk through the churchyard to the marshes At least I need never think about my convict again. No doubt he was dead by now.

I had something special to ask Biddy. Biddy I said when we were alone don't you think you could teach Joe a bit

What do you mean teach him asked Biddy.

Well I love dear old Joe more than anyone else but his education and manners could be improved.

Biddy opened her eyes very wide Oh she said. So his manners aren't good enough then

Oh they're all right for here but when I receive my for tune I'll want him to meet important people and behave ocrrectly.

Haven't you ever thought asked Biddy not looking at me that he wouldn't want to meet important people he wouldn't want to be taken away from this job that he does well and the village where he's loved

Now Biddy I said crossly are you jealous of my good luck I didn't expect this of you This is a bad side of your character Biddy.

Whether you scold me or thank me I'll always do my best for the family at all times And I'll always remember you whatever you think of me said poor Biddy.

I was not pleased with this interview and thought it was strange that the news of my expectations had not made me happier.

When I went into town to order my new clothes Mr Pumblechook was waiting for me at the door of his shop

My dear friend if you will allow me to call you that he cried shaking both my hands let me congratulate you on your fortune Nobody deserves it more than you He seemed so much more sensible than before that I agreed to have lunch with him

When I think he said happily that I Pumblechook was able to help in my small way by taking you to play at Miss-

Remember I stopped him we must never say anything about the person who is being so generous to me

Don't worry trust me my dear friend Have some wine have some chicken Oh chicken you didn't think when you were running around on the farm that you would be lucky enough to be served to one who May I May I and he jumped up to shake my hand again

As we drank our wine Pumblechook reminded me of the happy times he and I had spent together during my childhood I did not remember it quite like that but I began to feel he was a good-hearted sincere man He wanted to ask my advice on a business matter He said he was hoping to find a young gentleman who would put money into his business and seemed very interested in my opinion And may I May I He shook hands with me again

You know I always used to say That boy will make his fortune He's no ordinary boy He had certainly kept his opinion very secret I thought

There was one person I really wanted to visit before going to London Dressed in my new clothes I went to Miss Havisham's house where her cousin opened the gate to me again

Well Pip said Miss Havisham to me when she saw me

I'm going to London tomorrow Miss Havisham I said choosing my words carefully and I wanted to say goodbye I've been so lucky since I saw you last and I'm so grateful for it

Good good she replied looking delightedly at her cousin who was staring at my new clothes I know about it I've seen Mr Jaggers So a rich person has adopted you

Yes Miss Havisham

She smiled cruelly at her cousin who was looking rather ill

Remember to do what Mr Jaggers tells you And you will always keep the name of Pip won't you Goodbye Pip She gave me her hand and I kissed it It seemed the natural thing to do And so I left the old lady in her bride's dress in the candle-light with the dusty furniture around her

On Saturday morning I was in such a hurry that I only said a quick goodbye to my family before setting out to walk the few miles into town for the London coach As I left the peaceful sleeping village the mist over the marshes was rising to show me the great unknown world I was entering Suddenly I realized what I was leaving behind my childhood my home and Joe Then I wished I had asked him to walk with me to the coach and I could not stop crying Whenever the horses were changed on the journey I wondered with an aching heart whether to get down and go back to say goodbye properly But the mist had completely risen now and my new world lay ahead of me

7 Pip arrives in London

At that time everybody in England agreed that London was a wonderful city So I was surprised to find it rather ugly with narrow dirty streets and people crowded into tiny houses I was frightened by its huge size At Smith field the meat market I was shocked by the dirt and blood everywhere Then I came to Newgate Prison where a drunk old man showed me the place where prisoners were hanged and told me excitedly that four men would die there tomorrow I was disgusted by this news My first impression of London could not have been worse

However I managed to find Mr Jaggers office noticing that other people were waiting for the great man too After some time he appeared walking towards me His clients all rushed at him together He spoke to some and pushed others away One man held on to the lawyer's sleeve

Please Mr Jaggers he begged my brother is accused of stealing silver Only you can save him I'm ready to pay any thing

Your brother repeated the lawyer And the trial is to morrow Well I'm sorry for you and him I'm on the other side

No Mr Jaggers cried the man desperately tears in his eyes Don't say you're against him I'll pay anything

Get out of my way said Mr Jaggers and we left the man on his knees on the pavement

Now Mr Jaggers turned to me and told me that on Monday I would go to Matthew Pocket's house to start my studies but until then I would stay with his son Herbert who lived near-by

Wemmick Mr Jaggers clerk showed me the way to Mr Pocket's rooms He was a short dry man with a square expressionless face between forty and fifty years old His mouth was so wide that it looked like a post-box and gave the impression of smiling all the time

Is London a very wicked place I asked him trying to make conversation as we walked

You may be robbed or murdered in London But that may happen to you anywhere if there is any profit in it for the criminal

I was not sure whether I looked forward to living in London where people like Wemmick accepted crime so calmly

We arrived at Herbert Pocket's rented rooms The building was the dirtiest I had ever seen with broken windows and dusty doors It stood in a little square with dying trees around it I looked in horror at Mr Wemmick

Ah he said not understanding my look Its quiet position makes you think of the country I quite agree Goodbye Mr Pip

I went up the stairs where there was a note on Mr Pocket's door saying Returning soon His idea of soon was not the same as mine About half an hour later I heard footsteps rushing upstairs and a young man of my age appeared breath-less at the door Mr Pip he said I'm so sorry I'm late

I greeted him in a confused manner unable to believe my eyes Suddenly he looked closely at me and gasped

But you're the boy at Miss Havisham's

And you I said are the pale young gentleman

We both started laughing and shook hands

Well he said I hope you'll forgive me for having knocked you down that day In fact I had knocked him down But I did not contradict him

Do you know why I was there he asked I had been invited to Miss Havisham's to see if she liked me I suppose I didn't make a good impression on her If she had liked me I could be a rich man and engaged to Estella by now

Were you disappointed I asked

Oh I wouldn't want to marry Estella She's a hard proud girl and Miss Havisham has brought her up to break men's hearts as a revenge on all men

Is she a relation of Miss Havisham's I asked

No only adopted Why were you at Miss Havisham's then

To make my fortune the same as you But I was lucky

You know Mr Jaggers is Miss Havisham's lawyer It was kind of him to suggest that my father should teach you My father is Miss Havisham's cousin you know

Herbert Pocket made an excellent impression on me He always spoke openly and honestly There was nothing secret or mean in his character and we soon became good friends I told him of my past life in the village and my expectations

Call me Herbert he said Would you mind my calling you Handel There's a wonderful piece of music by Handel called The Blacksmith which reminds me of you Of course I agreed and as we sat down to dinner Herbert told me Miss Havisham's sad story

Her mother died young Her father was very rich and very proud with only one child Miss Havisham by his first wife Then he married his cook and had a son by her This son a half-brother to Miss Havisham was a bad character and didn't inherit as much from his father as Miss Havisham did And so perhaps he was angry with her for influencing her father against him

Anyway a certain man appeared and pretended he was in love with Miss Havisham She was certainly in love with him and gave him whatever money he asked for My father was the only one of her relations who dared to tell her that this man should not be trusted She was so angry that she ordered my father straight out of the house and he has never seen her since Her other relations were not interested in her happiness but only in inheriting her wealth so they said nothing The couple fixed the wedding day the guests were invited the dress and the cake were brought to the house The day came but the man did not He wrote a letter

Which she received at twenty to nine when she was dressing for her wedding I said

Yes so she stopped the clocks at that moment She was very ill for a while and since then has not seen daylight People think that her half brother sent the man to get money from her and that he shared the profits Perhaps he hated her for inheriting most of the Havisham fortune Nobody knows what happened to the two men So now you know as much as I do

We talked of other things I asked Herbert what his profession was

Oh working in the City he said happily Insuring ships There's a lot of money in that you know Huge profits

I began to think that Herbert must have greater expectations than I had

Where are your ships at the moment I asked admiringly

Oh I haven't started yet I'm working in a counting-house just now They don't pay me much but I'm looking about me for a good opportunity Then I'll make my fortune

Looking around the room at the old worn furniture I realized that Herbert must be very poor And although he seemed full of hope for the future somehow I thought he would never be very rich or successful

He and I spent a happy weekend visiting London together Although it was all very exciting I could not avoid noticing the dirt and bad smells and heat and I compared it sadly with my village home which now seemed so far away

8 Visiting Mr Wemmick and Mr Jaggers

Herbert introduced me to his father who lived the other side of London in Hammersmith In the next few months I studied hard with Mr Pocket who was always a most kind and helpful teacher I divided my time between Herbert's and his father's home If I needed money I collected it from Wemmick at Mr Jaggers office and there seemed to be plenty of money available

There were two other gentlemen studying at Mr Pocket's They were quite different from each other Bentley Drummle came from a rich family living in the country He was lazy proud mean and stupid I much preferred Startop who was a pleasant sensitive young man He and I used to row our boats up and down the river together But Herbert was my greatest friend and we used to spend most of our time with each other

One day when I was collecting my money from Wemmick he invited me to his house at Walworth a village outside Lon don

You don't mind walking there Mr Pip he asked I like to get some exercise if I can For dinner we're having a roast chicken I think it'll be a good one because I got it from one of our clients I always accept any little presents from clients especially if it's cash or anything that can easily be changed into cash You see these rings I'm wearing Given by clients just before they died All hanged they were By the way I hope you won't mind meeting my aged parent

No of course not I said quickly

You haven't had dinner with Mr Jaggers yet Wemmick continued He's inviting you and the other three young gentlemen tomorrow There'll be good food and drink at his house But I'll tell you something Mr Pip When you're there look at his housekeeper

Why I asked Is there something strange about her

She's like a wild animal But Mr Jaggers has trained her Oh yes He's stronger and cleverer and more complicated than anyone else in London And you know another strange thing about him he never locks his doors or windows at night

Isn't he ever robbed I asked in surprise

All the thieves in London know where he lives but none of them would dare to rob him They are all afraid of him you see They know he wouldn't rest until he had seen them hanged He's a great man Mr Pip

Wemmick's house at Walworth was a tiny wooden house in the middle of a garden On top of the roof was a small gun

We fire the gun at nine o clock every evening said Wemmick proudly And behind the house I call it the Castle I keep animals and grow my own vegetables So in case of enemy attack we can always eat our own food What do you think of it

I congratulated him on his home He was clearly delighted to show a visitor all his ideas and improvements

I do everything myself you know he said It helps me forget the office for a while Would you mind being introduced to the Aged now He would like it very much

So we entered the Castle where we found a cheerful old man sitting by the fire

well aged parent said Wemmick how are you

Very well John replied the old man nodding happily

Here's Mr Pip aged parent Nod your head at him Mr Pip he's completely deaf but he likes to see people nod at him

This is a fine house of my son's sir cried the old man nodding back at me It should be kept by the nation for the public to visit after my son's death

You're proud of it aren't you Aged said Wemmick his face losing all its usual hardness as he looked at the old man

I hope Mr Jaggers admires your home Mr Wemmick I asked

He's never been here Never met the Aged Never been invited No the office is one thing and private life is another At the office I never speak of the Castle and at the Castle I don't think about the office

The Aged was obviously looking forward to the evening ceremony of firing the gun At nine o clock exactly Wemmick fired it As the tiny house shook the Aged jumped up and down in his armchair crying excitedly I heard it That's the gun

Supper was excellent and I spent the night in the smallest bedroom I had ever seen Next morning as Wemmick and I walked back to London I noticed his face becoming dryer and harder and his mouth becoming more like a post-box again When we arrived at the office nobody could have guessed that he had a home or an aged parent or any interests at all out side his work

Wemmick was right in saying that Mr Jaggers would invite me to dinner Startop Drummle Herbert and I were asked to go to the office at six o clock the next evening There we found Jaggers washing his hands and face carefully with per fumed soap He did this every evening before going home He seemed to be washing away his clients and his work like dirt We all walked to his house together

The housekeeper brought in the first dish She was about forty with a strange wild expression on her pale face She seemed almost afraid of her master and looked anxiously at him whenever she entered the room

The food was indeed very good and the conversation was cheerful But somehow Mr Jaggers made us all show the worst side of our characters and encouraged Drummle who we all disliked to annoy us When Drummle stupidly said that he was stronger than any of us we all protested foolishly showing each other our muscles to prove how strong we were Suddenly Mr Jaggers clapped his large hand on the housekeeper's as she was removing a dish We stopped talking immediately

Gentlemen he said look at my housekeeper here She is stronger than any of you Molly show them your wrists

No please master she begged trying to pull away but he held her hand firmly

Show them Molly he said and she held her wrists out to us I've never seen stronger hands than these he said There was silence for a few minutes All right Molly you can go he said and she hurried out

During the rest of the dinner Mr Jaggers continued to enjoy watching us quarrelling with Drummle He gave the impression surprisingly of liking Drummle very much But I was glad when the dinner was over and Herbert and I could walk quietly back to our rooms together

9 A visit from Joe

My dear Pip Mr Gargery asks me to tell you he will be in Lon don soon and could visit you at 9 o clock on Tuesday morning at Mr Herbert Pocket's rooms if that is all right with you He and I talk about you every night and wonder what you are saying and doing

Best wishes

Biddy

P S I hope you will not refuse to see him even though you are a gentleman now He is such a good man

I received this letter on Monday and realized that Joe would arrive the next day I am sorry to confess that I did not look forward to seeing him at all If I could have kept him away by paying money I certainly would have paid money I knew that his clothes his manners and uneducated way of speaking would make me ashamed of him Luckily Herbert would not laugh at him

At nine o clock the next morning I heard Joe's clumsy boots on the stairs and at last he entered Herbert's rooms

Pip how are you Pip He shook both my hands together his good honest face shining with happiness

I'm glad to see you Joe Give me your hat

But Joe insisted on holding it carefully in front of him He was wearing his best suit which did not fit him at all

Well What a gentleman you are now Pip

And you look wonderfully well Joe

Yes thank God And your poor sister is no worse And Biddy is as hard working as ever But Wopsle isn't our church clerk any longer He's become an actor Acting in one of your London theatres he is Joe's eyes rolled around the room noticing the expensive furniture I had bught recently

Do sit down to breakfast Mr Gargery said Herbert politely Joe looked round desperately for a place to put his hat and finally laid it lovingly on a shelf Breakfast was a painful experience for me Joe waved his fork in the air so much and dropped so much more than he ate that I was glad when Her bert left to go to work I was not sensitive enough to realize that it was all my fault and that if I hadn't considered him common he wouldn't have been so clumsy

As we are now alone sir began Joe

Joe I said crossly how can you call me sir

He looked at me quietly for a moment Wouldn't have come you see he said slowly and carefully wouldn't have had the pleasure of breakfast with you gentlemen But I had to come Got a message for you Pip Miss Havisham says Es-tella's come home and would be glad to see you

I felt the blood rush to my face as I heard her name

And now I've given my message said Joe standing up and picking up his hat Pip I wish you even more success

But you aren't leaving already Joe I protested

Yes I am he said firmly Our eyes met and all the sir melted out of his honest heart as he gave me his hand Pip dear old boy life is full of so many goodbyes I'm a blacksmith and you're a gentleman We must live apart I'm not proud it's just that I want to be in the right place I'm wrong in these clothes and I'm wrong in London but I'm fine at the forge or in the kitchen or on the marshes You won't find so much wrong with me if you come to see Joe the blacksmith at the old forge doing the old work I know I'm stupid but I think I've understood this at last And so God bless you Pip dear old boy God bless you

His words spoken simply and from the heart touched me deeply By the time I had managed to control my tears and looked round for him he had gone

I decided to visit Miss Havisham as soon as possible Next day when I arrived to take my seat on the coach to our town I discovered I was sitting in front of two convicts who were being taken to the prison-ships by their guard The prisoners wore handcuffs and iron chains on their legs With horror I suddenly recognized one of them it was the man in our village pub who had given me the two pound notes and strangely enough during the journey I heard the prisoners talking about it

So Magwitch asked you to give the boy two pounds Trusted you to do it

That's right And I did what he asked The boy had helped him you see Fed him and kept his secret

What happened to Magwitch in the end

They sent him to Australia for life because he tried to es-cape from the prison ship

I knew I looked so different that he would not recognize me but I was afraid all the same All the horror of my child hood experience with the escaped convict had come back to me just when I thought it was safe to forget it

But once we had arrived and I was on my way to Miss Havisham's house I thought only of my bright future She had adopted Estella she had more or less adopted me She perhaps wanted me to inherit the dark old house and to marry Estella But even though I was in love I didn't hide from myself the fact that I would be unhappy with Estella I loved her because I couldn't stop myself loving her

I was surprised to see Orlick opening the gate to me

So you aren't working for Joe any longer I asked

As you see young master he said rudely

I knew he could not be trusted and I decided to tell Mr Jaggers that Orlick was not responsible enough to work for Miss Havisham Mr Jaggers would probably send him away

When I entered Miss Havisham's room there was a well dressed lady sitting with her When she lifted her head and looked at me I realized it was Estella She had become so beautiful that I felt very distant from her In spite of all my education I still seemed to be the coarse common boy she used to laugh at

She's changed very much hasn't she Pip asked Miss Havisham laughing wickedly I replied confusedly I could see that Estella was still proud and I knew that it was she who made me feel ashamed of home and Joe but I also knew that I could never stop loving her

She and I walked in the ancient garden talking quietly about our childhood meetings Now that we were adults she seemed to accept me as a friend I could not have been happier I felt sure Miss Havisham had chosen us for each other What a fool I was

Suddenly she stopped and turned to me Miss Havisham may want us to spend more time together in future But in that case I must warn you that I have no heart I can never fall in love

I can't believe that I replied As she looked straight at me I recognized something in her face Had I seen that ex pression recently on another woman

When we went back to the house Miss Havisham spoke to me alone Do you admire her Pip she asked eagerly

Everbody who sees her must admire her

She pulled my head down to hers with her bony arm and whispered Love her love her love her If she likes you love her If she hurts you love her If she tears your heart to pieces love her I could feel the muscles on her thin arm round my neck She seemed so angry that she could have been talking about hate or revenge or death rather than love

10 Pip and Herbert talk about love

I returned to London dreaming of the beautiful girl now a woman who had so influenced my childhood and who I hoped would share my future life I am sorry to say I did not think about dear good Joe at all I felt I had to ex press my feelings to someone and so that evening I told Herbert my secret

Instead of being surprised as I expected my friend replied

I know that already Handel You never told me but it was obvious You've always loved Estella It's very lucky that you seem to have been chosen to marry her Does she er admire you

I shook my head sadly Not at all And Herbert you may think me lucky I have great expectations I know But all that depends on one person And I still don't really know how much I'll receive or when Nothing is certain

Now Handel said Herbert cheerfully don't lose hope Mr Jaggers himself told you you would have a large fortune didn't he He would never make a mistake about something like that Anyway you'll be twenty one soon Perhaps you'll discover more then

Thank you Herbert I said feeling much better

But I want to ask you something my dear Handel said Herbert looking serious for once Think of Estella and her education and how unhappy you may be with her Couldn't you possibly-and I'm saying this as a friend remember-couldn't you forget about her

I know you're right Herbert I said miserably but I can never stop loving her

Well never mind said Herbert Now I have something to tell you myself I am engaged

May I ask the young lady's name

Clara Her mother's dead and she lives with her father We must keep our feelings for each other secret because I haven't enough money to marry her yet As soon as I start in suring ships we can marry Herbert tried to look hopeful about his future but this time he couldn't even manage his usual cheerful smile

One day I received a letter which made my heart beat fast

I am coming to London the day after tomorrow by the mid-day coach Miss Havisham wants you to meet me

Estella

If there had been time I would have ordered several new suits I ate nothing until the day arrived and all morning I waited impatiently for the coach She seemed more beautiful than ever and her manner to me was very pleasant as I took her to the house in London where Miss Havisham had arranged for her to stay Her life seemed to be planned by Miss Havisham right down to the smallest detail I only hoped I was part of that plan

11 Pip attends a burial

One evening a black edged envelope was delivered to me at Herbert's rooms The letter inside informed me that Mrs J Gargery had died the previous Monday and that the burial would be next Monday at 3 p m This news came as a shock to me It was the first time that someone close to me had died and I could not imagine life without my sister even if I had never loved her or even thought about her recently

I arrived at the forge early on Monday afternoon Joe was sitting in the front room wrapped in a black cloak

Dear Joe how are you I asked

Pip dear old boy you knew her when she was a fine woman and he could say no more

Biddy in her neat little black dress was busy serving food Old friends from the village were talking quietly among them-selves and I noticed the awful Pumblechook trying to catch my eye as he drank brandy and swallowed large pieces of cake

May I my dear sir May I he asked his mouth full and shook my hand enthusiastically

My sister's dead body was carried slowly out of the house and through the village followed by all of us We could see the marshes and the sails of ships on the river And there in the churchyard next to my unknown parents my poor sister was laid quietly in the earth while the birds sang and the clouds danced in the sky

Biddy Joe and I felt better when all the guests had gone and we had a quiet supper together I decided to spend the night at the forge which pleased Joe very much I was pleased with myself for offering to do so

I waited until I found Biddy alone Then I said I suppose you won't be able to stay here now will you Biddy

No Mr Pip I'll stay in the village but I'll still look after Mr Gargery as much as I can

How are you going to live Biddy If you want any money

I'm going to be the village schoolteacher she said quickly her cheeks pink I can earn my own money

Tell me Biddy how did my sister die She had been worse than usual when one evening she said very clearly Joe And so I ran to the forge to fetch him And she put her arms round his neck and laid her head on his shoulder quite happy Once she said sorry and once Pip She never lifted her head up again and an hour later she died

Biddy cried and I cried too What happened to Orlick Biddy He's still in the village He doesn't work for Miss Havisham any more You know he he follows me sometimes

You must tell me if he bothers you Biddy I'll be here more often now I'm not going to leave poor Joe alone

Biddy said nothing Come Biddy what do you mean by this silence

Are you quite sure then that you will come to see him Oh Biddy I said sadly This really is a bad side to your character Don't say any more And that evening I thought how unkind how unjust Biddy was to me

Next morning I looked in at the forge before leaving and said goodbye to Joe who was already hard at work I shall be back to see you soon Joe

Never too soon sir said Joe and never too often Pip

As I walked away I think I knew that I would not go back Biddy was right

In London I did some serious thinking I could see that my character had not improved since I had heard about my expectations I was spending far too much money What was worse I was a bad influence on Herbert who was also spend ing too much I would have offered to pay his bills but he was too proud to listen to such a suggestion I had hoped that on my twenty first birthday I would discover more about my future but Mr Jaggers explained that he could not give me any more information except that from now on I would have five hundred pounds a year to spend as I liked I suddenly thought of a way I could help Herbert

When l asked Wemmick if he could advise me on how to help a friend start up in business his post-box mouth opened wide

Choose one of the six London bridges he said and throw your money over it That's better than investing money for a friend That's my official opinion of course

Ah so you would give me a different opinion at Walworth

You'll be welcome there Mr Pip on private business

Next Sunday I visited Wemmick and his aged parent at the Castle This time there was a lady called Miss Skiffins clearly a regular visitor who made the tea and sat next to Wemmick on the sofa When he and I were alone Wemmick listened carefully to my request and after thinking hard found an answer

With his help I arranged to invest some money in a shipping company called Clarrikers Finally I signed an agreement with them in which they promised to offer Herbert a job and later to make him a partner At last I felt that my expectations had done some good to someone

12 Pip discovers the truth

While Estella lived in London staying with friends of Miss Havisham's I often visited her She had an endless stream of admirers and I was jealous of all of them I never had an hour's happiness with her but I still thought about her day and night and my dearest wish was to marry her Several times Miss Havisham ordered me to bring Estella to visit her and of course I always obeyed Estella was as proud and cold as ever with her admirers with Miss Havisham and with me

One man who admired her and followed her everywhere was the unpleasant Bentley Drummle One day I asked her about him

Estella why do you encourage someone like Drummle You know very well he's stupid and nobody likes him

Don't be foolish Pip she answered Perhaps I encourage him because that has a certain effect on the others

But he isn't worth it I cried angrily

What difference does it make she answered tiredly If I smile at him it's because it means nothing to me You should be glad that I don't give you false looks or smiles At least I am always honest with you

But while my heart was aching for Estella I had no idea that I would soon be hit by a disaster which would completely destroy my hopos and dreams The chain of events which had begun before I ever met her was slowly reaching its end

Herbert and I had moved to rooms in a house by the river in the Temple area One evening he was abroad on business and I was alone at home reading It was terrible weather stormy and wet with deep mud in the streets The wind rushing up the river shook the whole building and the rain beat violently against the windows As I closed my book at eleven o clock I heard a heavy footstep on the stairs When I went to the door with my lamp I saw a man coming slowly upstairs He was wearing rough clothes and he was about six ty with a brown face and long grey hair But what really surprized me was that he was holding out both hands to me

Can I help you I asked politely but coldly

Ah Yes he said dropping his hands yes I'll explain He came into the sitting room where he looked round admiringly at my furniture and books He held out his hands to me again but I refused to take them Then he sat down heavily in a chair and rubbed his eyes with one rather dirty hand

You see he said it's disappointing Looked forward to this day for so long I have But it's not your fault I'll explain Is there anybody near who can hear us

Why do you a stranger visiting me late at night ask that question I asked And then suddenly I knew who he was In spite of the years that had passed I was sure he was my convict And when he held out his hands again this time I took them He raised my hands to his lips and kissed them

You helped me all those years ago Pip Never forgotten it He seemed to want to put his arms around me but I stopped him

If you are grateful to me for what I did in my childhood I hope you have improved your way of life now It wasn't necessary to come here to thank me But you must understand that I stopped speaking as I noticed how strangely he was staring at me

What must I understand he asked his eyes fixed on me

That I don't wish to be your friend You and I met once in the past but now our lives are separate Will you have a drink before you leave As I handed him a glass of rum I noticed that his eyes were full of tears I'm sorry if that sounds hard l added I didn't mean it to be Good luck in the future We drank together How have you been living recently

I was sent to Australia you know because I escaped from the prison-ship After several years I finished my punishment and so I was allowed to work for myself I did every kind of job there It was a hard life but I made a lot of money

I'm glad to hear it I said That reminds me I must give you back the two pounds you sent me I don't need it now And I handed him two new pound notes from my purse Still watching me he held them near the lamp until they caught fire

May I ask he said how you have done so well since you and I met on those lonely marshes His eves were still fixed on mine and I began to tremble

I I've been chosen to inherit a fortune I whispered

Perhaps I can guess how much said the convict Could it be well five hundred pounds a year I stood up holding on to the back of my chair my heart beating like a hammer

The agent who arranged it all he continued was he perhaps a lawyer name of Jaggers

Suddenly I realized the awful truth I could not speak nor breathe and fell on to the sofa He brought his fierce old face close to mine and bent over me

Yes Pip dear boy I've made a gentleman of you You see I promised myself that all the money I earned out there in Australia should go to you I'm your second father Pip I'm not a gentleman myself and I didn't go to school but I've got you Pip And look what a gentleman you are And what books you've got You'll read them to me Pip And I'll be proud of you even if I can't understand them Didn't you ever think it could be me who was sending the money

Oh no no no I replied Never never Wasn't any one else involved at all

No just me and Jaggers of course Who else could there be Dear boy I kept myself going you see through all the hard work just by thinking of you And I promised myself I'd come back to England one day and see my boy He laid his band on my shoulder Now you must find a bed for me he added and remember not a word to anybody I was sent away for life and they'll hang me if they discover I've come back

My feelings were horribly confused The man who had paid for my education and luxuries for years was risking his life to see me I could not like him in fact my whole body trembled with disgust when he touched me but I had to protect him

He went to sleep in Herbert's room After locking all the doors carefully I sat weakly down by the fire and tried to make sense of my life How foolish my dreams had been Miss Havisham had never intended to make me rich or let me marry Estella But there was something worse than that It was for this convict who could be caught and hanged at any moment that I had deserted Joe I could never never never forgive myself for that

13 Planning Magwitch's futureand hearing about his past

I slept a little but woke early I felt I needed some fresh air and went downstairs and out of the building On the way down I fell over a man hiding in a dark corner who ran away immediately This worried me I suspected he had followed my convict to the house Would he now inform the police

My guest and I had breakfast together He ate noisily and greedily like an animal I tried hard not to be disgusted by his manners He told me his name was Abel Magwitch and after breakfast he lit his pipe and held out his hands for mine again

All I want is to stand and look at you dear boy he said A real gentleman made by me You're going to have every thing a London gentleman should have a carriage and horses and everything He threw a great thick wallet on to the table All that is yours I've come back to England to watch you spend it

Stop I cried desperately We must discuss your plans How long are you going to stay here

How long he repeated surprised I'm not going back

But where will yon be safe

Dear boy who knows I'm here You Jaggers and Wemmick that's all Anyway I know I can live with the fear of death I've done that all my life

All I knew was that I must keep him out of sight until Herbert returned Then we could produce a better plan for the future I decided to rent a room for him in a house near ours where I thought he would be safe for the moment I bought him different clothes and had his hair cut but to me he looked just the same and I lived in constant fear that he would he recognized by someone who had known him in the past

My unwanted guest and I spent five long days and evenings together with the wind and rain beating on the windows Those few days seemed more like a year to me He slept or ate or played cards Sometimes he listened to me reading with a proud smile on his face I could not sleep or eat I used to watch him sleep wondering what bloody crimes lay in his past and knowing that I alone protected him from a horrible death

I cannot describe my joy when Herbert finally returned At last I could share my terrible news with my friend He too was shocked to hear that my great expectations came from the prisoner I had helped so long ago and when I introduced him to our guest Herbert could hardly hide his dislike

When we were alone he said to me You look so pale Handel This has been a painful time for you

Herbert something must be done He wants to spend even more on me He must be stopped

You mean you can't accept any more of his money

How can I You know he's a criminal How do I know where his money comes from And think what I owe him al ready I have no way of paying him back Oh Herbert if I didn't have you as a friend I'd be desperate I could only just control my tears Herbert kindly pretended not to notice

My dear Handel he said if you want to pay back what you owe him you could always join my company Clarrikers I'm going to be a partner there soon you know Poor Her-bert He did not suspect whose money was helping him be come a partner

But there's another thing added Herbert This man has a fierce and violent character He's come here with a fixed idea which he's been looking forward to for half his life If you destroy his idea his life will be worthless

And he will allow himself to be arrested and hanged I continued nodding Yes I've thought that ever since he arrived If that happened I'd feel guilty for ever

So you cannot destroy his dream now First we must get him out of England where he risks death every moment Then you will explain that you can't accept his money I'll help you all the way trust me I shook Herbert's hand gratefully

Next morning after breakfast we asked Magwitch to tell us more about his past life so that we could protect him better

You promise to keep it a secret Pip's friend he said to Herbert Well I'll put it in a few words In prison and out of prison That's been my life more or less Don't remember my parents No idea where I was born I slept in fields I stole food sometimes I worked And I grew to be a man It was about twenty years ago I met Compeyson I'd kill him now at once if I met him He's the man I was fighting when the soldiers found me on the marshes Pip He was handsome and educated so people thought he was a gentleman and trusted him I was a partner in his business and a dirty business it was too We persuaded rich people to invest their money with us we used stolen banknotes we wrote false cheques Compeyson was clever but what a wicked cold hear the had He always got the profits but never the blame

His former partner Arthur lived in Compeyson's house and was very ill In fact he was dying He and Compeyson had got a lot of money out of a rich lady some years before and Arthur kept dreaming of this lady Late one night he appeared at the sitting room door pale and shaking crying Compeyson she's there In my room All dressed in white ready for the wedding She's angry she says she wants revenge You brobke her heart you know you did And now she say I'm going to die

Compeyson and his wife put Arthur back to bed but at five o clock in the morning we heard screams coming from his room and he died soon after

I should have realized it was a mistake getting involved with Compeyson In the end we were both arrested for several crimes And what happened At the trial he lied and lied I was the criminal in and out of prison all my life and I got fourteen years on the prison-ship He was the gentleman of good character and with important friends and only got seven years

Magwitch had become very excited and had to breathe deeply to calm himself I promised myself I'd smash his handsome face when I saw him on the prison-ship I was just going to when a guard caught hold of me I managed to escape by diving into the river That's how I reached the marshes and the churchyard And then Pip my boy you told me Compeyson was on the marshes too He must have escaped like me So I hunted him and smashed his face and I was going to take him back to the prison-ship so that he wouldn't have the pleasure of being free when the soldiers caught us Again he was clever His punishment for escaping was light But I was brought to trial again and sent to Australia for life

Is Compeyson dead I asked after a silence

Heard no more of him he said shaking his head But if he's alive he hopes I'm dead that's certain

Herbert passed me a note he had been writing It said

The name of Miss Havisham's half brother was Arthur Compeyson is the man who pretended to be in love with her

14 Pip visits Estella and Miss Havisham again

Before taking Magwitch abroad I felt I must see both Estella and Miss Havisham When I visited Estella's London home I found she had gone to stay with Miss Hav isham and so leaving Magwitch in Herbert's care I went by coach to the town I knew so well

Before walking to Miss Havisham's I went to the hotel for breakfast It was an unpleasant shock to discover Bentley Drummle there but I could imagine his reason for visiting the area When he noticed me he immediately called to the waiter making sure I could hear Listen you The lady isn't going riding today And remember I'm not having dinner here tonight I'll be at the lady's And Drummle smiled wickedly at me knowing that what he said cut me to the heart He went out shouting for his horse

If he had spoken Estella's name I would have hit him I was so angry with him and so depressed about my future that I could not eat the breakfast Instead I went straight to the old house

I found Miss Havisham and Estella sitting in the same room with candles burning as usual

Miss Havisham I said I must tell you that I'm as unhappy as you ever wanted me to be I've discovered who has been paying for my education Now I know I shall never be rich or important I cannot tell you any more It isn't my secret but another person's I stopped considering what to say next

Go on said Miss Havisham looking interested

I thought it was you Miss Havisham And you encouraged me in my mistake

Why should I be kind to anybody after all I've suffered cried Miss Havisham angrily

Yes you're right I said quickly to calm her But you also encouraged your relations to think I would inherit some of your fortune

Why shouldn't I she cried wildly

But Matthew Pocket and his son are different They aren't selfish or greedy they're generous and honest I want you to know that

She looked carefully at me What do you want for them

I'm asking for money I replied my cheeks red I would like you to help my friend Herbert become a partner in his company I started paying for this myself two years ago-and I want to keep it a secret from him but now I find I can't continue the payments I can't explain why It's part of the other person's secret

Miss Havisham looked at the fire and then at me again

What else she asked

Turning to Estella I tried to control my trembling voice You know I love you Estella I said I have loved you long and dearly She shook her head

I know I know I have no hope of ever marrying you Estella But I have loved you ever since I first saw you in this house It was cruel of Miss Havisham to encourage me to hope but I don't think she meant to be unkind

What you say said Estella very calmly doesn't touch my heart I can't feel love as you do And I've warned you of this Haven't I

Yes I answered miserably but I couldn't believe it

It's the way I've been brought up

Estella Bentley Drummle is in town here You go riding with him don't you Is he having dinner with you tonight

It is all true she answered a little surprised

You cannot love him Estella I cried

Didn't you listen I can never love anyone And then she added But why not tell you the truth I'm going to marry him

I covered my face with my hands After a moment I lifted my head and cried Dont't throw yourself away on an animal like him Even if you won't marry me there must be others who love you Any of them would be a thousand times better than Drummle

I can't marry a man who expects me to love him So Drummle will do well enough as my husband You will soon forget me

Never Estella You are part of myself You are in every line I've read in every view I've seen in every dream I've dreamt To the last hour of my life you will remain part of me God bless you and God forgive you I held her hand to my lips for a moment As I left Estella's lovely face looked at me in wonder but Miss Havisham was staring at me with a mixture of pity and guilt

It was all over To calm my feelings I walked all the way back to London At night the Temple gates were always closed but the night porter let me in when I told him my name He gave me an envelope addressed to Mr Pip Inside in Wemmick's writing it said DON T GO HOME

15 Shelter for Magwitch

I spent a restless night at a hotel worrying about the reasons for Wemmick's warning Early in the morning I went to see him at the Castle He told me he had heard I was being watched and that someone was looking for Magwitch He also knew that Compeyson was alive and in London While I was absent Wemmick had warned Herbert to move our guest to a safer place Clara the girl Herbert was in love with lived with her old father in a house on the river quite near the open sea and Herbert had arranged to rent rooms for Magwitch in this house It was further away from the centre of London and our home and we could easily take Magwitch abroad by boat from there

Our friend is there now said Wemmick and you can visit him tonight but don't go back there after that And re member Mr Pip he added firmly remember to get his cash You don't know what may happen to him Don't let anything happen to his cash

I could not explain to Wemmick how I felt about Magwich's money so I said nothing

That evening I visited the house and met Clara a lovely girl obviously in love with Herbert How lucky she and Herbert were I thought of Estella and felt very sad

Magwitch seemed quieter and more likeable than the last time I had seen him He accepted all our arrangements for him gratefully I was almost sorry to say goodbye to him

I decided to keep a rowing boat near our rooms so that Her bert or I could row up and down the river as far as Clara's house If Magwitch saw us on the river he could draw his bedroom curtain to show everything was all right

For the next few weeks life went on as normal Herbert went to work and visited Clara in the evenings I rowed on the river and waited for news from Wemmick

One evening instead of reading alone in my room I went to the theatre where Mr Wopsle was acting He noticed me in the audience and kept looking at me in a very strange way After the play we met outside the theatre and he asked immediately

You didn't see that man sitting right behind you Mr Pip

I felt suddenly cold Who was he I asked

You remember Mr Pip that Christmas Day when you were a boy We went on to the marshes with the soldiers and found the escaped convicts fighting each other Well one of those two was looking over your shoulder tonight

Which one I asked holding my breath

The one with the bleeding face he answered

So Compeyson was still following me I knew Magwitch was in great danger Later that evening Herbert and I discussed the problem and promised each other to be more careful than ever

About a week later I met Mr Jaggers by chance in the street and he invited me to dinner that evening Wemmick was there too Mr Jaggers told me Miss Havisham wished to see me on business so I said I would go the next day

Then Jaggers said Well Pip Our friend Drummle has won a great prize He has married Estella

I had been expecting this news for some time but it still came as a terrible shock

I wonder continued Jaggers who will be the stronger in the end the wife or the husband He may beat her

Surely he isn't wicked enough to do that I cried

He may or he may not But she is certainly more intelligent than him We shall see

Just then I noticed the housekeeper putting a dish on the table I stared at her I had seen exactly such eyes and such hands very recently And suddenly I was absolutely certain that this woman was Estella's mother

Later as Wemmick and I left Jaggers house together I asked him about his employer's housekeeper He told me that many years before she had been jealous of her husband and another woman and had been accused of murdering this woman Jaggers was her lawyer and at her trial he managed to show that she was not strong enough to kill anyone She was also suspected of killing her three year old daughter who had disappeared But because of Jaggers clever arguing she was judged innocent of murder Aftef the trial she left her husband and became Jaggers housekeeper

16 Miss Havisham realizes how Pip has suffered

When I went to see Miss Havisham the next day as she had requested her house looked darker than ever and I realized how lonely she was without Estella She looked sadly at me

Tell me Pip she said stretching out her hand to me how can I help your friend You said something about it last time

I explained my agreement with Clarrikers to make Herbert a partner Nine hundred pounds still had to be paid

And you will be happier if I pay this

Much happier

can't I help you yourself Pip

There is nothing you can do I answered

She wrote a cheque which she handed to me Mr Jaggers will give you the money And-here Pip handing me another piece of paper here is a note with my name on If one day you can write under my name I forgive her please do it

Oh Miss Havisham I said I can do it now We have all made mistakes I can't be bitter with anyone

What have I done Pip she cried dropping to her knees in front of me I should never have brought up Estella like that or allowed you to be hurt

Could I ask you something about Estella How and why did you adopt her

I never knew her parents she said quietly I asked Jaggers to find a little girl for me to adopt and he brought Estella here when she was about three

We had no more to say to each other and so I left But on my way through the old garden I had a strange feeling that something was wrong and I ran back upstairs to check that Miss Havisham was all right As I opened the door of her room I saw her sitting close to the fire Suddenly a great flame lit the room She turned and rushed towards me screaming her hair and clothes on fire Somehow I managed to cover her with my coat and put out the flames with my hands

I sent for a doctor who cleaned her wounds Her bed was placed on the great dining table where her wedding cake had been and she lay there covered with a white sheet half con-scions I could not stay but left her in the care of the doctor and several nurses and returned to London

My hands and right arm had been badly burnt But al though I was in great pain I was desperate to know if Mag witch was safe

Everything's fine Handel Herbert told me calmly as he gently put bandages on my hands He seems much pleasanter than before I actually like him now Do you know yesterday he was telling me about his past Apparently at one time he was married to a young woman who was jealous of an-other woman There was a fight and his wife killed the other Luckily for her she had a clever lawyer at her trial and was never punished for the murder She and Magwitch had a daughter who Magwitch dearly loved Both wife and child disappeared after the trial and he thought his wife must have killed their daughter

How old was the child I asked trying to control my excitement

She would have been about your age if she had lived

Herbert I said am I ill or mad or anything

No replied Herbert after examining me carefully al-though you do look a little excited

Listen Herbert Magwitch is Estella's father

The next day although I felt ill and weak because of my burns I went straight to Jaggers office He admitted that Estella was his housekeeper's daughter adopted by Miss Hav-isham to give her the chance of a better life But even he the great Jaggers did not know that Magwitch was Estella's father

17 Pip is close to death

I paid Clarrikers Miss Havisham's nine hundred pounds and felt glad that Herbert's future at least was safe Clarrikers were going to send Herbert to India to open a new office there So while helping my old friend I would be losing him at the same time

Wemmick advised us to move Magwitch out of the country in the middle of the week So we decided to row the boat down to Clara's house on Wednesday collect Magwitch and continue right down the river to Essex where we could stop one of the foreign ships sailing from the port of London to Ger many or Holland With luck nobody would notice us or sus pect us Our friend Startop agreed to row instead of me as my hands were still too painful

However when I went back to our rooms on Monday my head full of arrangements for the journey I found a letter ad dressed to me and delivered by hand It said

If you want information about your guest you should come tonight or tomorrow night to the old house near the lime kiln on the marshes Tell no one You must come alone

I did not have time to consider I rushed out again and was just in time to catch the afternoon coach

I stopped in town only to ask about Miss Havisham She was still very ill it seemed Then I walked fast on to the dark lonely marshes Soon I arrived at the lime-kiln which was still burning although the workmen had all gone home I pushed open the door of the old house which I thought was uninhabited but to my surprise there was a bed a table and a candle inside Suddenly the candle was blown out I was at-tacked from behind and my arms were tied close to my sides with a thick rope The pain in my injured arm was terrible In a moment the candle was lit again and I recognized my at-tacker Orlick I saw he had been drinking and I knew I was in a very dangerous situation

Now he said fiercely I've got you

Why have you brought me here I asked

Don't yon know he replied drinking straight from a bottle Because you're my enemy I lost that job at Miss Havisham's because of you And what's more Biddy would have liked me if you hadn't been there You've been in my way ever since you were a child And now I'm going to have your life Tonight you're going to die

I felt I was looking down into my own grave I could see no possible way of escape

More than that he said I don't want anything left of you I'll put your body in the kiln Even your clothes will be burnt and in the morning there'll be nothing left

I realized I had not told anybody where I was going No-body would know where to look for me

Another thing he said smiling cruelly it was your fault your ugly sister was attacked I did it I hit her with the iron chain your convict left on the marshes but I did it be cause I hated you He drank again I watched the level of the liquid go down I knew that when he finished the bottle my life would end

And I know all about that convict you re hiding I've waited and watched outside your rooms and on the stairs You fell over me once I've got a friend who's going to inform the police about him Yes Compeyson'll make sure he's hanged when you're dead

The last of the rum went down his throat and picking up his hammer he came towards me Determined to fight I shouted as loudly as I could Suddenly the door was thrown open and Herbert and Startop rushed in With a violent shout Orlick jumped over the table and escaped into the night

My two friends had found Orlick's letter to me which in my hurry I had dropped in my room in London They had suspected some wicked plot and come straight to the town and then to the marshes to find me Luckily they had arrived just in time

They took me back to London that night and looked after me carefully all the next day so that although my arm was still aching and I felt very weak I was fit enough for the planned journey on Wednesday

18 The end of Magwitch's story

It was a cold bright morning when we set out cheerfully down the river I steered the boat Herbert and Startop rowed At Clara's house Magwitch was waiting for us wrapped in a dark cloak

Dear boy he said putting his hand on my shoulder as he sat down heavily in the boat Thank you

We rowed eastwards down the river all day looking round all the time to check that no one was following us Magwitch seemed quite happy smoking his pipe and watching the water

You don't know what a pleasure it is to me Pip he said once to be with my dear boy in the open air

You'll be completely safe and free tomorrow I said

I hope so dear boy But looking into the frture well that's like looking for the bottom of the river isn't it Can't be done He remained silent after that

We decided to spend the night at a little riverside pub It seemed safe because there were no other guests but the pub owner asked us a question which worried us

Did you see that boat go past gentlemen Rowed by four men with two others on board It's been up and down the river several times Could be a Customs boat

When he left us alone we discussed this information in whispers In the end we decided to go to bed and then set out the next morning just in time to catch the ship to Hamburg I woke early and when I looked out of the window I saw two men examining our boat but I decided not to wake Herbert or Startop who needed their rest after rowing all the previous day

Late in the morning we rowed into the centre of the river We could see the ship to Hamburg coming closer Magwitch and I picked up our bags and said goodbye to Herbert and Startop so that we would be ready to stop the ship and get on board Suddenly a boat rowed by four men appeared from nowhere and came out very fast into the centre of the river close to us A fifth man was steering and a sixth his face hidden in his cloak whispered instructions to the steerer They all stared at us

You have a convict there who's returned from Australia shouted the steerer That's the man in the cloak His name is Abel Magwitch I'm a Customs officer and I arrest him

Suddenly their boat was touching ours The Hamburg ship was almost on top of us and the ship's captain shouted the or-der to stop engines but it was too late At the same moment the Customs officer put his hand on Magwitch's shoulder and Magwitch pulled the cloak off the other man in the boat It was Compeyson And as I watched he fell backwards into the water his face full of terror The huge ship hit our tiny boat with a great crash Somehow the Customs officers managed to get me on board their boat with Herbert and Startop but our boat sank and the two convicts had disappeared

Soon however we discovered Magwitch in the water badly injured and pulled him into the boat He told me that he had fallen into the water with Compeyson and then been hit by the ship I believed what he said At the time there was no sign of Compeyson whose dead body was found several days later

Magwitch was taken to prison to wait for his trial I arranged for Jaggers to be his lawyer but Jaggers warned me there was almost no hope of saving his life Magwitch's thick wallet was handed over to the police and Wemmick was quite annoyed with me about it

Really Mr Pip to lose so much cash he said You see Compeyson was so determined to get his revenge that you couldn't have saved Magwitch But you certainly could have saved the cash That's the difference But could I ask you something Mr Pip Would you come for a walk with me on Monday morning

It seemed a strange request and although I did not really feel like accepting he politely insisted

I arrived at the Castle early on Monday morning and after a glass of rum and milk we set out on the road

Well well said Wemmick suddenly Here's a church Let's go in And when we were inside there was another surprise

Well well he said again Look what I've found in my pockets Let's put them on As he had found two pairs of white gloves and his post-box mouth was as wide as it could possibly be I began to suspect something And when I saw the Aged come in with a lady I knew I was right

Well well said Wemmick still pretending to be sur-prised here's the Aged and Miss Skiffins Let's have a wedding

And so wemmick was married to Miss Skiffins and we all celebrated afterwards at a little pub near the church

I was delighted for Wemmick but I could not stop worrying about Magwitch He had been so badly injured that he was moved to the prison hospital where I visited him every day I read to him and talked to him and did everything I could to make him comfortable But day by day I watched him becom-ing weaker although he never complained To the prison guards he was a dangerous criminal but to me he was an un-fortunate man who had at least some goodness in him I could not leave him now

At his trial Jaggers was proved right The judge decided that Magwitch a convict sent away for life who had returned must be hanged I could not accept this terrible punishment and wrote to all the important people I could think of asking for mercy for Magwitch But all of them refused to help

I noticed on my daily visits to him that he was getting much worse He lay in bed looking calmly at the white ceiling Sometimes he could not speak and just pressed my hand One evening as I entered his room he smiled weakly at me

Dear boy he said you're never late

I don't want to lose a moment of the time I'm allowed to visit you I said

Thank you dear boy God bless you You've never de serted me dear boy He had spoken his last words

I touched his chest remembering that I had wanted to desert him once He put both his hands on mine

Dear Magwitch listen to me You had a child once who you loved and lost He pressed my hand gently She's alive She's a lady and very beautiful And I love her

He was too weak to speak any more but he just managed to lift my hand to his lips Then he looked peacefully up at the white ceiling again Slowly his eyes closed and his head dropped quietly on to his chest

19 A wedding

The excitement of all these events made me seriously ill for several weeks Herbert was abroad on business for Clarrikers and there would have been nobody to look after me if Joe bad not heard about my illness and come to London to nurse me

When I was getting better he told me some of the local news Miss Havisham had died and left all her fortune to Estella except for 4000 which Matthew Pocket inherited And Orlick had been arrested for breaking into Pumblechook's house and stealing his money Dear old Joe seemed just the same but as I got better he began to remember I was a gentleman and call me sir again and when I got up one morning I discovered he had gone

I decided to go back to the village to thank him for all his help and to carry out a plan I had been considering for some time I wanted to ask Biddy to marry me and I knew I would be happy with her So I went by coach to the old town as I had done so many times before and walked to the forge But as I came closer I could not hear the sound of Joe's hammer and I noticed fresh white curtains at the windows and bright flowers everywhere Suddenly I saw Biddy and Joe at the door arm in arm

Pip cried Biddy happily running to kiss me Pip it's my wedding day and I'm married to Joe

I was still weak from my illness and the shock was too much for me They had to help me into the house and let me rest in a chair They were both so pleased that I had come by accident to make their day perfect I could only be glad that I had never spoken of my plan to Joe when he was looking after me

Dear Biddy I said you have the best husband in the whole world

I couldn't love him more than I do she replied

And dear Joe you have the best wife in the world and she will make you as happy as even you deserve to be dear good Joe Joe put his arm over his eyes And Joe and Biddy I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you've done for me Tell me you forgive me for not being grateful and not being good And think better of me in the future

Oh dear old Pip said Joe God knows we forgive you if there is anything to forgive

So I left the forge and started a new life working as a clerk for Clarrikers Herbert's company I was sent to the new office in India to take charge while Herbert came back to England to marry his Clara

Herbert and his wife invited me to live with them and we all stayed out in India for many years In the end I too became a partner in the company We worked hard and honestly and made good profits

It was not until eleven years later that I returned to England and saw Biddy and Joe again although I had been writing regularly to them One evening in December I gently pushed open the old kitchen door and there sitting by the fire next to Joe in my old place was-Pip Joe and Biddy's son had my name and looked just like me They also had a little daughter and were the happiest of parents

Dear Pip said Biddy quietly to me after supper have you quite forgotten her Tell me as an old friend

My dear Biddy I can never forget her But that was all a dream which has passed

But I was secretly planning to revisit Miss Havisham's old house alone as a way of remembering Estella I had heard that her husband had been very cruel to her They had separated and then he had died two years ago Perhaps she had remarried by now

The old house had been knocked down and there was nothing left but piles of stones in the garden In the moonlight I walked sadly around until suddenly I saw a woman's figure in the shadows I went closer and then

Estella I cried

You recognize me I have changed a lot she answered

She was older but still beautiful I had never before seen such a soft light in those once proud eyes or felt such a friend-ly touch of her once cold hand

It's strange Estella Afer so many years we meet by chance here where we first met

Yes it's strange I haven't been here for years although the land belongs to me But tell me you still live abroad

Yes I still do I'm doing well in India

I've often thought of you Since-my husband-died I have given you a place in my heart

You have always held your place in my heart I answered

There was silence for a few moments

I didn't think I would say goodbye to you here she said

It's painful saying goodbye Estella

But last time you said God bless you God forgive you You could say that to me now now that I understand how much you loved me now that I have suffered now that I am a better person Tell me we are friends She spoke more eagerly than I had ever heard her speak before

We are friends I said taking her hand

And will continue being friends even when we are apart said Estella

We walked hand in hand out of the old garden As the morning mist had risen long ago when I first left the forge so the evening mist was rising now and in the clear moonlight I saw no shadow of another separation from her