English
FromLittleBritain,Iwent,withmychequeinmypocket,toMissSkiffins’sbrother,theaccountant;andMissSkiffins’sbrother,theaccountant,goingstraighttoClarriker’sandbringingClarrikertome,Ihadthegreatsatisfactionofconcludingthatarrangement.
ItwastheonlygoodthingIhaddone,andtheonlycompletedthingIhaddone,sinceIwasfirstapprisedofmygreatexpectations.
ClarrikerinformingmeonthatoccasionthattheaffairsoftheHouseweresteadilyprogressing,thathewouldnowbeabletoestablishasmallbranch-houseintheEastwhichwasmuchwantedfortheextensionofthebusiness,andthatHerbertinhisnewpartnershipcapacitywouldgooutandtakechargeofit,IfoundthatImusthavepreparedforaseparationfrommyfriend,eventhoughmyownaffairshadbeenmoresettled.
AndnowindeedIfeltasifmylastanchorwerelooseningitshold,andIshouldsoonbedrivingwiththewindsandwaves.
But,therewasrecompenseinthejoywithwhichHerbertwouldcomehomeofanightandtellmeofthesechanges,littleimaginingthathetoldmenonews,andwouldsketchairypicturesofhimselfconductingClaraBarleytothelandoftheArabianNights,andofmegoingouttojointhem(withacaravanofcamels,Ibelieve),andofourallgoinguptheNileandseeingwonders.
Withoutbeingsanguineastomyownpartinthesebrightplans,IfeltthatHerbert’swaywasclearingfast,andthatoldBillBarleyhadbuttosticktohispepperandrum,andhisdaughterwouldsoonbehappilyprovidedfor.
WehadnowgotintothemonthofMarch.Myleftarm,thoughitpresentednobadsymptoms,tookinthenaturalcoursesolongtohealthatIwasstillunabletogetacoaton.
Myrightarmwastolerablyrestored;—disfigured,butfairlyserviceable.
OnaMondaymorning,whenHerbertandIwereatbreakfast,IreceivedthefollowingletterfromWemmickbythepost.
“Walworth.Burnthisassoonasread.Earlyintheweek,orsayWednesday,youmightdowhatyouknowof,ifyoufeltdisposedtotryit.Nowburn.”
WhenIhadshownthistoHerbertandhadputitinthefire—butnotbeforewehadbothgotitbyheart—weconsideredwhattodo.
For,ofcoursemybeingdisabledcouldnowbenolongerkeptoutofview.
“Ihavethoughtitover,againandagain,”saidHerbert,“andIthinkIknowabettercoursethantakingaThameswaterman.TakeStartop.
Agoodfellow,askilledhand,fondofus,andenthusiasticandhonourable.”
Ihadthoughtofhim,morethanonce.
“Buthowmuchwouldyoutellhim,Herbert?”
“Itisnecessarytotellhimverylittle.
Lethimsupposeitamerefreak,butasecretone,untilthemorningcomes:thenlethimknowthatthereisurgentreasonforyourgettingProvisaboardandaway.Yougowithhim?”
“Nodoubt.”
“Where?”
Ithadseemedtome,inthemanyanxiousconsiderationsIhadgiventhepoint,almostindifferentwhatportwemadefor—Hamburg,Rotterdam,Antwerp—theplacesignifiedlittle,sothathewasgotoutofEngland.
Anyforeignsteamerthatfellinourwayandwouldtakeusup,woulddo.
Ihadalwaysproposedtomyselftogethimwelldowntheriverintheboat;certainlywellbeyondGravesend,whichwasacriticalplaceforsearchorinquiryifsuspicionwereafoot.
AsforeignsteamerswouldleaveLondonataboutthetimeofhigh-water,ourplanwouldbetogetdowntheriverbyapreviousebb-tide,andliebyinsomequietspotuntilwecouldpullofftoone.
Thetimewhenonewouldbeduewherewelay,whereverthatmightbe,couldbecalculatedprettynearly,ifwemadeinquiriesbeforehand.
Herbertassentedtoallthis,andwewentoutimmediatelyafterbreakfasttopursueourinvestigations.
WefoundthatasteamerforHamburgwaslikelytosuitourpurposebest,andwedirectedourthoughtschieflytothatvessel.
ButwenoteddownwhatotherforeignsteamerswouldleaveLondonwiththesametide,andwesatisfiedourselvesthatweknewthebuildandcolourofeach.
Wethenseparatedforafewhours;I,togetatoncesuchpassportsaswerenecessary;Herbert,toseeStartopathislodgings.
Webothdidwhatwehadtodowithoutanyhindrance,andwhenwemetagainatoneo’clockreporteditdone.
I,formypart,waspreparedwithpassports;HerberthadseenStartop,andhewasmorethanreadytojoin.
Thosetwoshouldpullapairofoars,wesettled,andIwouldsteer;ourchargewouldbesitter,andkeepquiet;asspeedwasnotourobject,weshouldmakewayenough.
WearrangedthatHerbertshouldnotcomehometodinnerbeforegoingtoMillPondBankthatevening;thatheshouldnotgothereatall,to-morrowevening,Tuesday;thatheshouldprepareProvistocomedowntosomeStairshardbythehouse,onWednesday,whenhesawusapproach,andnotsooner;thatallthearrangementswithhimshouldbeconcludedthatMondaynight;andthatheshouldbecommunicatedwithnomoreinanyway,untilwetookhimonboard.
Theseprecautionswellunderstoodbybothofus,Iwenthome.
Onopeningtheouterdoorofourchamberswithmykey,Ifoundaletterinthebox,directedtome;averydirtyletter,thoughnotill-written.
Ithadbeendeliveredbyhand(ofcoursesinceIlefthome),anditscontentswerethese:
“Ifyouarenotafraidtocometotheoldmarshesto-nightortomorrownightatNine,andtocometothelittlesluice-housebythelimekiln,youhadbettercome.
IfyouwantinformationregardingyouruncleProvis,youhadmuchbettercomeandtellnooneandlosenotime.Youmustcomealone.Bringthiswithyou.”
Ihadhadloadenoughuponmymindbeforethereceiptofthisstrangeletter.Whattodonow,Icouldnottell.
Andtheworstwas,thatImustdecidequickly,orIshouldmisstheafternooncoach,whichwouldtakemedownintimeforto-night.
To-morrownightIcouldnotthinkofgoing,foritwouldbetoocloseuponthetimeoftheflight.
Andagain,foranythingIknew,theprofferedinformationmighthavesomeimportantbearingontheflightitself.
IfIhadhadampletimeforconsideration,IbelieveIshouldstillhavegone.
Havinghardlyanytimeforconsideration—mywatchshowingmethatthecoachstartedwithinhalfanhour—Iresolvedtogo.
Ishouldcertainlynothavegone,butforthereferencetomyUncleProvis;that,comingonWemmick’sletterandthemorning’sbusypreparation,turnedthescale.
Itissodifficulttobecomeclearlypossessedofthecontentsofalmostanyletter,inaviolenthurry,thatIhadtoreadthismysteriousepistleagain,twice,beforeitsinjunctiontometobesecretgotmechanicallyintomymind.
Yieldingtoitinthesamemechanicalkindofway,IleftanoteinpencilforHerbert,tellinghimthatasIshouldbesosoongoingaway,Iknewnotforhowlong,Ihaddecidedtohurrydownandback,toascertainformyselfhowMissHavishamwasfaring.
Ihadthenbarelytimetogetmygreat-coat,lockupthechambers,andmakeforthecoach-officebytheshortby-ways.
IfIhadtakenahackney-chariotandgonebythestreets,Ishouldhavemissedmyaim;goingasIdid,Icaughtthecoachjustasitcameoutoftheyard.
Iwastheonlyinsidepassenger,joltingawayknee-deepinstraw,whenIcametomyself.
For,Ireallyhadnotbeenmyselfsincethereceiptoftheletter;ithadsobewilderedmeensuingonthehurryofthemorning.
Themorninghurryandflutterhadbeengreat,for,longandanxiouslyasIhadwaitedforWemmick,hishinthadcomelikeasurpriseatlast.
Andnow,Ibegantowonderatmyselfforbeinginthecoach,andtodoubtwhetherIhadsufficientreasonforbeingthere,andtoconsiderwhetherIshouldgetoutpresentlyandgoback,andtoargueagainsteverheedingananonymouscommunication,and,inshort,topassthroughallthosephasesofcontradictionandindecisiontowhichIsupposeveryfewhurriedpeoplearestrangers.
Still,thereferencetoProvisbyname,masteredeverything.
IreasonedasIhadreasonedalreadywithoutknowingit—ifthatbereasoning—incaseanyharmshouldbefallhimthroughmynotgoing,howcouldIeverforgivemyself!
Itwasdarkbeforewegotdown,andthejourneyseemedlonganddrearytomewhocouldseelittleofitinside,andwhocouldnotgooutsideinmydisabledstate.
AvoidingtheBlueBoar,Iputupataninnofminorreputationdownthetown,andorderedsomedinner.
Whileitwaspreparing,IwenttoSatisHouseandinquiredforMissHavisham;shewasstillveryill,thoughconsideredsomethingbetter.
Myinnhadoncebeenapartofanancientecclesiasticalhouse,andIdinedinalittleoctagonalcommon-room,likeafont.
AsIwasnotabletocutmydinner,theoldlandlordwithashiningbaldheaddiditforme.
Thisbringingusintoconversation,hewassogoodastoentertainmewithmyownstory—ofcoursewiththepopularfeaturethatPumblechookwasmyearliestbenefactorandthefounderofmyfortunes.
“Doyouknowtheyoungman?”saidI.
“Knowhim!”repeatedthelandlord.“Eversincehewas—noheightatall.”
“Doesheevercomebacktothisneighbourhood?”
“Ay,hecomesback,”saidthelandlord,“tohisgreatfriends,nowandagain,andgivesthecoldshouldertothemanthatmadehim.”
“Whatmanisthat?”
“HimthatIspeakof,”saidthelandlord.“Mr.Pumblechook.”
“Isheungratefultonooneelse?”
“Nodoubthewouldbe,ifhecould,”returnedthelandlord,“buthecan’t.Andwhy?BecausePumblechookdoneeverythingforhim.”
“DoesPumblechooksayso?”
“Sayso!”repliedthelandlord.“Hehan’tnocalltosayso.”
“Butdoeshesayso?”
“Itwouldturnaman’sbloodtowhitewinewinegartohearhimtellofit,sir,”saidthelandlord.
Ithought,“YetJoe,dearJoe,younevertellofit.Long-sufferingandlovingJoe,younevercomplain.Noryou,sweet-temperedBiddy!”
“Yourappetite’sbeentouchedlike,byyouraccident,”saidthelandlord,glancingatthebandagedarmundermycoat.“Tryatendererbit.”
“Nothankyou,”Ireplied,turningfromthetabletobroodoverthefire.“Icaneatnomore.Pleasetakeitaway.”
Ihadneverbeenstruckatsokeenly,formythanklessnesstoJoe,asthroughthebrazenimpostorPumblechook.Thefalserhe,thetruerJoe;themeanerhe,thenoblerJoe.
MyheartwasdeeplyandmostdeservedlyhumbledasImusedoverthefireforanhourormore.
Thestrikingoftheclockarousedme,butnotfrommydejectionorremorse,andIgotupandhadmycoatfastenedroundmyneck,andwentout.
Ihadpreviouslysoughtinmypocketsfortheletter,thatImightrefertoitagain,butIcouldnotfindit,andwasuneasytothinkthatitmusthavebeendroppedinthestrawofthecoach.
Iknewverywell,however,thattheappointedplacewasthelittlesluice-housebythelimekilnonthemarshes,andthehournine.
TowardsthemarshesInowwentstraight,havingnotimetospare.
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