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<v Speaker 1>Chapter fifty two of Great Expectations. This is the LibriVox recording.

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<v Speaker 1>All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more

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<v Speaker 1>information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. This

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<v Speaker 1>recording is by Mark Smith of Simpsonville, South Carolina. Great

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<v Speaker 1>Expectations by Charles Dickens, Chapter fifty two from Little Britain.

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<v Speaker 1>I went with my check in my pocket to Miss

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<v Speaker 1>Skiffins's brother, the accountant, and Miss Skiffins's brother the accountant,

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<v Speaker 1>going straight to Clerker's and bringing Clerker to me. I

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<v Speaker 1>had the great satisfaction of concluding that arrangement. It was

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<v Speaker 1>the only good thing I had done, and the only

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<v Speaker 1>completed thing I had done since I was first apprized

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<v Speaker 1>of my Great Expectations. Clerker informing me on that occasion

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<v Speaker 1>that the affairs of the house were steadily progressing, that

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<v Speaker 1>he would now be able to establish a small branch

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<v Speaker 1>house in the east, which was much wanted for the

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<v Speaker 1>extension of the business, and that Herbert, in his new

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<v Speaker 1>partnership capacity, would go out and take charge of it.

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<v Speaker 1>I found that I must have prepared for a separation

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<v Speaker 1>from my friend, even though my own affairs had been

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<v Speaker 1>more settled, and now indeed I felt as if my

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<v Speaker 1>last anchor were loosening its hold, and I should soon

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<v Speaker 1>be driving with the winds and waves. But there was

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<v Speaker 1>recompense in the joy with which Herbert would come home

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<v Speaker 1>of a night and tell me of these changes, little

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<v Speaker 1>imagining that he told me no news, and would sketch

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<v Speaker 1>airy pictures of himself conducting Clara Barley to the land

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<v Speaker 1>of the Arabian Nights, and of me going out to

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<v Speaker 1>join them with a caravan of camels, I believe, and

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<v Speaker 1>of our all going up the nile and seeing wonders.

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<v Speaker 1>Without being sanguine as to my own part in these

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<v Speaker 1>bright plans, I felt that Herbert's way was clearing fast,

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<v Speaker 1>and that old Bill Barley had but to stick to

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<v Speaker 1>his pepper and rum, and his daughter would soon be

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<v Speaker 1>happily provided for. We had now got into the month

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<v Speaker 1>of March. My left arm, though it presented no bad symptoms,

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<v Speaker 1>took in the natural course so long to heal that

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<v Speaker 1>I was still unable to get a coat on. My

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<v Speaker 1>right arm was tolerably restored, disfigured, but fairly serviceable. On

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<v Speaker 1>a Monday morning, when Herbert and I were at breakfast,

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<v Speaker 1>I received the following letter from Wemmick by the post Whalworth.

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<v Speaker 1>Burn this as soon as read early in the week,

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<v Speaker 1>or say Wednesday. You might do what you know of

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<v Speaker 1>if you felt disposed to try it now burn. When

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<v Speaker 1>I had shown this to Herbert and had put it

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<v Speaker 1>in the fire, but not before we had both got

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<v Speaker 1>it by heart, we considered what to do, for of

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<v Speaker 1>course my being disabled could now be no longer kept

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<v Speaker 1>out of it. I have thought it over again and again,

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<v Speaker 1>said Herbert, and I think I know a better course

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<v Speaker 1>than taking a Thames waterman. Take Startop, a good fellow,

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<v Speaker 1>a skilled hand, fond of us, and enthusiastic and honorable.

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<v Speaker 1>I had thought of him more than once. But how

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<v Speaker 1>much would you tell him, Herbert? It is necessary to

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<v Speaker 1>tell him very little. Let him suppose it a mere freak,

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<v Speaker 1>but a secret one until the morning comes. Then let

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<v Speaker 1>him know that there is urgent reason for your getting

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<v Speaker 1>provis aboard. In a way, you go with him, no doubt.

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<v Speaker 1>Where it had seemed to me in the many anxious considerations,

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<v Speaker 1>I had given the point almost indifferent what port we

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<v Speaker 1>made for Hamburg, rotterdam Antwerp, The place signified little, so

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<v Speaker 1>that he was out of England. Any foreign steamer that

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<v Speaker 1>fell on our way and would take us up would do.

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<v Speaker 1>I had always proposed myself to getting well down the

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<v Speaker 1>river in the boat, certainly well beyond Gravesend, which was

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<v Speaker 1>a critical place for search or inquiry if suspicion were afoot.

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<v Speaker 1>As foreign steamers would leave London about the time of

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<v Speaker 1>high water, our plan would be to get down the

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<v Speaker 1>river by a previous ebb tide and lie by in

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<v Speaker 1>some quiet spot until we could pull off to one

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<v Speaker 1>the time when one would be due. Where we lay

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<v Speaker 1>wherever that might be, could be calculated pretty nearly if

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<v Speaker 1>we made inquiries beforehand. Herbert assented to all this, and

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<v Speaker 1>we went out immediately after breakfast to pursue our investigations.

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<v Speaker 1>We found that a steamer for Hamburg was likely to

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<v Speaker 1>suit our purpose best, and we directed our thoughts chiefly

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<v Speaker 1>to that vessel. But we noted down what other foreign

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<v Speaker 1>steamers would leave London with the same tide, and we

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<v Speaker 1>satisfied ourselves that we knew the build and color of each.

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<v Speaker 1>We then separated for a few hours. I to get

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<v Speaker 1>at once such passports as were necessary. Herbert de seized

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<v Speaker 1>star Top at his lodgings. We both did what we

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<v Speaker 1>had to do without any hindrance, and when we met

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<v Speaker 1>again at one o'clock reported it done. I, for my part,

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<v Speaker 1>was prepared with passports. Herbert had seen star Top and

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<v Speaker 1>he was more than ready to join. Those two should

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<v Speaker 1>pull a pair of oars. We settled, and I would steer.

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<v Speaker 1>Our charge would be sitter and keep quiet. As speed

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<v Speaker 1>was not our object, we should make way enough. We

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<v Speaker 1>arranged that Herbert should not come home to dinner before

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<v Speaker 1>going to mill Pond Bank that evening, that he should

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<v Speaker 1>not go there at all tomorrow evening Tuesday. That he

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<v Speaker 1>should prepare provis to come down to some stairs hard

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<v Speaker 1>by the house on Wednesday when he saw us approach,

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<v Speaker 1>and not sooner. That all the arrangements with him should

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<v Speaker 1>be concluded that Monday night, and he should be commune

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<v Speaker 1>udicated with no more in any way until we took

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<v Speaker 1>him on board. These precautions well understood by both of us.

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<v Speaker 1>I went home. On opening the outer door of our

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<v Speaker 1>chambers with my key, I found a letter in the

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<v Speaker 1>box directed to me, A very dirty letter. Though not

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<v Speaker 1>ill written. It had been delivered by hand, of course,

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<v Speaker 1>since I left home, and its contents were these, If

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<v Speaker 1>you are not afraid to come to the old marshes

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<v Speaker 1>to night or tomorrow night at nine, and to come

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<v Speaker 1>to the little sluice house by the lime kiln, you

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<v Speaker 1>had better come. If you want information regarding your uncle

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<v Speaker 1>provis you had much better come and tell no one

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<v Speaker 1>and lose no time. You must come alone bring this

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<v Speaker 1>with you. I had had load enough upon my mind

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<v Speaker 1>before the receipt of this strange letter. What to do

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<v Speaker 1>now I could not tell, And the worst was that

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<v Speaker 1>I must decide quickly or I should I missed the

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<v Speaker 1>afternoon coach which would take me down in time for

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<v Speaker 1>tonight tomorrow night. I could not think of going, for

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<v Speaker 1>it would be too close upon the time of the flight.

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<v Speaker 1>And again for anything, I knew the proffered information might

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<v Speaker 1>have some important bearing on the flight itself. If I

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<v Speaker 1>had had ample time for consideration, I believe I should

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<v Speaker 1>still have gone. Having hardly any time for consideration, my

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<v Speaker 1>watch showing me that the coach started within half an hour,

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<v Speaker 1>I resolved to go. I should certainly not have gone,

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<v Speaker 1>but for the reference to my uncle provis that coming

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<v Speaker 1>on Wemmick's letter and the morning's busy preparation turned the scale.

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<v Speaker 1>It is so difficult to become clearly possessed of the

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<v Speaker 1>contents of almost any letter in a violent hurry, that

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<v Speaker 1>I had to read this mysterious epistle again twice before

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<v Speaker 1>its injunction to me to be secret got mechanically into

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<v Speaker 1>my mind, Yielding to it the same mechanical kind of way,

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<v Speaker 1>I left a note in pencil for Herbert, telling him

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<v Speaker 1>that as I should be so soon going away, I

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<v Speaker 1>knew not for how long I had decided to hurry

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<v Speaker 1>down and back to ascertain for myself how Miss Havisham

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<v Speaker 1>was faring. I had then barely time to get my greatcoat,

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<v Speaker 1>lock up the chambers, and make for the coach office

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<v Speaker 1>by the short byways. If I had taken a hackney

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<v Speaker 1>chariot and gone by the streets, I should have missed

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<v Speaker 1>my aim. Going as I did, I caught the coach

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<v Speaker 1>just as it came out of the yard. I was

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<v Speaker 1>the only inside passenger, jolding away, knee deep in straw,

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<v Speaker 1>when I came to myself, For I really had not

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<v Speaker 1>been myself since the receipt of the letter. It had

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<v Speaker 1>so bewildered me ensuing on the hurry of the morning.

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<v Speaker 1>The morning hurry and flutter had been great for long

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<v Speaker 1>and anxiously as I had waited for Wemmick. His hint

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<v Speaker 1>had come like a surprise at last. And now I

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<v Speaker 1>began to wonder at myself for being in the coach,

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<v Speaker 1>and to doubt whether I had sufficient reason for being there,

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<v Speaker 1>and to consider whether I should get out presently and

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<v Speaker 1>go back, and to argue against ever heating an anonymous communication,

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<v Speaker 1>and in short, to pass through all those phases of

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<v Speaker 1>contradiction and indecision, to which I suppose very few hurried

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<v Speaker 1>people are strangers. Still, the reference to provis by name

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<v Speaker 1>mastered everything I reasoned, as I had reasoned already without

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<v Speaker 1>knowing it. If that be reasoning in case any harm

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<v Speaker 1>should befall him through my not going, how could I

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<v Speaker 1>ever forgive myself. It was dark before we got down,

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<v Speaker 1>and the journey seemed long and dreary to me, who

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<v Speaker 1>could see little of it inside, and who could not

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<v Speaker 1>go outside in my disabled state. Avoiding the blue boar,

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<v Speaker 1>I put up at an inn of minor reputation down

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<v Speaker 1>the town and ordered some dinner. While it was I

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<v Speaker 1>was preparing, I went to set his house and inquired

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<v Speaker 1>for miss Havisham. She was still very ill, though considered

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<v Speaker 1>something better. My inn had once been a part of

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<v Speaker 1>an ancient ecclesiastical house, and I dined in a little

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<v Speaker 1>octagonal common room like a font. As I was not

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<v Speaker 1>able to cut my dinner, the old landlord, with a

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<v Speaker 1>shining bald head, did it for me, this bringing us

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<v Speaker 1>into conversation. He was so good as to entertain me

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<v Speaker 1>with my own story, of course, with a popular feature

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<v Speaker 1>that Pumblechuk was my earliest benefactor and the founder of

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<v Speaker 1>my fortunes. Do you know the young man, said? I

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<v Speaker 1>know him, repeated the landlord. Ever since he was and

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<v Speaker 1>no height at all? Does he ever come back to

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<v Speaker 1>this neighborhood? Ay, he comes back, said the landlord, to

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<v Speaker 1>his great friends now and again, and gives the cold

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<v Speaker 1>shoulder to the man that made him. What man is

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<v Speaker 1>that him that I speak of, said the landlord, Mister Pumblechuk.

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<v Speaker 1>Is he ungrateful to no one else? No doubt he

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<v Speaker 1>would be if he could returned the Landlord. But he can't.

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<v Speaker 1>And why because Pumblechuk done everything for him? Does Pumblechuk

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<v Speaker 1>say so? Say so? Replied the Landlord. He hain't no

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<v Speaker 1>call to say so. But does he say so? It

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<v Speaker 1>would turn a man's blood to white wine vinigar to

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<v Speaker 1>hear him tell of it, Sir, said the landlord. I thought, Yet, Joe,

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<v Speaker 1>dear Joe, you never tell of it. Long suffering and

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<v Speaker 1>loving Joe, you never complain, nor you sweet tempered biddy.

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<v Speaker 1>Your appetite's been touched like by your accident, said the Landlord,

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<v Speaker 1>glancing at the bandage arm under my coat. Try a

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<v Speaker 1>tenderer beat. No thank you, I replied, turning from the

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<v Speaker 1>table to brood over the fire. I can eat no more.

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<v Speaker 1>Please take it away. I had never been struck at

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<v Speaker 1>so keenly for my thanklessness to Joe as through the

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<v Speaker 1>brazen impostor Pumblechook, the falser He, the truer Joe, the

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<v Speaker 1>meaner he, the nobler Joe. My heart was deeply and

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<v Speaker 1>most deservedly humbled. As I mused over the fire for

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<v Speaker 1>an hour or more, the striking of the clock aroused me,

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<v Speaker 1>but not from my dejection or remorse, and I got

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<v Speaker 1>up and had my coat fastened round my neck, and

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<v Speaker 1>went out. I had previously sought in my pockets for

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<v Speaker 1>the letter, that I might refer to it again, but

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<v Speaker 1>I could not find it, and was uneasy to think

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<v Speaker 1>that it must have been dropped in the straw of

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<v Speaker 1>the coach. I knew very well, however, that the appointed

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<v Speaker 1>place was the little sluice house by the lime kiln

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<v Speaker 1>on the marshes. And the hour nine towards the marshes.

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<v Speaker 1>I now went straight, having no time to spare. End

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