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<v Speaker 1>Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, chapter fifty. My hands had

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<v Speaker 1>been dressed twice or thrice in the night, and again

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<v Speaker 1>in the morning. My left arm was a good deal

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<v Speaker 1>burned to the elbow and less severely as high as

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<v Speaker 1>the shoulder. It was very painful, but the flames had

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<v Speaker 1>set in that direction, and I felt thankful it was

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<v Speaker 1>no worse. My right hand was not so badly burnt,

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<v Speaker 1>but that I could move the fingers. It was bandaged,

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<v Speaker 1>of course, but much less inconveniently than my left hand

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<v Speaker 1>and arm. Those I carried in a sling, and I

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<v Speaker 1>could only wear my coat like a cloak, loose over

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<v Speaker 1>my shoulders and fastened at the neck. My hair had

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<v Speaker 1>been caught by the fire, but not my head or face.

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<v Speaker 1>When Herbert had been down to Hammersmith and seen his father,

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<v Speaker 1>he came back to me at our chambers and devoted

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<v Speaker 1>the day to attending on me. He was the kindness

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<v Speaker 1>of nurses, and at stated times took off the bandages

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<v Speaker 1>and steeped them in the cooling liquid that was kept ready,

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<v Speaker 1>and put them on again with a patient tenderness that

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<v Speaker 1>I was deeply grateful for. At first, as I lay

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<v Speaker 1>quiet on the sofa. I found it painfully difficult, I

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<v Speaker 1>might say impossible, to get rid of the impression of

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<v Speaker 1>the glare of the flames, their hurry and noise, and

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<v Speaker 1>the fierce burning smell. If I dozed for a minute,

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<v Speaker 1>I was awakened by Miss Havisham's cries, and by her

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<v Speaker 1>running at me with all that height of fire above

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<v Speaker 1>her head. This pain of the mind was much harder

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<v Speaker 1>to strive against than any bodily pain I suffered, And Herbert,

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<v Speaker 1>seeing that, did his utmost to hold my attention engaged.

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<v Speaker 1>Neither of us spoke of the boat, but we both

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<v Speaker 1>thought of it. That was made apparent by our avoidance

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<v Speaker 1>of the subject, and by our agreeing without agreement, to

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<v Speaker 1>make my recovery of the use of my hands a

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<v Speaker 1>question of so many hours, not of so many weeks.

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<v Speaker 1>My first question when I saw Herbert had been, of course,

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<v Speaker 1>whether all was well down the river, As he replied

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<v Speaker 1>in the affirmative with perfect confidence and cheerfulness. We did

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<v Speaker 1>not resume the subject until the day was wearing away.

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<v Speaker 1>But then, as Herbert changed the bandages, more by the

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<v Speaker 1>light of the fire than by the outer light, he

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<v Speaker 1>went back to it spontaneously I sat with Probus last night, Handel,

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<v Speaker 1>two good hours. Where was Clara, dear little thing? Said Herbert.

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<v Speaker 1>She was up and down with gruff and grim all

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<v Speaker 1>the evening. He was perpetually pegging at the floor the

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<v Speaker 1>moment she left his sight. I doubt if he can

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<v Speaker 1>hold out long, though, what with rum and pepper and

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<v Speaker 1>pepper and rum. I should think his pegging must be

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<v Speaker 1>nearly over, and then you will be married, Herbert, How

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<v Speaker 1>can I take care of the dear child? Otherwise? Lay

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<v Speaker 1>your arm out upon the back of the sofa, my

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<v Speaker 1>dear boy, and I'll sit down here and get the

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<v Speaker 1>bandage off so gradually that you shall not know when

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<v Speaker 1>it comes. I was speaking of provis. Do you know, Handel,

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<v Speaker 1>he improves, I said to you. I thought he was

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<v Speaker 1>softened when I last saw him. So you did, and

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<v Speaker 1>so he is. He was very communicative last night and

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<v Speaker 1>told me more of his life. You remember his breaking

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<v Speaker 1>off here about some woman that he had had great

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<v Speaker 1>trouble with? Did I hurt you? I had started, but

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<v Speaker 1>not under his touch. His words had given me a start.

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<v Speaker 1>I had forgotten that, Herbert, but I remember it now

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<v Speaker 1>you speak of it. Well. He went into that part

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<v Speaker 1>of his life, and a dark, wild part it is.

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<v Speaker 1>Shall I tell you? Or would it were you? Just

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<v Speaker 1>now tell me? By all means every word. Herbert bent

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<v Speaker 1>forward to look at me more nearly as if my

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<v Speaker 1>reply had been rather more hurried or more eager than

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<v Speaker 1>he could quite account for. Your head is cool, he said,

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<v Speaker 1>touching it quite said, I tell me what promise, said

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<v Speaker 1>my dear Herbert. It seems, said Herbert, there's a bandage off,

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<v Speaker 1>most charmingly, and now comes the cool one. Makes you

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<v Speaker 1>shrink at first, my poor dear fellow, don't it, but

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<v Speaker 1>it will be comfortable presently. It seems that the woman

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<v Speaker 1>was a young woman, and a jealous woman, and a

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<v Speaker 1>revengeful woman. Revengeful handle to the last degree, to what

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<v Speaker 1>last degree? Murder? Does it strike too cold on that

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<v Speaker 1>sensitive place? I don't feel. How did she murder? Whom

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<v Speaker 1>did she murder? Why? The deed may not have merited

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<v Speaker 1>quite so terrible a name, said Herbert, But she was

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<v Speaker 1>tried for it, and mister Jaggers defended her, and the

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<v Speaker 1>reputation of that defense first made his name known. To

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<v Speaker 1>provis It was another and a stronger woman who was

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<v Speaker 1>the victim, and there had been a struggle in a barn.

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<v Speaker 1>Who began it, or how fair it was or how unfair,

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<v Speaker 1>may be doubtful, but how it ended is certainly not doubtful.

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<v Speaker 1>For the victim was found throttled. Was the woman brought

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<v Speaker 1>in guilty? No, she was acquitted. My poor handel I

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<v Speaker 1>hurt you. It is impossible to be gentler, Herbert, Yes,

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<v Speaker 1>what else? The acquitted young woman in ProBiS had a

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<v Speaker 1>little child, a little child of whom Provis was exceedingly fond.

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<v Speaker 1>On the evening of the very night, when the object

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<v Speaker 1>of her jealousy was strangled, as I tell you, the

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<v Speaker 1>young woman presented herself before Provis for one moment and

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<v Speaker 1>swore that she would destroy the child which was in

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<v Speaker 1>her possession, and he should never see it again. Then

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<v Speaker 1>she vanished. There's the worst arm comfortably in the sling

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<v Speaker 1>once more, And now there remains but the right hand,

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<v Speaker 1>which is a far easier job. I can do it

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<v Speaker 1>better by this light than by us stronger, for my

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<v Speaker 1>hand is steadiest when I don't see the poor blistered

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<v Speaker 1>patches too distinctly. You don't think your breathing is effected,

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<v Speaker 1>my dear boy. You seem to breathe quickly, Perhaps I do, Herbert,

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<v Speaker 1>did the woman keep her oath? There comes the darkest

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<v Speaker 1>part of Provis's life. She did, that is, he says

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<v Speaker 1>she did. Why of course, my dear boy, returned Herbert,

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<v Speaker 1>in a tone of surprise, and again bending forward to

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<v Speaker 1>get a nearer look at me, He says it all.

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<v Speaker 1>I have no other information, No to be sure now,

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<v Speaker 1>whether pursued Herbert he had used the child's mother ill,

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<v Speaker 1>or whether he had used the child's mother, well, Provis

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't say. But she had shared some four or five

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<v Speaker 1>years of the wretched life he described to us at

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<v Speaker 1>this fireside, and he seems to have felt pity for

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<v Speaker 1>her and forbearance towards her. Therefore, fearing he should be

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<v Speaker 1>called upon to depose about this destroyed child and so

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<v Speaker 1>be the cause of her death, he hid himself, much

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<v Speaker 1>as he grieved for the child, kept himself dark, as

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<v Speaker 1>he says, out of the way and out of the trial,

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<v Speaker 1>and was only vaguely talked of as a certain man

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<v Speaker 1>called Abel, out of whom the jealousy arose. After the acquittal,

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<v Speaker 1>she disappeared, and thus he lost the child and the

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<v Speaker 1>child's mother. I want to ask a moment my dear boy,

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<v Speaker 1>and I have done that evil genius compysoon the worst

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<v Speaker 1>of scoundrels among many scoundrels, knowing of his keeping out

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<v Speaker 1>of the way at that time and of his reasons

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<v Speaker 1>for doing so, of course, afterwards held the knowledge over

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<v Speaker 1>his head as a means of keeping him poorer and

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<v Speaker 1>working him harder. It was clear last night that this

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<v Speaker 1>barbed the point of Probus's animosity. I want to know,

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<v Speaker 1>said I, and particularly Herbert, whether he told you when

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<v Speaker 1>this happened. Particularly, let me remember then what he said

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<v Speaker 1>as to that his impression was a round score a

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<v Speaker 1>year ago, and almost directly after I took up with Compusoin.

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<v Speaker 1>How old were you when you came upon him in

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<v Speaker 1>the little churchyard? I think in my seventh year. Ay,

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<v Speaker 1>it had happened some three or four years, then, he said,

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<v Speaker 1>and you brought into his mind the little girl so

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<v Speaker 1>tragically lost, who would have been about your age. Herbert

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<v Speaker 1>said I, after a short silence, in a hurried way.

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<v Speaker 1>Can you see me best by the light of the

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<v Speaker 1>window or the light of the fire. By the firelight,

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<v Speaker 1>answered Herbert, coming close again, look at me, I do,

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<v Speaker 1>look at you, my dear boy, touch me. I do

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<v Speaker 1>touch you, my dear boy, You are not afraid that

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<v Speaker 1>I am in any fever, or that my head is

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<v Speaker 1>much disordered by the accident of last night. No, my

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<v Speaker 1>dear boy, said Herbert, after taking time to examine me.

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<v Speaker 1>You are rather excited, but you are quite yourself. I

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<v Speaker 1>know I am quite myself, and the man we have

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<v Speaker 1>in hiding down the river is Estella's father. End of

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<v Speaker 1>chapter