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<v Speaker 1>Great 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>Skiffin'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 Clerriker 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 recved, 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

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<v Speaker 1>Whalworth 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 course,

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

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<v Speaker 1>of you. 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

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<v Speaker 1>doubt where it had seemed to me in the many

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<v Speaker 1>anxious considerations, I had given the point almost indifferent what

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<v Speaker 1>port we made for Hamburg, Rotterdam Antwerp. The place signified

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

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<v Speaker 1>steamer that fell on our way and would take us

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<v Speaker 1>up would do. I had always proposed myself to get

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<v Speaker 1>him well down the river in the boat, certainly well

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<v Speaker 1>beyond Gravesend, which was a critical place for search or inquiry.

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<v Speaker 1>If suspicion were afoot, as foreign steamers would leave London

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<v Speaker 1>at about the time of high water. Our plan would

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<v Speaker 1>be to get down the river by a previous ebbtide

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<v Speaker 1>and lie by in some quiet spot until we could

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<v Speaker 1>pull off to one the time when one would be due.

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<v Speaker 1>Where we lay wherever that might be, could be calculated

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<v Speaker 1>pretty nearly if we made inquiries beforehand. Herbert assented to

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<v Speaker 1>all this, and we went out immediately after breakfast to

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<v Speaker 1>pursue our investigations. We found that a steamer for Hamburg

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<v Speaker 1>was likely to suit our purpose best, and we directed

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<v Speaker 1>our thoughts chiefly to that vessel. But we noted down

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<v Speaker 1>what other foreign steamers would leave London with the same tide,

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<v Speaker 1>and we satisfied ourselves that we knew the build and

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<v Speaker 1>color of each. We then separated for a few hours.

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<v Speaker 1>I to get at once such passports as were necessary,

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<v Speaker 1>Herbert to seized Star Top at his lodgings. We both

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<v Speaker 1>did what we had to do without any hindrance, and

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<v Speaker 1>when we met again at one o'clock reported it done. I,

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<v Speaker 1>for my part, was prepared with passports. Herbert had seen

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<v Speaker 1>Star Top and he was more than ready to join

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<v Speaker 1>those two should pull a pair of oars. We settled,

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<v Speaker 1>and I would steer. Our charge would be sitter and

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<v Speaker 1>keep quiet. As speed was not our object, we should

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<v Speaker 1>make way enough. We arranged that Herbert should not come

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<v Speaker 1>home to dinner before going to mill Pond Bank that evening,

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

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<v Speaker 1>That he should prepare provis to come down to some

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<v Speaker 1>stairs hard by the house on Wednesday when he saw

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<v Speaker 1>us approach, and not sooner. That all the arrangements with

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

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<v Speaker 1>be communicated with no more in any way until we

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

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

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<v Speaker 1>of our chambers with my key, I found a letter

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<v Speaker 1>in the box directed to me, A very dirty letter,

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<v Speaker 1>though not ill written. It had been delivered by hand,

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

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

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<v Speaker 1>Marshes tonight 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 miss the afternoon coach,

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<v Speaker 1>which would take me down in time for tonight tomorrow night.

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<v Speaker 1>I could not think of going, for it would be

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<v Speaker 1>too close upon the time of the flight, and again

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<v Speaker 1>for anything I knew the proffered information might have some

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

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<v Speaker 1>ample time for consideration, I believe I should still gone.

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<v Speaker 1>Having hardly any time for consideration, my watch showing me

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<v Speaker 1>that the coach started within half an hour, I resolved

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

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<v Speaker 1>the reference to my uncle provis that coming on Wemmick's

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

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

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

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

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<v Speaker 1>injunction to me to be secret got mechanically into my mind.

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<v Speaker 1>Yielding to it in 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, off

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

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

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

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

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

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<v Speaker 1>When I came to myself far 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 preparing,

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<v Speaker 1>I went to Satis house and inquired for Miss Havisham.

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<v Speaker 1>She was still very ill, though considered something better. My

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<v Speaker 1>inn had once been a part of an ancient ecclesiastical house,

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<v Speaker 1>and I dined in a little octagonal common room like

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<v Speaker 1>a font. As I was not able to cut my dinner.

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<v Speaker 1>The old landlord, with a shining bald he head did

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<v Speaker 1>it for me, this bringing us into conversation. He was

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<v Speaker 1>so good as to entertain me with my own story,

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<v Speaker 1>of course, with a popular feature that Pumblechuk was my

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<v Speaker 1>earliest benefactor and the founder of my fortunes. Do you

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<v Speaker 1>know the young man said? I know him, repeated the Landlord.

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<v Speaker 1>Ever since he was and no height at all. Does

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<v Speaker 1>he ever come back to this neighborhood? Aye, he comes back,

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<v Speaker 1>said the Landlord, to his great friends now and again,

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<v Speaker 1>and gives the cold shoulder to the man that made him.

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<v Speaker 1>What man is that him that I speak of, said

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<v Speaker 1>the landlord. Mister Pumblechuk. Is he ungrateful to no one else,

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<v Speaker 1>No doubt he would be if he could, returned the Landlord.

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<v Speaker 1>But he can't. And why because Pumblechuk done everything for him?

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<v Speaker 1>Does Pummelchuk say so? Say so? Replied the Landlord. He

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<v Speaker 1>hain't no call to say so. But does he say so?

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

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<v Speaker 1>to hear him tell of it, sir, said the Landlord.

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<v Speaker 1>I thought, Yet, Joe, dear Joe, you never tell of it.

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<v Speaker 1>Long suffering and loving Joe, you never complain, nor you

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<v Speaker 1>sweet tempered biddy, your appetite's been touched like by your accident,

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<v Speaker 1>said the landlord, glancing at the bandaged arm under my coat.

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<v Speaker 1>Try a tenderer bit. No thank you, I replied, turning

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<v Speaker 1>from the table to brood over the fire. I can

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<v Speaker 1>eat no more, Please take it away. I had never

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<v Speaker 1>been struck at so keenly for my thanklessness to Joe

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<v Speaker 1>as through the brazen impostor pumblechook, the falser he, the

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<v Speaker 1>truer Joe, the meaner he, the nobler Joe. My heart

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<v Speaker 1>was deeply and most deservedly humbled. As I mused over

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<v Speaker 1>the fire for an hour or more, the striking of

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<v Speaker 1>the clock aroused me, but not from my dejection or remorse,

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<v Speaker 1>and I got up and had my coat fastened round

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<v Speaker 1>my neck and went out. I had previously sought in

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<v Speaker 1>my pockets for the letter, that I might refer to

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<v Speaker 1>it again, but I could not find it, and was

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<v Speaker 1>uneasy to think that it must have been dropped in

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<v Speaker 1>the straw of the coach. I knew very well, however,

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<v Speaker 1>that the appointed place was the little sluice house by

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<v Speaker 1>the lime kiln on the marshes, and the hour nine

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<v Speaker 1>towards the marshes I now went straight, having no time

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<v Speaker 1>to spare. End of chapter