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<v Speaker 1>Chapter fifty of Great Expectations. This is a 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. My hands had been

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

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

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

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<v Speaker 1>It was very painful, but the flames had set in

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<v Speaker 1>that direction, and I felt, thankfully it was no worse.

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<v Speaker 1>My right hand was not so badly burnt, but that

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<v Speaker 1>I could move the fingers. It was bandaged, of course,

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<v Speaker 1>but much less inconveniently than my left hand and arm.

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<v Speaker 1>Those I carried in a slip, and I could only

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

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<v Speaker 1>and fastened at the neck. My hair had been caught

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

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<v Speaker 1>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, 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 become parable 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 it? How did she murder?

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

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<v Speaker 1>merrit it quite so terrible a name, said Herbert. But

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

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<v Speaker 1>and the reputation of that defense first made his name

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<v Speaker 1>known to Provis. It was another and a stronger woman

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<v Speaker 1>who was the victim, and there had been a struggle

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<v Speaker 1>in a barn. Who began it, or how fair it

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<v Speaker 1>was or how unfair, may be doubtful, but how it

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<v Speaker 1>ended is certainly not doubtful. For the victim was found throttled.

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<v Speaker 1>Was the woman brought in guilty? No, she was acquitted.

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<v Speaker 1>My poor handel I hurt you? It is impossible to

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<v Speaker 1>be gentler, Herbert? Yes, what else? The acquitted young woman

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<v Speaker 1>in ProBiS had a little child, a little child of

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<v Speaker 1>whom Provis was exceedingly fond. On the evening of the

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<v Speaker 1>very night when the object of her jealousy was strangled,

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<v Speaker 1>as I tell you, the young woman presented herself before

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<v Speaker 1>Provis for one moment and swore that she would destroy

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<v Speaker 1>the child which was in her possession, and he should

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<v Speaker 1>never see it again. Then she vanished. There's the worst

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<v Speaker 1>arm comfortably in the sling once more, And now there

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<v Speaker 1>remains but the right hand, which is a far easier job.

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<v Speaker 1>I can do it better by this light than by

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<v Speaker 1>a stronger for my hand is steadiest when I don't

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<v Speaker 1>see the poor blistered patches too distinctly. You don't think

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<v Speaker 1>your breathing is effected, my dear boy. You seem to

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<v Speaker 1>breathe quickly. Perhaps I do, Herbert. Did the woman keep

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<v Speaker 1>her oath? There comes the darkest part of Provis's life.

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<v Speaker 1>She did, that is, he says she did. Why, of course,

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<v Speaker 1>my dear boy, returned Herbert in a tone of surprise,

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<v Speaker 1>and again bending forward to get a nearer look at me,

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<v Speaker 1>he says it all. I have no other information. No

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<v Speaker 1>to be sure now, whether pursued Herbert he had used

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

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<v Speaker 1>child's mother, well, Provis doesn't say. But she had shared

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<v Speaker 1>some four or five years of the wretched life he

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<v Speaker 1>described to us at this fireside, and he seems to

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<v Speaker 1>have felt pity for her and forbearance towards her. Therefore,

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<v Speaker 1>fearing he should be called upon to depose about this

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<v Speaker 1>destroyed che child and so be the cause of her death,

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<v Speaker 1>he hid himself much as he grieved for the child,

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<v Speaker 1>kept himself dark, as he says, out of the way

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<v Speaker 1>and out of the trial, and was only vaguely talked

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<v Speaker 1>of as a certain man called Abel, out of whom

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<v Speaker 1>the jealousy arose. After the acquittal, she disappeared, and thus

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<v Speaker 1>he lost the child and the child's mother. I want

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<v Speaker 1>to ask a moment, my dear boy, and I have

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<v Speaker 1>done that evil genius Compisoon, the worst of scoundrels among

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

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<v Speaker 1>at that time and of his reasons for doing so,

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<v Speaker 1>of course afterwards held the knowledge over his head as

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<v Speaker 1>a means of keeping him poorer and working him harder.

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<v Speaker 1>It was clear last night that this barbed the point

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<v Speaker 1>of Probus's animosity. I want to know, said I, and

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<v Speaker 1>particularly Herbert, whether he told you when this happened. Particularly,

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<v Speaker 1>let me remember then what he said as to that

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<v Speaker 1>his impression was a round score a year ago, and

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<v Speaker 1>almost directly after I took up with Compusoen. How old

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<v Speaker 1>were you when you came upon him in the little churchyard?

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<v Speaker 1>I think in my seventh year. Ay, it had happened

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<v Speaker 1>some three or four years. Then, he said, and you

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<v Speaker 1>brought into his mind the little girl so tragically lost,

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<v Speaker 1>who would have been about your age, Herbert said I,

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<v Speaker 1>after a short silence, in a hurried way. Can you

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<v Speaker 1>see me best by the light of the window or

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<v Speaker 1>the light of the fire. By the firelight, answered Herbert,

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<v Speaker 1>coming close again, Look at me, I do. Look at you,

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

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<v Speaker 1>dear boy. You are not afraid that I am in

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<v Speaker 1>any fever, or that my head is much disordered by

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<v Speaker 1>the accident of last night, No, my dear boy, said Herbert,

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<v Speaker 1>after taking time to examine me. You are rather excited,

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<v Speaker 1>but you are quite yourself. I know I am quite myself.

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<v Speaker 1>And the man we have in hiding down the river

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<v Speaker 1>is Estella's father. End of chapter