[Great Expectations by Charles Dickens]@TWC D-Link bookGreat Expectations ChapterXXIX
19/24
On meeting my eye, he said plainly, by a momentary and silent pause in that attitude, "Indeed? Singular!" and then put the handkerchief to its right use with wonderful effect. Miss Havisham had seen him as soon as I, and was (like everybody else) afraid of him.
She made a strong attempt to compose herself, and stammered that he was as punctual as ever. "As punctual as ever," he repeated, coming up to us.
"(How do you do, Pip? Shall I give you a ride, Miss Havisham? Once round ?) And so you are here, Pip ?" I told him when I had arrived, and how Miss Havisham had wished me to come and see Estella.
To which he replied, "Ah! Very fine young lady!" Then he pushed Miss Havisham in her chair before him, with one of his large hands, and put the other in his trousers-pocket as if the pocket were full of secrets. "Well, Pip! How often have you seen Miss Estella before ?" said he, when he came to a stop. "How often ?" "Ah! How many times? Ten thousand times ?" "Oh! Certainly not so many." "Twice ?" "Jaggers," interposed Miss Havisham, much to my relief, "leave my Pip alone, and go with him to your dinner." He complied, and we groped our way down the dark stairs together.
While we were still on our way to those detached apartments across the paved yard at the back, he asked me how often I had seen Miss Havisham eat and drink; offering me a breadth of choice, as usual, between a hundred times and once. I considered, and said, "Never." "And never will, Pip," he retorted, with a frowning smile.
<<Back Index Next>> D-Link book Top TWC mobile books
|