Chapter 37

Great Expectations

by Charles Dickens

Deeming Sunday the best day for taking Mr. Wemmick's Walworth
sentiments, I devoted the next ensuing Sunday afternoon to a
pilgrimage to the Castle. On arriving before the battlements, I
found the Union Jack flying and the drawbridge up; but undeterred by
this show of defiance and resistance, I rang at the gate, and was
admitted in a most pacific manner by the Aged.

"My son, sir," said the old man, after securing the drawbridge,
"rather had it in his mind that you might happen to drop in, and he
left word that he would soon be home from his afternoon's walk. He
is very regular in his walks, is my son. Very regular in everything,
is my son."

I nodded at the old gentleman as Wemmick himself might have
nodded, and we went in and sat down by the fireside.

"You made acquaintance with my son, sir," said the old man, in
his chirping way, while he warmed his hands at the blaze, "at his
office, I expect?" I nodded. "Hah! I have heerd that my son is a
wonderful hand at his business, sir?" I nodded hard. "Yes; so they
tell me. His business is the Law?" I nodded harder. "Which makes
it more surprising in my son," said the old man, "for he was not
brought up to the Law, but to the Wine-Coopering."

Curious to know how the old gentleman stood informed concerning
the reputation of Mr. Jaggers, I roared that name at him. He threw
me into the greatest confusion by laughing heartily and replying in a
very sprightly manner, "No, to be sure; you're right." And to this
hour I have not the faintest notion what he meant, or what joke he
thought I had made.

As I could not sit there nodding at him perpetually, without
making some other attempt to interest him, I shouted at inquiry
whether his own calling in life had been "the Wine-Coopering." By
dint of straining that term out of myself several times and tapping
the old gentleman on the chest to associate it with him, I at last
succeeded in making my meaning understood.

"No," said the old gentleman; "the warehousing, the warehousing.
First, over yonder;" he appeared to mean up the chimney, but I
believe he intended to refer me to Liverpool; "and then in the City
of London here. However, having an infirmity - for I am hard of
hearing, sir--"

I expressed in pantomime the greatest astonishment.

" - Yes, hard of hearing; having that infirmity coming upon me,
my son he went into the Law, and he took charge of me, and he by
little and little made out this elegant and beautiful property. But
returning to what you said, you know," pursued the old man, again
laughing heartily, "what I say is, No to be sure; you're right."

I was modestly wondering whether my utmost ingenuity would have
enabled me to say anything that would have amused him half as much as
this imaginary pleasantry, when I was startled by a sudden click in
the wall on one side of the chimney, and the ghostly tumbling open of
a little wooden flap with "John" upon it. The old man, following my
eyes, cried with great triumph, "My son's come home!" and we both
went out to the drawbridge.

It was worth any money to see Wemmick waving a salute to me from
the other side of the moat, when we might have shaken hands across it
with the greatest ease. The Aged was so delighted to work the
drawbridge, that I made no offer to assist him, but stood quiet until
Wemmick had come across, and had presented me to Miss Skiffins: a
lady by whom he was accompanied.

Miss Skiffins was of a wooden appearance, and was, like her
escort, in the post-office branch of the service. She might have
been some two or three years younger than Wemmick, and I judged her
to stand possessed of portable property. The cut of her dress from
the waist upward, both before and behind, made her figure very like a
boy's kite; and I might have pronounced her gown a little too
decidedly orange, and her gloves a little too intensely green. But
she seemed to be a good sort of fellow, and showed a high regard for
the Aged. I was not long in discovering that she was a frequent
visitor at the Castle; for, on our going in, and my complimenting
Wemmick on his ingenious contrivance for announcing himself to the
Aged, he begged me to give my attention for a moment to the other
side of the chimney, and disappeared. Presently another click came,
and another little door tumbled open with "Miss Skiffins" on it; then
Miss Skiffins shut up and John tumbled open; then Miss Skiffins and
John both tumbled open together, and finally shut up together. On
Wemmick's return from working these mechanical appliances, I
expressed the great admiration with which I regarded them, and he
said, "Well, you know, they're both pleasant and useful to the Aged.
And by George, sir, it's a thing worth mentioning, that of all the
people who come to this gate, the secret of those pulls is only known
to the Aged, Miss Skiffins, and me!"

"And Mr. Wemmick made them," added Miss Skiffins, "with his own
hands out of his own head."

While Miss Skiffins was taking off her bonnet (she retained her
green gloves during the evening as an outward and visible sign that
there was company), Wemmick invited me to take a walk with him round
the property, and see how the island looked in wintertime. Thinking
that he did this to give me an opportunity of taking his Walworth
sentiments, I seized the opportunity as soon as we were out of the
Castle.

Having thought of the matter with care, I approached my subject
as if I had never hinted at it before. I informed Wemmick that I was
anxious in behalf of Herbert Pocket, and I told him how we had first
met, and how we had fought. I glanced at Herbert's home, and at his
character, and at his having no means but such as he was dependent on
his father for: those, uncertain and unpunctual.

I alluded to the advantages I had derived in my first rawness
and ignorance from his society, and I confessed that I feared I had
but ill repaid them, and that he might have done better without me
and my expectations. Keeping Miss Havisham in the background at a
great distance, I still hinted at the possibility of my having
competed with him in his prospects, and at the certainty of his
possessing a generous soul, and being far above any mean distrusts,
retaliations, or designs. For all these reasons (I told Wemmick),
and because he was my young companion and friend, and I had a great
affection for him, I wished my own good fortune to reflect some rays
upon him, and therefore I sought advice from Wemmick's experience and
knowledge of men and affairs, how I could best try with my resources
to help Herbert to some present income - say of a hundred a year, to
keep him in good hope and heart - and gradually to buy him on to some
small partnership. I begged Wemmick, in conclusion, to understand
that my help must always be rendered without Herbert's knowledge or
suspicion, and that there was no one else in the world with whom I
could advise. I wound up by laying my hand upon his shoulder, and
saying, "I can't help confiding in you, though I know it must be
troublesome to you; but that is your fault, in having ever brought me
here."

Wemmick was silent for a little while, and then said with a kind
of start, "Well you know, Mr. Pip, I must tell you one thing. This
is devilish good of you."

"Say you'll help me to be good then," said I.

"Ecod," replied Wemmick, shaking his head, "that's not my
trade."

"Nor is this your trading-place," said I.

"You are right," he returned. "You hit the nail on the head.
Mr. Pip, I'll put on my considering-cap, and I think all you want to
do, may be done by degrees. Skiffins (that's her brother) is an
accountant and agent. I'll look him up and go to work for you."

"I thank you ten thousand times."

"On the contrary," said he, "I thank you, for though we are
strictly in our private and personal capacity, still it may be
mentioned that there are Newgate cobwebs about, and it brushes them
away."

After a little further conversation to the same effect, we
returned into the Castle where we found Miss Skiffins preparing tea.
The responsible duty of making the toast was delegated to the Aged,
and that excellent old gentleman was so intent upon it that he seemed
to me in some danger of melting his eyes. It was no nominal meal
that we were going to make, but a vigorous reality. The Aged
prepared such a haystack of buttered toast, that I could scarcely see
him over it as it simmered on an iron stand hooked on to the top-bar;
while Miss Skiffins brewed such a jorum of tea, that the pig in the
back premises became strongly excited, and repeatedly expressed his
desire to participate in the entertainment.

The flag had been struck, and the gun had been fired, at the
right moment of time, and I felt as snugly cut off from the rest of
Walworth as if the moat were thirty feet wide by as many deep.
Nothing disturbed the tranquillity of the Castle, but the occasional
tumbling open of John and Miss Skiffins: which little doors were a
prey to some spasmodic infirmity that made me sympathetically
uncomfortable until I got used to it. I inferred from the methodical
nature of Miss Skiffins's arrangements that she made tea there every
Sunday night; and I rather suspected that a classic brooch she wore,
representing the profile of an undesirable female with a very
straight nose and a very new moon, was a piece of portable property
that had been given her by Wemmick.

We ate the whole of the toast, and drank tea in proportion, and
it was delightful to see how warm and greasy we all got after it.
The Aged especially, might have passed for some clean old chief of a
savage tribe, just oiled. After a short pause for repose, Miss
Skiffins - in the absence of the little servant who, it seemed,
retired to the bosom of her family on Sunday afternoons - washed up
the tea-things, in a trifling lady-like amateur manner that
compromised none of us. Then, she put on her gloves again, and we
drew round the fire, and Wemmick said, "Now Aged Parent, tip us the
paper."

Wemmick explained to me while the Aged got his spectacles out,
that this was according to custom, and that it gave the old gentleman
infinite satisfaction to read the news aloud. "I won't offer an
apology," said Wemmick, "for he isn't capable of many pleasures - are
you, Aged P.?"

"All right, John, all right," returned the old man, seeing
himself spoken to.

"Only tip him a nod every now and then when he looks off his
paper," said Wemmick, "and he'll be as happy as a king. We are all
attention, Aged One."

"All right, John, all right!" returned the cheerful old man: so
busy and so pleased, that it really was quite charming.

The Aged's reading reminded me of the classes at Mr. Wopsle's
great-aunt's, with the pleasanter peculiarity that it seemed to come
through a keyhole. As he wanted the candles close to him, and as he
was always on the verge of putting either his head or the newspaper
into them, he required as much watching as a powder-mill. But Wemmick
was equally untiring and gentle in his vigilance, and the Aged read
on, quite unconscious of his many rescues. Whenever he looked at us,
we all expressed the greatest interest and amazement, and nodded
until he resumed again.

As Wemmick and Miss Skiffins sat side by side, and as I sat in a
shadowy corner, I observed a slow and gradual elongation of Mr.
Wemmick's mouth, powerfully suggestive of his slowly and gradually
stealing his arm round Miss Skiffins's waist. In course of time I
saw his hand appear on the other side of Miss Skiffins; but at that
moment Miss Skiffins neatly stopped him with the green glove, unwound
his arm again as if it were an article of dress, and with the
greatest deliberation laid it on the table before her. Miss
Skiffins's composure while she did this was one of the most
remarkable sights I have ever seen, and if I could have thought the
act consistent with abstraction of mind, I should have deemed that
Miss Skiffins performed it mechanically.

By-and-by, I noticed Wemmick's arm beginning to disappear again,
and gradually fading out of view. Shortly afterwards, his mouth
began to widen again. After an interval of suspense on my part that
was quite enthralling and almost painful, I saw his hand appear on
the other side of Miss Skiffins. Instantly, Miss Skiffins stopped it
with the neatness of a placid boxer, took off that girdle or cestus
as before, and laid it on the table. Taking the table to represent
the path of virtue, I am justified in stating that during the whole
time of the Aged's reading, Wemmick's arm was straying from the path
of virtue and being recalled to it by Miss Skiffins.

At last, the Aged read himself into a light slumber. This was
the time for Wemmick to produce a little kettle, a tray of glasses,
and a black bottle with a porcelain-topped cork, representing some
clerical dignitary of a rubicund and social aspect. With the aid of
these appliances we all had something warm to drink: including the
Aged, who was soon awake again. Miss Skiffins mixed, and I observed
that she and Wemmick drank out of one glass. Of course I knew better
than to offer to see Miss Skiffins home, and under the circumstances
I thought I had best go first: which I did, taking a cordial leave
of the Aged, and having passed a pleasant evening.

Before a week was out, I received a note from Wemmick, dated
Walworth, stating that he hoped he had made some advance in that
matter appertaining to our private and personal capacities, and that
he would be glad if I could come and see him again upon it. So, I
went out to Walworth again, and yet again, and yet again, and I saw
him by appointment in the City several times, but never held any
communication with him on the subject in or near Little Britain. The
upshot was, that we found a worthy young merchant or shipping-broker,
not long established in business, who wanted intelligent help, and
who wanted capital, and who in due course of time and receipt would
want a partner. Between him and me, secret articles were signed of
which Herbert was the subject, and I paid him half of my five hundred
pounds down, and engaged for sundry other payments: some, to fall
due at certain dates out of my income: some, contingent on my coming
into my property. Miss Skiffins's brother conducted the negotiation.
Wemmick pervaded it throughout, but never appeared in it.

The whole business was so cleverly managed, that Herbert had not
the least suspicion of my hand being in it. I never shall forget the
radiant face with which he came home one afternoon, and told me, as a
mighty piece of news, of his having fallen in with one Clarriker (the
young merchant's name), and of Clarriker's having shown an
extraordinary inclination towards him, and of his belief that the
opening had come at last. Day by day as his hopes grew stronger and
his face brighter, he must have thought me a more and more
affectionate friend, for I had the greatest difficulty in restraining
my tears of triumph when I saw him so happy. At length, the thing
being done, and he having that day entered Clarriker's House, and he
having talked to me for a whole evening in a flush of pleasure and
success, I did really cry in good earnest when I went to bed, to
think that my expectations had done some good to somebody.

A great event in my life, the turning point of my life, now
opens on my view. But, before I proceed to narrate it, and before I
pass on to all the changes it involved, I must give one chapter to
Estella. It is not much to give to the theme that so long filled my
heart.