"No," said he; "not till it got about that there was no protection on
the premises, and it come to be considered dangerous, with convicts and
Tag and Rag and Bobtail going up and down. And then I was recommended to
the place as a man who could give another man as good as he brought, and
I took it. It's easier than bellowsing and hammering.--That's loaded,
that is."
My eye had been caught by a gun with a brass-bound stock over the
chimney-piece, and his eye had followed mine.
"Well," said I, not desirous of more conversation, "shall I go up to
Miss Havisham?"
"Burn me, if I know!" he retorted, first stretching himself and then
shaking himself; "my orders ends here, young master. I give this here
bell a rap with this here hammer, and you go on along the passage till
you meet somebody."
"I am expected, I believe?"
"Burn me twice over, if I can say!" said he.
Upon that, I turned down the long passage which I had first trodden in
my thick boots, and he made his bell sound. At the end of the passage,
while the bell was still reverberating, I found Sarah Pocket, who
appeared to have now become constitutionally green and yellow by reason
of me.
"Oh!" said she. "You, is it, Mr. Pip?"
"It is, Miss Pocket. I am glad to tell you that Mr. Pocket and family
are all well."
"Are they any wiser?" said Sarah, with a dismal shake of the head; "they
had better be wiser, than well. Ah, Matthew, Matthew! You know your way,
sir?"
Tolerably, for I had gone up the staircase in the dark, many a time. I
ascended it now, in lighter boots than of yore, and tapped in my old
way at the door of Miss Havisham's room. "Pip's rap," I heard her say,
immediately; "come in, Pip."
She was in her chair near the old table, in the old dress, with her two
hands crossed on her stick, her chin resting on them, and her eyes on
the fire. Sitting near her, with the white shoe, that had never been
worn, in her hand, and her head bent as she looked at it, was an elegant
lady whom I had never seen.
"Come in, Pip," Miss Havisham continued to mutter, without looking round
or up; "come in, Pip, how do you do, Pip? so you kiss my hand as if I
were a queen, eh?--Well?"