远大前程-第13节

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atre，and　he　asked　immediately，

‘You　didn't　see　that　man　sitting　right　behind　you，Mr　Pip？’

I　felt　suddenly　cold．‘Who　was　he？’I　asked．

‘You　remember，Mr　Pip，that　Christmas　Day，when　you　were　a　boy？We　went　on　to　the　marshes　with　the　soldiers　and　found　the　escaped　convicts　fighting　each　other．Well，one　of　those　two　was　looking　over　your　shoulder　tonight．’

‘Which　one？’I　asked，holding　my　breath．

‘The　one　with　the　bleeding　face，’he　answered．

So　Compeyson　was　still　following　me！I　knew　Magwitch　was　in　great　danger．Later　that　evening　Herbert　and　I　discussed　the　problem，and　promised　each　other　to　be　more　careful　than　ever．

About　a　week　later　I　met　Mr　Jaggers　by　chance　in　the　street，and　he　invited　me　to　dinner　that　evening．Wemmick　was　there　too．Mr　Jaggers　told　me　Miss　Havisham　wished　to　see　me　on　business，so　I　said　I　would　go　the　next　day．

Then　Jaggers　said，‘Well，Pip！Our　friend　Drummle　has　won　a　great　prize！He　has　married　Estella！’

I　had　been　expecting　this　news　for　some　time　but　it　still　came　as　a　terrible　shock．

‘I　wonder，’continued　Jaggers，‘who　will　be　the　stronger　in　the　end，the　wife　or　the　husband？He　may　beat　her—’

‘Surely　he　isn't　wicked　enough　to　do　that！’I　cried．

‘He　may，or　he　may　not．But　she　is　certainly　more　intelligent　than　him．We　shall　see．’

Just　then　I　noticed　the　housekeeper　putting　a　dish　on　the　table．I　stared　at　her．I　had　seen　exactly　such　eyes，and　such　hands，very　recently！And　suddenly　I　was　absolutely　certain　that　this　woman　was　Estella's　mother．

Later，as　Wemmick　and　I　left　Jaggers’house　together，I　asked　him　about　his　employer's　housekeeper．He　told　me　that，many　years　before，she　had　been　jealous　of　her　husband　and　another　woman，and　had　been　accused　of　murdering　this　woman．Jaggers　was　her　lawyer，and　at　her　trial　he　managed　to　show　that　she　was　not　strong　enough　to　kill　anyone．She　was　also　suspected　of　killing　her　three－year－old　daughter，who　had　disappeared．But　because　of　Jaggers’clever　arguing，she　was　judged　innocent　of　murder．Aftef　the　trial　she　left　her　husband　and　became　Jaggers’housekeeper．

　　



　


16　　Miss　Havisham　realizes　how　Pip　has　suffered

　　

When　I　went　to　see　Miss　Havisham　the　next　day，as　she　had　requested，her　house　looked　darker　than　ever，and　I　realized　how　lonely　she　was　without　Estella．She　looked　sadly　at　me．

‘Tell　me，Pip，’she　said，stretching　out　her　hand　to　me，‘how　can　I　help　your　friend？You　said　something　about　it　last　time．

I　explained　my　agreement　with　Clarrikers　to　make　Herbert　a　partner．Nine　hundred　pounds　still　had　to　be　paid．

‘And　you　will　be　happier　if　I　pay　this？’

‘Much　happier．’

‘can't　I　help　you　yourself，Pip？’

‘There　is　nothing　you　can　do，’I　answered．

She　wrote　a　cheque　which　she　handed　to　me．‘Mr　Jaggers　will　give　you　the　money．And…here，Pip，’handing　me　another　piece　of　paper，‘here　is　a　note　with　my　name　on．If，one　day，you　can　write　under　my　name“I　forgive　her”，please　do　it．’

‘Oh　Miss　Havisham，’I　said，‘I　can　do　it　now．We　have　all　made　mistakes．I　can't　be　bitter　with　anyone．’

‘What　have　I　done，Pip！’she　cried，dropping　to　her　knees　in　front　of　me．‘I　should　never　have　brought　up　Estella　like　that，or　allowed　you　to　be　hurt！’

‘Could　I　ask　you　something　about　Estella？How　and　why　did　you　adopt　her？’

‘I　never　knew　her　parents，’she　said　quietly．‘I　asked　Jaggers　to　find　a　little　girl　for　me　to　adopt，and　he　brought　Estella　here，when　she　was　about　three．’

We　had　no　more　to　say　to　each　other，and　so　I　left．But　on　my　way　through　the　old　garden　I　had　a　strange　feeling　that　something　was　wrong，and　I　ran　back　upstairs　to　check　that　Miss　Havisham　was　all　right．As　I　opened　the　door　of　her　room，I　saw　her　sitting　close　to　the　fire．Suddenly　a　great　flame　lit　the　room．She　turned　and　rushed　towards　me，screaming，her　hair　and　clothes　on　fire．Somehow　I　managed　to　cover　her　with　my　coat　and　put　out　the　flames　with　my　hands．

I　sent　for　a　doctor，who　cleaned　her　wounds．Her　bed　was　placed　on　the　great　dining　table，where　her　wedding　cake　had　been，and　she　lay　there，covered　with　a　white　sheet，half　con…scions．I　could　not　stay，but　left　her　in　the　care　of　the　doctor　and　several　nurses，and　returned　to　London．

My　hands　and　right　arm　had　been　badly　burnt．But　al－though　I　was　in　great　pain，I　was　desperate　to　know　if　Mag－witch　was　safe．

‘Everything's　fine，’Handel，’Herbert　told　me　calmly，as　he　gently　put　bandages　on　my　hands．‘He　seems　much　pleasanter　than　before．I　actually　like　him　now．Do　you　know，yesterday　he　was　telling　me　about　his　past．Apparently　at　one　time　he　was　married　to　a　young　woman　who　was　jealous　of　an…other　woman．There　was　a　fight，　and　his　wife　killed　the　other　Luckily　for　her，she　had　a　clever　lawyer　at　her　trial，and　was　never　punished　for　the　murder．She　and　Magwitch　had　a　daughter，　who　Magwitch　dearly　loved　Both　wife　and　child　disappeared　after　the　trial，　and　he　thought　his　wife　must　have　killed　their　daughter．’

‘How　old　was　the　child？’I　asked，trying　to　control　my　excitement．

‘She　would　have　been　about　your　age，if　she　had　lived．’

‘Herbert，’　I　said，‘am　I　ill　or　mad　or　anything？’

‘No，’replied　Herbert，　after　examining　me　carefully，‘al…though　you　do　look　a　little　excited．’

‘Listen，　Herbert．Magwitch　is　Estella's　father．’

The　next　day，although　I　felt　ill　and　weak，because　of　my　burns，I　went　straight　to　Jaggers’office．He　admitted　that　Estella　was　his　housekeeper's　daughter，adopted　by　Miss　Hav…isham　to　give　her　the　chance　of　a　better　life．　But　even　he，the　great　Jaggers，did　not　know　that　Magwitch　was　Estella's　father．

　　



17　　Pip　is　close　to　death

　　

I　paid　Clarrikers　Miss　Havisham's　nine　hundred　pounds，and　felt　glad　that　Herbert's　future，at　least，　was　safe．Clarrikers　were　going　to　send　Herbert　to　India，to　open　a　new　office　there．So　while　helping　my　old　friend，I　would　be　losing　him　at　the　same　time．

Wemmick　advised　us　to　move　Magwitch　out　of　the　country　in　the　middle　of　the　week．So　we　decided　to　row　the　boat　down　to　Clara's　house　on　Wednesday，collect　Magwitch，and　continue　right　down　the　river　to　Essex，where　we　could　stop　one　of　the　foreign　ships　sailing　from　the　port　of　London　to　Ger　many　or　Holland．With　luck，nobody　would　notice　us　or　sus　pect　us．Our　friend　Startop　agreed　to　row　instead　of　me，as　my　hands　were　still　too　painful．

However，　when　I　went　back　to　our　rooms　on　Monday，　my　head　full　of　arrangements　for　the　journey，I　found　a　letter，ad　dressed　to　me　and　delivered　by　hand．It　said：

‘If　you　want　information　about　your　guest，you　should　come　tonight　or　tomorrow　night　to　the　old　house　near　the　lime　kiln　on　the　marshes．Tell　no　one．You　must　come　alone．’

I　did　not　have　time　to　consider．　I　rushed　out　again　and　was　just　in　time　to　catch　the　afternoon　coach．

I　stopped　in　town　only　to　ask　about　Miss　Havisham．　She　was　still　very　ill，　it　seemed．Then　I　walked　fast　on　to　the　dark　lonely　marshes．Soon　I　arrived　at　the　lime…kiln，　which　was　still　burning，although　the　workmen　had　all　gone　home．I　pushed　open　the　door　of　the　old　house，　which　I　thought　was　uninhabited，but　to　my　surprise　there　was　a　bed，　a　table　and　a　candle　inside　Suddenly　the　candle　was　blown　out，I　was　at…tacked　from　behind　and　my　arms　were　tied　close　to　my　sides　with　a　thick　rope．The　pain　in　my　injured　arm　was　terrible．In　a　moment　the　candle　was　lit　again，and　I　recognized　my　at…tacker．Orlick！I　saw　he　had　been　drinking，and　I　knew　I　was　in　a　very　dangerous　situation．

‘Now，’　he　said　fiercely，‘I've　got　you！’

‘Why　have　you　brought　me　here？’I　asked．

‘Don't　yon　know？’　he　replied，　drinking　straight　from　a　bottle．‘Because　you're　my　enemy．　I　lost　that　job　at　Miss　Havisham's　because　of　you．　And　what's　more，　Biddy　would　have　liked　me　if　you　hadn't　been　there．You've　been　in　my　way　ever　since　you　were　a　child．And　now　I'm　going　to　have　your　life！Tonight　you're　going　to　die！’

I　felt　I　was　looking　down　into　my　own　grave．　I　could　see　no　possible　way　of　escape．

‘More　than　that，’he　said，‘I　don't　want　anything　left　of　you．I'll　put　your　body　in　the　kiln．Even　your　clothes　will　be　burnt，and　in　the　morning　there'll　be　nothing　left．’

I　realized　I　had　not　told　anybody　where　I　was　going．No…body　would　know　where　to　look　for　me．

‘Another　thing，’he　said，smiling　cruelly，‘it　was　your　fault　your　ugly　sister　was　attacked．I　did　it，I　hit　her　with　the　iron　chain　your　convict　left　on　the　marshes，but　I　did　it　be　cause　I　hated　you！’　He　drank　again．I　watched　the　level　of　the　liquid　go　down．I　knew　that　when　he　finished　the　bottle，　my　life　would　end．

‘And　I　know　all　about　that　convict　you’　re　hiding．　I've　waited　and　watched　outside　your　rooms　and　on　the　stairs．You　fell　over　me　once．I've　got　a　friend　who's　going　to　inform　the　police　about　him．Yes，Compeyson'll　make　sure　he's　hanged，when　you're　dead！’

The　last　of　the　rum　went　down　his　throat，　and　picking　up　his　hammer　he　came　towards　me．Determined　to　fight，I　shouted　as　loudly　as　I　could．　Suddenly　the　door　was　thrown　open　and　Herbert　and　Startop　rushed　in．　With