life．　I　am　sorry　to　say　I　did　not　think　about　dear，　good　Joe　at　all．　I　felt　I　had　to　ex－press　my　feelings　to　someone，　and　so　that　evening　I　told　Herbert　my　secret．
  Instead　of　being　surprised，　as　I　expected，　my　friend　replied，
  ‘I　know　that　already，　Handel．You　never　told　me，　but　it　was　obvious．You've　always　loved　Estella．It's　very　lucky　that　you　seem　to　have　been　chosen　to　marry　her．Does　she，　er，admire　you？’
  I　shook　my　head　sadly．‘Not　at　all．　And　Herbert，　you　may　think　me　lucky．I　have　great　expectations，I　know．But　all　that　depends　on　one　person！　And　I　still　don't　really　know　how　much　I'll　receive，　or　when！　Nothing　is　certain！’
  ‘Now，　Handel，’said　Herbert　cheerfully，‘don't　lose　hope．Mr　Jaggers　himself　told　you　you　would　have　a　large　fortune，didn't　he？　He　would　never　make　a　mistake　about　something　like　that．Anyway，　you'll　be　twenty－one　soon．Perhaps　you'll　discover　more　then．’
  ‘Thank　you，Herbert！’　I　said，　feeling　much　better．
  ‘But　I　want　to　ask　you　something，　my　dear　Handel，’said　Herbert，looking　serious　for　once．‘Think　of　Estella，　and　her　education，　and　how　unhappy　you　may　be　with　her．Couldn't　you　possibly…and　I'm　saying　this　as　a　friend，　remember…couldn't　you　forget　about　her？’
  ‘I　know　you're　right，　Herbert，’I　said　miserably，‘but　I　can　never　stop　loving　her．’
  ‘Well，　never　mind！’said　Herbert．‘Now　I　have　something　to　tell　you　myself．　I　am　engaged．’
  ‘May　I　ask　the　young　lady's　name？’
  ‘Clara．Her　mother's　dead，　and　she　lives　with　her　father．We　must　keep　our　feelings　for　each　other　secret，　because　I　haven't　enough　money　to　marry　her　yet．　As　soon　as　I　start　in－suring　ships　we　can　marry．’Herbert　tried　to　look　hopeful　about　his　future，　but　this　time　he　couldn't　even　manage　his　usual　cheerful　smile．
  One　day　I　received　a　letter　which　made　my　heart　beat　fast．
  ‘I　am　coming　to　London　the　day　after　tomorrow　by　the　mid…day　coach．Miss　Havisham　wants　you　to　meet　me．
  Estella．’
  If　there　had　been　time，I　would　have　ordered　several　new　suits．I　ate　nothing　until　the　day　arrived，　and　all　morning　I　waited　impatiently　for　the　coach．She　seemed　more　beautiful　than　ever，　and　her　manner　to　me　was　very　pleasant，　as　I　took　her　to　the　house　in　London　where　Miss　Havisham　had　arranged　for　her　to　stay．　Her　life　seemed　to　be　planned　by　Miss　Havisham　right　down　to　the　smallest　detail．I　only　hoped　I　was　part　of　that　plan．
  11　　Pip　attends　a　burial
  One　evening　a　black－edged　envelope　was　delivered　to　me　at　Herbert's　rooms．　The　letter　inside　informed　me　that　Mrs　J．Gargery　had　died　the　previous　Monday，and　that　the　burial　would　be　next　Monday，　at　3　p．m．This　news　came　as　a　shock　to　me．It　was　the　first　time　that　someone　close　to　me　had　died，　and　I　could　not　imagine　life　without　my　sister，even　if　I　had　never　loved　her，　or　even　thought　about　her　recently．
  I　arrived　at　the　forge　early　on　Monday　afternoon．　Joe　was　sitting　in　the　front　room，　wrapped　in　a　black　cloak．
  ‘Dear　Joe，how　are　you？’I　asked．
  ‘Pip，dear　old　boy，　you　knew　her　when　she　was　a　fine　woman…’and　he　could　say　no　more．
  Biddy，　in　her　neat　little　black　dress，　was　busy　serving　food．Old　friends　from　the　village　were　talking　quietly　among　them…selves，　and　I　noticed　the　awful　Pumblechook　trying　to　catch　my　eye，　as　he　drank　brandy　and　swallowed　large　pieces　of　cake．
  ‘May　I，my　dear　sir？　May　I？’he　asked，　his　mouth　full，and　shook　my　hand　enthusiastically．
  My　sister's　dead　body　was　carried　slowly　out　of　the　house　and　through　the　village，　followed　by　all　of　us．We　could　see　the　marshes，　and　the　sails　of　ships　on　the　river．And　there，in　the　churchyard，next　to　my　unknown　parents，my　poor　sister　was　laid　quietly　in　the　earth，while　the　birds　sang　and　the　clouds　danced　in　the　sky．
  Biddy，Joe　and　I　felt　better　when　all　the　guests　had　gone，and　we　had　a　quiet　supper　together．I　decided　to　spend　the　night　at　the　forge，which　pleased　Joe　very　much．I　was　pleased　with　myself　for　offering　to　do　so．
  I　waited　until　I　found　Biddy　alone．Then　I　said，‘I　suppose　you　won't　be　able　to　stay　here　now，will　you，Biddy？’
  ‘No，Mr　Pip．I'll　stay　in　the　village，but　I'll　still　look　after　Mr　Gargery　as　much　as　I　can．’
  ‘How　are　you　going　to　live，Biddy？If　you　want　any　money—　’
  ‘I'm　going　to　be　the　village　schoolteacher，’she　said　quickly，her　cheeks　pink．‘I　can　earn　my　own　money．’
  ‘Tell　me，Biddy，how　did　my　sister　die？’　‘She　had　been　worse　than　usual，when　one　evening　she　said，very　clearly，“Joe．”　And　so　I　ran　to　the　forge　to　fetch　him．And　she　put　her　arms　round　his　neck　and　laid　her　head　on　his　shoulder，quite　happy．Once　she　said“sorry”，and　once　“Pip”．She　never　lifted　her　head　up　again，and　an　hour　later　she　died．’
  Biddy　cried，and　I　cried　too．　‘What　happened　to　Orlick，Biddy？’　‘He's　still　in　the　village．He　doesn't　work　for　Miss　Havisham　any　more．You　know，he－he　follows　me　sometimes．’
  ‘You　must　tell　me　if　he　bothers　you，Biddy．I'll　be　here　more　often　now．I'm　not　going　to　leave　poor　Joe　alone．’
  Biddy　said　nothing．　‘Come，Biddy，what　do　you　mean　by　this　silence？’
  ‘Are　you　quite　sure，then，that　you　will　come　to　see　him？’　‘Oh　Biddy！’I　said　sadly．‘This　really　is　a　bad　side　to　your　character！　Don't　say　any　more！’And　that　evening　I　thought　how　unkind，how　unjust，Biddy　was　to　me．
  Next　morning　I　looked　in　at　the　forge　before　leaving，and　said　goodbye　to　Joe，who　was　already　hard　at　work．　‘I　shall　be　back　to　see　you　soon，Joe！’
  ‘Never　too　soon，sir，’said　Joe，‘and　never　too　often，Pip！’
  As　I　walked　away，I　think　I　knew　that　I　would　not　go　back．Biddy　was　right．
  In　London，I　did　some　serious　thinking．I　could　see　that　my　character　had　not　improved　since　I　had　heard　about　my　expectations．I　was　spending　far　too　much　money．What　was　worse，I　was　a　bad　influence　on　Herbert，who　was　also　spend－ing　too　much．I　would　have　offered　to　pay　his　bills，but　he　was　too　proud　to　listen　to　such　a　suggestion．I　had　hoped　that　on　my　twenty－first　birthday　I　would　discover　more　about　my　future，but　Mr　Jaggers　explained　that　he　could　not　give　me　any　more　information，except　that　from　now　on　I　would　have　five　hundred　pounds　a　year　to　spend　as　I　liked．I　suddenly　thought　of　a　way　I　could　help　Herbert．
  When　l　asked　Wemmick　if　he　could　advise　me　on　how　to　help　a　friend　start　up　in　business，his　post…box　mouth　opened　wide．
  ‘Choose　one　of　the　six　London　bridges，’he　said，‘and　throw　your　money　over　it．That's　better　than　investing　money　for　a　friend．That's　my　official　opinion，of　course．’
  ‘Ah，so　you　would　give　me　a　different　opinion　at　Walworth？’
  ‘You'll　be　welcome　there，Mr　Pip，on　private　business．’
  Next　Sunday　I　visited　Wemmick　and　his　aged　parent　at　the　Castle．This　time　there　was　a　lady　called　Miss　Skiffins，clearly　a　regular　visitor，who　made　the　tea，and　sat　next　to　Wemmick　on　the　sofa．When　he　and　I　were　alone，Wemmick　listened　carefully　to　my　request，and　after　thinking　hard，found　an　answer．
  With　his　help　I　arranged　to　invest　some　money　in　a　shipping　company　called　Clarrikers．Finally　I　signed　an　agreement　with　them，in　which　they　promised　to　offer　Herbert　a　job，and　later　to　make　him　a　partner．At　last　I　felt　that　my　expectations　had　done　some　good　to　someone．
  12　　Pip　discovers　the　truth
  While　Estella　lived　in　London，staying　with　friends　of　Miss　Havisham's，I　often　visited　her．She　had　an　endless　stream　of　admirers，and　I　was　jealous　of　all　of　them．I　never　had　an　hour's　happiness　with　her，but　I　still　thought　about　her，day　and　night，and　my　dearest　wish　was　to　marry　her．Several　times　Miss　Havisham　ordered　me　to　bring　Estella　to　visit　her，and　of　course　I　always　obeyed．Estella　was　as　proud　and　cold　as　ever，with　her　admirers，with　Miss　Havisham　and　with　me．
  One　man　who　admired　her　and　followed　her　everywhere　was　the　unpleasant　Bentley　Drummle．One　day　I　asked　her　about　him．
  ‘Estella，why　do　you　encourage　someone　like　Drummle？You　know　very　well　he's　stupid，and　nobody　likes　him．’
  ‘Don't　be　foolish，Pip，’she　answered．‘Perhaps　I　encourage　him　because　that　has　a　certain　effect　on　the　others．’
  ‘But　he　isn't　worth　it！’I　cried　angrily．
  ‘What　difference　does　it　make？’she　answered　tiredly．‘If　I　smile　at　him，it's　because　it　means　nothing　to　me．You　should　be　glad　that　I　don't　give　you　false　looks　or　smiles．At　least　I　am　always　honest　with　you．’
  But　while　my　heart　was　aching　for　Estella，I　had　no　idea　that　I　would　soon　be　hit　by　a　disaster　which　would　completely　destroy　my　hopos　and　dreams．The　chain　of　events　which　had　begun　before　I　ever　met　her　was　slowly　reaching　its　end．
  Herbert　and　I　had　moved　to　rooms　in　a　house　by　the　river，in　the　Temple　area．One　evening　he　was　abroad　on　business　and　I　was　alone　at　home，reading．It　was　terrible　weather，stormy　and　wet，with　deep　mud　in　the　streets．The　wind　rushing　up　the　river　shook　the　whole　building，and　the　rain　beat　violently　against　the　windows．As　I　closed　my　book　at　eleven　o’clock，I　heard　a　heavy　footstep　on　the　stairs．When　I　went　to　the　door　with　my　lamp，I　saw　a　man　co