Great Expectations

We all began to suspect that Mr. Wopsle was not the man we had thought

him, and that he was beginning to be found out.

"And that same man, remember," pursued the gentleman, throwing his

finger at Mr. Wopsle heavily,--"that same man might be summoned as a

juryman upon this very trial, and, having thus deeply committed himself,

might return to the bosom of his family and lay his head upon his

pillow, after deliberately swearing that he would well and truly try the

issue joined between Our Sovereign Lord the King and the prisoner at the

bar, and would a true verdict give according to the evidence, so help

him God!"

We were all deeply persuaded that the unfortunate Wopsle had gone too

far, and had better stop in his reckless career while there was yet

time.

The strange gentleman, with an air of authority not to be disputed, and

with a manner expressive of knowing something secret about every one of

us that would effectually do for each individual if he chose to disclose

it, left the back of the settle, and came into the space between the two

settles, in front of the fire, where he remained standing, his left hand

in his pocket, and he biting the forefinger of his right.

"From information I have received," said he, looking round at us as we

all quailed before him, "I have reason to believe there is a blacksmith

among you, by name Joseph--or Joe--Gargery. Which is the man?"

"Here is the man," said Joe.

The strange gentleman beckoned him out of his place, and Joe went.

"You have an apprentice," pursued the stranger, "commonly known as Pip?

Is he here?"

"I am here!" I cried.

The stranger did not recognize me, but I recognized him as the gentleman

I had met on the stairs, on the occasion of my second visit to Miss

Havisham. I had known him the moment I saw him looking over the settle,

and now that I stood confronting him with his hand upon my shoulder,

I checked off again in detail his large head, his dark complexion, his

deep-set eyes, his bushy black eyebrows, his large watch-chain, his

strong black dots of beard and whisker, and even the smell of scented

soap on his great hand.

"I wish to have a private conference with you two," said he, when he had

surveyed me at his leisure. "It will take a little time. Perhaps we

had better go to your place of residence. I prefer not to anticipate my

communication here; you will impart as much or as little of it as you

please to your friends afterwards; I have nothing to do with that."