"--Invest portable property in a friend?" said Wemmick. "Certainly

he should not. Unless he wants to get rid of the friend,--and then it

becomes a question how much portable property it may be worth to get rid

of him."

"And that," said I, "is your deliberate opinion, Mr. Wemmick?"

"That," he returned, "is my deliberate opinion in this office."

"Ah!" said I, pressing him, for I thought I saw him near a loophole

here; "but would that be your opinion at Walworth?"

"Mr. Pip," he replied, with gravity, "Walworth is one place, and this

office is another. Much as the Aged is one person, and Mr. Jaggers is

another. They must not be confounded together. My Walworth sentiments

must be taken at Walworth; none but my official sentiments can be taken

in this office."

"Very well," said I, much relieved, "then I shall look you up at

Walworth, you may depend upon it."

"Mr. Pip," he returned, "you will be welcome there, in a private and

personal capacity."

We had held this conversation in a low voice, well knowing my guardian's

ears to be the sharpest of the sharp. As he now appeared in his doorway,

towelling his hands, Wemmick got on his great-coat and stood by to snuff

out the candles. We all three went into the street together, and from

the door-step Wemmick turned his way, and Mr. Jaggers and I turned ours.

I could not help wishing more than once that evening, that Mr. Jaggers

had had an Aged in Gerrard Street, or a Stinger, or a Something, or

a Somebody, to unbend his brows a little. It was an uncomfortable

consideration on a twenty-first birthday, that coming of age at all

seemed hardly worth while in such a guarded and suspicious world as he

made of it. He was a thousand times better informed and cleverer than

Wemmick, and yet I would a thousand times rather have had Wemmick to

dinner. And Mr. Jaggers made not me alone intensely melancholy, because,

after he was gone, Herbert said of himself, with his eyes fixed on the

fire, that he thought he must have committed a felony and forgotten the

details of it, he felt so dejected and guilty.




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