Great Expectations

It happened on the occasion of this visit that some sharp words arose

between Estella and Miss Havisham. It was the first time I had ever seen

them opposed.

We were seated by the fire, as just now described, and Miss Havisham

still had Estella's arm drawn through her own, and still clutched

Estella's hand in hers, when Estella gradually began to detach herself.

She had shown a proud impatience more than once before, and had rather

endured that fierce affection than accepted or returned it.

"What!" said Miss Havisham, flashing her eyes upon her, "are you tired

of me?"

"Only a little tired of myself," replied Estella, disengaging her arm,

and moving to the great chimney-piece, where she stood looking down at

the fire.

"Speak the truth, you ingrate!" cried Miss Havisham, passionately

striking her stick upon the floor; "you are tired of me."

Estella looked at her with perfect composure, and again looked down

at the fire. Her graceful figure and her beautiful face expressed a

self-possessed indifference to the wild heat of the other, that was

almost cruel.

"You stock and stone!" exclaimed Miss Havisham. "You cold, cold heart!"

"What?" said Estella, preserving her attitude of indifference as she

leaned against the great chimney-piece and only moving her eyes; "do you

reproach me for being cold? You?"

"Are you not?" was the fierce retort.

"You should know," said Estella. "I am what you have made me. Take

all the praise, take all the blame; take all the success, take all the

failure; in short, take me."

"O, look at her, look at her!" cried Miss Havisham, bitterly; "Look at

her so hard and thankless, on the hearth where she was reared! Where I

took her into this wretched breast when it was first bleeding from its

stabs, and where I have lavished years of tenderness upon her!"

"At least I was no party to the compact," said Estella, "for if I could

walk and speak, when it was made, it was as much as I could do. But what

would you have? You have been very good to me, and I owe everything to

you. What would you have?"

"Love," replied the other.

"You have it."

"I have not," said Miss Havisham.

"Mother by adoption," retorted Estella, never departing from the easy

grace of her attitude, never raising her voice as the other did, never

yielding either to anger or tenderness,--"mother by adoption, I have

said that I owe everything to you. All I possess is freely yours. All

that you have given me, is at your command to have again. Beyond that, I

have nothing. And if you ask me to give you, what you never gave me, my

gratitude and duty cannot do impossibilities."