Great Expectations

"And that Mr. Jaggers--"

"Mr. Jaggers," said Miss Havisham, taking me up in a firm tone, "had

nothing to do with it, and knew nothing of it. His being my lawyer, and

his being the lawyer of your patron is a coincidence. He holds the same

relation towards numbers of people, and it might easily arise. Be that

as it may, it did arise, and was not brought about by any one."

Any one might have seen in her haggard face that there was no

suppression or evasion so far.

"But when I fell into the mistake I have so long remained in, at least

you led me on?" said I.

"Yes," she returned, again nodding steadily, "I let you go on."

"Was that kind?"

"Who am I," cried Miss Havisham, striking her stick upon the floor

and flashing into wrath so suddenly that Estella glanced up at her in

surprise,--"who am I, for God's sake, that I should be kind?"

It was a weak complaint to have made, and I had not meant to make it. I

told her so, as she sat brooding after this outburst.

"Well, well, well!" she said. "What else?"

"I was liberally paid for my old attendance here," I said, to soothe

her, "in being apprenticed, and I have asked these questions only for

my own information. What follows has another (and I hope more

disinterested) purpose. In humoring my mistake, Miss Havisham, you

punished--practised on--perhaps you will supply whatever term expresses

your intention, without offence--your self-seeking relations?"

"I did. Why, they would have it so! So would you. What has been my

history, that I should be at the pains of entreating either them or you

not to have it so! You made your own snares. I never made them."

Waiting until she was quiet again,--for this, too, flashed out of her in

a wild and sudden way,--I went on.

"I have been thrown among one family of your relations, Miss Havisham,

and have been constantly among them since I went to London. I know them

to have been as honestly under my delusion as I myself. And I should be

false and base if I did not tell you, whether it is acceptable to you or

no, and whether you are inclined to give credence to it or no, that you

deeply wrong both Mr. Matthew Pocket and his son Herbert, if you suppose

them to be otherwise than generous, upright, open, and incapable of

anything designing or mean."