"Thank you. Thank you."

As I brought another of the ragged chairs to the hearth and sat down, I

remarked a new expression on her face, as if she were afraid of me.

"I want," she said, "to pursue that subject you mentioned to me when you

were last here, and to show you that I am not all stone. But perhaps you

can never believe, now, that there is anything human in my heart?"

When I said some reassuring words, she stretched out her tremulous right

hand, as though she was going to touch me; but she recalled it again

before I understood the action, or knew how to receive it.

"You said, speaking for your friend, that you could tell me how to do

something useful and good. Something that you would like done, is it

not?"

"Something that I would like done very much."

"What is it?"

I began explaining to her that secret history of the partnership. I had

not got far into it, when I judged from her looks that she was thinking

in a discursive way of me, rather than of what I said. It seemed to be

so; for, when I stopped speaking, many moments passed before she showed

that she was conscious of the fact.

"Do you break off," she asked then, with her former air of being afraid

of me, "because you hate me too much to bear to speak to me?"

"No, no," I answered, "how can you think so, Miss Havisham! I stopped

because I thought you were not following what I said."

"Perhaps I was not," she answered, putting a hand to her head. "Begin

again, and let me look at something else. Stay! Now tell me."

She set her hand upon her stick in the resolute way that sometimes was

habitual to her, and looked at the fire with a strong expression of

forcing herself to attend. I went on with my explanation, and told her

how I had hoped to complete the transaction out of my means, but how

in this I was disappointed. That part of the subject (I reminded her)

involved matters which could form no part of my explanation, for they

were the weighty secrets of another.

"So!" said she, assenting with her head, but not looking at me. "And how

much money is wanting to complete the purchase?"

I was rather afraid of stating it, for it sounded a large sum. "Nine

hundred pounds."




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