Great Expectations

I had thought of him more than once.

"But how much would you tell him, Herbert?"

"It is necessary to tell him very little. Let him suppose it a mere

freak, but a secret one, until the morning comes: then let him know that

there is urgent reason for your getting Provis aboard and away. You go

with him?"

"No doubt."

"Where?"

It had seemed to me, in the many anxious considerations I had given the

point, almost indifferent what port we made for,--Hamburg, Rotterdam,

Antwerp,--the place signified little, so that he was out of England. Any

foreign steamer that fell in our way and would take us up would do.

I had always proposed to myself to get him well down the river in the

boat; certainly well beyond Gravesend, which was a critical place for

search or inquiry if suspicion were afoot. As foreign steamers would

leave London at about the time of high-water, our plan would be to get

down the river by a previous ebb-tide, and lie by in some quiet spot

until we could pull off to one. The time when one would be due where we

lay, wherever that might be, could be calculated pretty nearly, if we

made inquiries beforehand.

Herbert assented to all this, and we went out immediately after

breakfast to pursue our investigations. We found that a steamer for

Hamburg was likely to suit our purpose best, and we directed our

thoughts chiefly to that vessel. But we noted down what other foreign

steamers would leave London with the same tide, and we satisfied

ourselves that we knew the build and color of each. We then separated

for a few hours: I, to get at once such passports as were necessary;

Herbert, to see Startop at his lodgings. We both did what we had to do

without any hindrance, and when we met again at one o'clock reported

it done. I, for my part, was prepared with passports; Herbert had seen

Startop, and he was more than ready to join.

Those two should pull a pair of oars, we settled, and I would steer; our

charge would be sitter, and keep quiet; as speed was not our object, we

should make way enough. We arranged that Herbert should not come home to

dinner before going to Mill Pond Bank that evening; that he should

not go there at all to-morrow evening, Tuesday; that he should prepare

Provis to come down to some stairs hard by the house, on Wednesday, when

he saw us approach, and not sooner; that all the arrangements with

him should be concluded that Monday night; and that he should be

communicated with no more in any way, until we took him on board.