"You expected," said Miss Havisham, as she looked them over, "no premium

with the boy?"

"Joe!" I remonstrated, for he made no reply at all. "Why don't you

answer--"

"Pip," returned Joe, cutting me short as if he were hurt, "which I

meantersay that were not a question requiring a answer betwixt yourself

and me, and which you know the answer to be full well No. You know it to

be No, Pip, and wherefore should I say it?"

Miss Havisham glanced at him as if she understood what he really was

better than I had thought possible, seeing what he was there; and took

up a little bag from the table beside her.

"Pip has earned a premium here," she said, "and here it is. There are

five-and-twenty guineas in this bag. Give it to your master, Pip."

As if he were absolutely out of his mind with the wonder awakened in

him by her strange figure and the strange room, Joe, even at this pass,

persisted in addressing me.

"This is wery liberal on your part, Pip," said Joe, "and it is as such

received and grateful welcome, though never looked for, far nor near,

nor nowheres. And now, old chap," said Joe, conveying to me a sensation,

first of burning and then of freezing, for I felt as if that familiar

expression were applied to Miss Havisham,--"and now, old chap, may we

do our duty! May you and me do our duty, both on us, by one and another,

and by them which your liberal present--have-conweyed--to be--for the

satisfaction of mind-of--them as never--" here Joe showed that he felt

he had fallen into frightful difficulties, until he triumphantly rescued

himself with the words, "and from myself far be it!" These words had

such a round and convincing sound for him that he said them twice.

"Good by, Pip!" said Miss Havisham. "Let them out, Estella."

"Am I to come again, Miss Havisham?" I asked.

"No. Gargery is your master now. Gargery! One word!"

Thus calling him back as I went out of the door, I heard her say to Joe

in a distinct emphatic voice, "The boy has been a good boy here, and

that is his reward. Of course, as an honest man, you will expect no

other and no more."

How Joe got out of the room, I have never been able to determine; but

I know that when he did get out he was steadily proceeding up stairs

instead of coming down, and was deaf to all remonstrances until I went

after him and laid hold of him. In another minute we were outside the

gate, and it was locked, and Estella was gone. When we stood in the

daylight alone again, Joe backed up against a wall, and said to me,

"Astonishing!" And there he remained so long saying, "Astonishing" at

intervals, so often, that I began to think his senses were never coming

back. At length he prolonged his remark into "Pip, I do assure you this

is as-TON-ishing!" and so, by degrees, became conversational and able to

walk away.




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