"I don't mean that sort of remembrance, Joe; I don't mean a present."

But Joe had got the idea of a present in his head and must harp upon it.

"Or even," said he, "if you was helped to knocking her up a new chain

for the front door,--or say a gross or two of shark-headed screws for

general use,--or some light fancy article, such as a toasting-fork

when she took her muffins,--or a gridiron when she took a sprat or such

like--"

"I don't mean any present at all, Joe," I interposed.

"Well," said Joe, still harping on it as though I had particularly

pressed it, "if I was yourself, Pip, I wouldn't. No, I would not. For

what's a door-chain when she's got one always up? And shark-headers is

open to misrepresentations. And if it was a toasting-fork, you'd go into

brass and do yourself no credit. And the oncommonest workman can't show

himself oncommon in a gridiron,--for a gridiron IS a gridiron," said

Joe, steadfastly impressing it upon me, as if he were endeavouring to

rouse me from a fixed delusion, "and you may haim at what you like, but

a gridiron it will come out, either by your leave or again your leave,

and you can't help yourself--"

"My dear Joe," I cried, in desperation, taking hold of his coat, "don't

go on in that way. I never thought of making Miss Havisham any present."

"No, Pip," Joe assented, as if he had been contending for that, all

along; "and what I say to you is, you are right, Pip."

"Yes, Joe; but what I wanted to say, was, that as we are rather slack

just now, if you would give me a half-holiday to-morrow, I think I would

go up-town and make a call on Miss Est--Havisham."

"Which her name," said Joe, gravely, "ain't Estavisham, Pip, unless she

have been rechris'ened."

"I know, Joe, I know. It was a slip of mine. What do you think of it,

Joe?"

In brief, Joe thought that if I thought well of it, he thought well of

it. But, he was particular in stipulating that if I were not received

with cordiality, or if I were not encouraged to repeat my visit as a

visit which had no ulterior object but was simply one of gratitude for a

favor received, then this experimental trip should have no successor. By

these conditions I promised to abide.




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