Чарльз Диккенс
Большие надежды. Уровень 2 / Great Expectations

Chapter 11

Day after day, Miss Havisham talked more and more to me. She asked me about my future plans. I was going to be apprenticed to Joe, I believed. But I wanted to study, and I told her many times about that. Did she help me? She did not; on the contrary, she seemed to prefer my ignorance. She did not ever give me any money or anything but my daily dinner.

Estella always let me in and out. Sometimes she coldly tolerated me; sometimes she condescended to me; sometimes she was quite familiar with me; sometimes she told me that she hated me. Miss Havisham liked to ask me in a whisper, or when we were alone,

“Does she grow prettier and prettier, Pip?”

When I said yes (for indeed she did), she enjoyed it greedily. Miss Havisham embraced Estella with lavish fondness, and murmured something in her ear that sounded like

“Break their hearts my pride and hope, break their hearts and have no mercy!”

One day Miss Havisham said with some displeasure,

“You are growing tall, Pip! Tell me the name of that blacksmith of yours.”

“Joe Gargery, ma’am.”

“The master you were to be apprenticed to?^[36]”

“Yes, Miss Havisham.”

“Will Gargery come here with you, and bring your indentures, do you think?”

“At any particular time, Miss Havisham?”

“There, there! I know nothing about times. Let him come soon, and come along with you.”

Chapter 12

On the next day, Joe was arraying himself in his Sunday clothes to accompany me to Miss Havisham’s. The forge was shut up for the day. We walked to town. As it was almost noon, Joe and I held straight on to Miss Havisham’s house. Estella opened the gate as usual, and, the moment she appeared, Joe took his hat off.

Estella led us the way that I knew so well. I followed next to her, and Joe came last.

Miss Havisham was seated at her dressing-table, and looked round at us immediately.

“Oh!” said she to Joe. “You are the husband of the sister of this boy?”

Dear old Joe was looking like some extraordinary bird. He was standing speechless, with his mouth open as if he wanted a worm.

“You are the husband,” repeated Miss Havisham, “of the sister of this boy?”

Strangely, but Joe addressed me instead of Miss Havisham.

“Yes, you see, Pip, I married your sister.”

“Well!” said Miss Havisham. “And you want to take the boy for your apprentice; is that so, Mr. Gargery?”

“You know, Pip,” replied Joe, “as you and me are friends… But, Pip, if you make objections to that, nobody will force you, don’t you see?”

“Does the boy,” said Miss Havisham, “like the trade?”

“Pip,” returned Joe, “I think, you do, right?”

“Do you have his indentures with you?” asked Miss Havisham.

“Well, Pip, you know,” replied Joe, “I put them in my bag, and therefore you know they are here.”

With which he took them out, and gave them, not to Miss Havisham, but to me. I was afraid I was ashamed of the dear good fellow. I saw that Estella stood at the back of Miss Havisham’s chair, her eyes laughed mischievously.

“You expected,” said Miss Havisham, “no premium with the boy?”

“Joe!” I remonstrated, for he made no reply at all. “Why don’t you answer – ”

“Pip,” returned Joe, “that is not a question that demands an answer.”

Miss Havisham glanced at him and took up a little bag from the table beside her.

“This is Pip’s premium,” she said. “Here it is. There are five-and-twenty guineas in this bag. Give it to your master, Pip.”

“This is very liberal on your part^[37], Pip,” said Joe, “And now, old chap, may we do our duty!^[38] ”

“Goodbye, Pip!” said Miss Havisham. “Let them out, Estella.”

“Must I come again, Miss Havisham?” I asked.

“No. Gargery is your master now.”

We got out of the room. 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 said to me, “Astonishing!”

When I got into my little bedroom, I had a strong conviction that I did not like Joe’s trade. No more.

Chapter 13

My home was not a very pleasant place to me, because of my sister’s temper. Anyway, I was very proud and happy to enter the forge. Now the reality was quite different, I only felt that I was dusty with the dust of small-coal.

What if Estella, sooner or later, sees me, with a black face and hands? She will despise me. I felt more ashamed of home than ever, in my own ungracious breast.

“Joe,” said I one day; “don’t you think I must make Miss Havisham a visit?”

“Well, Pip,” returned Joe. “What for?”

He pulled hard at his pipe.

“You see, Pip,” Joe pursued, “Miss Havisham said “goodbye” to you. That’s all.”

“Yes, Joe. I heard her. But, Joe, I want to thank Miss Havisham, or show that I remember her. My dear Joe, please give me a half-holiday tomorrow.”

So, tomorrow I found myself again near Miss Havisham’s house. Miss Sarah Pocket came to the gate. No Estella.

“How, then? You here again?” said Miss Pocket. “What do you want?”

I said that I only came to see how Miss Havisham was. Sarah let me in. Everything was unchanged, and Miss Havisham was alone.

“Well?” said she. “I hope you want nothing? You’ll get nothing.”

“No indeed, Miss Havisham. I only wanted you to know that I am doing very well in my apprenticeship, and I am always much obliged to you.”

“There, there! Come now and then; come on your birthday. Ay!” she cried suddenly, “you are looking round for Estella? Hey?”

I stammered that I hoped she was well.

“Abroad,” said Miss Havisham; “educating for a lady; prettier than ever. Do you feel that you lost her?”

There was such a malignant enjoyment in her utterance of the last words, that I was did not know what to say. So I left. I felt more than ever dissatisfied with my home and with my trade and with everything.

As I was loitering along the High Street, Mr. Wopsle saw me.

“There’s something wrong,” said he, “at your place, Pip!”

“What is it?” I asked.

“I can’t quite understand. Somebody entered the house when Joe Gargery was out. The convicts. Somebody was attacked and hurt.”

We were running, and we made no stop until we got into our kitchen. It was full of people; the whole village was there, or in the yard. There was a surgeon, and there was Joe, and there were some women, all on the floor in the midst of the kitchen. My sister was lying without sense or movement on the bare boards.

Joe was at the Three Jolly Bargemen, smoking his pipe, from a quarter after eight o’clock to a quarter before ten. When Joe went home at five minutes before ten, he found her on the floor, and promptly called in assistance.

My sister was struck with something blunt and heavy, on the head and spine. And on

The Constables and the Bow Street men from London^[39] were about the house for a week or two. Long after these events, my sister lay very ill in bed. Her sight was disturbed, so that she saw objects multiplied. Her hearing was greatly impaired; her memory also; and her speech was unintelligible. However, her temper was greatly improved, and she was patient.

Chapter 14

I now fell into a regular routine of apprenticeship life. The most remarkable event was the arrival of my birthday. I paid another visit to Miss Havisham. I found Miss Sarah Pocket still on duty at the gate. Miss Havisham spoke of Estella in the same words. The interview lasted but a few minutes. She gave me a guinea when I was going, and told me to come again on my next birthday

The dull old house was unchanging, the yellow light in the darkened room, the faded spectre in the chair by the dressing-table glass stood still. Daylight never entered the house. It bewildered me, and under its influence I continued to hate my trade and to be ashamed of home.

Wopsle’s cousin Biddy came to help me and Joe. Biddy was a kind and intelligent but poor young woman. She was not beautiful – she was common, and could not be like Estella – but she was pleasant and wholesome and sweet-tempered. She had curiously thoughtful and attentive eyes; eyes that were very pretty and very good. I liked to talk to her, and she usually listened to me with great attention.

“Biddy,” said I one day, “we must talk together. Let us have a quiet walk on the marshes next Sunday.”

It was summer-time, and lovely weather. When we passed the village and the church and the churchyard, and were out on the marshes and began to see the sails of the ships, I said,

“Biddy, I want to be a gentleman.”

“Oh,” she returned. “What for?”

“Biddy,” said I, with some severity, “I have particular reasons for it.”

“You know best, Pip; but don’t you think you are happier as you are?”

“Biddy,” I exclaimed, impatiently, “I am not at all happy as I am. I am disgusted with my life. Don’t be absurd.”

“Was I absurd?” said Biddy; “I am sorry for that; I didn’t mean to be. I only want you to be comfortable.”

“I want to lead a very different sort of life. I am dissatisfied and uncomfortable, coarse and common!”

Biddy turned her face suddenly towards mine, and looked far more attentively at me.

“Who said it?” she asked.

I answered,

“The beautiful young lady at Miss Havisham’s, and she’s more beautiful than anybody ever was. I admire her dreadfully, and I want to be a gentleman because of her.”

“Do you want to be a gentleman, to spite her or to gain her over?^[40]” Biddy quietly asked me, after a pause.

“I don’t know,” I moodily answered. “I admire her dreadfully.”

Biddy was the wisest of girls. She put her hand upon my hands, one after another, and gently took them out of my hair.

“I am glad of one thing,” said Biddy, “and that is your confidence, Pip. And I am glad of another thing: you may trust me. Shall we walk a little farther, or go home?”

“Biddy,” I cried, got up, put my arm round her neck, and gave her a kiss, “I shall always tell you everything.”

“Till you’re a gentleman,” said Biddy.

“You know I never shall be, so that’s always.”

“Ah!” said Biddy, quite in a whisper. And then repeated, with her former pleasant change, “shall we walk a little farther, or go home?”

I said to myself,

“Pip, what a fool you are!”

We talked a good deal as we walked, and all that Biddy said seemed right.

“Biddy,” said I, when we were walking homeward, “if I fall in love with you, that will be all right.”

“But you never will, you see,” said Biddy.

Biddy was immeasurably better than Estella, and the plain honest working life offered me sufficient means of self-respect and happiness. At those times, I decided conclusively that I was becoming a partner with Joe and Biddy.

Chapter 15

It was in the fourth year of my apprenticeship to Joe, and it was a Saturday night. There was a group assembled round the fire at the Three Jolly Bargemen. Mr. Wopsle was reading the newspaper aloud. I noticed a strange gentleman.

“From information I have received,” said he, looking round at us, “I have reason to believe there is a blacksmith among you, by name Joseph – or Joe – Gargery. Which is the man?”

“Here is the man,” said Joe.

The strange gentleman beckoned him out of his place, and Joe went.

“You have an apprentice,” pursued the stranger, “commonly known as Pip? Is he here?”

“I am here!” I cried.

The stranger did not recognize me, but I recognized him as the gentleman I had met on the stairs, on the occasion of my second visit to Miss Havisham.

“I wish to have a private conference with you two,” said he. “It will take a little time. Let us go to your place of residence. I prefer not to anticipate my communication here.”

We three walked out of the Jolly Bargemen, and in silence walked home. The strange gentleman occasionally looked at me. As we neared home, Joe went on ahead to open the front door.

The strange gentleman sat down at the table, and drew a candle to him, and looked over some entries in his pocket-book. He then put up the pocket-book and set the candle a little aside.

“My name,” he said, “is Jaggers, and I am a lawyer in London. I have unusual business to transact with you.”

He got up, and threw one leg over the back of a chair and leaned upon it.

“Now, Joseph Gargery, I will relieve you of this young fellow your apprentice. You will not object to cancel his indentures at his request and for his good? You want nothing for that? Do you want anything?”

“The answer is,” returned Joe, sternly, “No.”

“Very well,” said Mr. Jaggers. “Now, I return to this young fellow. He has Great Expectations.”

Joe and I gasped, and looked at one another.

“I am instructed to communicate to him,” said Mr. Jaggers, “that he will come into a handsome property^[41]. It is the desire of the present possessor of that property. And the boy will be immediately removed from this place, and be brought up as a gentleman – in a word, as a young fellow of great expectations.”

My dream came true; Miss Havisham was going to make me rich!

“Now, Mr. Pip,” pursued the lawyer, “it is the request of the person from whom I take my instructions that you always bear the name of Pip. But if you have any objection, this is the time to mention it.”

My heart was beating very fast. Of course, I had no objection.

“Good. Now, Mr. Pip, the name of the person who is your liberal benefactor remains a profound secret, until the person chooses to reveal it. It may be years hence. But if you have any objection to it, this is the time to mention it. Speak out.”

Once more, I stammered with difficulty that I had no objection.

“Now, Mr. Pip, we come next, to mere details of arrangement. We must choose your tutor. Do you know any tutor?”

I replied in the negative.

“There is a certain tutor, of whom I have some knowledge,” said Mr. Jaggers. “I don’t recommend him; because I never recommend anybody. His name is Mr. Matthew Pocket.”

Ah! Miss Havisham’s relation. I know the name.

“You can see his son first, who is in London. When will you come to London?”

“I can come directly, sir.”

“First,” said Mr. Jaggers, “you must have some new clothes. Say in a week. You’ll want some money. Shall I leave you twenty guineas?”

He took out a long purse.

“Well, Joseph Gargery? You look astonished?”

“I am!” said Joe.

“But what,” said Mr. Jaggers, “what if it was in my instructions to make you a present, as compensation?”

“As compensation what for?” Joe demanded.

“For the loss of his services.”

Joe laid his hand upon my shoulder.

“Pip is hearty welcome,” said Joe, “to go free with his services. But to take money… He is my best of friend!”

Mr. Jaggers looked at him, as one who recognized in Joe the village idiot^[42]. Then he weighed the purse in his hand,

“Now, Joseph Gargery, I warn you this is your last chance. If you mean to take a present that I have, speak out. If on the contrary you mean to say – ”

Here, to his great amazement, Joe stopped him.

“I mean,” cried Joe, “that if you come into my place to badger me, come out! If you’re a man, come on!”

I drew Joe away, and he immediately became placable. Mr. Jaggers delivered his valedictory remarks. They were these.

“Well, Mr. Pip, I think the sooner you leave here the better^[43]. You will receive my printed address in the meantime.”

He went out, I thanked him. Joe locked the front door and was seated by the kitchen fire with a hand on each knee. He was gazing intently at the burning coals. I too sat down before the fire and gazed at the coals.

My sister was in her cushioned chair in her corner, and Biddy sat at her needle-work before the fire, and Joe sat next Biddy, and I sat next Joe in the corner opposite my sister.

Biddy looked at me. Joe held his knees and looked at me. I looked at both of them. After a pause, they both heartily congratulated me; but there was sadness in their congratulations.

Biddy said no more. I told her and Joe good-night, and went up to bed. The sun was shining brightly all day on the roof of my attic, and the room was warm.