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70;, CHARLES TDIOKIJNS’ WORKS.
be idle. I had no claim, and I finally resolved, and ever
afterwards abided by the resolution, that my. heart
should never be sickened with the liopelesstask of at-
tem ting to establish one. .
T ere appeared to be reason for supposing that the
drowned informer had hoped for a reward out of lns
forfeiture, and had obtained soineaccurate knowledge
of Magwiteli’s affairs. lVhen his body was found, many
miles from the scene of his death, and so horribly dis-
figured that‘ he was only reco nisable by the contents of
his pockets, notes were still egible,. folded in a case he
carried. Among these were the name of a banking-
house in New South Wales where a sum of money was,
and the designation of certainlands of considerable
value. Both those heads of information were in a list
that Magwitch, while in prison, gave, to Mr. Jag ers, of
the possessions he supposed I should inherit. H is igno-
rance, poor fellow, at last served him; he never mis-
trusted but that my inheritance was quite safe, with Mr.
Ja gers’s aid.
fter three days’ delay, during which the crown.pros-
ecution stood over for the production of the witness
> from the prison-ship, the witness came, and completed
the easy case. He was committed to take his trial at the
next Sessions, which would come on in a month.
It was at this dark time of my lifethat Herbert re-
tui-ared home one evening, a good deal cast down, and
sin :
“lily dear Handel, I fear I shall soon have to leave
'ou. ’
'3 His" partner having prepared me for that, I was less
‘surprised than he thought.
“ VVe shall loose a fine opportunity if I put off going
to Cairo, and I am very much afraid I must go, Handel,
when you most need, me.”
“Herbert, I shall always need you, because I shall
always love you; but my need is no greater now, than
at another time.”
“ You will be so lonely.”
“ I have not leisure to think of that,” said I. “ You
know that I am always with him to the full extent ‘of
the time allowed, and that I should be with him all day
long if I could. And when I come away from him, you
know that my thoughts are with him.”
, The dreadful condition to which he was brought, was
so appalling to both of us, that we could not refer to it
in pluiner words.
“My dear fellow,” said Herbert, “let the near pros-
pect of our separation-for, it is very near-be my jus-
tification for troubling you about yourself. Have you
thought of your future?"
“ No, for I have been afraid to think of any future.”
“But yours cannot be dismissed; indeed, my dear
dear Handel, it niustnot be dismissed. I wish you would
, [enter on it now, as far as a few friendly words go, with
me.”
“I will,” said I.
“ In this branch house of ours,.Handel, we must have
agn
I saw that his delicacy was avoiding the right word,
so I said, “ A clerk.”
“A clerk. And I hope it is not all unlikely that he
may expand (as a clerk of your acquaintance has ex-
panded) into a partner. How, Handel-in short, my
ear boy will you come to me 7" i . ‘
There was something charmingly cordial and engaging
in the manner in which after saying “ Now, Handel,” as
if it were the rave beginning of a portcntous business
exordium, lie llad suddenly given up that tone, stretched
out his lionestvhand, and spoken like a schoolboy.
‘ “ Clara and I havotnlked about it again and again,”
Herbert pursued, “ and the dear little thing begged me
"only this evening, with tears in her eyes, to say to you
that if you will live with us when we come together, she
will do her best to make you happy, and to convince her
husband s friend that he is her friend too. IVe should
‘get on so well, Handel l” - '
V I thanked her heartily, and Ithanked him heartil , but .
said I could not yet make sure, of joining him as e so
kindly offered. Firstly, myemindvwas too preoccu ied L
to be able to take in‘ the subject clearly. Second y-
lcs l Secondly, there was a vague. something lingering
in my thoughts that will come out very near the end of
this slight narrative. <.- . - A
“ But if you thought, Herbert, that you could, with.
out doing any injury to your business, leave the question
open for a little while-”, .: V
“For any wliile,'.’ cried llerbertg ‘.‘Siii.inonths, 3‘
year I " , I . -t . .
“ Not so long as that,” said I. “ Two or three months
at most.” A V ' . . g
Herbert was highly delighted when we shook hands
on this arrangement, and said hecould now take coui-age
to tell me that hobelieved he must go away at the end
of the week. . v H - - r .
“ And Clara?” said I.. v . . ,. .,
“ The dear little . thing,” returned Herbert. '5 holds
dutifully to her father. as long as he lasts ; but ll8'.w(m’g
last long. Mrs. VVhimplo confides to me that heiscer.
tainly going.” , .;
“ Not to say an unfceling. thing,” said I, “he cannot
do better than 0.” - ;. "
“I am afrai that must be admitted]? said Herbert:
“ and then I shall come back for the dear little thing,
and the dear little thing and I will walk quietly into the
nearest church. Remember I . The blessed darling comes
of no family, mydear Handel. and never. looked into the
red book, and hasn’t a notion about her grandpapa
What a fortune for the son of my mother !" '
On the Saturdayfinthat same week, I took myleuve of
Herbert-full of bright hope, but sad and sorryto leave
me-as he sat on one of the seaport mail. coaches. ll
went into a coffee-house to write a little note to Cliirii,
telling her he had gone off sending his love to her over
and over again, and then went to my lonely home-it it
deserved the name, for it was now no home to me, iindl
had no homo anywhere. . , . ' ; .
On the stairs I encountered VVemmick, who was com
ing down, after an unsuccessful application of his knuck-
les to my door. I had not seen liiiu alone, since the dis-
astrous issue of the attempted flight; and he had come,
in his private and personal capacity, to say a few words
of explanation in reference to that failure. ‘
“ The late Compeyson,” said W'eininick, “had b lit-
tle and little got at the bottom of half of the regular usi-
ness now transacted, and it was from the talk of some of
his people in trouble (some of his people being always in
trouble) that I heard what I did. I kept my ears open,
seeming to have them shut, until I heard that he was ab-
sent, and I thought that would be the best time for making
the attempt. I can only suppose now, that it was a part of
his policy, as a very clever man, habitually to deceive his
own instruments. You don’t blame me, l.liope, Mr.
Pip? I am sure I tried to serve you, with all in heart."
I “ I amas sure of that, rVVemrnick, as you can e, andl
tliank you most earnestly for all your interest and friend-
siip..' H Tl.
.“ Thank you, thank you very much. It’s a bad job.”
said.VVcmn1ick, scratching his head, “ and lassure you
IhaV’en’t been so cut up for a long time.‘ VVhatIlook at,
is ll’)? sacrifice ‘of so. much portable property. Dear
me I . . , . - V
“ What I think of, VVenimick, is the poorowner of the
property.” : r V . . . ' .
.“ Yes, to be sure,’.’ said .‘Weminick. “ Of course there
can be no objection to your being sorry for him, and I'd
put down a five pound. note myself to get him out of it.
But what I look at, is this. .The late Compeyson liaving
beenbeforeliand with him in intelligence of his return,
and being so determined to bring him to book, Ido not
tliinklie could havebeen saved. .Whercas, the portable
property certainly could have been saved. That's the
difference between’ the property and the owner, don't
you see ‘U’ = V
I invited VVemmick to come-up-stairs, and refresh him-
self with 8. glass of. grog ;before walking to Walwortli.
He accepted the invitation. lVhilo he was diinlring his
moderate allowance, he said, with nothing to lead up to
it, and after having appeared rather fidgety : ' I
“ What do ‘on tliinkiof my meaning to take D. holiday
on Monday,lt r.'Pip?.” x: 7,, , ' 2
‘f “Why, I suppose -you have not done such 0. thing
these twelve months,” . . i ' . V V . 7 i ;
,‘.‘ These twelve’ years, more likely]! said,Wen;m1cl<-