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“‘ Pip,” said Joe, appearing a littlelhurricd and trou-
bled, “there has been lurks. And, dear sir, what have
been betwixt us-have been.” I ‘
At night, when I had gone to bed, Joe came into my
room, as he had done all through my recovery. He asked
me if I felt sure that I was as well as in the morning?
- “Yes, dear Joe, quite.” ' ‘ -
" And are always a getting stronger, old chap 7”
“Yes, dear Joe, steadily.” ‘ -
Joe patted the coverlet on my shoulder with his great
good hand, and said, in what 1 thought a husky voice,
“ Good night I" ‘
When I got up in the morning, refreshed and stronger
yet, I was full of my resolution to tell Joe all, without
delay. I would tell him before breakfast. I would
dress at once and go to his room and surprise him ; for,
it was the first day I had been up early. I went to his
room, and he was not there. Not only was he not there,
but his box was gone.
Ihurried then to the breakfast-table, and
a letter. - These were its brief contents.
on it found
.“Not wishful to intrude I hav
dc-nr Pip and will do better witho
ffl’.S. Ever the best of friends.”
departurcd fur you are well Main
ut “
, Enclosed in the letter, was a receipt for the debt and
costs on which I had been arrested. Down to that mo-
ment I had vainly supposed that my creditor had with-
drawn or suspended proceedings until I should be quite
recovered. ‘I had never dreamed of Joe’s having paid
the money ; but, Joe had paid it, and the receipt was in
his name.
',What remained for me now, but to follow him to the
dear oldforge, and there‘ to have out In disclosure’ to
him, and my penitent remonstrance with im, and there
to relieve my mind and heart of that reserved Secondly,‘
which had begun as a vague somethin lingering in my
thoughts, and had formed into a settle purpose ‘I ’
The purpose was, that I would go to Biddy, that I
would show her how humbled and repentant I "came
back, that I would tell her how I had lost all I,‘ once
hoped for, that I would remind her of our old confi-
dences in my first unhappy time. Then, I would say to
her, “ Biddy, I think you once liked me very well, when
my errant heart, even while it strayed away from you,
was quieter and better with you than it ever has been
since. If you can like ‘me only half so well once more,
if you can take me with all my faults and disappoint-
ments on my head, if you can receive me like a forgiven
child (and indeed I am as sorry, Biddy, and have as
much need of a bushing voice and a soothing hand), I
hope lam a little worthierof you than I was--not much,
but a little. And, Biddy, it shall rest with you to say
whether I shall work at the forge with J oe, or whether
I shall try for any different occupation down in this
country, or whether we shall go away to a distant place
where an opportunity awaits me wl1icl1 I set aside when’
it was offered, until Iknew your answer. And now, dear
Biddy, if you can tell me that you will go tlirouglr ‘the
world with me, you will surely make it a better world
for me, and me a better man for it, and I will try hard
to make it a better world for you.” .
. Such was my purpose. After three days more of re-
covery, I went down to the old place, to put it in execu-
tion. , And how I sped in it, is all I have left to tell;
CHAPTER ' LVIII. ,,
TIIE tidings of my high fortunes having had a heavy
fall, had got down to my native place and its neighbour-
hood, before I got there. I foundthe Blue Boar in pos-
session of the intelligence, and I[found that it‘ made"a
great change in Boar’s demeanour.‘ VVhcreas the Bear
had cultivated my good opinion with warm assiduity
when I was coming into property, the Boar was exceed-
ingly cool on the subject now that I was going out of
property. ‘ -' ' ‘ ’
. It was evening when I arrived, much fatigued by the
Journey I had so often made so easily. The Bear could not
put me into my usual bedroom, which was engaged
CHARLES’ DI OKEN "’ WORKS’.
' ostentatious clemency wit
(probably by some one w.ho.had expectations), and could
only assign me a very indifferent chamber among the
pigeons and pest-chaises ‘up the yard. But, I had as
sound a sleep in that lodgings as 1114.110 most superior
accommodation the Boat could have given me, and the
quality of my dreams was about the same as in the best
I)C(II'0(1)l’Il. I . 1.1 b, ' 4: - . .
Ear y in t re morning w n o my rea as was emu
ready, I strolled round by.Satis House. herg um‘;
printed bills on the gate and on bits of carpet hanging
out of the windows, announcing a sale by auction of the
Household Furnitureand Effects,‘ next week.-V The,
House itself was to be sold as old building materials, and
pulled down. LOT 1 was marked in whitewashed knock.
knee letters on the brew-house; LOT 2 on that part of
the main building which hadbeen so long shut up.
Other lots were marked 0E on other parts of the struc.
ture, and the ivy had been torn down to make room for
the inscriptions, and much of it trailed low in the dust
and was withered already. Stepping in for a moment at
the open gate and looking around’ me with the uncom.
fortable air of a stranger who had no business tl1erc,l
saw the auctioneer's clerk walking on the casks and tell.
ing them off for the information of a catalo ue-com.
piler, pen in hand, who made a temporary dost of the
wheeled chair I had so often pushed along to the tune of
Old Clem. ‘ ‘ ' r 4 ,
VVhen I ot back ‘to my breakfast in‘ the Boar's
coffee-room, found Mr. Pumblechook conversing with
the landlord. Mr. Purnblechook (not improved in.np.
pearance by his late nocturnal adventure) xvas.“-aiting
for me, and addressed me in the following terms. : .a, -
“. Young man, I am sorry to see you brought low. But
what else could be expected I what else could be ex.
pected l”‘ r l ' r . i
As he extendedhis hand with a magnificently forgiv.
ing air, and as 'I was broken by illness anduniit to
quarrel, I took it. u 4 ' - V ‘ J I ,
“ William,” said :Mr.r Pumblechook to the “waiter,
“ put a muffin on table. And has it come to this I Has
itcometothisl”r '7' . v < 2, --
I frowningly sat down to my breakfast. Mr. Pumble.
chook stood over me and poured'outr1ny tea-before I
could touch the teapotswith the air of abenefactor who
was resolvedto be true to the last. : vr
“ IVilliam,” said Mr. Pumblechook, mournfully, “put
the salt on. In happier'times,” addressing me, “Ithink
you took sugar? And did you‘ take milk? - You did.‘
Sugar and milk, ‘William, bring a watercress.” . -
“ Thank you,” -‘said I, shortly, “ but I don’teat water-
cresses.” - ' ' r l w '
“You don’t eat ’em,” returned Mr. Pumblechook,
sighin and nodding ‘his head several times, ‘as if-he
might rave expected that, and as if abstinence from wu-
tercresses were consistent with mydownfall. ‘.‘ True.
The simple fruits of the earth. 2N0. You needn’t bring
an , VVilliam.” ' ' '-" v: . V V , r I v
went on‘ with my breakfast, and Mr. Pnmblechool:
continued to stand over me, staring fishily and breath-
ing nolsily, as he always did. - - v -v . 4 - -- -
“ Little more than skin and bone l” mused Mr.‘Pum-
blechoolg aloud. “And yet whenhe went away from
here (I may say with my blessing), and I spread afore
him. my humble store, like the Bee, he was as plump as
aPeachl” '1 ‘-r I V" . i '
This reminded me of the wonderful difference be-
tween theservile manner in which he had offered his
hand in my new prosperity‘, saying,‘ “ May I?” and the
rt‘
hibited the same fat five fingers. ..: ,-
" Huh I ” he went on, handing me :the bread-and-but
ter. f‘ And air you a going to Joseph?” ' ‘ r
“ In Heaven’s name,” said I, firin in spite of myself,
“ what does it matter to you where am going? Leave
that teapot alone.” ‘ ‘ ” -g . n i
It was the worst course I could have taken, because it
gave Pumblechook the opportunity he wanted.‘
..."Yes,? young man,” said.he,,releasing the handle of
the article in question’, retiring a step or two from my’
table, and speaking for the helmet‘ of the landlord and
waiter at the door, “‘ I will leave that teapot aloncp You
are'right, young man. .For once, you are right. I for-
which he had just now ex-.
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