BETIMES in the morning I was up and out. It was too early yet to go to Miss Havisham's, so I loitered into the country on Miss Havisham's side of town - which was not Joe's side; I could go there to-morrow - thinking about my patroness, and painting brilliant pictures of her plans for me.
She had adopted Estella, she has as good as adopted me, and it could not fail to be her intention to bring us together. She reserved it for me to restore the desolate house, admit the sunshine into the dark rooms, set the clocks a going and the cold hearths a blazing, tear down the cobwebs, destroy the vermin - in short, do all the shining deeds of the young Knight of romance, and marry the Princess. I had stopped to look at the house as I passed; and its seared red brick walls, blocked windows, and strong green ivy clasping even the stacks of chimneys with its twigs and tendons, as if with sinewy old arms, had made up a rich attractive mystery, of which I was the hero. Estella was the inspiration of it, and the heart of it, of course. But, though she had taken such strong possession of me, though my fancy and my hope were so set upon her, though her influence on my boyish life and character had been all-powerful, I did not, even that romantic morning, invest her with any attributes save those she possessed. I mention this in this place, of a fixed purpose, because it is the clue by which I am to be followed into my poor labyrinth. According to my experience, the conventional notion of a lover cannot be always true. The unqualified truth is, that when I loved Estella with the love of man, I loved her simply because I found her irresistible. Once for all; I knew to my sorrow, often and often, if not always, that I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be. Once for all; I loved her none the less because I knew it, and it had no more influence in restraining me, than if I had devoutly believed her to be human perfection.
I so shaped out my walk as to arrive at the gate at my old time. When I had rung at the bell with an unsteady hand, I turned my back upon the gate, while I tried to get my breath and keep the beating of my heart moderately quiet. I heard the side door open, and steps come across the court-yard; but I pretended not to hear, even when the gate swung on its rusty hinges.
Being at last touched on the shoulder, I started and turned. I started much more naturally then, to find myself confronted by a man in a sober grey dress. The last man I should have expected to see in that place of porter at Miss Havisham's door.
`Orlick!'
`Ah, young master, there's more changes than yours. But come in, come in. It's opposed to my orders to hold the gate open.'
I entered and he swung it, and locked it, and took the key out. `Yes!' said he, facing round, after doggedly preceding me a few steps towards the house. `Here I am!'
`How did you come here?'
`I come her,' he retorted, `on my legs. I had my box brought alongside me in a barrow.'
`Are you here for good?'
`I ain't her for harm, young master, I suppose?'
I was not so sure of that. I had leisure to entertain the retort in my mind, while he slowly lifted his heavy glance from the pavement, up my legs and arms, to my face.
`Then you have left the forge?' I said.
`Do this look like a forge?' replied Orlick, sending his glance all round him with an air of injury. `Now, do it look like it?'
I asked him how long he had left Gargery's forge?
`One day is so like another here,' he replied, `that I don't know without casting it up. However, I come her some time since you left.'
`I could have told you that, Orlick.'
`Ah!' said he, drily. `But then you've got to be a scholar.'
By this time we had come to the house, where I found his room to be one just within the side door, with a little window in it looking on the court-yard. In its small proportions, it was not unlike the kind of place usually assigned to a gate-porter in Paris. Certain keys were hanging on the wall, to which he now added the gatekey; and his patchwork-covered bed was in a little inner division or recess. The whole had a slovenly confined and sleepy look, like a cage for a human dormouse: while he, looming dark and heavy in the shadow of a corner by the window, looked like the human dormouse for whom it was fitted up - as indeed he was.
`I never saw this room before,' I remarked; `but there used to be no Porter here.'
`No,' said he; `not till it got about that there was no protection on the premises, and it come to be considered dangerous, with convicts and Tag and Rag and Bobtail going up and down. And then I was recommended to the plàce as a man who could give another man as good as he brought, and I took it. It's easier than bellowsing and hammering. - That's loaded, that is.'
My eye had been caught by a gun with a brass bound stock over the chimney-piece, and his eye had followed mine.
`Well,' said I, not desirous of more conversation, `shall I go up to Miss Havisham?'
`Burn me, if I know!' he retorted, first stretching himself and then shaking himself; `my orders ends here, young master. I give this here bell a rap with this here hammer, and you go on along the passage till you meet somebody.'
`I am expected, I believe?'
`Burn me twice over, if I can say!' said he.
Upon that, I turned down the long passage which I had first trodden in my thick boots, and he made his bell sound. At the end of the passage, while the bell was still reverberating, I found Sarah Pocket: who appeared to have now become constitutionally green and yellow by reason of me.
`Oh!' said she. `You, is it, Mr Pip?'
`It is, Miss Pocket. I am glad to tell you that Mr Pocket and family are all well.'
`Are they any wiser?' said Sarah, with a dismal shake of the head; `they had better be wiser, than well. Ah, Matthew, Matthew!You know your way, sir?'
Tolerably, for I had gone up the staircase in the dark, many a time. I ascended it now, in lighter boots than of yore, and tapped in my old way at the door of Miss Havisham's room. `Pip's rap,' I heard her say, immediately; `come in, Pip.'
She was in her chair near the old table, in the old dress, with her two hands crossed on her stick, her chin resting on them, and her eyes on the fire. Sitting near her, with the white shoe that had never been worn, in her hand, and her head bent as she looked at it, was an elegant lady whom I had never seen.
`Come in, Pip,' Miss Havisham continued to mutter, without looking round or up; `come in, Pip, how do you do, Pip? so you kiss my hand as if I were a queen, eh? - Well?'
She looked up at me suddenly, only moving her eyes, and repeated in a grimly playful manner,
`Well?'
`I heard, Miss Havisham,' said I, rather at a loss, `that you were so kind as to wish me to come and see you, and I came directly.'
`Well?'
The lady whom I had never seen before, lifted up her eyes and looked archly at me, and then I saw that the eyes were Estella's eyes. But she was so much changed, was so much more beautiful, so much more womanly, in all things winning admiration had made such wonderful advance, that I seemed to have made none. I fancied, as I looked at her, that I slipped hopelessly back into the coarse and common boy again. O the sense of distance and disparity that came upon me, and the inaccessibility that came about her!
She gave me her hand. I stammered something about the pleasure I felt in seeing her again, and about my having looked forward to it for a long, long time.
`Do you find her much changed, Pip?' asked Miss Havisham, with her greedy look, and striking her stick upon a chair that stood between them, as a sign to me to sit down there.
`When I came in, Miss Havisham, I thought there was nothing of Estella in the face or figure; but now it all settles down so curiously into the old--'
`What? You are not going to say into the old Estella?' Miss Havisham interrupted. `She was proud and insulting, and you wanted to go away from her. Don't you remember?'
I said confusedly that that was long ago, and that I knew no better then, and the like. Estella smiled with perfect composure, and said she had no doubt of my having been quite right, and of her having been very disagreeable.
`Is he changed?' Miss Havisham asked her.
`Very much,' said Estella, looking at me.
`Less coarse and common?' said Miss Havisham, playing with Estella's hair.
Estella laughed, and looked at the shoe in her hand, and laughed again, and looked at me, and put the shoe down. She treated me as a boy still, but she lured me on.
We sat in the dreamy room among the old strange influences which had so wrought upon me, and I learnt that she had but just come home from France, and that she was going to London. Proud and wilful as of old, she had brought those qualities into such subjection to her beauty that it was impossible and out of nature - or I thought so - to separate them from her beauty. Truly it was impossible to dissociate her presence from all those wretched hankerings after money and gentility that had disturbed my boyhood - from all those ill-regulated aspirations that had first made me ashamed of home and Joe - from all those visions that had raised her face in the glowing fire, struck in out of the iron on the anvil, extracted it from the darkness of night to look in at the wooden window of the forge and flit away. In a word, it was impossible for me to separate her, in the past or in the present, from the innermost life of my life.
It was settled that I should stay there all the rest of the day, and return to the hotel at night, and to London to-morrow. When we had conversed for a while, Miss Havisham sent us two out to walk in the neglected garden: on our coming in by-and-by, she said, I should wheel her about a little as in times of yore.
So, Estella and I went out into the garden by the gate through which I had strayed to my encounter with the pale young gentleman, now Herbert; I, trembling in spirit and worshipping the very hem of her dress; she, quite composed and most decidedly not worshipping the hem of mine. As we drew near to the place of encounter, she stopped and said:
`I must have been a singular little creature to hide and see that fight that day: but I did, and I enjoyed it very much.'
`You rewarded me very much.'
`Did I?' she replied, in an incidental and forgetful way. `I remember I entertained a great objection to your adversary, because I took it ill that he should be brought here to pester me with his company.'
`He and I are great friends now.'
`Are you? I think I recollect though, that you read with his father?'
`Yes.'
I made the admission with reluctance, for it seemed to have a boyish look, and she already treated me more than enough like a boy.
`Since your change of fortune and prospects, you have changed your companions,' said Estella.
`Naturally,' said I.
`And necessarily,' she added, in a haughty tone; `what was fit company for you once, would be quite unfit company for you now.'
In my conscience, I doubt very much whether I had any lingering intention left, of going to see Joe; but if I had, this observation put it to flight.
`You had no idea of your impending good fortune, in those times?' said Estella, with a slight wave of her hand, signifying in the fighting times.
`Not the least.'
The air of completeness and superiority with which she walked at my side, and the air of youthfulness and submission with which I walked at hers, made a contrast that I strongly felt. It would have rankled in me more than it did, if I had not regarded myself as eliciting it by being so set apart for her and assigned to her.
The garden was too overgrown and rank for walking in with ease, and after we had made the round of it twice or thrice, we came out again into the brewery yard. I showed her to a nicety where I had seen her walking on the casks, that first old day, and she said, with a cold and careless look in that direction, `Did I?' I reminded her where she had come out of the house and given me my meat and drink, and she said, `I don't remember.' `Not remember that you made me cry?' said I. `No,' said she, and shook her head and looked about her. I verily believe that her not remembering and not minding in the least, made me cry again, inwardly - and that is the sharpest crying of all.
`You must know,' said Estella, condescending to me as a brilliant and beautiful woman might, `that I have no heart - if that has anything to do with my memory.'
I got through some jargon to the effect that I took the liberty of doubting that. That I knew better. That there could be no such beauty without it.
`Oh! I have a heart to be stabbed in or shot in, I have no doubt,' said Estella, `and, of course, if it ceased to beat I should cease to be. But you know what I mean. I have no softness there, no - sympathy - sentiment - nonsense.'
What was it that was borne in upon my mind when she stood still and looked attentively at me? Anything that I had seen in Miss Havisham? No. In some of her looks and gestures there was that tinge of resemblance to Miss Havisham which may often be noticed to have been acquired by children, from grown person with whom they have been much associated and secluded, and which, when childhood is passed, will produce a remarkable occasional likeness of expression between faces that are otherwise quite different. And yet I could not trace this to Miss Havisham. I looked again, and though she was still looking at me, the suggestion was gone.
What was it?
`I am serious,' said Estella, not so much with a frown (for her brow was smooth) as with a darkening of her face; `if we are to be thrown much together, you had better believe it at once. No!' imperiously stopping me as I opened my lips. `I have not bestowed my tenderness anywhere. I have never had any such thing.'
In another moment we were in the brewery so long disused, as she pointed to the high gallery where I had seen her going out on that same first day, and told me she remembered to have been up there, and to have seen me standing scared below. As my eyes followed her white hand, again the same dim suggestion that I could not possibly grasp, crossed me. My involuntary start occasioned her to lay her hand upon my arm. Instantly the ghost passed once more, and was gone.
What was it?
`What is the matter?' asked Estella. `Are you scared again?'
`I should be, if I believed what you said just now,' I replied, to turn it off.
`Then you don't? Very well. It is said, at any rate. Miss Havisham will soon be expecting you at your old post, though I think that might be laid aside now, with other old belongings. Let us make one more round of the garden, and then go in. Come! You shall not shed tears for my cruelty to-day; you shall be my Page, and give me your shoulder.'
Her handsome dress had trailed upon the ground. She held it in one hand now, and with the other lightly touched my shoulder as we walked. We walked round the ruined garden twice or thrice more, and it was all in bloom for me. If the green and yellow growth of weed in the chinks of the old wall had been the most precious flowers that ever blew, it could not have been more cherished in my remembrance.
There was no discrepancy of years between us, to remove her far from me; we were of nearly the same age, though of course the age told for more in her case than in mine; but the air of inaccessibility which her beauty and her manner gave her, tormented me in the midst of my delight, and at the height of the assurance I felt that out patroness had chosen us for one another. Wretched boy!
At last we went back into the house, and there I heard, with surprise, that my guardian had come down to see Miss Havisham on business, and would come back to dinner. The old wintry branches of chandeliers in the room where the mouldering table was spread, had been lighted while we were out, and Miss Havisham was in her chair and waiting for me.
It was like pushing the chair itself back into the past, when we began the old slow circuit round about the ashes of the bridal feast. But, in the funereal room, with that figure of the grave fallen back in the chair fixing its eyes upon her, Estella looked more bright and beautiful than before, and I was under stronger enchantment.
The time so melted away, that our early dinner-hour drew close at hand, and Estella left us to prepare herself. We had stopped near the centre of the long table, and Miss Havisham, with one of her withered arms stretched out of the chair, rested that clenched hand upon the yellow cloth. As Estella looked back over her shoulder before going out at the door, Miss Havisham kissed that hand to her, with a ravenous intensity that was of its kind quite dreadful.
Then, Estella being gone and we two left alone, she turned to me, and said in a whisper:
`Is she beautiful, graceful, well-grown? Do you admire her?'
`Everybody must who sees her, Miss Havisham.'
She drew an arm round my neck, and drew my head close down to hers as she sat in the chair. `Love her, love her, love her! How does she use you?'
Before I could answer (if I could have answered so difficult a question at all), she repeated, `Love her, love her, love her! If she favours you, love her. If she wounds you, love her. If she tears your heart to pieces - and as it gets older and stronger, it will tear deeper - love her, love her, love her!'
Never had I seen such passionate eagerness as was joined to her utterance of these words. I could feel the muscles of the thin arm round my neck, swell with the vehemence that possessed her.
`Hear me, Pip! I adopted her to be loved. I bred her and educated her, to be loved. I developed her into what she is, that she might be loved. Love her!'
She said the word often enough, and there could be no doubt that she meant to say it; but if the often repeated word had been hate instead of love - despair - revenge - dire death - it could not have sounded from her lips more like a curse.
`I'll tell you,' said she, in the same hurried passionate whisper, `what real love is. It is blind devotion, unquestioning self-humiliation, utter submission, trust and belief against yourself and against the whole world, giving up your whole heart and soul to the smiter - as I did!'
When she came to that, and to a wild cry that followed that, I caught her round the waist. For she rose up in the chair, in her shroud of a dress, and struck at the air as if she would as soon have struck herself against the wall and fallen dead.
All this passed in a few seconds. As I drew her down into her chair, I was conscious of a scent that I knew, and turning, saw my guardian in the room.
He always carried (I have not yet mentioned it, I think) a pocket-handkerchief of rich silk and of imposing proportions, which was of great value to him in his profession. I have seen him so terrify a client or a witness by ceremoniously unfolding this pocket-handkerchief as if he were immediately going to blow his nose, and then pausing, as if he knew he should not have time to do it before such client or witness committed himself, that the self-committal has followed directly, quite as a matter of course. When I saw him in the room, he had this expressive pockethandkerchief in both hands, and was looking at us. On meeting my eye, he said plainly, by a momentary and silent pause in that attitude, `Indeed? Singular!' and then put the handkerchief to its right use with wonderful effect.
Miss Havisham had seen him as soon as I, and was (like everybody else) afraid of him. She made a strong attempt to compose herself, and stammered that he was as punctual as ever.
`As punctual as ever,' he repeated, coming up to us. `(How do you do, Pip? Shall I give you ride, Miss Havisham? Once round?) And so you are here, Pip?'
I told him when I had arrived, and how Miss Havisham had wished me to come and see Estella. To which he replied, `Ah!Very fine young lady!' Then he pushed Miss Havisham in her chair before him, with one of his large hands, and put the other in his trousers-pocket as if the pocket were full of secrets.
`Well, Pip! How often have you seen Miss Estella before?' said he, when he came to a stop.
`How often?'
`Ah! How many times? Ten thousand times?'
`Oh! Certainly not so many.'
`Twice?'
`Jaggers,' interposed Miss Havisham, much to my relief; `leave my Pip alone, and go with him to your dinner.'
He complied, and we groped our way down the dark stairs together. While we were still on our way to those detached apartments across the paved yard at the back, he asked me how often I had seen Miss Havisham eat and drink; offering me a breadth of choice, as usual, between a hundred times and once.
I considered, and said, `Never.'
`And never will, Pip,' he retorted, with a frowning smile. `She has never allowed herself to be seen doing either, since she lived this present life of hers. She wanders about in the night, and then lays hands on such food as she takes.'
`Pray, sir,' said I, `may I ask you a question?'
`You may,' said he, `and I may decline to answer it. Put your question.'
`Estella's name. Is it Havisham or - ?' I had nothing to add.
`Or what?' said he.
`Is it Havisham?'
`It is Havisham.'
This brought us to the dinner-table, where she and Sarah Pocket awaited us. Mr. Jaggers presided, Estella sat opposite to him, I faced my green and yellow friend. We dined very well, and were waited on by a maid-servant whom I had never seen in all my comings and goings, but who, for anything I know, had been in that mysterious house the whole time. After dinner, a bottle of choice old port was placed before my guardian (he was evidently well acquainted with the vintage), and the two ladies left us.
Anything to equal the determined reticence of Mr Jaggers under that roof, I never saw elsewhere, even in him. He kept his very looks to himself, and scarcely directed his eyes to Estella's face once during dinner. When she spoke to him, he listened, and in due course answered, but never looked at her, that I could see. On the other hand, she often looked at him, with interest and curiosity, if not distrust, but his face never, showed the least consciousness. Throughout dinner he took a dry delight in making Sarah Pocket greener and yellower, by often referring in conversation with me to my expectations; but here, again, he showed no consciousness, and even made it appear that he extorted - and even did extort, though I don't know how - those references out of my innocent self.
And when he and I were left alone together, he sat with an air upon him of general lying by in consequence of information he possessed, that really was too much for me. He cross-examined his very wine when he had nothing else in hand. He held it between himself and the candle, tasted the port, rolled it in his mouth, swallowed it, looked at his glass again, smelt the port, tried it, drank it, filled again, and cross-examined the glass again, until I was as nervous as if I had known the wine to be telling him something to my disadvantage. Three or four times I feebly thought I would start conversation; but whenever he saw me going to ask him anything, he looked at me with his glass in his hand, and rolling his wine about in his mouth, as if requesting me to take notice that it was of no use, for he couldn't answer.
I think Miss Pocket was conscious that the sight of me involved her in the danger of being goaded to madness, and perhaps tearing off her cap - which was a very hideous one, in the nature of a muslin mop - and strewing the ground with her hair - which assuredly had never grown on her head. She did not appear when we afterwards went up to Miss Havisham's room, and we four played at whist. In the interval, Miss Havisham, in a fantastic way, had put some of the most beautiful jewels from her dressing-table into Estella's hair, and about her bosom and arms; and I saw even my guardian look at her from under his thick eyebrows, and raise them a little, when her loveliness was before him, with those rich flushes of glitter and colour in it.
Of the manner and extent to which he took our trumps into custody, and came out with mean little cards at the ends of hands, before which the glory of our Kings and Queens was utterly abased, I say nothing; nor, of the feeling that I had, respecting his looking upon us personally in the light of three very obvious and poor riddles that he had found out long ago. What I suffered from, was the incompatibility between his cold presence and my feelings towards Estella. It was not that I knew I could never bear to speak to him about her, that I knew I could never bear to hear him creak his boots at her, that I knew I could never bear to see him wash his hands of her; it was, that my admiration should be within a foot or two of him - it was, that my feelings should be in the same place with him - that, was the agonizing circumstance.
We played until nine o'clock, and then it was arranged that when Estella came to London I should be forewarned of her coming and should meet her at the coach; and then I took leave of her, and touched her and left her.
My guardian lay at the Boar in the next room to mine. Far into the night, Miss Havisham's words, `Love her, love her, love her!' sounded in my ears. I adapted them for my own repetition, and said to my pillow, `I love her, I love her, I love her!' hundreds of times. Then, a burst of gratitude came upon me, that she should be destined for me, once the blacksmith's boy. Then, I thought if she were, as I feared, by no means rapturously grateful for that destiny yet, when would she begin to be interested in me? When should I awaken the heart within her, that was mute and sleeping now?
Ah me! I thought those were high and great emotions. But I never thought there was anything low and small in my keeping away from Joe, because I knew she would be contemptuous of him. It was but a day gone, and Joe had brought the tears into my eyes; they had soon dried, God forgive me! soon dried.
第二天一早我便起身，然后走到外边。由于天时过早，还不能到郝维仙小姐家去，所以我便在街上闲逛，向郝维仙小姐住的那个方向走去。那不是到乔那里的方向，我可以明天到乔那里去。我一路想着我的女恩主，幻想着她为我安排的一切锦绣前程。
她收养了埃斯苔娜，现在也等于收养了我，她不可能不对我们两人的联姻作出精心的安排。她要把恢复荒芜家园的重担交付给我，要我重新把阳光引进黑暗的房间，把停止走动的钟重新拨准，把冰冷的壁炉再次燃旺，把蛛网撕开，把一切害虫消灭，简而言之，要我像传奇的年轻骑士一样，做出光辉的事业，然后和公主成婚。我停下步子向我经过的宅邸张望，一排憔悴的红砖墙，所有的窗户都已堵塞；刚健强壮郁郁葱葱的绿色常春藤沿烟囱攀爬而上，四面伸开它的嫩枝和筋蔓，好像是老人筋肉结实的胳膊，构成了一处丰富多彩、引人人胜的神秘所在，而我就是这神秘所在的英雄。埃斯苔娜是这儿的灵气，是这儿的中心，这是理所当然的。不过，虽说她已经俘获了我的灵魂，虽说我把我全部的幻想和希望都倾注在她的身上，虽说她对我童年时代的生活与性格的形成有着巨大的整体性的影响，但我不会说她有什么优良的品质，她只是迷了我的心窍，即使在这具有浪漫意义的早晨也是如此。我在这里特别提到这一个问题，是出自一种明确的目的，因为这是一条线索，顺着这条线索我被引进了不幸的迷宫。就我个人的亲身体会而言，世人那种对情人的传统看法不可能永远是真的。不容辩驳的真相是，当我以一个男人的情感爱上埃斯苔娜时，仅仅是因为我发现有一种内在的抑制不住的情感非爱她不可。一旦爱上了她，我就再也不能不爱她。我自然了解这对我会带来多少的悲伤与痛苦，而且这些悲哀时时刻刻缠绕住我，日日夜夜萦绕在心头。我爱她是违背常理、是妨碍前程、是失去自制、是破灭希望、是断送幸福、是注定要尝尽一切的沮丧和失望的，可是，一旦爱上了她，我再也不能不爱她。虽然我知道这一切，可是我对她的爱一分也不会减少，也不会使我有所克制，相反，我却更把她奉为人间最优秀的绝代佳丽。
我计算好散步的时间，来到大门前，刚好是昔日来到这里的时刻。于是我伸出颤抖着不听使唤的手拉了门铃，立即背转过身子，深深地吸了一口气，尽量使激烈的心跳平稳下来。我听到里面边门打开的声音，听到从院子里走过来的脚步声。当大门随着生锈的铰链吱呀一声打开时，我有意装着没有听见。
有人在我肩膀上拍了一下，使我惊得回过头来。更使我吃惊的是，站在我面前的是一位穿深灰衣服的男人。我真没有料到在郝维仙小姐的家门口，在这样一处所在，竟遇到这样一个人。
“奥立克！”
“噢！小少爷。不光你变了，一切都变了。不过，还是快进来。不然，把大门老开着，这是违反主人命令的。”
我一走进去，他便关上门，又上了锁，把钥匙抽出来。他只顾领我向里面走去，走了几步转过面孔来对我说：“我现在可到了这里了！”
“你怎么会来到这里的？”
他用带有责备性的口吻说道：“我是用两条腿走来的，行李是用车子推来的。”
“你以后就好好呆在这里了？”
“小少爷，我看我可不是在这里捣乱的。”
对于他讲的话我不敢确信，在心中细细推敲着，他那些带有责备语气的话。这时，他缓慢地把他迟钝的眼光从铺石地面上抬起，然后从我的脚尖移到我的双腿，再移到我的胳膊，最后移到我的脸上。
“那么你已经离开铁匠铺了？”我问道。
“你看这里像个铁匠铺吗？”奥立克答道，用受了侮辱般的神气向四周望望，“你说，这里像不像铁匠铺？”
我问他离开葛奇里的铁匠铺已经有多长时间了。
“在这里天天都差不多，”他答道，“我没有计算过，不知道有多久了。不过，你走后，我过了一阵就来到了这里。”
“这话你不说我也知道，奥立克。”
他冷淡地对我说道：“噢！那你得是个学问家。”
这时我们已经走到室内，我看到了他住的房间，就在边门里面，有一扇小小的窗户正对着院子。从比例上看，这间房子很小，和巴黎看门人的小房间比起来，无论从哪方面讲都没有什么不同。各种不同的钥匙挂在墙上，这时他把大门的钥匙也挂在了上面。墙壁凹进去的地方摆着他的床，上面铺着补丁叠补丁的被子。整间屋子的面貌很不整洁。很狭窄，而且令人昏昏沉沉的，就好像是关了一只人形睡鼠的笼子。他像幽灵似的站在窗边一角的阴影之中，又黑又笨，真像关在笼子中的人形睡鼠，其实，他又何尝不是人形睡鼠呢？
“过去我从来没有见过这里有个房间，”我说道，“不过，过去也没有看门的人。”
“没有看门人，”他说道，“那是过去的事。后来流言很多，在这么一大幢房子里没有保护措施肯定是很危险的，这个地方有逃犯，有毛贼，有坏蛋，有乌合之众，他们来来往往。所以，有人介绍我到这里来，说我可以对付一两个人，我就接受了。这里比起拉风箱和破铁锤来可容易得多了。那是装了子弹的，真的。”
我看到在壁炉上面放了一支枪，枪托包着铜皮，他的目光也随着我望着枪。“好吧，”我说道（因为我不想和他谈更多的话），“我现在可以去看郝维仙小姐吗？”
“我要是知道，就烧死我！”他顶了我一句，先伸了伸懒腰，然后晃动着身子，“少爷，我的任务仅此而已。现在，我在这里用锤子把这个钟敲一下，你沿着过道走去，直到遇见人招呼你。”
“我想，里面正等着我呢。”
“我要是知道，就烧死我两次！”他说道。
他说完，我便转向长长的过道。我记得第一次来时，我曾穿着笨重的皮靴子踏着这条过道。这时，奥立克敲响了钟。走到过道的尽头，钟声仍在震荡着余音，我看到了莎娜·鄱凯特。大概是由于我的原因，她的面色变得黄中泛青。
她说道：“噢！是你吗，皮普先生？”
“鄱凯特小姐，是我。我很高兴地给你带来消息，鄱凯特先生和全家人都好。”
“现在他们聪明些了吧？”莎娜阴郁地摇着她的头，“他们真该聪明起来。噢，马休啊，马休啊！先生，你认得路吗？”
以往我在黑暗中爬这道楼梯已有许多次，还能认识怎么走，何况这次我爬楼所穿的皮鞋比以往穿的要轻得多。这次像以往一样，我在郝维仙小姐的门上叩了两下。马上我便听到她的声音：“这是皮普的敲门声；皮普，进来。”
她像过去一样坐在那张老梳妆台的旁边，依旧穿着过去穿的衣服，双手交叉地放在手杖上，下巴搁在双手上，双眼正注视着火炉。坐在她旁边的是一位我从来没有见过的女郎，手上正抓着那只从来未穿过的白色新鞋，低着头仔细地看着。
“进来，皮普。”郝维仙小姐继续喃喃地说着，没有抬头也没有转过头来，“皮普，进来。皮普，你好吗？来，把我当成女王，吻一下我的手，呢？怎么样？”
突然，她抬起双眼望着我，仅仅是抬起眼睛，用严酷的玩笑口气又说了一遍。
“怎么样？”
“郝维仙小姐，你的口信我收到了，”我这时简直不知所措地说道，“谢谢你的好意。你带信要我来看你，所以我这就来了。”
“怎么样？”
那位我过去从来没有见过的女郎抬起了她的眼睛，诡诈地望着我。这时我才认出，这一对眼睛就是埃斯苔娜的眼睛。她是大大地变了，变得更加楚楚动人，更具有女人的魅力，她的一切都值得羡慕赞叹，她取得了很大的进步。而我比起她来，什么长进都没有。我看着她，不由在幻想之中又无药可救地变成了粗鲁的寻常孩子了。我感到我和她之间有距离，而且两者悬殊很大，她简直是不可高攀的天仙。
她把手伸给我。我结结巴巴地说我能又见到她真是太高兴了，我很久很久就盼望着这一天的来到。
“皮普，你觉得她的变化很大吗？”郝维仙小姐问道，神情是那般热切。她用拐杖敲了一下她们两人之间的一张椅子，示意要我坐在上面。
“郝维仙小姐，我一进来时，真看不出这副面容和形体中有任何埃斯苔娜的影子，不过现在定下心来一看，和过去的样子非常地——”
“什么？你说她还是原来的埃斯苔娜？”郝维仙小姐打断了我的话头说道，“那时她又骄傲又会伤害人，你不是想躲开她吗？你还记得这件事吗？”
这一问把我的心绪给打乱了，慌乱地说那些都是昔日旧事，当时我也不懂事，等等。埃斯苔娜微笑着，神情十分沉静。她说我的看法是对的，不过她当时也的确很难对付。
“你看他变了吗？”郝维仙小姐问埃斯苔娜。
“他变化很大。”埃斯苔娜望着我说道。
“不像那时粗鲁了，也不像那时俗气了？”郝维仙小姐一面说着，一面用手摸着埃斯苔娜的头发。
埃斯苔娜大笑起来，看着手上的那只鞋，然后又大笑起来，然后又看看我，最后把鞋放了下来。她依然把我当作一个孩子，另一方面又在诱惑我。
我们坐在幻若梦境的房间中，周围依然是曾经迷惑我心灵的那种神秘气氛。谈话中，我知道她刚刚从巴黎归来，不久又准备奔赴伦敦。埃斯苔娜依然保留着往日的骄傲和任性，不过现在她的骄傲任性只是为了衬托美貌，至少我认为，不能把骄傲任性和美貌分隔开来去看。说句老实话，见到她，我不可能不想起童年时对金钱、对上流社会的可悲热望，这些热望不断地扰乱了我的童心；不可能不想起童年时使我为贫贱出身、为乔的粗鲁而羞愧的那些失控的志向；不可能不想起童年时的幻觉，她的面容会在熊熊的炉火中浮现，会从铁砧上敲打出来，会在深夜的黑暗中显现，从铁匠间的木窗外伸进来张望，仅那么一会儿，便又在黑夜中消失了。总而言之，我不能和她分离，无论是过去，无论是现在，她都深藏在我内心，成为我生命的生命。
我们说定，白天我和她们在一起，晚上回旅馆休息，然后明天返回伦敦。接着，我们继续谈了一会儿后，郝维仙小姐要我们两人到那座荒芜的花园中去散步，她还说，等我们散步回来后，我要像过去一样用车子推着她转几圈。
于是，埃斯苔娜和我便通过一扇门进入了花园。记得我曾经就是因误人了这扇门而遇上那位苍白面孔的少年绅士的，也就是现在的赫伯特。这时我内心万分激动，甚至在微微颤动，多想拜倒在她的石榴裙下，然而她却十分平静，决不会对我有任何崇拜。在我们快走到当年比试的地方时，她停下脚步，对我说道：
“那时候我也是个奇妙的小东西，那一天我躲在一处偷看你们打架，看得很清楚，而且还看得很高兴。”
“你那一天还给了我重赏呢。”
“有这回事吗？”她用一种随意的淡忘神情答道，“我不会忘记你的那个对手，我非常讨厌他，因为他给带到这里来就是要折磨我的，我被他纠缠得真动了气。”
“现在他和我已经是好朋友了。”我说道。
“是吗？我想起来了，你正在他父亲的指导下读书？”
“对”
我简直是勉勉强强地说出这个字的。这完全像一个小孩子的口气，其实她待我不是更像待一个小孩子吗？
“自从你的命运转变以后，和你交往的伙伴也变了。”埃斯苔娜说道。
“这是很自然的。”我答道。
“这也是必然的，”她用高傲的口吻补充道：“以往适合于做你朋友的人，如今就再不适合于做你的朋友了。”
本来，在我的良心深处，我也不能确定是否还有一点踌躇中的愿望，去看一看乔；如今听了她的评论后，即使有这一点愿望，也被赶到九霄云外去了。
“那时，你还不知道近在眼前的远大前程吧？”埃斯苔娜轻轻地挥了一下手，表示所谓那时是指打架的时候。
“一点儿也不知道。”
她走在我身边，完全是一副成熟老练、盛气凌人的架势，而我走在她的身边却一脸的年少幼稚、恭敬服帖。我强烈地感到我们两人之间在气质上的悬殊，要不是我被女恩主挑选出来专门做埃斯苔娜的伴侣，我的内心会有多么地痛苦啊。
整座花园里杂草丛生，四处蔓延，很难找到可落脚之处，所以我们两人在花园中转了两三圈，便离开花园，走进酒坊的院子。我正正经经地指着一处对她说，我过去第一次来到这里时，曾看到她在这些酒桶上面走来走去。她只是淡淡地、漫不经意地朝那个方向看了一眼，说：“真有这回事吗？”我又告诉她，她就是从这间屋子出来给我吃肉和喝啤酒的。她说：“我忘了。”我问她：“你记不记得你让我哭了起来？”她摇摇头向四处望望，说：“忘了，忘了。”听到她左一声忘了，右一声记不起了，这对我的心灵又是一次触动，使我在深深的内心又一次哭起来，而且这次内心的哭泣是所有痛哭之中最伤心的一次。
这时，埃斯苔娜却像一位聪慧美丽的少女一样，深有情意地对我说：“我是无心的，无心做的事情也就记不到心上去。”
我说了几句莫名其妙的话，含义是，对她说的话我不得不斗胆怀疑，我心中有数，哪一位绝色佳人会无心呢。
“哦！我确有一颗心，是可以用刀刺、用子弹射的心，这我毫不怀疑，”埃斯苔娜说道，“而且当然，这颗心一停止跳动，我也就停止活动了。不过，我刚才说的不是这层意思，我当时对人太不温柔——太无情——没有同情——废话。”
她静静地站在那里，神情专注地打量着我。这在我的心灵上唤起了怎样的感受呢？她的那种神情是不是有些像郝维仙小姐呢？不。也许她的行为举止在某些方面是有点像郝维仙小姐的行为举止，可是哪一个孩子不与大人有一点相似呢。但凡与大人朝夕相处，和外界又不联系的孩子，等到少年时代消逝，在面容、表情上是会留下这些相似，尽管两者的整个容貌是迥然不同的。可是我还无法追寻到郝维仙小姐的痕迹。于是，我又望了她一眼，看到她依然静静地站在那里望着我，而刚才出现过的那种神色已消失得无影无踪。
我所看到的是什么呢？
这时埃斯苔娜说道：“我可是认认真真的。”与其说她皱起了眉头，可由于她的额头那么平坦光滑，所以不如说她的面孔显得一团愁云，“要是今后我们会被推到一起，相互相处，你得相信我所说的话。你不用说！”我正想开口说些什么，而她霸道地止住了我，继续说：“不管对谁我都没有动过真情，我也根本没有什么感情。”
不一会儿，我们走到已长久废弃的制酒作坊里，她指着一处高高的走廊对我说，她记得她曾站在那里看到我站在下面哭。我知道那就是我第一次到这里来看到她走过的那处走廊。我的眼光随着她洁白的手指的方向看去，脑海中霎时又出现了那朦朦胧胧的、捉摸不定的联想。我不由自主地惊了一下，这一下竟使她把手扶住了我的肩膀。顷刻之间，那幽灵般的联想又一次消失得无影无踪了。
我所看到的是什么呢？
“怎么回事？”埃斯苔娜问道，“你又被吓住了？”
“我要是相信你刚才所说的话，我自然被吓住了。”我把话题引开道。
“就是说你不相信我所说的，很好。不过，不管怎样我已说清楚了。郝维仙小姐在等你去干那个老行当呢，虽然我认为这个老行当和其他陈旧的东西都可以丢在一边了。好吧，我们到园中再遛上一圈，然后再回去。来！今天我要对你狠一些，你可不许哭；你来当我的仆人，扶着我走。”
她美丽的长裙一直拖在地上，她用一只手撩起裙角，另一只手轻轻地捆在我的肩头上，我们就这样走着。我们在废弃的花园里走了一圈，又一圈，又一圈。对我说来，这一天的花园真是百花齐放、群芳斗艳，即使那老墙缝里长出的青黄野草也成为我从未见到过的奇花异草，成为我记忆中最值得珍视和回味的东西。
我们两人之间，从年岁上讲相差并不多，也难说不可相配，虽然看上去她要比我大一些，但我们还是年龄相仿的。我这时想人非非，觉得我们的女恩主是有意选择我们并相配成对的。正想得兴高采烈时，忽然感到埃斯苔娜那种绝色佳丽是多么难以接近，那傲慢的态度是多么折磨人。哦，我这不幸的可怜孩子！
最后我们回到屋内，我意外地听说我的监护人已经来看望过郝维仙小姐，是为了他们之间的业务，待会儿还要回来吃饭。摆着发霉宴席的那间屋子里，那盏发出寒意的枝形吊灯在我们出去时已经被点亮。郝维仙小姐正坐在她的椅子中等着我。
我推动椅子，好像又推回了已消逝的过去时光，我们又开始围着那早成为尘土的婚宴慢慢地兜圈子。在这阴森森的房间中，椅子上坐着一个僵尸般的人，用眼睛死盯住埃斯苔娜，而埃斯苔娜却如出水芙蓉一般，比以往任何时候都更光彩夺目、美丽绝伦，也更使我心荡神迷。
时光就是如此流逝，用餐的时刻就快到了，埃斯苔娜离开我们干她自己的事去了。我推着椅子在长桌的中部停住，郝维仙小姐从椅子中伸出一条衰弱干枯的手臂，把手提成拳头放在已经发黄的桌布上。埃斯苔娜走到门口，又回过头来张望，郝维仙小姐则举起手对着她做了一个飞吻，神情之炽热好像要一口把她吞掉，说来也真可怕。
埃斯苔娜出去后，剩下我们两人，她转过脸来对我低语道：
“她美吗？她风度好吗？她生得丰满吗？你爱她吗？”
“郝维仙小姐，谁见了她都会爱她的。”
她伸出胳膊搂住我的脖子，把我的头搂到她面前，坐在椅子上说：“你爱她吧，爱她吧，爱她吧！她是怎么对待你的？”
我还没有回答（其实我感到这个问题实在太难回答了），她却又说道：“你爱她吧，爱她吧，爱她吧！如果她喜欢你，爱她；如果她伤害你，也爱她；即使她把你的心撕成碎片，还是要爱她——慢慢随着年龄的增长，你会更坚强，心碎也会更痛苦——你要爱她，爱她，爱她！”
我从来没有见到过她如此满怀情感、热切急迫，我也从来没有听她说过如此的话语。在她说得情绪激动时，我感到她那只搂住我脖子的细细手臂上的肌肉在微微颤动着。
“皮普，我告诉你，我收养她是为了有人爱她；我把她抚养成人，让她受教育，是为了有人爱她；我把她造就成一个完美的女人，就是为了有人爱她，你爱她吧！”
她把爱这个词说了一遍又一遍，无疑，这是发自她肺腑的意愿。她一遍又一遍地说着爱这个词，爱已不再是爱，而是恨，是失望，是复仇，是悲惨的死亡。她一声声所说的爱就是一声声的诅咒，即使她用“失望”、“复仇”这一类的词来说，也比不上“爱”这个词更像诅咒。
“让我来告诉你，”她继续用与刚才一样的匆忙和热情低低地对我说，“什么叫真正的爱。真正的爱就是盲目的奉献，绝对的自卑，完全的服从，无视自己，无视世界，把整颗的心、整个灵魂都交给所爱的人，任其处置，就像我这样。”
她说到这里，随即疯狂地大叫了一声，于是我连忙抱住她的腰。因为她这时从椅子上站了起来，穿着她那裹尸布式的衣服，朝空中乱抓着，仿佛她立刻要向墙上撞去置自己于死地。
所有这一切不过几秒钟就过去了。我刚刚扶她在椅子上坐好，就闻到了一股熟悉的气味，一回头，看到我的监护人已到了房里。
贾格斯先生随身总是带了一方名贵的丝手帕，尺寸大得颇为显眼。这件事以前我没有提及过。这块手帕对于他的公务很有用处。我曾见到过他在当事人或证人面前隆重地摊开他的手帕，好像马上就要针鼻子，可是接着又停住了，好像他没有时间江鼻子，因为他的当事人或证人就要忏悔自己了。自然，他就用这种方法吓得他们连忙竹筒倒豆子式地招了供。这时我看到他在房间里，双手正拿着那块意味深长的手帕，眼睛望着我。当我们两人的目光相对时，他保持着那个姿势，默默无语，那意思分明是说：“真是你？真没有想到！”然后他才拿手帕做正常的用途，效果惊人。
我看到他的同时，郝维仙小姐也看到了他。她也像所有的人一样怕他。她强使自己镇定了一下，结巴着说他和过去一样总是很准时。
“和过去一样总是很准时。”他一面重复着，一面走到了我们的面前，说道，“皮普，你好吗？郝维仙小姐，让我来推你走一圈如何？再走一圈好吗？皮普，原来你也在这里。”
我告诉他我到这里的时间，又说郝维仙小姐希望我来看一看埃斯苔娜。他听后答道：“啊！多么漂亮的年轻女士！”然后，他用一只大手推着郝维仙小姐坐着的椅子，另一只大手插在裤子口袋中，仿佛口袋里深藏着秘密。
“唔，皮普！以往你隔多长时间和埃斯苔娜见一次面？”他停下来的时候对我说。
“隔多长时间？”
“哦！你见过她多少次？有一万次吗？”
“噢！当然没有这么多。”
“有两次吗？”
“贾格斯，”幸亏郝维仙小姐插言；总算解了我的围，“不必再缠住我的皮普了，你和他一起去吃饭吧。”
听了她的话后，贾格斯便和我一起摸着黑暗的楼梯下楼。我们仍然要走进后面铺石板的院子，到那幢独立的房子里去。在路上，他问我是不是常常看到郝维仙小姐吃喝，像往常一样，他给我的选择悬殊太大，要么是见过一百次，要么仅仅一次。
我考虑了一下说道：“我从未见到过。”
“皮普，你永远别想见到她吃喝，”他愁眉苦脸地笑了笑，嘲弄地说，“自从她开始像现在的这种生活，她就从不允许别人看到她吃喝。她总是在夜里走来走去，发现什么东西便拿起来吃一些。”
“先生，”我对他说道，“我可不可以向你提一个问题？”
“可以提，”他说道，“不过我也可以拒绝回答。你提吧。”
“埃斯苔娜姓什么？是郝维仙，还是——？”我再说不出了。
“还是什么？”他说。
“是姓郝维仙吗？”
“是姓郝维仙。”
谈话之间我们来到了餐厅，埃斯苔娜和莎娜·鄱凯特正在那里等着我们。贾格斯先生坐在上位，埃斯苔娜坐在他对面，而我正面对着那位面色青黄的朋友。我们舒舒适适地吃了一餐，服侍大家的是一位女仆。我来来去去那么多次，却从没有见过她。我猜得出，其实这么长时期中，她一直呆在这个神秘的宅子里，不过不为人所见罢了。饭后，一瓶精制的陈年葡萄美酒，被放在了我的监护人面前，他显然是饮惯了这种酒的。这时两位女士起身离开了。
在这座宅邸中，贾格斯先生总是保持着他绝对的沉默寡言，在别处我从没有见过他如此的模样。他的目光只注视着自己，在进餐的整个过程中几乎没有正眼看过埃斯苔娜的面孔。她对他说话时，他静听着，需要回答时他照例回答，可我发现他就是不看她。相反的是，她却时常瞧着他，而且是用有趣和好奇的目光瞧着他，一点没有怀疑的神色，可他的面孔上就是找不到蛛丝马迹的表情。在进餐过程中他时常和我攀谈，一个劲地提到我的遗产问题，使得莎娜·鄱凯特的脸上越来越黄，越来越青，他却以此取乐。他对这一切装作无知，而且做得好像我这个人由于天真幼稚，才被他掏出了这许多真话来。我真不知道他有何本领，也确实掏出了我的心里话。
餐厅里就留下我们两个人时，他坐在那里的神态就好像手边掌握了什么秘密消息似的，简直弄得我心中发慌。手中没有别的东西时，他便端起一杯酒反复鉴赏。他先端起酒杯对着烛光，啜一口，在嘴里品尝一下，再吞下去，然后又端详一会儿酒杯，闻一闻酒香，尝一尝，便一饮而尽。一杯喝完他再斟满一杯，端起酒杯重新鉴赏，弄得我头昏脑涨。精神紧张，仿佛那秘密就在酒中，我的把柄被他牢牢掌握了。有三四次我感到非和他谈话不可，可他一看出我想问他什么，便用手端起酒杯，注视着我，把一口酒在嘴里品来品去，仿佛要我注意，问他也是白问，因为他不打算回答。
我想鄱凯特小姐一定认为见到我就像见到了灾垦一样，会使她处于被逼发疯的危险境地，甚至会把自己头上的帽子也扯掉（这顶帽子实在太丑陋了，就像一根棉布拖把），把头发撒得满地（我想她的头发在她的头上根本没有生根）。后来我们回到郝维仙小姐的屋中时，她果然不在那里。我们四个人在那儿玩了一会儿惠斯特。中途间隙，郝维仙小姐不知道怎么又异想天开起来，从梳妆台上取出几件最美丽的珠宝，在埃斯苔娜的头发、胸口和手臂上仔细别好。这时我发现，连我的那位监护人也从他的浓眉之下偷偷地看了看她。当他发现面前的埃斯苔娜全身珍珠翠玉，有沉鱼落雁之美时，也不禁稍抬了一下他的眼皮。
且不说打牌时他的那套伎俩，先是把我们手中的王牌吃掉，然后尽出一些小牌，使得我们手中的“国王”和“王后”根本无法发挥。至于我当时的感受就更不必说了。在他的眼里，我们三个人是经不起一猜的谜，是微不足道的，很久以前他就对我们的谜底了如指掌了。当时，我所痛苦、难忍的是他那冷冰冰的存在和我对埃斯苔娜的深情缠绵犹如冰火般不能相容。我知道和他谈论埃斯苔娜是我难以忍受的，听见他对着她把皮鞋踩得嘎嘎直响也是我难以忍受的，看见他和她告别后就去洗手更是我难以忍受的，但这些都不是问题之所在；问题在于我对埃斯苔娜的倾慕之情与他相距不过咫尺，在于我的绵绵情意，得与他共处一室——这种境地真使我痛苦啊！
我们玩牌直到九点，然后说好埃斯苔娜什么时候去伦敦，一定事先告诉我，我会到驿站去接她。接下来我便向她告别了，握过她的手，举步离去。
我的监护人也住在蓝野猪饭店，而且就住在我隔壁的一间。虽近深夜，郝维仙小姐的话仍然在我耳边回响着：“你爱她吧，爱她吧，爱她吧！”我把这些话改成自己的语言，对着枕头千遍万遍地说：“我爱她，我爱她，我爱她！”然后我的心底涌起一阵感激之情，她竟命中注定要和我这个曾经是个小铁匠的人结成良缘。不过我又担心，她是否像我一样为这种命中注定而欢天喜地呢？她什么时候才能对我感兴趣呢？我什么时候该去唤醒她那颗现在仍深藏着的、无言而沉睡的心呢？
噢，我的老天！所有这些情感我都看得如此崇高，如此伟大。可是我丝毫未觉得自己躲开乔的行为是多么卑鄙和渺小，因为我知道埃斯苔娜会轻视他。仅在前一天，乔的手足情谊还使我感动得流了泪，然而泪水竟这么快就干了。愿上帝饶恕我，手足之情的泪水竟这么快就干了。