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1From Little Britain I went, with my check in my pocket, to Miss Skiffins's brother, the accountant; and Miss Skiffins's
2brother, the accountant, going straight to Clarriker's and bringing Clarriker to me, I had the great satisfaction of
3concluding that arrangement. It was the only good thing I had done, and the only completed thing I had done, since I was
4first apprised of my great expectations. Clarriker informing me on that occasion that the affairs of the House were
5steadily progressing, that he would now be able to establish a small branch-house in the East which was much wanted for
6the extension of the business, and that Herbert in his new partnership capacity would go out and take charge of it, I
7found that I must have prepared for a separation from my friend, even though my own affairs had been more settled. And
8now, indeed, I felt as if my last anchor were loosening its hold, and I should soon be driving with the winds and waves.
9But there was recompense in the joy with which Herbert would come home of a night and tell me of these changes, little
10imagining that he told me no news, and would sketch airy pictures of himself conducting Clara Barley to the land of the
11Arabian Nights, and of me going out to join them (with a caravan of camels, I believe), and of our all going up the Nile
12and seeing wonders. Without being sanguine as to my own part in those bright plans, I felt that Herbert's way was
13clearing fast, and that old Bill Barley had but to stick to his pepper and rum, and his daughter would soon be happily
14provided for. We had now got into the month of March. My left arm, though it presented no bad symptoms, took, in the
15natural course, so long to heal that I was still unable to get a coat on. My right arm was tolerably restored;
16disfigured, but fairly serviceable. On a Monday morning, when Herbert and I were at breakfast, I received the following
17letter from Wemmick by the post. "Walworth. Burn this as soon as read. Early in the week, or say Wednesday, you might do
18what you know of, if you felt disposed to try it. Now burn." When I had shown this to Herbert and had put it in the
19fire--but not before we had both got it by heart--we considered what to do. For, of course my being disabled could now
20be no longer kept out of view. "I have thought it over again and again," said Herbert, "and I think I know a better
21course than taking a Thames waterman. Take Startop. A good fellow, a skilled hand, fond of us, and enthusiastic and
22honourable." I had thought of him more than once. "But how much would you tell him, Herbert?" "It is necessary to tell
23him very little. Let him suppose it a mere freak, but a secret one, until the morning comes: then let him know that
24there is urgent reason for your getting Provis aboard and away. You go with him?" "No doubt." "Where?" It had seemed to
25me, in the many anxious considerations I had given the point, almost indifferent what port we made for,--Hamburg,
26Rotterdam, Antwerp,--the place signified little, so that he was out of England. Any foreign steamer that fell in our way
27and would take us up would do. I had always proposed to myself to get him well down the river in the boat; certainly
28well beyond Gravesend, which was a critical place for search or inquiry if suspicion were afoot. As foreign steamers
29would leave London at about the time of high-water, our plan would be to get down the river by a previous ebb-tide, and
30lie by in some quiet spot until we could pull off to one. The time when one would be due where we lay, wherever that
31might be, could be calculated pretty nearly, if we made inquiries beforehand. Herbert assented to all this, and we went
32out immediately after breakfast to pursue our investigations. We found that a steamer for Hamburg was likely to suit our
33purpose best, and we directed our thoughts chiefly to that vessel. But we noted down what other foreign steamers would
34leave London with the same tide, and we satisfied ourselves that we knew the build and colour of each. We then separated
35for a few hours: I, to get at once such passports as were necessary; Herbert, to see Startop at his lodgings. We both
36did what we had to do without any hindrance, and when we met again at one o'clock reported it done. I, for my part, was
37prepared with passports; Herbert had seen Startop, and he was more than ready to join. Those two should pull a pair of
38oars, we settled, and I would steer; our charge would be sitter, and keep quiet; as speed was not our object, we should
39make way enough. We arranged that Herbert should not come home to dinner before going to Mill Pond Bank that evening;
40that he should not go there at all to-morrow evening, Tuesday; that he should prepare Provis to come down to some stairs
41hard by the house, on Wednesday, when he saw us approach, and not sooner; that all the arrangements with him should be
42concluded that Monday night; and that he should be communicated with no more in any way, until we took him on board.
43These precautions well understood by both of us, I went home. On opening the outer door of our chambers with my key, I
44found a letter in the box, directed to me; a very dirty letter, though not ill-written. It had been delivered by hand
45(of course, since I left home), and its contents were these:-- "If you are not afraid to come to the old marshes
46to-night or to-morrow night at nine, and to come to the little sluice-house by the limekiln, you had better come. If you
47want information regarding your uncle Provis, you had much better come and tell no one, and lose no time. You must come
48alone. Bring this with you." I had had load enough upon my mind before the receipt of this strange letter. What to do
49now, I could not tell. And the worst was, that I must decide quickly, or I should miss the afternoon coach, which would
50take me down in time for to-night. To-morrow night I could not think of going, for it would be too close upon the time
51of the flight. And again, for anything I knew, the proffered information might have some important bearing on the flight
52itself. If I had had ample time for consideration, I believe I should still have gone. Having hardly any time for
53consideration,--my watch showing me that the coach started within half an hour,--I resolved to go. I should certainly
54not have gone, but for the reference to my Uncle Provis. That, coming on Wemmick's letter and the morning's busy
55preparation, turned the scale. It is so difficult to become clearly possessed of the contents of almost any letter, in a
56violent hurry, that I had to read this mysterious epistle again twice, before its injunction to me to be secret got
57mechanically into my mind. Yielding to it in the same mechanical kind of way, I left a note in pencil for Herbert,
58telling him that as I should be so soon going away, I knew not for how long, I had decided to hurry down and back, to
59ascertain for myself how Miss Havisham was faring. I had then barely time to get my great-coat, lock up the chambers,
60and make for the coach-office by the short by-ways. If I had taken a hackney-chariot and gone by the streets, I should
61have missed my aim; going as I did, I caught the coach just as it came out of the yard. I was the only inside passenger,
62jolting away knee-deep in straw, when I came to myself.
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