he
stopped us.

"Stop half a minute, Mr. Gargery," he said; "I think I've got a bright
shilling somewhere in my pocket; if I have, the boy shall have it." He
took it out, folded it in some crumpled paper and gave it to me. "Yours,"
said he. "Mind--your own!" I thanked him, staring at him beyond the bounds
of good manners, and holding tight to Joe, and then we went towards home,
I in a manner stupefied, and thinking only of this turning up of my old
misdeed and old acquaintance.

We found my sister was not in a very bad temper, and Joe was encouraged to
tell her about the shilling. I took it out of the paper to show her. "But
what's this?" she said, catching up the paper. It was nothing less than
two one-pound notes! Joe caught up his hat and ran with them to the Public
House to restore them to their owner, only to find that he had gone. Then
my sister sealed them up in a piece of paper, and put them on the top of a
press in the state parlour, and there they remained.

On the appointed day I returned to Miss Havisham, and as before, was
admitted by Estella. As we went up stairs we met a gentleman groping his
way down. He was bald, with a large head and bushy black eyebrows. His
eyes were deep set and disagreeably keen. He was nothing to me, but I
observed him well as he passed.

Estella led me this time into another part of the house, and into a gloomy
room where there were some other people, saying,----

"You are to go and stand there, boy, till you are wanted."

"There" being the window, I crossed to it and stood looking out, at a
deserted house and old garden, in a very uncomfortable state of mind.
There were three ladies and one gentleman in the room, who all stopped
talking and looked at me. Later I found out that they were particular
friends of Miss Havisham. The ringing of a distant bell caused Estella to
say, "Now, boy!" and to conduct me to Miss Havisham's room, leaving me
near the door, where I stood until Miss Havisham cast her eyes upon me.

"Are you ready to play?" she asked.

I answered, in some confusion, "I don't think I am, ma'am, except at
cards; I could do that if I was wanted."

She looked searchingly at me and then asked, "If you are unwilling to
play, boy, are you willing to work?"

As I answered this in the affirmative, she presently laid a hand on my
shoulder. In the other she had a stick on which she leaned, and she looked
like the witch of the place. She looked all round the room in