The sun., 1861-08-29
GREAT
EXPECTATIONS
by CHARLES DICK RMS.

was considering that some one must have b,,n
therc lately and must soon be coming bach. or the
candle would not lie burning, 1t came into my
head 10 look IL the wick were long. I turned
round to do 40, and had taken M the camille in
my ham, when 1t was cxtinguished bv some rio.
ient shock, and the next thing comp7ehended
wa, thet had been caught in a strong running
nooss, thrown over my head from behind.
.,,, NOW, said suppressed voice with an oath,
i've got you '
a. III Help help, help"
Not only were my arms pulled close TO nv
sides, but the pressure on my bad arm cau.cl me
exquisite pain Sometime strong mans han {,
sometimes a strong man, brca I was -ot against
my mouth TO deadcn my CRIES, aud with a hot
breath always Close TO mel Struggled no'lentuIi-
ly In the dark, while ! was fastened TO the wall
~'And now, said the supprc s,cd voice, vhh
another oath, "call out again, and III make
ehort work of finishing YOU.
Faint and sick with the pain Of NY ii'urcd
arm, bewildored w the surprise, and vet con-
scous how easily this threat could bc put in cN-
ecution, desisted, and tficl to ease my arm
were II ever 30 little. But it was bound too
tight for that. felt a. if, having been burned
before, II were now being boiled.
The sudden exclusion of the night, and the
Substitution oi black darkness in it, place, warn
cd me that the man had closed shutter. After
groping about for little, he found the flint AMI
steel he wanted, and le;an 10 strike light. |
strained my sight upon the spark- tina, fell
among the tinder, and upon which he hreaihCd
and breithcd, match in hand, but ! could only
zee his lips and the blue point OF the match; even
those hut ftflly. The tinlcr was dimp--no
wonder thcro--ln1 one after another the sparks
died out.
The man was in no hurrv, and struck again
with the flint and steel A. the sparks Tell thick
and bright about him, ! could see his hand, aud
touches OF his face, and could make out that he
was seated AMI bending over tn table, but noth-
ing more. Presently saw his blue lips again
breathing on the timber, anl then a llrc Of light
flashed up and showed me Orlick.
Whom hal looked for don't know. hal
not looked for him. Seeing him, ! felt that |
was in dangerous strait indeed, and kept my
eyes upon him.
lie lighted the candle from the niring match
with great d,iJcration, and dropped the match
and trod il out Then hc put the candle away
from him on the table, so that h. could see me,
aud Sat with his arms folded IN the table an1
lookei at me. | made out that was fastened to
a stout perpendicular ladder few inches from
the wall--a iiN;urc thcrc--thc means Of ascent
g. the loft above.
'Now," said he, when We hal surveyed one
another for some tine, "l'yc got YOU"
"Unhind me. Let me 60"
"Ah' he returned, I'm let vou 90. I'll let
YOU go TO tho moon, Ill let You 20 to the stars.
AL in good time"
'"why have YOU lurci me hcrci"
Don't you know?' said hr, with a deadly
look.
"Why have You sct upon me in the dark"
"Bccause mean TO do 1t all myself. One
keeps a secret better than two. Oh you enemy,
you enemy
Iii, enjoyment Of the spectacle furnished, as
he sat " th his arms folded on the table, shaking
hi head az me and hu sg,ns himself, had ma
Lightly in il that mad" m trcmhle. A. watch
ell him in silence. hc put his hand into the cor
ner at his side and took up a gun with brass
bound stock.
"Do You know thisi' aid hc, max ing as fho
would take aim at me. "Do you know where
YOU saw 1t alUrc2 Speak. wolf
"Nes," ] answered.
'You co me that place. You did Spcak'"
''What els c,ull du!'
'Iou did that, and that would be cnou ,h,
without more. How dared YOU to C 'mc bet ,ixt
me aud young woman likely'
'Whon did ~
'ewhen didn't YOU? It was you a, alvavs
gave Old Orick bad name to her"
You gave II to yourself; YOU gained II for
yourself. | could have done YOU no harm if YOU
had done yourself none"
you're liar. And you'l take any pains,
and spend any money, Ia drive me out Of this
country, will you;' said he repeating my wor Is
90 Biddy in the last interview had with her.
snow I'll tell YOU piece Of information. II
was never 50 well worth your while to get me
out of this country a, it ], tp-night. All! II it
was all your money twenty times told, TO the
last brass larlcn.'
As he shook his heavy han at me, with his
mouth snaring like tiger felt that it was
true.
'what are YOU goin 10 do to mo"
"l'm gOing,' said he bringing his fist down
upon the table with heavy blow aud rising rs
the blow fell, 10 give It greater fore, 'l'm a
going 10 have Nour liir,'
He leaned forward staring AZ me- slowly un- |
clenched hi, hanl AMI drew it across his mouth, |
as II his mouth watcted for me- aul slt d1wh
again.
''You was always in Old Olick's way since
ever you was child. You goes out of III, way |
this present night. He'll have no more On you,
You're dead"
| felt that had come to th' brink of my |
grave. Fora moment looked wildly rouud my |
trap for any chance OF rscapo; hut there me.
"Mor than that" ,ail hc, folding his arms
on the table again, u won't have a rag Of you,
i won't have a bone Of YOU left ON earth. I'll
put your body in the kilp--ld carry two such To
1t, on my shouldcrs-and, let people suppose
what they may OF you, they shall never know
nothing"
NV mind, with inconceiyabc rapiltv, follow
cd out all the consequences Of such a death.
Estellas father would believe | had deserted \
him, would lie taken, would die accusing me;
even Herbert would luu'd me- when he compar-
ed the letter had LETT ir him, with the fact
that had called at Mss Iliyishm's gate for
only moment; Joe and BIdy would never
know how sorry had been that night: none
would ever know what hld suffered, how true
had meant tobc, what an agony had passed
through.
The death clos hoEre M Wa terrible but far
more terrible than death was the dread %. being
misTemcmbcrcd after death and 50 quick werc
my thou Ihts that saw my-elt dc-p.scl hv un-
born geneatiuu~-l,t"lll- children. and their
thillrcn-whilc the wrvlchS " orls were vet on
HI lipe.
"Now, wolf sail he, 'liu1c Kill YOU like
any other bcas'-whch j. wo, moan 10 do an
EOt have tied you up ior-lll have a good
lcok at YOU anu good gol! at you. On, YOU
enemy!'
1t had passed through my thoughts to cry out
Tor help again; though few could know better
than the sol tary nature OF the spot and the
hopelessness Of ala. But q, h' -lt glulting over
me, was supported hv a scortul ic'e,tl'ion OF
Oi him that scaled my lp- Above al thing, | |
resolved tiat ! would not cntrcit him, and thll
would die making some Ia poor resistance 10
him. Soltoncd AS my thplghf- Of all the rest
Of men were in that air' DE'run.ty: humbly |
beseeching pardon, 70. l.l. ui II 10. ,u: melted
at heart as ! was hy tlD tu..rh. 1nt had |
taken no fucw .il ami n.y r. u.E.r now could
take iarew. ! Of th1-r wupN.-y dear .r u.. ur
could explain myself tU ta,n. ,.,,h lnr their
compassion on my m-crlJ.. vD.,: .'.N n |
could have killed him, oya' 90 dying, / would
have done j..
lie h4d been drinking, AMI hi. o,ns worn rel
md bloc ho,. Around bi- u.'l W. tlung
lin bottle, %, hal ,ru .c.n j.. mrl' Hnl
1sfpL lima, uItIu him ,u a.. I..... !.