The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-12


 for certain other payments Not the least suspicion was aroused in Herbert, and when he came home one evening in a flush of excitement, with his honest face shining with pleasure, to announce that his opening had come at last, Pip furtively wiped a tear out Of his eye, and felt with an unwonted joy that his great expectations had done some good to somebody.
 l So his twenty-first year passed, and his | twenty-second and his twenty third. And then one black and stormy and wretched night he heard strange voice on his | staircase and a man came up. | He was dressed roughly, like a voyager by sea- He had long iron-gray hair. His age was about 60. He was muscular and l brown. bright and gratified look was in his face and he held out both hands. The next moment Pip knew him! If the wind and rain had swept away the inter- vening years he could not have known his convict better than he knew him now! Again he held out his hands Bewildered, Pip gave his He raised them to his lips kissed them and still held them.
 If you have come to thank me-" said l Pipe. "it was not necessary. Still, there must be something good in the feeling l that brought you But you must under l stand that I cannot wish to renew that | chance intercourse with you. I am glad l that you have come to thank me. but our ways are different ways" | As Pip finished he saw with new amaze ment that the mans eyes were full of | tears.
 Put it." he said falteringly. "as man as had done wonderful well as sheep farmer and stock herder out there in | New South Wales had remembered a | good turn as was done him. And put it as he had picked out some lawyer-some lawyer whose name begun with 'J' and might be Jaggers-"
 Pip could not speak. The room seemed to reel around him. His Great Expecta- tions had come home to him in one fright full revelation.
 'Yes, Pip," continued the convict. I've made a. gentleman of you! It's me wot mas done 1t! lived rough that you should live smooth. I worked hard tha. you
 
 many a time ir, my lone hut when I was l a-eatins and says Here's the boy again, l looking at me while eatsp And swears I'll make that boy a gentleman. And done it! That there hunted dunghill dog | wot you kep' life in got his head so high 1 that he could make gentleman-and, Pip, l you're him!'
 l He wiped his eyes and the well-re- membered sob came into his throat. 1 q risked my life to come to see you-just to come to see you, dear boy" he went on. q must lay close. l was sent away for life, and they'll hang me if I'm took"
 l Pin stumbled to the windows and 1 drew the curtains. His blood ran cold. Estella. Miss Havisham, all his old life | and his new passed through his stunned | mind. But sharper than the thought of Estella, now lost to him forever, was | the thought that he had deserted Joe, 1 looked down on Joe been ashamed of l Joe-for this convict!
 l Only one decision came clear and I sharp to him he sat that night brooding in the dark after he had seen 1 the old man to bed. It was that un- | der no circumstances would he take 1 any more of his money.
 1 With the morning came a fresh and new anxiety Despite his horror of the felon, he could not bear to think of 1 the risk he ran-the deadly risk in- | cured through his love for the child who had succored him. He knew that MT. Jaggers would not help him. Mir 1 Jaggers was far too clever to wish to 1 know that a life convict had returned 1 to England. Pip decided to confide in l Herbert. Abel Magwitch, or Provis, IS was his assumed name now, saw Her | bert. and consented to trust him with 1 his secret.
 1 Pips first wild intention, to flee And ] escape from his terrible patron was dismissed by him as soon as he realized ! that without him the man ran immi- l nent danger of being captured. Then, as the days went on, although Pip never faltered in his determination to profit no longer from the convict's wealth, his first feelings of horror of the man were succeeded by sentiments | of pity and finally of sympathy. Abel Magwitch had never had d chance. His earliest recollection was that he was deserted under a hedge. His first experience with society fol- lowed immediately. He was starving, stole some turnips from a field and was sent to jail. After that society was generous to him with its jails. vag- rancy, framing. all sorts of misde-