Chapter-7
I had already adapted to the lifestyle of London. My expectations grew, and with it grew my expenses. I started leading a lavish life, spending far more than what was allocated. I got into debt. With me Mr Herbert too was in debt. We put ourselves down for a membership club. This made us spend more freely. We bought clothes, watched movies and performed all the expensive acts we could. Herbert had hard times managing his expenses which landed him in difficulties. We had become extravagant.
One night we both were discussing how complicated our life had become. We had screwed it all. Though we were least ashamed of it yet we discussed about it.
Suddenly, a letter dropped in.
“It is for you, Pip,” Herbert said, “I hope everything must be fine.” Then he looked at the black seal of the envelope.
The letter said that my sister Mrs Joe Gargery was dead.
This was the first time death had come to my life in such practical sense. It was like a cold hard breeze that had hit me. The land beneath me slipped away and I was in tears.
Missing my sister came to me as a bolt from the blue. I couldn’t imagine home in the country without my sister. Thought I had been away from her for long yet I felt her need all of a sudden. I didn’t know what to do and what not to. Life had come to a halt. Though I never liked her much, because of her behaviour, yet this time around I was seized with indignation that she would have been cheated out of life. I felt orphan again.
At that time, Orlick came to my thoughts, and it made me so infuriated, as he was the one who had been my sister’s assailant.
But I was helpless. I had no proof against him.
I wrote to Joe telling him that I would attend the funeral. I did go to attend the funeral.
Joe was sitting apart from others. He was wrapped in a black coat. When I bent down to ask how he was, he said, “Dear old Pip, you saw your sister when she was active.”
Saying these words, his voice broke. He held my hands tight and tears came tumbling down his cheeks.
Biddy was busy helping others. She wore a neat and modest black dress. I went to her and talked. Afterwards, I sat beside Joe, looking all around and missing her presence, her shouts, her angry face. Not only me, but also the whole house was missing her. I was wondering as to which part of the house my sister was laid out. I was interrupted by Uncle Pumblechook, who in a black cloak and several yards of hatband stood hovering over me. Breathing sherry (a kind of wine), he came and said in a lowered voice, “May I have a word with you?”
“Yes”, I said.
“I wish your sister be alive to see what favours I have bestowed upon you. I have done such an honour by coming here today,” he said.
All this was irritating but I kept mum. I was totally filled with disgust. But then, Mr Pumblechook drank the rest of his sherry. Finally to my relief, he went away.
In the evening, I asked Joe if I could sleep in my little room. While asking a sense of happiness came in me. Joe also smiled in happiness as this was not expected of me. When the shadows of evening were closing in, I took Biddy out in the garden for a talk.
I asked Biddy regarding the details of my sister’s death.
Biddy said, “Her health was degrading and becoming worse day by day. During the last four days, her health was in the worst of its state. Suddenly, she came out of it and said ‘Joe’ as she had not spoken a word for long. I couldn’t stop myself from calling Joe, so I ran up to him and called him. He came in and sat calmly beside her. She signalled me to put her arms around Joe’s neck and I did so. Afterwards, she put her head over his shoulders, content and satisfied. She was again and again calling Joe. She never lifted her head again. After an hour, when we made her sleep in the bed, we found she had gone.”
“I was to leave early next Wednesday morning. After getting ready, when I went to bid adieu to Joe, I found him working hard. A glow of strength was there. I prayed to God to bless him with all the happiness and strength so that he might be cheerful.”
Bidding him goodbye I said, “I would come down soon and regularly visit you.”
“No dear, neither soon nor regularly,” Joe replied.
I wondered why I would not come back again.
Biddy understood it as she always had. She was right and I didn’t argue with her.
Leaving the forge, I reached London and visited Mr Pocket’s house. The same old fellows, Drumble and Stantop, were there busy with something or the other.
Bently Drumble was a sulky fellow, whether he was reading or conversing with someone. He was a tall, heavy and languid person by appearance. He always sounded utterly stupid in whatever he said and talked. All this was irritating and always repelled me. He had no piece of work to do. In spite of this, he was proud. His proud and suspicious nature came from his rich family of Somersetshire.
By contrast, Stantop was a delicate boy. It was not that he was solely blamed for it. Rather, it was the possessiveness and weakness of his mother who kept him home, when he should have been at school. He venerated his mother; he almost worshiped her for this. For this very reason, I respected him and I took him much more kindly than I did to Drumble.
We spent a lot of time together. We enjoyed going on evening walks, boating and playing. Drumble was always a spoilsport. He used to interfere in everything we did and ruined our enjoyment.
But the one person among the three, whom I was really close to, was Herbert. We were always a team when we had a boat race. We shared most of our thoughts and feelings with one another. We shared the room. This fact added on to the comfort and understanding which we had already developed. We used to go for evening walks on the roads of London, where we laughed remembering all the happy memories attached when Herbert was enhancing my knowledge about London.
I had already established expensive habits in me. I was running into debts. In spite of this, I was not much bothered. My stay and survival in London was pleasant mostly because of the help and support by Mr Pocket and Herbert. I had started leading a life which I always wanted. I was enjoying every bit of it. Somewhere, I had a feeling that I would have been in a worse situation than Drumble, had I not done so.
I had been a friend with Mr Wermmick as well. He was a genuine, honest and a thorough gentleman. He was totally different when he was with me alone. He never mixed his personal and professional life. He was more human than ever when we both were alone. But he was more like a machine when at office with Mr Jaggers.
Mr Jaggers was a man of mystery. I never got to understand what he was, what he liked, when he liked and why he liked or disliked anything. He was, to my surprise, more interested in Drumble.
Many of the young men fell in love with Estella. The biggest admirer of her was, by coincident Bentley Drumble. Everyone said that he would marry her.
Even Estella allowed him to pay much attention to her. They always talked, laughed and were coming close. I, standing on one corner, was seeing it all and I was furious with jealousy.
One day, out of anxiety, I said to Estella, “Drumble is flirting with you.”
“All kinds of insects and ugly creatures hover over a rose; what can a flower do?” She replied proudly.
“You know,” I said with a rebuke, “he is as ungainly within as without.”
“I see,” she said.
“You know, he has nothing to recommend him but money,” I said.
“I see,” she said again. Every time she said so, she opened her lovely eyes wider.
If I could believe that Estella liked Drumble or she was giving him importance just to spite me, I would have felt better. But I was not able to believe anything of the kind.
Interrupting me Estella said in an irritated tone, “Stop it Pip, it is not worth discussing.”
“It is,” I said immediately, “I don’t like people saying that you throw your graces on a boor, the lowest in the crowd.”
“I like him,” she said coolly.
“Don’t be so proud, Estella”, I said in an angry tone.
Listening to my words, she became a bit serious and angry and said, “Do you want me to deceive you and ensnare you?”
“Do you deceive and ensnare Drumble?” I asked back
“Yes,” she said coolly.
To hide my distressed emotions, I studied hard. I tried to concentrate on my studies, for I didn’t want a job, as Herbert had. I had my own great expectations. I studied in order to be a fine gentleman. These were the things I argued with myself. It would make Estella happy and love me.
One fine day, while we all gathered at Mr Pocket’s house, Mr Jaggers came to me and said, “Pip, I don’t know much about your friends. Tell me who amongst you is the scorpion.”
“A scorpion?” I asked confusedly.
“The blotchy, the sulky fellow,” he exclaimed.
“That’s Bentley Drumble,” I said, “and the one with an innocent face is Stantop.”
Listening to my words, Mr Jaggers immediately started talking with Drumble. He was pleased. This made him talk more. To me, he became offensive, until he was utterly intolerable. But Mr Jaggers was fascinated by him.
I didn’t know why it was so but it was irritating. At once, I said, “Sir, you like him, it is good, for I don’t.”
Trying to calm me down, he said, “I have nothing much to do with him; it is just that I like the fellow. He is a genuine soul.”
I listened to him attentively.
It was my twenty first birthday. I was happy as Mr Jaggers called me to his office. I was excited. I reached his office and knocked the door. He asked me to come in.
“Shall I be told the name of the benefactor today?” I asked.
“No,” he said.
“Shall I be told so?” I said
“I don’t know,” he replied.
“Am I to be given something?” I asked again.
“Ah! I thought so”, said Mr Jaggers shrewdly.
“I suppose you are in debt. You need money. Well the thing is that your benefactor has sent you something.” Saying this he handed me a blank note for five hundred pounds.
“Oh, thank you sir,” I said. I was relieved to see this.
Then, he said a bit harshly, “Don’t thank me. I am doing what I am paid to do.”
He, then, informed me that I should get five hundred pounds every year in future, and I would have to look after myself. I was a legal major; I was twenty-one and I didn’t need a guardian anymore.
While leaving his office, the first thing that struck me was Herbert. I always blamed myself for making Herbert extravagant and the reason of his being into debt. I thought to help him with my money but in an indirect way as Herbert was too proud to accept help directly. In order to help him, I took Mr Wemmick’s advice as it was his advice that I trusted more than anything else. Mr Wemmick found a merchant, who was ready to pay off Herbert’s debt if I gave five hundred pounds right away and two hundred pounds for the next three years. I did it, and he made Herbert his partner. Obviously, he didn’t know about it, but he was happy to help him.
Herbert was delighted to have got the job and work. He was enjoying everything regarding this new work.
I myself was content with whatever was happening in my life presently. It revolved around Estella. I couldn’t imagine it without her. I often met her and took her to the river. There were picnics, parties, opera and concerts, but I was not happy in her society. The fact that I was with her, made me happy.
She had captured my thoughts.
“Pip, Pip,” she said one evening, “will you ever fake a warning.”
“Of what?” I asked back.
“Of me,” she said.
“Do you mean a warning to be attracted by you, Estella?” I asked.
“What do I mean!” she exclaimed in some anger. “If you don’t know what I mean, you are blind.”
Perhaps I was, but then love is blind.
After a while she said, “Miss Havisham wants me to visit her for a day at her house. You will have to take me there and bring me back, for Miss Havisham would not wish me to travel alone. Will you take me?”
I was thrilled to listen to her words so much so that I asked her, “Can I take you, Estella?”
She shrugged,” Yes, you can.”
Two days later, we visited Miss Havisham’s house. She was sitting on her chair in her room. The room hadn’t changed a bit since I first saw it. What was strange that today was Miss Havisham’s behaviour towards Estella. Miss Havisham was even more dreadfully fond of Estella. There was something frightening in the energy with which she looked at her and embraced her. She praised her beauty as well as her words.
Then, she diverted her attention from Estella to me.
“How is her behaviour towards you, Pip?” Miss Havisham asked many a time.
When we returned from Miss Havisham’s house to the town, Estella changed. She became busier than ever before with parties, picnics and admirers. She gave much importance to her admirers, who admired her for her beauty.
