CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Pip Is Close to Death

Mr Jaggers paid me the money from Miss Havisham's check and I took the nine hundred pounds to Clarrikers, feeling happy that Herbert's future, at least, was safe. Clarrikers had decided to send Herbert to India, so that they could open a new office there. I felt rather sad that while helping my old friend, I would also be losing him.

Wemmick told us it would be best to move Magwitch out of the country during the middle of the week. We decided to row our boat down to Clara's house on Wednesday to collect Magwitch. From there we could continue rowing down the river to Essex, where we could place Magwitch on board one of the foreign ships sailing from London to Germany or Holland. We hoped for luck so that no one would notice us. Because my hands were still too painful from the burns, Startop agreed to row for me.

However, when I went back to our rooms that Monday, I found a letter that was addressed to me with no return address. It had been delivered by hand. It said:

I have information about your guest. If you want it you should come tonight or tomorrow night to the old house that is near the lime factory on the wetlands. You must come alone. Tell no one.

I did not have time to think about what to do. I rushed out again and barely made the afternoon coach.

I stopped in town only to ask about Miss Havisham's health. News was that she was still very ill. Then I walked quickly on to the dark lonely wetlands. I soon arrived at the lime factory. The workmen had all gone home and there was no one in the factory. I pushed open the door of the old house, thinking that it was empty. To my surprise I found a bed, a table and a candle inside. Suddenly my candle was blown out. I was attacked from behind and before I could fight back my arms were tied close to my sides with a thick rope. The pain in my burned arm was terrible. After a moment the candle was lit again, and I saw my attacker—Orlick! I could tell he had been drinking, and I knew I was in a very dangerous situation.

"Now," he said fiercely, "I've got you!"

"Why did you bring me here? What do you want from me?" I asked.

"Don't you know?" he replied, drinking straight from a bottle. "You're my enemy. I lost that job at Miss Havisham's because of what you said. Biddy would have liked me but she liked you better. All my life you've been in my way. Even Joe loved you more. And now I'm going to take your life! Tonight you're going to die!"

I knew Orlick was serious and I felt I was looking down into my own grave. There were no possible ways of escape.

"I don't want anything left of you after I'm done," he said. "I'll put your body in the fire oven. In the morning there'll be nothing left, not your clothes, not even your body."

I realized that in my hurry I had not told anybody where I was going. Nobody would even know where to begin looking for me.

"Another thing," he continued, smiling cruelly, "I hit your sister with the iron chain that prisoner left on the wetlands, but I did it because I hated you! It's your fault your sister died the way she did!" He drank again. I watched the level of the liquid go down and down. I felt that when he finished the bottle, my life would end.

"I know all about that prisoner you're hiding. I've been waiting and watching everything you do outside your rooms and on the stairs. You even fell over me once. My friend's going to tell the police all about him. Yes, Compeyson will make sure he's hanged when you're dead!"

The last of the bottle's rum went down his throat, and picking up his hammer, he rushed towards me. I shouted as loudly as I could, determined to fight. Suddenly the door was knocked down and Herbert and Startop rushed in. Orlick, with a violent shout, quickly jumped over the table, through an open window and escaped into the night.

In my hurry, I had dropped Orlick's letter in my room in London. When my friends found it, they suspected something wicked, so they came straight to find me on the wetlands. They luckily arrived just in time.

They took me back to London later that night. Because of our situation with Magwitch, we decided to not tell the police. My friends looked after me carefully all the next day, so that, even though my burnt arm was still hurting and I was still very weak, I would be strong enough for the planned journey on Wednesday.

(end of section)