第129章

`That's it, dear boy! Call me uncle.'

`You assumed some name, I suppose, on board ship?'

`Yes, dear boy. I took the name of Provis.'

`Do you mean to keep that name?'

`Why, yes, dear boy, it's as good as another - unless you'd like another.'

`What is your real name?'I asked him in a whisper.

`Magwitch,' he answered, in the same tone; `chrisen'd Abel.'

`What were you brought up to be?'

`A warmint, dear boy.'

He answered quite seriously, and used the word as if it denoted some profession.

`When you came into the Temple last night--' said I, pausing to wonder whether that could really have been last night, which seemed so long ago.

`Yes, dear boy?'

`When you came in at the gate and asked the watchman the way here, had you any one with you?'

`With me? No, dear boy.'

`But there was some one there?'

`I didn't take particular notice,' he said, dubiously, `not knowing the ways of the place. But I think there was a person, too, come in alonger me.'

`Are you known in London?'

`I hope not!' said he, giving his neck a jerk with his forefinger that made me turn hot and sick.

`Were you known in London, once?'

`Not over and above, dear boy. I was in the provinces mostly.'

`Were you - tried - in London?'

`Which time?' said he, with a sharp look.

`The last time.'

He nodded. `First knowed Mr Jaggers that way. Jaggers was for me.'

It was on my lips to ask him what he was tried for, but he took up a knife, gave it a flourish, and with the words, `And what I done is worked out and paid for!' fell to at his breakfast.

He ate in a ravenous way that was very disagreeable, and all his actions were uncouth, noisy, and greedy. Some of his teeth had failed him since I saw him eat on the marshes, and as he turned his food in his mouth, and turned his head sideways to bring his strongest fangs to bear upon, he looked terribly like a hungry old dog. If I had begun with any appetite, he would have taken it away, and I should have sat much as I did - repelled from him by an insurmountable aversion, and gloomily looking at the cloth.

`I'm a heavy grubber, dear boy,' he said, as a polite kind of apology when he made an end of his meal, `but I always was. If it had been in my constitution to be a lighter grubber, I might ha' got into lighter trouble.

Similarly, I must have my smoke. When I was first hired out as shepherd t'other side the world, it's my belief I should ha' turned into a molloncolly-mad sheep myself, if I hadn't a had my smoke.'

As he said so, he got up from table, and putting his hand into the breast of the pea-coat he wore, brought out a short black pipe, and a handful of loose tobacco of the kind that is called Negro-head. Having filled his pipe, he put the surplus tobacco back again, as if his pocket were a drawer.

Then, he took a live coal from the fire with the tongs, and lighted his pipe at it, and then turned round on the hearth-rug with his back to the fire, and went through his favourite action of holding out both his hands for mine.

`And this,' said he, dandling my hands up and down in his, as he puffed at his pipe; `and this is the gentleman what I made! The real genuine One!

It does me good fur to look at you, Pip. All I stip'late, is, to stand by and look at you, dear boy!'

I released my hands as soon as I could, and found that I was beginning slowly to settle down to the contemplation of my condition. What I was chained to, and how heavily, became intelligible to me, as I heard his hoarse voice, and sat looking up at his furrowed bald head with its iron grey hair at the sides.

`I mustn't see my gentleman a footing it in the mire of the streets;there mustn't be no mud on his boots. My gentleman must have horses, Pip! Horses to ride, and horses to drive, and horses for his servant to ride and drive as well. Shall colonists have their horses (and blood 'uns, if you please, good Lord!) and not my London gentleman? No, no. We'll show 'em another pair of shoes than that, Pip; won't us?'

He took out of his pocket a great thick pocket-book, bursting with papers, and tossed it on the table.

`There's something worth spending in that there book, dear boy. It's yourn. All I've got ain't mine; it's yourn. Don't you be afeerd on it.

There's more where that come from. I've come to the old country fur to see my gentleman spend his money like a gentleman. That'll be my pleasure. My pleasure 'ull be fur to see him do it. And blast you all!' he wound up, looking round the room and snapping his fingers once with a loud snap, `blast you every one, from the judge in his wig, to the colonist a stirring up the dust, I'll show a better gentleman than the whole kit on you put together!'

`Stop!' said I, almost in a frenzy of fear and dislike, `I want to speak to you. I want to know what is to be done. I want to know how you are to be kept out of danger, how long you are going to stay, what projects you have.'

`Look'ee here, Pip,' said he, laying his hand on my arm in a suddenly altered and subdued manner; `first of all, look'ee here. I forgot myself half a minute ago. What I said was low; that's what it was; low. Look'ee here, Pip. Look over it. I ain't a going to be low.'

`First, ' I resumed, half-groaning, `what precautions can be taken against your being recognized and seized?'

`No, dear boy,' he said, in the same tone as before, `that don't go first. Lowness goes first. I ain't took so many year to make a gentleman, not without knowing what's due to him. Look'ee here, Pip. I was low; that's what I was; low. Look over it, dear boy.'

Some sense of the grimly-ludicrous moved me to a fretful laugh, as Ireplied, `I have looked over it. In Heaven's name, don't harp upon it!'

`Yes, but look'ee here,' he persisted. `Dear boy, I ain't come so fur, not fur to be low. Now, go on, dear boy. You was a saying--'

`How are you to be guarded from the danger you have incurred?'

`Well, dear boy, the danger ain't so great. Without I was informed agen, the danger ain't so much to signify. There's Jaggers, and there's Wemmick, and there's you. Who else is there to inform?'

`Is there no chance person who might identify you in the street?' said I.