12 The Escape Plan

CHAPTER 12 The Escape Plan I was so upset that I walked all the way home to London. When I arrived at my front gate at Barnard's Inn, a man handed me a note. Don't go home! Come and see me at the castle. —Wemmick The drawbridge was already down when I arrived. As I stepped across, Wemmick popped his head out the kitchen window and shouted, "You got my note!" The aged parent served me a hot cup of tea. Wemmick sat down at the table. "I heard a bad, bad fellow is looking for you. I'll not say his name, but I know he's looking for your 'uncle,' too," he

whispered. "Compeyson is alive and in London!" I shouted. "Shhh," Wemmick said. "I've already talked to Herbert. Your 'uncle' is safely hidden away at a boardinghouse. Herbert's staying with him just to be sure." Wemmick took out his pocket watch. "I've got to get to work. Stay here as long as you want, but be careful when you go see your 'uncle.'" He pressed a piece of paper with the address into my hand. "The last thing you need is that dangerous rascal finding any of you. There's no telling what he might do." My feelings were still hurt from finding out how little Estella and Miss Havisham cared for me. I wasn't ready to see Provis and tell him the bad news about Compeyson. I needed to rest. I fell asleep by the fire in Wemmick's cozy living room and slept until much later that afternoon. The boardinghouse was down by the docks. When I arrived, an elderly woman answered the door. She called for Herbert. He came downstairs and pulled me into the parlor.

Herbert whispered, "I haven't told Provis about Compeyson. He might rush off and do something crazy or get himself into more trouble." "How did you get him to agree to hide?" "I told him I thought someone might be watching us. He agreed right away." "I've been to see Wemmick," I said. "We're not safe. Compeyson could be watching us. We'll need to stay apart for a while. But I still think we should stick to our original plan. How are we going to get Provis out of London?" "I've got an idea," Herbert said. "We'll row him out of town. We can take him by boat to the Hamburg steamer. He should be safe enough in Germany." We quickly discussed how it would work. In a few weeks' time, once things with Compeyson settled down, I'd row a rented boat down here to the boardinghouse. We'd sneak Provis out at night. When we told him, he seemed to like the plan. He agreed it would be safer for him to live somewhere other than London.

Herbert and I made regular trips out on the Thames River over the next few weeks. We rowed up and down so much that no one looked at us twice when we showed up, oars in hand. Even though my arms grew strong, my heart remained broken. Estella was probably married to the awful Drummle by now. My days on the water were miserable. And my nights weren't much better. Trying to save some money, I ate poor food at awful places. Places like the playhouse where Mr. Wopsle was performing in yet another bad play. One night, after the performance was finished, Wopsle caught me on the way out. "Pip," he said, "how nice to see you. What happened to the other fellow?" I spun my head around quickly. "What other fellow?" "The one sitting behind you. He's been with you every night you've been here." "What fellow?" I asked again. "It's the strangest thing," Wopsle said. "Remember when you were a boy and those

soldiers had captured those two convicts?" "Yes, yes," I said. "The fellow behind you looked just like the mean one." The mean one! Compeyson! Compeyson had been sitting behind me during the play night after night and I hadn't noticed. We would have to make our escape with Provis very soon. I saw Mr. Jaggers on my way to the river the next afternoon. He had a note for me from Miss Havisham. "She'd like you to visit," Mr. Jaggers said, "as soon as possible." Herbert and I decided I should go the next day. We planned Provis's escape from London for the day after that. I didn't want to see Miss Havisham. What was left to say? Still, I hired a coach and was soon in the one place I thought I'd never be again. The light must have played tricks on her eyes.

She called out, "Pip, are you real?" when I stepped into the ballroom. I answered, "Yes, Miss Havisham. Mr. Jaggers gave me your note." I pulled a chair across the floor and sat down. She said, "My heart isn't made of stone." She stretched out her old, bony hand and continued, "You said that something should be done about Herbert's salary?" "I would like that very much," I said. She asked, "How much money do you need?" I told her the exact amount. With a shaky hand, she wrote a note and addressed it to Mr. Jaggers. She looked at me closely, "Is there nothing I can do for you, Pip? Nothing at all?" "I would like to know the truth. The truth about who Estella's parents really are. The truth about your past. I want to know why you never told me about Compeyson." Miss Havisham began to shake and her eyes became glassy. "I'm no longer angry with you," I said. "But you owe me an explanation. How have I come to be in the middle of all of this—how does Estella fit in?