7 A Letter from Home

CHAPTER 7 A Letter from Home Dear Pip, Joe asked me to write this letter. He's coming into London. He'll call for you at Barnard's Inn on Tuesday morning at 9 o'clock. Your poor sister is the same as before. We talk about you every night. Hope you're doing well. Yours truly, Biddy The letter came on Monday, which meant Joe would be arriving tomorrow. I had mixed feelings about Joe's visit. My life was so different now, I didn't know if he would fit into it. I wanted to send a note telling him not to come. Tuesday came, and it rained. As I heard Joe's

boots clomping up the stairs, I wanted to hide. Instead I answered the knock at the door. Joe shouted, "Hello, Pip! You've grown!" His good, honest face glowed as he heartily shook my hand. "Good to see you, Joe," I said. "Please, give me your hat." "Oh, it's fine where it fell." The hat sat on the floor between us. I told Joe he looked well. He said, "Your sister's the same. Biddy, too. But Wopsle has left the church to become an actor!" "An actor?"' I said. Joe handed me a crumpled program. "Did you see the play?" I asked. "Indeed, I did," he answered. As Joe described the play, I tried to pull both him and his hat inside. Herbert called out when he saw Joe in the hallway, "So nice to meet you! Won't you join us at the table?"

Herbert asked, "Coffee or tea, Mr. Gargery?" Joe set his hat on the mantel. "Whichever you'd like," Joe answered quietly. "Coffee, then," Herbert said. Joe said, "Fine choice. But don't you find coffee hurts your stomach?" "We'll have tea instead." Herbert poured and we sat down to breakfast. Joe's hat fell off the mantel. He stood up, put it in the very same spot, and it tumbled down again. Herbert asked, "When did you come into town, Mr. Gargery?"

"Were it yesterday afternoon?" Joe coughed into his hand as if the London air had already made him ill. "Yes, yes it were—" His hat fell from the mantel for the third time and he had to rescue it once more. Joe's behavior was beginning to embarrass me. I was relieved when Herbert set off for the day. Joe turned to me. "Now that it's just the two of us, sir, I've got something to—" "Joe," I snapped, "there's no need to call me sir. What is it? Why have you come?" Joe told a long, rambling story about the Three Jolly Bargemen before getting to the point. "You see, Pip, she wants to see you." "Who?" "Miss Havisham." "Why didn't you tell me that right away? You know how important Miss Havisham is to me!" I said sharply. "Now, wait a minute, let me remember... Something about the girl being pleased if she could see you?"

"Estella?" "Seems she's back from school and would be glad for your company. It was Biddy's idea for me to tell you in person." Breakfast was finished, and he thanked me for the meal. As he stood up to leave, he said "Some people are just blacksmiths, I suppose. I'm not fit for these clothes or this city. Doubt that I'll be back, but I hope you'll come see us at the forge." He touched my forehead and left. As soon as I realized that dear Joe would never come to see me again, I rushed out into the street to find him. He was already gone. I felt awful about the way I had treated him. I booked a coach to take me home the very next day so I could see Miss Havisham and Estella. I was ashamed of how poorly I had treated Joe. But still, I didn't want to go home. So I booked a room at the Blue Boar hotel and walked the long way around so I wouldn't have to pass the forge. Walking the cold, foggy streets, I thought, Miss Havisham has given me a wonderful new life in London. How will I ever repay her?

I decided right then and there that I'd be the one to rebuild Manor House. I'd tear down the cobwebs and be her hero. When I arrived at the gate, it gave me quite a shock to find Orlick standing there. "What are you doing?" I said. Orlick stared at me. "There are more changes in life than just yours, Pip," he replied. "How long has it been since you've left the forge?" I asked. "How long since you've left the forge? It's my job now to open the gate. You might as well come through," he said. Even after all this time, I knew Manor House couldn't have changed. But the dark staircase no longer made me frightened. I had been up and down it so many times. I knocked on Miss Havisham's door. She called, "Why, that's Pip's knock! Please come in!" She was in her chair next to the old table, wearing the same old dress. The white shoe that had never been worn sat atop the table beside her. When I greeted her in my new gentlemanly