# ■ 13 Planning Magwitch's futureand hearing about his past

I slept a little，but woke early．I felt I needed some fresh air，and went downstairs and out of the building．On the way down I fell over a man hiding in a dark corner，who ran away immediately．This worried me．I suspected he had followed my convict to the house．Would he now inform the police？

My guest and I had breakfast together．He ate noisily and greedily，like an animal．I tried hard not to be disgusted by his manners．He told me his name was Abel Magwitch，and after breakfast he lit his pipe and held out his hands for mine again．

‘All I want is to stand and look at you，dear boy！’he said．‘A real gentleman，made by me！You're going to have every－thing a London gentleman should have，a carriage，and horses，and everything！’He threw a great thick wallet on to the table．‘All that is yours．I've come back to England to watch you spend it．’

‘Stop！’I cried desperately．‘We must discuss your plans．How long are you going to stay here？’

‘How long？’he repeated，surprised．‘I'm not going back．’

‘But where will yon be safe？’

‘Dear boy，who knows I'm here？You，Jaggers and Wemmick，that's all．Anyway，I know I can live with the fear of death．I've done that all my life．’

All I knew was that I must keep him out of sight until Herbert returned Then we could produce a better plan for the future．I decided to rent a room for him in a house near ours，where I thought he would be safe for the moment．I bought him different clothes，and had his hair cut，but to me he looked just the same，and I lived in constant fear that he would he recognized by someone who had known him in the past．

My unwanted guest and I spent five long days and evenings together，with the wind and rain beating on the windows．Those few days seemed more like a year to me．He slept，or ate，or played cards．Sometimes he listened to me reading，with a proud smile on his face．I could not sleep or eat． I used to watch him sleep，wondering what bloody crimes lay in his past，and knowing that I alone protected him from a horrible death．

I cannot describe my joy when Herbert finally returned． At last I could share my terrible news with my friend．He，too，was shocked to hear that my great expectations came from the prisoner I had helped so long ago，and when I introduced him to our guest，Herbert could hardly hide his dislike．

When we were alone，he said to me，‘You look so pale，Handel．This has been a painful time for you．’

‘Herbert，something must be done．He wants to spend even more on me！He must be stopped！’

‘You mean you can't accept any more of his money？’

‘How can I？ You know he's a criminal！How do I know where his money comes from？ And think what I owe him al－ready！I have no way of paying him back．Oh Herbert，if I didn't have you as a friend，I'd be desperate！’I could only just control my tears．Herbert kindly pretended not to notice．

‘My dear Handel，’he said，‘if you want to pay back what you owe him，you could always join my company，Clarrikers．I'm going to be a partner there soon，you know．’Poor Her-bert！He did not suspect whose money was helping him be－come a partner．

‘But there's another thing，’added Herbert．‘This man has a fierce and violent character．He's come here with a fixed idea，which he's been looking forward to for half his life．If you destroy his idea，his life will be worthless．’

‘And he will allow himself to be arrested and hanged，’I continued，nodding．‘Yes，I've thought that ever since he arrived．If that happened，I'd feel guilty for ever．’

‘So you cannot destroy his dream now．First we must get him out of England，where he risks death every moment．Then you will explain that you can't accept his money．I'll help you all the way，trust me．’I shook Herbert's hand gratefully．

Next morning after breakfast we asked Magwitch to tell us more about his past life，so that we could protect him better．

‘You promise to keep it a secret，Pip's friend？’he said to Herbert．‘Well I'll put it in a few words．In prison and out of prison．That's been my life，more or less．Don't remember my parents．No idea where I was born．I slept in fields，I stole food，sometimes I worked．And I grew to be a man．It was about twenty years ago I met Compeyson．I'd kill him now，at once，if I met him！He's the man I was fighting when the soldiers found me on the marshes，Pip．He was handsome and educated，so people thought he was a gentleman and trusted him．I was a partner in his business，and a dirty business it was，too．We persuaded rich people to invest their money with us，we used stolen banknotes，we wrote false cheques．Compeyson was clever，but what a wicked，cold hear the had！He always got the profits but never the blame．

‘His former partner，Arthur，lived in Compeyson's house and was very ill．In fact he was dying．He and Compeyson had got a lot of money out of a rich lady some years before，and Arthur kept dreaming of this lady．Late one night he appeared at the sitting－room door，pale and shaking，crying，“Compeyson，she's there！In my room！All dressed in white，ready for the wedding！She's angry，she says she wants revenge！You brobke her heart，you know you did！And now she say I'm going to die！”

‘Compeyson and his wife put Arthur back to bed，but at five o’clock in the morning we heard screams coming from his room，and he died soon after．

‘I should have realized it was a mistake getting involved with Compeyson．In the end we were both arrested for several crimes．And what happened？At the trial he lied and lied．I was the criminal，in and out of prison all my life，and I got fourteen years on the prison-ship．He was the gentleman，of good character and with important friends，and only got seven years．

Magwitch had become very excited，and had to breathe deeply to calm himself．‘I promised myself I'd smash his handsome face when I saw him on the prison-ship．I was just going to，when a guard caught hold of me．I managed to escape by diving into the river．That's how I reached the marshes，and the churchyard．And then Pip，my boy，you told me Compeyson was on the marshes too．He must have escaped，like me．So I hunted him and smashed his face，and I was going to take him back to the prison-ship，so that he wouldn't have the pleasure of being free，when the soldiers caught us．Again he was clever．His punishment for escaping was light．But I was brought to trial again，and sent to Australia for life．’

‘Is Compeyson dead？’I asked after a silence．

‘Heard no more of him，’he said，shaking his head．‘But if he's alive，he hopes I'm dead，that's certain！’

Herbert passed me a note he had been writing．It said：

‘The name of Miss Havisham's half－brother was Arthur．Compeyson is the man who pretended to be in love with her．’

■ 13 規劃馬格韋契的未來和聽他講述自己的身世

我睡了一會兒，但是醒得很早，我感到需要吸點新鮮空氣。於是，我下了樓走出了這座樓房。沿著路走，我發現一個人躲在黑暗角落裡，這個傢伙立刻跑掉。這使我憂慮，我猜想他在這座房子已經盯上我那個囚犯了。現在，他會通知警察嗎？

我和我的客人共進早餐，他狼吞虎嚥地吃著。對他的行為，我極力控制厭煩的情緒。他告訴我，他叫阿伯爾·馬格韋契。早餐後，他點上菸斗，又向我伸出手來。

“我所要求的就是能站在這裡瞧瞧你，親愛的孩子！”他說，“我一手培養出來的一名真正紳士！倫敦的紳士有的東西你也會有：一輛馬車，還有馬匹，樣樣東西都有！”他把一個很厚的皮夾子扔到桌子上，“這都是你的，我回到英國就是要看你花錢。”

“停！”我拼命地喊著，“我們必須討論一下你的打算，你打算在這裡呆多久？”

“多長時間？”他吃驚地回答，“我不打算回去了。”

“可是你住在哪裡才安全？”

“親愛的孩子，誰會知道我在這兒？只有你、賈格斯和文米克，再沒有人知道了。無論怎樣，我知道死亡的恐懼伴隨我的生活，我已經完成了我的一生。”

我知道，在赫伯特回來之前，我必須把他藏起來。然後，我們能夠為將來提出一個更好的計劃。我決定在我們的附近為他租一套房子，在這兒，我想他會安全一點兒。我帶著他換了服裝，給他理了發。但是，對我來講，也和過去沒有什麼兩樣，我生活得提心吊膽，生怕過去了解他的人會認出他來。

我和我不想要的客人在伴隨著風雨敲打著窗戶的氣候中一起度過了5晝夜。對我來講，那幾天好像是度日如年。他睡覺，或者吃飯，或者玩牌。有時，他帶著自豪的笑臉聽我念書。我吃不下，睡不香，常常看著他睡覺，不知道發生在過去他血腥腥的罪行，卻知道我獨自從可怕的死亡中保護他。

當赫伯特總算回來時，我不能形容我的快樂，最終我能把那可怕的消息與我的朋友分擔。聽說我的遠大前程是來自很久以前我救過的罪犯，他也被震驚了。當我把我們的客人介紹給他時，赫伯特儘可能地隱瞞自己的反感情緒。

當我們倆獨自在一起時，他對我說，“你看上去很蒼白，漢德爾，這對你來說是痛苦的時刻。”

“赫伯特，有些事情要去做。他想在我身上投入更多！必須阻止他！”

“你的意思是說再也不接受他的錢了？”

“我怎麼能接受？你知道他是一個逃犯！我怎麼知道他的錢是從哪兒來的？想想我已經欠下他的賬！我沒有辦法還他。哦，赫伯特，如果我沒有你作為一個朋友，我會絕望的！”我能勉強地控制住眼淚，赫伯特友好地假裝沒看見。

“我親愛的漢德爾，”他說，“如果您要想不欠他的錢，你隨時可以參加我的公司，克拉雷克斯，我馬上就是那兒的一個股東，你知道。”可憐的赫伯特！他確實沒有對幫助他成為股東的這些錢產生懷疑。

“不過，另有一件事情，”他補充著說，“這個傢伙有一個凶惡、暴烈的性格，他帶著一個固執的想法來到這兒，在這裡他盼望著度過後半生。如果你破壞了他的想法，他的生活將失去意義。”

“他會讓自己被捕，被拖上絞刑架”，我點著頭繼續說，“是的，我想過了，自從他到來以前，如果那是碰巧發生的，我對以前感到有罪。”

“因此，你現在不能破壞他的夢想。首先，我們必須把他弄出英格蘭。在這兒，他隨時都有死的危險。然後，你將說明你不能接受他的錢。我將設法幫助你，相信我。”我感激地握著赫伯特的手。

第二天上午，早飯後，我們讓馬格韋契多給我們講點他過去的經歷，以便我們能夠更好地保護他。

“你許諾為此事保密，匹普的朋友。”他對赫伯特說，“我將用幾句話就能講清楚，進過監獄和出過監獄，那或多或少就是我的生活。不記得我的父母，不記得自己在哪兒出生。我在田間睡過，我偷過吃的，有時我也幹活，我就是這樣長大成人的。20多年前，我遇見了康培生，如果我現在遇見他，我會立刻殺了他！他就是士兵在沼澤地裡發現我和他正在廝打的那個傢伙。匹普，他清秀漂亮有教養，因此，人們認為他是一名紳士並相信他。我是他生意上的合夥人，也是一個不乾淨的生意。我們說服有錢的人向我們投資。我們經常偷鈔票，偽造支票，康培生很精明。但是，他有一個很毒辣、冷酷的心！他總是得到好處卻從來沒有受到譴責。”

“他以前的合夥人，阿瑟，住在康培生家裡，病得很重，事實上已是垂死掙扎。幾年以前，他和康培生從一位富貴小姐那裡得到一大筆錢，阿瑟夢想得到這位小姐。後來的一個晚上，他臉色蒼白全身顫抖著出現在會客廳門口，叫喊起來，“康培生，她在這兒！在我的房間！全身穿著白色衣服，準備結婚！她發怒了，她說她要報仇！你傷透她的心，你知道你乾的事！他現在說我將會死掉”！

“康培生和他妻子把阿瑟放回床上。但是，在早晨5點鐘，我們聽到來自他房間的尖叫聲。不久，他死了。”

“我應當認識到讓康培生纏住是一個錯誤，最後我們倆因為種種罪行被逮捕。接著發生什麼事情？在審判中，他撒謊不眨眼。我是罪犯，我的全部生活是進出監獄，我被判了14年船上監獄徒刑。他是紳士，有良好的品行，又有大人物的朋友，才判了他7年徒刑。”

馬格韋契變得十分興奮，不得不深吸一口氣，使自己平靜下來，“我向自己許諾，當我在船上監獄見到他時，我要打爛他漂亮的臉蛋。我剛要動手，一名警衛把我攔住。我設法潛入水中逃跑，那就是我怎麼到了沼澤地，到了教堂墓地。這時，匹普，我的孩子，你告訴我康培生也在沼澤地裡。他和我一樣越獄逃跑出來。因此，我搜索他，毀他的容。當士兵們抓住我們時，我打算把他帶回船上監獄，以便他沒有人身自由的快樂。又是他的精明，他的越獄懲罰很輕，而我再一次受到審判，被終身發配到澳大利亞。”

“康培生死了嗎？”沉默了一會兒我問道。

“沒有再聽到他的消息”，他搖著腦袋說，“但是，如果他還活著，他會希望我死，那是肯定的！”

赫伯特把他寫的條於遞給我，上面寫到：

“郝薇香小姐的同父異母兄弟的名字就是阿瑟，康培生就是假裝和她相愛的那個傢伙。”