# ■ 18 The end of Magwitch's story

It was a cold，bright morning when we set out cheerfully down the river．I steered the boat，Herbert and Startop rowed．At Clara's house Magwitch was waiting for us，wrapped in a dark cloak．

‘Dear boy！’he said， putting his hand on my shoulder as he sat down heavily in the boat．‘Thank you！’

We rowed eastwards down the river all day， looking round all the time to check that no one was following us Magwitch seemed quite happy， smoking his pipe and watching the water．

You don't know what a pleasure it is to me， Pip，’he said once，‘to be with my dear boy，in the open air．’

‘You'll be completely safe， and free， tomorrow，’ I said．

‘I hope so，dear boy．But looking into the frture，well，that's like looking for the bottom of the river， isn't it？ Can't be done．’He remained silent after that．

We decided to spend the night at a little riverside pub．It seemed safe because there were no other guests， but the pub owner asked us a question which worried us．

‘Did you see that boat go past， gentlemen？ Rowed by four men， with two others on board．It's been up and down the river several times．Could be a Customs boat．’

When he left us alone， we discussed this information in whispers．In the end we decided to go to bed， and then set out the next morning just in time to catch the ship to Hamburg．I woke early，and when I looked out of the window，I saw two men examining our boat，but I decided not to wake Herbert or Startop，who needed their rest after rowing all the previous day．

Late in the morning we rowed into the centre of the river．We could see the ship to Hamburg coming closer． Magwitch and I picked up our bags，and said goodbye to Herbert and Startop，so that we would be ready to stop the ship and get on board．Suddenly a boat rowed by four men appeared from nowhere and came out very fast into the centre of the river，close to us． A fifth man was steering， and a sixth， his face hidden in his cloak， whispered instructions to the steerer．They all stared at us．

‘You have a convict there who's returned from Australia，'shouted the steerer．‘That's the man，in the cloak．His name is Abel Magwitch．I'm a Customs officer and I arrest him！’

Suddenly their boat was touching ours．The Hamburg ship was almost on top of us， and the ship's captain shouted the or-der to stop engines， but it was too late． At the same moment the Customs officer put his hand on Magwitch's shoulder，and Magwitch pulled the cloak off the other man in the boat．It was Compeyson！And as I watched，he fell backwards into the water，his face full of terror．The huge ship hit our tiny boat with a great crash，Somehow the Customs officers managed to get me on board their boat，with Herbert and Startop，but our boat sank，and the two convicts had disappeared．

Soon，however，we discovered Magwitch in the water，badly injured，and pulled him into the boat． He told me that he had fallen into the water with Compeyson，and then been hit by the ship．I believed what he said．At the time there was no sign of Compeyson，whose dead body was found several days later．

Magwitch was taken to prison to wait for his trial．I arranged for Jaggers to be his lawyer，but Jaggers warned me there was almost no hope of saving his life．Magwitch's thick wallet was handed over to the police，and Wemmick was quite annoyed with me about it．

‘Really， Mr Pip， to lose so much cash！’ he said．‘You see，Compeyson was so determined to get his revenge that you couldn't have saved Magwitch． But you certainly could have saved the cash．That's the difference． But could I ask you something， Mr Pip？ Would you come for a walk with me on Monday morning？’

It seemed a strange request， and although I did not really feel like accepting， he politely insisted．

I arrived at the Castle early on Monday morning， and after a glass of rum and milk， we set out on the road．

‘Well，well！’ said Wemmick suddenly．‘Here's a church！Let's go in！’And when we were inside，there was another surprise．

‘Well，well！’ he said again．‘Look what I've found in my pockets！Let's put them on！’As he had‘found’two pairs of white gloves，and his post-box mouth was as wide as it could possibly be，I began to suspect something．And when I saw the Aged come in with a lady，I knew I was right．

‘Well，well！'said Wemmick，still pretending to be sur-prised，‘here's the Aged，and Miss Skiffins！ Let's have a wedding！’

And so wemmick was married to Miss Skiffins， and we all celebrated afterwards at a little pub near the church．

I was delighted for Wemmick，but I could not stop worrying about Magwitch．He had been so badly injured that he was moved to the prison hospital，where I visited him every day．I read to him， and talked to him， and did everything I could to make him comfortable． But day by day I watched him becom-ing weaker，although he never complained．To the prison guards he was a dangerous criminal， but to me he was an un-fortunate man，who had at least some goodness in him．I could not leave him now．

At his trial Jaggers was proved right． The judge decided that Magwitch，a convict sent away for life who had returned，must be hanged．I could not accept this terrible punishment，and wrote to all the important people I could think of， asking for mercy for Magwitch．But all of them refused to help．

I noticed，on my daily visits to him， that he was getting much worse．He lay in bed，looking calmly at the white ceiling．Sometimes he could not speak，and just pressed my hand．One evening as I entered his room， he smiled weakly at me．

‘Dear boy，’he said，‘you're never late．’

‘I don't want to lose a moment of the time I'm allowed to visit you，’I said．

‘Thank you， dear boy．God bless you！You've never de serted me，dear boy！’ He had spoken his last words．

I touched his chest，remembering that I had wanted to desert him once．He put both his hands on mine．

‘Dear Magwitch，listen to me．You had a child once， who you loved and lost．’He pressed my hand gently．‘She's alive．She's a lady and very beautiful．And I love her！’

He was too weak to speak any more， but he just managed to lift my hand to his lips．Then he looked peacefully up at the white ceiling again．Slowly his eyes closed and his head dropped quietly on to his chest．

■ 18 馬格韋契的故事結束

那是一個冷颼颼的、陽光明媚的早晨。我們高興地動身下了河，赫伯特和史達多蒲划船，我掌舵，在克萊拉家裡，馬格韋契卷著一件黑鬥蓬正在等候我們。

“親愛的孩子！”他說，他重重地在船上坐下，把手搭在我的肩上說，“謝謝你”。

我們全天向河東方向劃去，隨時向四周張望，警惕有沒有人跟蹤我們。馬格韋契吸著菸斗，望著水面，看上去很高興。

“你不知道，我是多麼高興，匹普”，他說了一遍，“自由自在地和我親愛的孩子在一起。”

“你明天就會完全脫離危險，自由自在，”我說。

“我希望如此，親愛的孩子。但是，展望未來，喂，那就像尋找河底一樣，對嗎？不是輕易而舉的。”之後，他保持沉默。

我們決定在一個河邊小客棧過夜，這兒似乎安全，因為沒有其他客人。但是，客棧老闆向我們問的一個問題卻讓我們擔憂。

“你們看見划過去的那隻船，先生們？4個人划船，船上還有另外兩個人，這個船劃來劃去好幾次了，可能是海關的船。”

當他離開我們時，我們小聲地討論了這個信息。最後，我們決定去睡覺，然後第二天早晨出發，正點趕上去漢堡的船隻。我一大早就醒了，當我從窗外望去時，看到兩個人檢查我們的船。但是，我決定不去叫醒赫伯特和史達多蒲，他們劃了一整天船需要休息。

早晨晚些時候，我們划進河中心。我們能夠看到去漢堡的船正在接近我們，我和馬格韋契拿起我們的包裹，向赫伯特和史達多蒲告別，以便我們做好準備，那隻船一停我們就上去。突然，一隻4人劃的船不知從什麼地方來的，飛快地到了河中心，向我們逼近。第4個人掌舵，第6個人用鬥蓬捂著他的臉，向那個舵手耳語幾句，他們都盯著我們。

“你們那裡有一個從澳大利亞來的罪犯，”那個舵手叫喊著，“就是穿鬥蓬的那個人，他叫阿伯爾·馬格韋契，我是海關警官，我要逮捕他！”

突然，他們的船撞上我們的船，那艘漢堡的船離我們近在咫尺，該船船長呼喊命令關掉發動機，可是已經太晚了。同時，那個海關警官揪住馬格韋契的肩膀，馬格韋契扯掉在那隻船上另一個人的鬥蓬，是康培生。當我觀察的時候，他仰面朝天掉進水時，他看上去很恐懼。巨輪撞擊我們的小船，伴隨著巨大的轟隆聲。海關警官們設法把我和赫伯特、史達多蒲救到他們的船上。可是，我們的船下沉了，那兩個逃犯已不知去向。

但是，不久我們在水面上發現了馬格韋契，傷得很重，把他拖到船上。他告訴我，他和康培生已經掉進水裡，往上浮的時候被船撞傷，我相信他說的。當時，沒有康培生的蹤影，幾天後，他的屍體才被發現。

馬格韋契被投入監獄聽候審判，我安排賈格斯出任他的律師。但是，賈格斯提醒我救他的命幾乎是沒有希望。馬格韋契厚厚的錢夾子被送交警察局，有關這件事，文米克對我很惱火。

“真的，匹普先生，失去這麼多錢！”他說，“你明白，康培生如此決定報仇致使你不能救馬格韋契。可是，你確實能救那份錢，那是有區別的。但是，我能要求你多少？匹普先生？星期一早晨你能來和我散步嗎？”

這好像是一個奇怪的要求，雖然我不是真正樂意接受，他還是有禮貌地堅持。

星期一一大早，我到了那座城堡，喝了一杯朗姆酒和牛奶以後，我們動身上了路。

“喂，喂！”文米克突然說，“那兒是教堂！我們進去！”當我們在裡邊時，又有一個意外。

“喂，喂，”他又說“瞧，在我口袋裡發現了！把它們戴上！”當他“發現”兩副白手套時，他的郵箱嘴拼命地張大。我開始猜想什麼，當我看見那位老人和一位小姐進來時，我知道我猜對了。

“喂，喂！”文米克說，仍然假裝很吃驚，“這是那位老長者和斯基芬小姐！讓我們舉行一個婚禮！”

這樣，文米克和斯基芬小姐結了婚。其後，我們大家在教堂附近的一座小飯館祝賀他們。

我為文米克高興，但是，我抑制不住為馬格韋契的擔憂。他傷得如此之重，以致被轉住監獄醫院，在這裡，我每天看看他。我給他讀書，給他講話，我做的每一件事情都能讓他愉快起來。但是，我看到他的體質每況愈下，儘管他從來不說。對於監獄警衛來說，他是一個危險的罪犯。但是對我來講，他是一個不幸的人，只有最後一點兒快樂屬於他，我不能現在拋棄他。

在他的判決中，證明賈格斯判斷是對的。法官決定，馬格韋契，一個被終身發配的罪犯逃回來、必須被絞死。我不能接受這個可怕的懲罰，寫信給我能夠想起來的所有大人物，請求給予馬格韋契寬大處理。但是，他們都拒絕幫助。

我每天去看他，發現他的狀況越來越糟。他躺在床上，安靜地瞅著天花板。有時，他說不了話，僅僅握著我的手。一天晚上，當我進到他的房間時，他對我淡淡地一笑。

“親愛的孩子！”他說，“你從來不晚。”

“我不想失去允許我看望你的每一分鐘。”我說。

“謝謝你，親愛的孩子，上帝保佑你！你從來沒有拋棄我，親愛的孩子！”他說了最後一句話。

我摸著他的胸部，想起我曾經要拋棄他。他的雙手放在我的手上。

“親愛的馬格韋契，聽我說，你曾經有一個你痛愛和失去的孩子，”他輕輕地握著我的手，“她還活著，她是一位小姐並且十分漂亮，我愛她！”

他太虛弱以致不能說話，但是，他使出最後一點微弱之力，把我的手拉到他的脣邊，他的眼睛慢慢地閉上了，他的頭靜靜地垂在他的胸前。