# ■ 19 A wedding

The excitement of all these events made me seriously ill for several weeks．Herbert was abroad， on business for Clarrikers，and there would have been nobody to look after me， if Joe bad not heard about my illness and come to London to nurse me．

When I was getting better， he told me some of the local news．Miss Havisham had died，and left all her fortune to Estella，except for￡4000，which Matthew Pocket inherited．And Orlick had been arrested for breaking into Pumblechook's house and stealing his money．Dear old Joe seemed just the same， but as I got better，he began to remember I was a gentleman，and call me sir again，and when I got up one morning，I discovered he had gone．

I decided to go back to the village，to thank him for all his help，and to carry out a plan I had been considering for some time．I wanted to ask Biddy to marry me，and I knew I would be happy with her．So I went by coach to the old town，as I had done so many times before， and walked to the forge． But as I came closer，I could not hear the sound of Joe's hammer，and I noticed fresh white curtains at the windows， and bright flowers everywhere．Suddenly I saw Biddy and Joe at the door，arm in arm．

‘Pip！’cried Biddy happily，running to kiss me．‘Pip，it's my wedding day，and I'm married to Joe！’

I was still weak from my illness， and the shock was too much for me．They had to help me into the house and let me rest in a chair． They were both so pleased that I had come， by accident，to make their day perfect．I could only be glad that I had never spoken of my plan to Joe， when he was looking after me．

‘Dear Biddy，’I said，‘you have the best husband in the whole world．’

‘I couldn't love him more than I do，’ she replied．

‘And dear Joe， you have the best wife in the world， and she will make you as happy as even you deserve to be， dear good Joe！’Joe put his arm over his eyes．‘And Joe and Biddy， I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you've done for me． Tell me you forgive me for not being grateful，and not being good． And think better of me in the future！’

‘Oh dear old Pip，'said Joe，‘God knows we forgive you，if there is anything to forgive！’

So I left the forge，and started a new life， working as a clerk for Clarrikers，Herbert's company． I was sent to the new office in India to take charge，while Herbert came back to England to marry his Clara．

Herbert and his wife invited me to live with them， and we all stayed out in India for many years．In the end I too became a partner in the company．We worked hard and honestly， and made good profits．

It was not until eleven years later that I returned to England and saw Biddy and Joe again，although I had been writing regularly to them．One evening in December I gently pushed open the old kitchen door， and there，sitting by the fire next to Joe，in my old place，was-Pip！Joe and Biddy's son had my name and looked just like me．They also had a little daughter，and were the happiest of parents．

‘Dear Pip，'said Biddy quietly to me after supper，‘have you quite forgotten her？ Tell me， as an old friend．’

‘My dear Biddy，I can never forget her． But that was all a dream， which has passed！’

But I was secretly planning to revisit Miss Havisham's old house， alone， as a way of remembering Estella． I had heard that her husband had been very cruel to her．They had separated，and then he had died two years ago．Perhaps she had remarried by now．

The old house had been knocked down， and there was nothing left but piles of stones in the garden． In the moonlight I walked sadly around，until suddenly I saw a woman's figure in the shadows．I went closer and then——

‘Estella！’I cried．

‘You recognize me？I have changed a lot，'she answered．

She was older，but still beautiful．I had never before seen such a soft light in those once proud eyes，or felt such a friend-ly touch of her once cold hand．

‘It's strange， Estella！ Afer so many years，we meet by chance，here，where we first met！’

‘Yes，it's strange．I haven't been here for years，although the land belongs to me．But tell me，you still live abroad？’

‘Yes，I still do．I'm doing well in India．’

‘I've often thought of you．Since-my husband-died，I have given you a place in my heart．’

‘You have always held your place in my heart，I answered．

There was silence for a few moments．

‘I didn't think I would say goodbye to you here，'she said．

‘It's painful saying goodbye，Estella．’

‘But last time you said，“God bless you， God forgive you！”You could say that to me now， now that I understand how much you loved me， now that I have suffered， now that I am a better person．Tell me we are friends．'she spoke more eagerly than I had ever heard her speak before．

‘We are friends，’ I said，taking her hand．

‘And will continue being friends，even when we are apart，'said Estella．

We walked，hand in hand， out of the old garden．As the morning mist had risen long ago when I first left the forge，so the evening mist was rising now，and in the clear moonlight I saw no shadow of another separation from her．

■ 19 一次婚禮

一連串的打擊使我嚴重病倒幾周。赫伯特出國了，為克拉雷克斯做生意。如果不是喬聽說我病了並來倫敦護理我，這裡是沒有人會照顧我的。

當我漸漸好一點兒，他告訴我當地一些消息。郝薇香小姐已經死了，除了4000英鎊由馬修·樸凱特繼承，留下的所有財產歸了艾絲黛拉。奧立克因為破門而入潘波趣的家偷了他的錢，已經被逮捕了，親愛的老喬好像沒什麼變化。但是，當我更好一些，他開始想起我是一位紳士，又叫我先生。一天早晨，當我起了床時，發現他已經走了。

我決定回鐵匠鋪，去感謝他的一切幫助，並攜帶著我已經考慮了一會兒的一個計劃。我想請求畢蒂和我結婚，我知道和她會幸福的。因此，我乘馬車去了老家，像這樣的做法以前有很多次，我來到鐵匠鋪。但是，當我走近時，我聽不到喬的錘子聲音。我看到窗戶上嶄新的白色窗簾，到處是色彩鮮豔的花朵。在門口，突然我看到畢蒂和喬擁抱著。

“匹普！”畢蒂高興地叫起來，跑過來吻我，“匹普，今天是我的婚禮，我和喬結婚啦！”

我仍然受疾病的折磨提不起精神，對我打擊太大了。他們不得不幫助我進了屋，讓我在椅子上休息。他們倆對我的偶然到來如此高興，使他們的婚禮更完美。我唯一高興的是，當他照顧我時，從來沒有對他講過我的計劃。

“親愛的畢蒂，”我說，“你有世界最好的丈夫。”

“我特別愛他。”她回答說。

“親愛的喬，你有世界上最好的妻子，她會使你和你應得的一樣幸福，親愛的大好人喬！”喬用手臂捂著雙眼，“喬和畢蒂，我從內心感謝你們為我所做的一切。告訴我，你們原諒我沒有感恩、沒有做好。想想我將來會好起來的！”

“噢，親愛的老匹普，”喬說，“如果有什麼可原諒的，上帝知道，我們原諒你！”

因此，我離開鐵匠鋪，開始一種新生活，做了一名職員為克拉雷克斯，赫伯特的公司工作。當赫伯特回到英格蘭和他的克萊拉結婚時，我被指派到印度的新事務所從事收費工作。

赫伯特和他的妻子邀請我和他們住在一起，我們在印度住了許多年。最終，我在該公司也成了一個股東。我們努力誠實地工作，並取得了豐厚的利潤。

最終，11年後，我回到了英格蘭，再一次看看畢蒂和喬。雖然，我經常給他們寫信。在12月份的一個晚上，我輕輕地推開那個舊廚房門。在這兒，這是我的老地方，在火爐旁邊緊挨著喬坐著的是——匹普！喬和畢蒂的兒子取了我的名字，看上去很像我。他們還有一個小女兒，是最幸福的父母。

“親愛的匹普，”晚飯後，畢蒂心平氣和地對我說，“你差不多忘記她了吧？作為一個老朋友，告訴我。”

“我親愛的畢蒂，我從來不能忘記她，不過，那都是夢想，一切成為過去！”

但是，我正祕密地計劃去單獨重訪郝薇香小姐的故居，作為想起艾絲黛拉的方法。我聽說過，她的丈夫對她十分粗野，他們已經離婚。兩年前，他已經死了。或許目前她已經再婚了。

那座舊住宅已經被拆掉，沒有什麼東西留下，而在花園裡有一堆石頭。在日光下，我傷心地在周圍轉轉，直到我突然朦朦朧朧看見一個女人的身影。我走近一些，這時——

“艾絲黛拉！”我叫喊起來。

“你認得出我？我變了許多，”她回答。

她是老了一些，但是仍然很漂亮。我以前從來沒有在這雙曾經傲慢的眼睛上見過這樣的溫柔明亮，摸到她那曾經冷冰冰的手感覺這樣的親切。

“真奇怪，艾絲黛拉！這麼多年後，我們在這裡也是第一次見面的地方偶然相見！”

“是的，真奇怪，雖然這塊房基地是屬於我的，但是，我多年不在這裡了。告訴我，你還住在國外嗎？”

“是的，我還在國外，我在印度乾得很好。”

“我常想起你，自從——我的丈夫——死後，我一直給你在心中留著位置。”

“你總是在我心中佔有位置，”我回答。

沉默了一會兒。

“我不想在這兒向你告別。”她說。

“告別，那是痛苦的，艾絲黛拉。”

“但是，最後一次你說，‘上帝保佑你，上帝原諒你！’你現在能對我那樣說嗎。現在，我才明白你是多麼的愛我，現在，我很痛苦，現在，我是個比較好的人。告訴我，我們是朋友。”她渴望說的超過以前我聽到過她說的話。

“我們是朋友，”我拉著她的手說。

“即使我們分開，也會繼續是朋友，”艾絲黛拉說。

我們手拉手走出那個舊花園。當晨霧老早升起來的時候，我第一次離開了鐵匠鋪。那麼，現在夜霧正在升起，在這清朗的月光下，我卻看不到另外一個影子從她那裡分離出來。