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wenty 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．’
14 Pip visits Estella and Miss Havisham again
Before taking Magwitch abroad，I felt I must see both Estella and Miss Havisham．When I visited Estella's London home，I found she had gone to stay with Miss Hav－isham，and so，leaving Magwitch in Herbert's care，I went by coach to the town I knew so well．
Before walking to Miss Havisham's，I went to the hotel for breakfast．It was an unpleasant shock to discover Bentley Drummle there，but I could imagine his reason for visiting the area．When he noticed me，he immediately called to the waiter，making sure I could hear，‘Listen，you！The lady isn't going riding today．And remember，I'm not having dinner here tonight，I'll be at the lady's．’And Drummle smiled wickedly at me，knowing that what he said cut me to the heart．He went out，shouting for his horse．
If he had spoken Estella's name，I would have hit him．I was so angry with him，and so depressed about my future，that I could not eat the breakfast．Instead I went straight to the old house．
I found Miss Havisham and Estella sitting in the same room，with candles burning as usual．
‘Miss Havisham，’I said，‘I must tell you that I'm as unhappy as you ever wanted me to be．I've discovered who has been paying for my education．Now I know I shall never be rich，or important．I cannot tell you any more．It isn't my secret，but another person's．’I stopped，considering what to say next．
‘Go on，’said Miss Havisham，looking interested．
‘I thought it was you，Miss Havisham！And you encouraged me in my mistake！’
‘Why should I be kind to anybody after all I've suffered！’cried Miss Havisham angrily．
‘Yes，you're right，’I said quickly，to calm her．‘But you also encouraged your relations to think I would inherit some of your fortune．’
‘Why shouldn't I？’she cried wildly．
‘But Matthew Pocket and his son are different．They aren't selfish or greedy，they're generous and honest．I want you to know that．’
She looked carefully at me．‘What do you want for them？’
‘I'm asking for money，’I replied，my cheeks red．‘I would like you to help my friend Herbert become a partner in his company．I started paying for this myself two years ago…and I want to keep it a secret from him－but now I find I can't continue the payments．I can't explain why．It's part of the other person's secret．
Miss Havisham looked at the fire，and then at me again．
‘What else？’she asked．
Turning to Estella，I tried to control my trembling voice．‘You know I love you，Estella，’I said．‘I have loved you long and dearly．’She shook her head．
‘I know，I know I have no hope of ever marrying you，Estella．But I have loved you ever since I first saw you in this house．It was cruel of Miss Havisham to encourage me to hope，but I don't think she meant to be unkind．’
‘What you say，’said Estella very calmly，‘doesn't touch my heart．I can't feel love as you do． And I've warned you of this．Haven't I？’
‘Yes，’I answered miserably，‘but I couldn't believe it．’
‘It's the way I've been brought up．’
‘Estella，Bentley Drummle is in town here．You go riding with him，don't you？Is he having dinner with you tonight？’
‘It is all true，’she answered，a little surprised．
‘You cannot love him，Estella！’I cried．
‘Didn't you listen？I can never love anyone！’And then she added，‘But why not tell you the truth？ I'm going to marry him．’
I covered my face with my hands．After a moment I lifted my head and cried，‘Dont't throw yourself away on an animal like him！Even if you won't marry me，there must be others who love you．Any of them would be a thousand times better than Drummle！’
‘I can't marry a man who expects me to love him．So Drummle will do well enough as my husband．You will soon forget me．’
‘Never，Estella！You are part of myself．You are in every line I've read，in every view I've seen，in every dream I've dreamt．To the last hour of my life，you will remain part of me． God bless you and God forgive you！’I held her hand to my lips for a moment．As I left，Estella's lovely face looked at me in wonder，but Miss Havisham was staring at me with a mixture of pity and guilt．
It was all over．To calm my feelings I walked all the way back to London．At night the Temple gates were always closed，but the night－porter let me in when I told him my name．He gave me an envelope addressed to Mr Pip．Inside，in Wemmick's writing，it said：‘DON’T GO HOME．’
15 Shelter for Magwitch
I spent a restless night at a hotel，worrying about the reasons for Wemmick's warning．Early in the morning I went to see him at the Castle．He told me he had heard I was being watched，and that someone was looking for Magwitch．He also knew that Compeyson was alive and in London．While I was absent，Wemmick had warned Herbert to move our guest to a safer place．Clara，the girl Herbert was in love with，lived with her old father in a house on the river，quite near the open sea，and Herbert had arranged to rent rooms for Magwitch in this house．It was further away from the centre of London and our home，and we could easily take Magwitch abroad by boat from there．
‘Our friend is there now，’said Wemmick，‘and you can visit him tonight，but don't go back there after that．And re－member，Mr Pip，’he added firmly，‘remember to get his cash．You don't know what may happen to him．Don't let anything happen to his cash．’
I could not explain to Wemmick how I felt about Magwich's money，so I said nothing．
That evening I visited the house，and met Clara，a lovely girl，obviously in love with Herbert．How lucky she and Herbert were！I thought of Estella，and felt very sad．
Magwitch seemed quieter and more likeable than the last time I had seen him．He accepted all our arrangements for him gratefully．I was almost sorry to say goodbye to him．
I decided to keep a rowing boat near our rooms，so that Her－bert or I could row up and down the river，as far as Clara's house．If Magwitch saw us on the river，he could draw his bedroom curtain to show everything was all right．
For the next few weeks，life went on as normal．Herbert went to work and visited Clara in the evenings．I rowed on the river，and waited for news from Wemmick．
One evening，instead of reading alone in my room，I went to the theatre where Mr Wopsle was acting．He noticed me in the audience，and kept looking at me in a very strange way．After the play we met outside the theatre，and he asked immediately，
‘You didn't see that man sitting right behind you，Mr Pip？’