The next morning, while I was getting ready at the Blue Boar, I decided to speak to my guardian about Orlick. I didn’t think Orlick was the right person to guard Miss Havisham’s house.
"Of course he isn't the right man, Pip," Mr. Jaggers said. He seemed almost happy about it. "The man in charge is never the right man."
I told him what I knew about Orlick’s bad character. Jaggers nodded. "Very good, Pip. I’ll go there now and fire him."
I was a bit shocked by how fast he acted, but Jaggers was perfectly confident. He wasn't afraid of Orlick at all.
Before we left for London, I went for a walk through the town. I wanted to avoid Mr. Pumblechook, so I took a long way around. It was interesting to be back in my old town. Some shopkeepers recognized me and stared. They saw my expensive clothes and my new, proud way of walking. I was enjoying my importance until I ran into Trabb’s boy.
Trabb’s boy was a local troublemaker who worked for the tailor. As I walked past him, he suddenly started acting very strange. He pretended to be terrified of me. He shook his knees, his cap fell off, and he cried out to the people in the street, "Help me! I’m so scared!" He was mocking my new "gentlemanly" appearance.
A little further down the street, he appeared again. This time, he walked behind me, copying my movements and sticking his nose in the air. He pulled up his collar and whispered to his friends, "Don’t know you! On my soul, I don’t know you!" He was making fun of the way I now looked down on people from my past. Everyone in the street laughed. I felt humiliated. I was so angry that I wrote a letter to his master, Mr. Trabb, saying that I would never buy clothes there again as long as that boy worked for him.
Later, I caught the coach back to London with Mr. Jaggers. As soon as I arrived, I felt guilty about not visiting Joe. To make myself feel better, I sent him a large box of expensive fish and oysters as a gift. Then, I went back to Barnard’s Inn.
That evening, Herbert and I sat by the fire. I felt I had to tell my best friend the truth about my feelings.
"Herbert," I said, "I have something important to tell you. I love Estella. I adore her."
Herbert didn't look surprised at all. "I know that, Handel," he said calmly.
"How do you know? I never told you!"
"You’ve told me every day since I met you," Herbert laughed. "You brought your love for her here with your luggage. It was obvious from the very first day."
I sighed. "I saw her yesterday. She is more beautiful than ever. But I feel so uncertain. My whole future depends on the person who sent me to London. And what if Estella doesn't love me?"
Herbert was very encouraging. "Don’t worry. Mr. Jaggers wouldn't be your guardian if your future wasn't safe. You will be twenty-one soon, and then you will find out the truth."
Then, Herbert’s tone became more serious. "Handel, let me ask you something. Has Mr. Jaggers ever actually said that you are supposed to marry Estella?"
"Never," I admitted.
"Then, if you are not forced to marry her, can't you try to forget her? She was raised by Miss Havisham to be cold and heartless. This love could lead to a lot of misery."
"I can't," I said. "It’s impossible to stop."
Herbert saw that I couldn't change my mind, so he decided to talk about something else. He told me his own secret.
"I am engaged to be married too," he said.
"You are?" I was surprised.
"Yes. Her name is Clara. Her father is a sick man who stays in his room all day and makes a lot of noise. Clara is wonderful, but she isn't from a 'grand' family like my mother wants. I want to marry her as soon as I have enough money—as soon as I have 'Capital'."
We both stared at the fire, thinking about how difficult it was to get enough money to start a life. Then, I found a piece of paper in my pocket. It was the playbill Joe had given me.
"Look!" I said. "Mr. Wopsle is performing in a play in London tonight!"
We decided to go immediately. We blew out our candles, locked the door, and went out to see our old friend Mr. Wopsle act in a famous play by Shakespeare.