Two days later, Joe put on his best Sunday clothes to go with me to Miss Havisham’s. He looked very uncomfortable. His collar was so high that it made his hair stand up like feathers. I wanted to tell him that he looked much better in his work clothes, but I didn't want to hurt his feelings. He was only dressing this way because of me.
At breakfast, my sister decided to come to town with us. She planned to stay at Uncle Pumblechook’s house while we visited the "fine ladies." Before we left, Joe closed the forge and wrote "OUT" in chalk on the door. He also drew a big arrow to show which way we had gone.
We walked to town together. My sister walked in front, carrying a large basket and an umbrella, even though it was a beautiful, sunny day. When we reached Pumblechook’s shop, she went inside, and Joe and I walked on to Miss Havisham’s house.
Estella opened the gate as usual. The moment Joe saw her, he took off his hat and held it nervously with both hands. Estella ignored us and led the way inside. I followed her, and Joe followed me. When I looked back, I saw Joe walking on his tiptoes in the long, dark passage, still holding his hat with great care.
We entered Miss Havisham’s room. She was sitting at her dressing table and looked at us immediately.
"Oh!" she said to Joe. "Are you the husband of this boy's sister?"
I felt embarrassed. Joe stood there with his mouth open, looking like a strange bird. He didn't answer her. Instead, he looked at me.
"Well, Pip," Joe said to me, as if Miss Havisham wasn't there. "You know I am. I married your sister when I was a single man."
Miss Havisham asked, "And you have raised the boy to be your apprentice? Is that right, Mr. Gargery?"
Joe still refused to look at her. He continued to speak only to me. "Pip, you and me have always been friends. We always planned for you to work at the forge together."
It was very frustrating. The more I tried to signal Joe to speak to Miss Havisham, the more he persisted in talking only to me.
"Have you brought his apprentice papers?" Miss Havisham asked.
"Well, Pip," Joe said to me. "You saw me put them in my hat, so you know they are here."
He took the papers out and gave them to me, not to her. I felt so ashamed of him. Estella was standing behind Miss Havisham’s chair, and I could see her laughing at us with her eyes. I took the papers from Joe and handed them to Miss Havisham.
She looked them over and then picked up a small bag from the table.
"Pip has earned some money here," she said. "There are twenty-five guineas in this bag. Give it to your master, Pip."
Joe was so shocked by the strange room and the money that he stayed focused on me. "This is very kind of her, Pip," he said. "We never expected this. I hope we both do our duty."
"Good-bye, Pip," Miss Havisham said. "Estella, show them out."
"Am I to come again?" I asked.
"No," she replied. "Gargery is your master now."
As we left, I heard her tell Joe that I had been a good boy and the money was my reward. She told him he should expect nothing more.
When we finally got outside, Joe was so confused that he started walking upstairs instead of downstairs. I had to grab his arm and lead him out. When we reached the street, Joe leaned against a wall and said, "Astonishing, Pip! Simply astonishing!"
On the way back to Pumblechook’s, Joe decided to be clever. When we saw my sister, he didn't tell her the truth immediately. Instead, he told her that Miss Havisham sent her compliments and wished she could have met such a lady. My sister was very pleased.
Then, Joe started talking about the money. He teased her, asking if she thought it was ten pounds, then twenty. Finally, he handed her the bag. "It’s twenty-five pounds!" he shouted happily.
Uncle Pumblechook acted as if he had planned the whole thing. "It’s exactly what you deserve," he told my sister. Then he grabbed my arm. "Now, we must make this official. This boy must be bound as an apprentice immediately!"
He pushed me toward the Town Hall. He held me so tightly that the people in the street thought I was a criminal. I heard someone ask, "What has that boy done?" and another person gave me a religious book to read in my "prison cell."
In the Town Hall, in front of the local judges, I signed the papers. I was now officially "bound" to Joe as an apprentice. I felt like I was being sent to prison.
To celebrate, they took me to a dinner at the Blue Boar inn. It was a miserable afternoon for me. Everyone was in high spirits, but they treated me like I was a problem. They kept asking me why I wasn't enjoying myself, which only made me feel worse. Pumblechook sat at the head of the table and gave a long speech about how I must never complain and how I would go to jail if I was a bad apprentice.
That night, when I finally got into my little bedroom, I felt truly unhappy. I used to like the idea of working with Joe at the forge, but everything had changed. I didn't want to be a blacksmith anymore. I wanted to be a gentleman, and I wanted to see Estella again.