It was clear that I had to go back to my home town the next day. At first, I felt very guilty about Joe, and I planned to stay at the forge with him. However, as I was preparing for the trip, I started to change my mind. I began making excuses for myself. I told myself that I would be in the way at Joe’s house, or that my bed wouldn't be ready. I decided it would be better to stay at the Blue Boar hotel.
We often lie to ourselves more than we lie to anyone else. I was tricking myself into believing these excuses so I wouldn't have to feel guilty about avoiding Joe.
I also decided to leave my servant boy, "The Avenger," behind in London. I was worried that he might get into trouble or that Miss Havisham would not like him.
I went to the coach station at two o’clock. As I was waiting, Herbert met me and pointed out something unpleasant. Two convicts were traveling on the same coach. They were handcuffed together and had heavy iron chains on their legs. I always felt nervous when I heard the word "convict" because of my past, but this time was worse.
I looked at the taller convict and recognized him immediately. He was the man I had seen years ago at the Three Jolly Bargemen—the man who had shown me the file and given me the two one-pound notes! He didn't recognize me, but I felt a cold shiver down my spine.
The coach was crowded, and the only seats left for the convicts were right behind me. For the whole journey, I could feel the convict’s breath on the back of my head. It was a horrible feeling. I tried to pull away, but there was no room.
The weather was cold and grey. As the sun went down, most of the passengers began to sleep. I was dozing off too, until I heard the convicts talking quietly behind me. They were talking about the two one-pound notes!
"How did he get the money?" the second convict asked.
"Another convict gave it to him in the dockyard," my convict replied. "He told me he was being released and asked me to find a boy. He said the boy had fed him and kept his secret a long time ago. He wanted me to give the boy those two notes. And I did."
"You should have spent the money on yourself," the other one laughed.
"The man who gave them to me was a 'Lifer,'" the first convict added. "He was caught again and sentenced to stay in prison for the rest of his life."
I sat there in the dark, trembling. I realized they were talking about the man I had helped on the marshes when I was a child. The coincidence of sitting right in front of this man made me feel sick with fear. I was terrified that he might suddenly realize who I was.
As soon as the coach reached the edge of town, I jumped out. I didn't want to be near those men for another second. I walked quickly toward the Blue Boar hotel, feeling a strange, deep fear that I hadn't felt since I was a little boy.
When I arrived at the hotel, the waiter brought me a local newspaper. I read a short article that made me very angry. It said that my "earliest friend and supporter" was a respected local businessman—Mr. Pumblechook! The article claimed that Pumblechook was the person responsible for my good fortune.
It seemed that no matter where I went, I couldn't escape the lies of the present or the ghosts of my past.