resolved to follow in a post-chaise. So, he and
Startop arrived at the Blue Boar, fully expecting
there, to find me, or tidings of me; but finding
neither, went on to Miss Havisham's, where
they lost me. Hereupon they went back to the
hotel (doubtless at about the time when I was
hearing the popular local version of my own
story) to refresh themselves, and to get someone
to guide them out upon the marshes. Among the
loungers under the Boar's archway, happened to
be Trabb's boy—true to his ancient habit of
happening to be everywhere where he had no
business—and Trabb's boy had seen me passing
from Miss Havisham's in the direction of my
dining-place. Thus, Trabb's boy became their
guide, and with him they went out to the sluice-
house: though by the town way to the marshes,
which I had avoided. Now, as they went along,
Herbert reflected that I might, after all, have
been brought there on some genuine and serviceable
errand tending to Provis's safety, and
bethinking himself that in that case interruption
might be mischievous, left his guide and Startop
on the edge of the quarry, and went on by
himself, and stole round the house two or three
times, endeavouring to ascertain whether all was
right within. As he could hear nothing but
indistinct sounds of one deep rough voice (this
was while my mind was so busy), he even at last
began to doubt whether I was there, when
suddenly I cried out loudly, and he answered
the cries, and rushed in, closely followed by the
other two.

When I told Herbert what had passed within
the house, he was for our immediately going
before a magistrate in the town, late at night as
it was, and getting out a warrant. But I had
already considered that such a course, by
detaining us there or binding us to come back,
might be fatal to Provis. There was no
gainsaying this difficulty, and we relinquished all
thoughts of pursuing Orlick at that time. For
the present, under the circumstances, we deemed
it prudent to make rather light of the matter to
Trabb's boy; who I am convinced would have
been much affected by disappointment, if he had
known that his intervention saved me from the
limekiln. Not that Trabb's boy was of a malignant
nature, but that he had too much spare
vivacity, and that it was in his constitution to
want variety and excitement at anybody's
expense. When we parted, I presented him with
two guineas (which seemed to meet his views),
and told him that I was sorry ever to have had
an ill opinion of him (which made no impression
on him at all).

Wednesday being so close upon us, we
determined to go back to London that night, three
in the post-chaise; the rather as we should then
be clear away, before the night's adventure
began to be talked of. Herbert got a large
bottle of stuff for my arm, and by dint of having
this stuff dropped over it all the night through,
I was just able to bear its pain on the journey.
lt was daylight when we reached the Temple,
and I went at once to bed, and lay in bed all
day.

My terror, as I lay there, of falling ill and
being unfitted for to-morrow, was so besetting,
that I wonder it did not disable me of itself. It
would have done so, pretty surely, in conjunction
with the mental wear and tear I had suffered,
but for the unnatural strain upon me that
to-morrow was. So anxiously looked forward to,
charged with such consequences, its results so
impenetrably hidden though so near!

No precaution could have been more obvious
than our refraining from communication with
him that day; yet this again increased my
restlessness. I started at every footstep and every
sound, believing that he was discovered and
taken, and this was the messenger to tell me so.
I persuaded myself that I knew he was taken;
that there was something more upon my mind
than a fear or a presentiment; that the fact had
occurred, and I had a mysterious knowledge of
it. As the day wore on and no ill news came,
as the day closed in and darkness fell, my
overshadowing dread of being disabled by illness
before to-morrow morning, altogether mastered
me. My burning arm throbbed, and my burning
head throbbed, and I fancied I was beginning
to wander. I counted up to high numbers,
to make sure of myself, and repeated
passages that I knew, in prose and verse. It
happened sometimes, that in the mere escape of
a fatigued mind, I dozed for some moments, or
forgot; then I would say to myself with a start
"Now it has come, and I am turning
delirious!"

They kept me very quiet all day, and kept my
arm constantly dressed, and gave me cooling
drinks. Whenever I fell asleep, I awoke with
the notion I had had in the sluice-house, that
a long time had elapsed and the opportunity
to save him was gone. About midnight I got
out of bed and went to Herbert with the
conviction that I had been asleep for four-and-twenty
hours, and that Wednesday was past. It was
the last self-exhausting effort of my fretfulness,
for, after that, I slept soundly.

Wednesday morning was dawning when I
looked out of window. The winking lights upon
the bridges were already pale, the coming sun
was like a marsh of fire on the horizon. The
river, still dark and mysterious, was spanned
by bridges that were turning coldly grey, with
here and there at top a warm touch from the
burning in the sky. As I looked along the
clustered roofs, with Church towers and spires
shooting into the unusually clear air, the sun
rose up, and a veil seemed to be drawn from
the river, and millions of sparkles burst out upon
its waters. From me too, a veil seemed to be
drawn, and I felt strong and well.

Herbert lay asleep in his bed, and our old
fellow-student lay asleep on the sofa. I could
not dress myself without help, but I made up
the fire, which was still burning, and got some
coffee ready for them. In good time they too
started up strong and well, and we admitted
the sharp morning air at the windows, and
looked at the tide that was still flowing
towards us.