
but he dances at me, whenever he can catch my eye.«
    However novel and peculiar this testimony of attachment, I did not doubt the
accuracy of the interpretation. I was very hot indeed upon Old Orlick's daring
to admire her; as hot as if it were an outrage on myself.
    »But it makes no difference to you, you know,« said Biddy, calmly.
    »No, Biddy, it makes no difference to me; only I don't like it; I don't
approve of it.«
    »Nor I neither,« said Biddy. »Though that makes no difference to you.«
    »Exactly,« said I; »but I must tell you I should have no opinion of you,
Biddy, if he danced at you with your own consent.«
    I kept an eye on Orlick after that night, and whenever circumstances were
favourable to his dancing at Biddy, got before him, to obscure that
demonstration. He had struck root in Joe's establishment, by reason of my
sister's sudden fancy for him, or I should have tried to get him dismissed. He
quite understood and reciprocated my good intentions, as I had reason to know
thereafter.
    And now, because my mind was not confused enough before, I complicated its
confusion fifty thousand-fold, by having states and seasons when I was clear
that Biddy was immeasurably better than Estella, and that the plain honest
working life to which I was born had nothing in it to be ashamed of, but offered
me sufficient means of self-respect and happiness. At those times, I would
decide conclusively that my disaffection to dear old Joe and the forge, was
gone, and that I was growing up in a fair way to be partners with Joe and to
keep company with Biddy - when all in a moment some confounding remembrance of
the Havisham days would fall upon me, like a destructive missile, and scatter my
wits again. Scattered wits take a long time picking up; and often, before I had
got them well together, they would be dispersed in all directions by one stray
thought, that perhaps after all Miss Havisham was going to make my fortune when
my time was out.
    If my time had run out, it would have left me still at the height of my
perplexities, I dare say. It never did run out, however, but was brought to a
premature end, as I proceed to relate.
 

                                 Chapter XVIII

It was in the fourth year of my apprenticeship to Joe, and it was a Saturday
night. There was
