 Mr. Jaggers gave me your note yesterday, and I have lost no
time.«
    »Thank you. Thank you.«
    As I brought another of the ragged chairs to the hearth and sat down, I
remarked a new expression on her face, as if she were afraid of me.
    »I want,« she said, »to pursue that subject you mentioned to me when you
were last here, and to show you that I am not all stone. But perhaps you can
never believe, now, that there is anything human in my heart?«
    When I said some reassuring words, she stretched out her tremulous right
hand, as though she was going to touch me; but she recalled it again before I
understood the action, or knew how to receive it.
    »You said, speaking for your friend, that you could tell me how to do
something useful and good. Something that you would like done, is it not?«
    »Something that I would like done very very much.«
    »What is it?«
    I began explaining to her that secret history of the partnership. I had not
got far into it, when I judged from her looks that she was thinking in a
discursive way of me, rather than of what I said. It seemed to be so, for, when
I stopped speaking, many moments passed before she showed that she was conscious
of the fact.
    »Do you break off,« she asked then, with her former air of being afraid of
me, »because you hate me too much to bear to speak to me?«
    »No, no,« I answered, »how can you think so, Miss Havisham! I stopped
because I thought you were not following what I said.«
    »Perhaps I was not,« she answered, putting a hand to her head. »Begin again,
and let me look at something else. Stay! Now tell me.«
    She set her hand upon her stick, in the resolute way that sometimes was
habitual to her, and looked at the fire with a strong expression of forcing
herself to attend. I went on with my explanation, and told her how I had hoped
to complete the transaction out of my means, but how in this I was disappointed.
That part of the subject (I reminded her) involved matters which could form no
part of my explanation, for they were the weighty secrets of another.
    »So!« said she, assenting with her head, but not looking at me. »And how
much money is wanting
