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asked, excited.
    “Jaggers took the case,” replied Herbert. “No one saw the crime. She didn’t have to go to jail. She and Magwitch had a child who was about your age when he met you in the churchyard. You reminded him of his lost child. That is one of the reasons why Magwitchhelped you all these years.”
    I felt feverish. My breath came in short gasps.
    “Herbert,” I said, “I think the man we are hiding is Estella’s father!”
    I went to see Jaggers the next day. I had to know the truth.
    “Miss Havisham told me you brought her a child,” I said. “She never knew who the mother was, but I do. I saw Estella’s mother in these rooms just two days ago.”
    Mr. Jaggers said nothing. He was looking at the toes of his boots.
    “Really?” he said finally.
    I told him Magwitch’s and Miss Havisham’s stories.
    “Pip,” he said at last, “there are thousands of poor children living in the street. I thought if I could just save one life, it would be performing a miracle. This child was the one I decided to save.
    “Her father was in and out of jail.Her mother was accused of a crime. I cleared the woman’s name and she gave me the child. I found the little girl a home. I gave the woman a job. The secret was mine alone. Now it is yours as well.”
    At last I knew the truth.
    Monday morning I awoke with a fever. My left arm was swollen and very red. The pain was great. I could not stand to have anyone touch it.
    I slept for two days. Herbert changed my bandages every few hours. He gave me cooling drinks. We both knew I had to be well enough to board the steamer out of England with Magwitch on Wednesday.
    Our friend Startop had agreed to help row the boat out to the steamer.
    On Wednesday, the sun shone hot, and the wind blew cold. It was March. I wore a heavy coat and carried one bag. My left arm was in a sling.
    We rowed downstream to Mill Pond Bank. Magwitch was waiting for us. He quickly jumped into the boat.
    “Dear boy!” he said, putting his arm on my shoulder. “Faithful dear boy, well done. Thankee! Thankee!”
    Herbert and Startop rowed and rowed until the sun went down. We needed to be far down the river to catch the steamer.
    “What freedom!” cried Magwitch. “How grand it is to sit next to my dear boy and have a smoke. The four walls were making me sick.”
    “If all goes well,” I said, “you will be free and safe in just a few hours.”
    Soon night fell. The moon was full. We waited in the boat, shivering. It was half past one when we finally saw the smoke of the steamer.
    Magwitch and I got our bags. I said a tearful good-bye to Herbert. We waited for the steamer to get closer. We would call for the captain to let us aboard.
    Suddenly another boat shot out from the bank. It had been waiting in the shadows. There were three men on board. One of them was a policeman. He stood up and shouted, “You have an escaped convict in your boat! His name is Abel Magwitch. Arrest that man!”
    The boat crashed right into ours. Compeyson stood on the deck of the other boat! And the steamer was still moving toward us!
    Magwitch jumped at Compeyson, and the pair fell overboard into the river. They struggled for a moment, and then they both went underwater. We scanned the river for a sign of either man.
    At last I spied a man swimming. It was Magwitch! The policeman grabbed him and hauled him into the boat. Chains were quickly locked to his wrists and ankles. He was captured!
    Magwitch was badly hurt. A broken rib had injured one of his lungs, and hehad a deep cut on his head.
    Compeyson was dead. He had drowned.
    I went with Magwitch to the prison in London. It was my place to stay by his side.
    I did not fear or hate him anymore. He had been generous and loving to me through many years. He was better to me than I had been to Joe.
    In prison, Magwitch grew very ill. I visited him every day. Though his face was pale, his eyes lit up whenever I entered his cell. He could only whisper his fears and