我从小不列颠街出来，口袋里揣着支票，去找斯基芬斯小姐的哥哥，那位会计；斯基芬斯小姐的哥哥，那位会计，直接去克拉里克家把克拉里克带来见我，我于是心满意足地达成了那项安排。自从我初次得知自己有一笔大笔财产指望以来，这是我唯一做了一件好事，也是唯一做成的一件事。
克拉里克当时告诉我，商行的生意稳步进展，他现在能在东方设一个小小的分行，生意拓展正急需此着，而赫伯特以新合伙人身份将出国去掌管它；我由此明白，即便我自己的事更有着落，也须准备与朋友分离。而此刻，我当真觉得仿佛最后的锚也在松脱，不久就要随波逐流了。
可是，赫伯特夜里回家，欢天喜地讲起这些变化，浑不知他讲的都不是新闻，倒也给了我安慰；他会勾勒些空中楼阁般的图画，说自己领着克拉拉·巴利去《一千零一夜》的国度，说我随后也去与他们相聚（我猜是骑着一队骆驼），说我们一同沿尼罗河上行，看尽奇景。我虽对自己在这些光明计划里的角色不敢乐观，却感到赫伯特的前途正迅速开朗，老比尔·巴利只消守着他的胡椒和朗姆酒，他女儿很快便能有个好归宿。
此时已进了三月。我左臂虽无恶症，顺其自然却好得极慢，仍穿不上外套。右臂恢复得尚可；虽留了疤，倒还管用。
一个星期一早晨，我与赫伯特正吃早饭，收到温米克寄来的一封信。
“沃尔沃思。阅后即焚。本周初，或说星期三，你若愿意一试，便可做你心知之事。现在烧掉。”
我把信给赫伯特看，又投入火中——不过我俩都已背得烂熟，这才烧了——然后商量怎么办。因为，我身有残疾，如今当然再瞒不过去了。
“我反复想过，”赫伯特说，“我想到个比雇泰晤士船夫更好的法子。找斯塔托普。好人，好手，跟咱们亲，又热心又体面。”
这人我倒也想过不止一次。
“可你跟他说多少，赫伯特？”
“几乎不必说。让他当是桩怪念头，却是秘密，直到那天早上；再让他知道，你有急事要带普罗维斯上船离开。你同去？”
“自然。”
“去哪儿？”
我反复焦虑琢磨这点，觉得到哪个港口都差不多——汉堡、鹿特丹、安特卫普——地方无所谓，只要他出了英格兰。路上碰上哪艘外国汽船肯带我们，便成。我一向打算用小船送他顺河好好往下走；当然要远过格雷夫森德，那里若有疑心，正是盘查要地。外国汽船约莫涨潮时离伦敦，我们的计划便是趁前一回落潮顺河而下，泊在某静处，等能划过去搭船。我们若事先打听，船几时到我们泊处（不管何处）大致算得准。
赫伯特都同意，我们早饭后立刻出门查探。觉得去汉堡的汽船最合用，心思主要放在那船上。但也记下同潮离伦敦的其他外船，弄清每艘的形制与颜色才放心。然后分开几小时：我去办必需的护照；赫伯特去斯塔托普住处找他。各自顺当办完，一点钟再见时都报了妥。我备好了护照；赫伯特见了斯塔托普，他巴不得同去。
我们定下那两人各划一桨，我掌舵；我们带的人坐着莫出声；不求快，够走便好。安排赫伯特那晚去磨池岸前不回家吃饭；明晚星期二根本不去；星期三见我们近前，再引普罗维斯到屋旁某处台阶，不可更早；星期一夜把一切同他交代定；此后直至接他上船，再任何方式不联络。
两人都明白这些防备，我便回家。
用钥匙开寓所外门，见信箱里有寄我的信；很脏，字却不差。是专人送的（自然，因我出门后才到），内容如下：
“若你不怕今夜或明夜九点来老沼地，来石灰窑旁小水闸屋，最好来。若你想知你叔父普罗维斯消息，最好来，莫告人，莫耽搁。须独来。带此信。”
收这怪信前，我心头担子已不轻。如今怎办，我说不出。最坏是须快决，否则误了下午驿车，它能送我及时南下今夜到。明夜我不想去，离出逃太近。再者，说不定这消息与出逃本身大有干系。
若从容细想，我信仍会去。几乎没空想——表说半小时内车发——我便决意去。若非提到叔父普罗维斯，我必不去。这点，加上温米克信与早晨忙备，便定了盘。
急慌中几乎任何信都难清读，这神秘信我重读两遍，其“莫声张”之嘱才机械入脑。同样机械依从，我留铅笔条给赫伯特，说因即将远行不知多久，决意赶去又回，亲看郝薇香小姐怎样了。那时仅够拿大衣、锁寓所、抄近巷奔驿站。若雇马车走大街，必误事；这般去，车出 yard 时刚赶上。车厢内只我一人，陷在草里颠着，才回过神。
收信后我实不似自己，急乱昏了。早晨慌乱大，因久盼温米克，暗示终如突袭。此刻竟诧自己已在车中，疑有无充分理由，想是否该下车上返，辩不该理匿名信，总之历尽矛盾犹豫——想匆忙人少不经此。然提及普罗维斯名字压过一切。我如已不自觉推理过——若算推理——若因我不去害着他，我怎饶自己！
天黑才到，路长闷，我车内少见，残身又不能外坐。避蓝野猪，住下城小名店，点饭。备时去沙堤斯宅问郝薇香小姐；仍病重，算稍好。
我店原属古教会屋，在八角小公室如洗礼盆吃饭。我不能切，秃亮老店主代切。聊起，他好意以我故事娱我——自然流行版：彭波丘克是我最早恩主、造运人。
“识那青年？”我问。
“识他！”店主复述，“自他——没高起就识。”
“他还回这带不？”
“回，”店主说，“不时回大友处，冷落造他的人。”
“哪人？”
“我说那，”店主说，“彭波丘克先生。”
“他只对这人忘恩？”
“若能，必也对他，”店主回，“但不能。何？彭波丘克为他做尽。”
“彭波丘克这么说？”
“说！”店主答，“他无须说。”
“可他说没？”
“听他讲，人血变白酒醋，先生，”店主说。
我想：“可乔，亲乔，你从不讲。久忍慈乔，你从不怨。你也是，温性比蒂！”
“你 accident 伤了胃口，”店主瞥我衣下绷臂，“尝嫩的。”
“不，谢，”我离桌对火闷想，“吃不下。撤吧。”
我从不知感恩乔，如经黄铜骗子彭波丘克刺得这般疼。他越假，乔越真；他越鄙，乔越贵。
对火默想一时多，心深卑——该卑。钟响惊醒，未醒颓悔，起系大衣颈外，出。先兜袋找信复看，不见，忧落草中。然知约处沼地石灰窑旁小水闸屋、九点。向沼地去，无暇。
From Little Britain I went, with my check in my pocket, to Miss
Skiffins’s brother, the accountant; and Miss Skiffins’s brother, the
accountant, going straight to Clarriker’s and bringing Clarriker to me,
I had the great satisfaction of concluding that arrangement. It was the
only good thing I had done, and the only completed thing I had done,
since I was first apprised of my great expectations.
Clarriker informing me on that occasion that the affairs of the House
were steadily progressing, that he would now be able to establish a
small branch-house in the East which was much wanted for the extension
of the business, and that Herbert in his new partnership capacity would
go out and take charge of it, I found that I must have prepared for a
separation from my friend, even though my own affairs had been more
settled. And now, indeed, I felt as if my last anchor were loosening
its hold, and I should soon be driving with the winds and waves.
But there was recompense in the joy with which Herbert would come home
of a night and tell me of these changes, little imagining that he told
me no news, and would sketch airy pictures of himself conducting Clara
Barley to the land of the Arabian Nights, and of me going out to join
them (with a caravan of camels, I believe), and of our all going up the
Nile and seeing wonders. Without being sanguine as to my own part in
those bright plans, I felt that Herbert’s way was clearing fast, and
that old Bill Barley had but to stick to his pepper and rum, and his
daughter would soon be happily provided for.
We had now got into the month of March. My left arm, though it
presented no bad symptoms, took, in the natural course, so long to heal
that I was still unable to get a coat on. My right arm was tolerably
restored; disfigured, but fairly serviceable.
On a Monday morning, when Herbert and I were at breakfast, I received
the following letter from Wemmick by the post.
“Walworth. Burn this as soon as read. Early in the week, or say
Wednesday, you might do what you know of, if you felt disposed to try
it. Now burn.”
When I had shown this to Herbert and had put it in the fire—but not
before we had both got it by heart—we considered what to do. For, of
course my being disabled could now be no longer kept out of view.
“I have thought it over again and again,” said Herbert, “and I think I
know a better course than taking a Thames waterman. Take Startop. A
good fellow, a skilled hand, fond of us, and enthusiastic and
honourable.”
I had thought of him more than once.
“But how much would you tell him, Herbert?”
“It is necessary to tell him very little. Let him suppose it a mere
freak, but a secret one, until the morning comes: then let him know
that there is urgent reason for your getting Provis aboard and away.
You go with him?”
“No doubt.”
“Where?”
It had seemed to me, in the many anxious considerations I had given the
point, almost indifferent what port we made for,—Hamburg, Rotterdam,
Antwerp,—the place signified little, so that he was out of England. Any
foreign steamer that fell in our way and would take us up would do. I
had always proposed to myself to get him well down the river in the
boat; certainly well beyond Gravesend, which was a critical place for
search or inquiry if suspicion were afoot. As foreign steamers would
leave London at about the time of high-water, our plan would be to get
down the river by a previous ebb-tide, and lie by in some quiet spot
until we could pull off to one. The time when one would be due where we
lay, wherever that might be, could be calculated pretty nearly, if we
made inquiries beforehand.
