At least it's well-written? I can tell you I now know precisely how to eloquently describe a mesh.
Poor Pip...
20Joe: Mrs. Joe has been out a dozen times, looking for you, Pip. And she’s out now, making it a baker’s dozen.
Pip: Is she?
Joe: Yes, Pip. And what’s worse, she’s got Tickler with her. 21She Ram-paged out, Pip.
Pip: How long has she been gone, Joe?
Joe: She sot down, and she got up, and she made a grab at Tickler, and she Ram-paged out. That's what she did. She Ram-paged out, Pip.
Enter Mrs. Joe
Mrs. Joe: Where have you been, you young monkey? Tell me directly what you've been doing to wear me away with fret and fright and worrit, or I'd have you out of that corner if you was fifty Pips, and he was five hundred Gargerys.
Pip: I have only been to the churchyard.
Mrs. Joe: Churchyard! If it warn't for me you'd have been to the churchyard long ago, and stayed there. Who brought you up by hand?
Pip: You did.
Mrs. Joe: And why did I do it, I should like to know?
22Pip: I don’t know.
Mrs. Joe: I don't! I'd never do it again! I know that. I may truly say I've never had this apron of mine off, since born you were. It's bad enough to be a blacksmith's wife (and him a Gargery) without being your mother. Hah! Churchyard, indeed! You may well say churchyard, you two. You'll drive me to the churchyard betwixt you, one of these days, and oh, a pr-r-recious pair you'd be without me!
Gives Joe and Pip bread and water, they eat, Pip hides some in his pant leg to give to the convict the following morning
24Mrs. Joe: What’s the matter now?
Joe: I say, you know! Pip, old chap! You’ll do yourself a mischief. It’ll stick somewhere. You can’t have chawed it, Pip.
Mrs. Joe: What’s the matter now?
25Joe: If you can cough any trifle on it up, Pip, I’d recommend you do it. “Manners is manners, but your elth’s still your elth.”
Mrs. Joe: Now, perhaps you’ll mention what’s the matter, you staring great stuck pig.
Joe: You know, Pip, you and me is always friends, and I’d be the last to tell upon you, any time. But such a—such a most oncommon Bolt as that!
Mrs. Joe: Been bolting his food, has he?
Joe: You know, old chap, I Bolted, myself, when I was your age - frequent - and as a boy I've been among a many Bolters; but I never see your Bolting equal yet, Pip, and it's a mercy you ain't Bolted dead.
Mrs. Joe: You come along and be dosed.
26Administers Tar-water, 27Pip is sent to stir pudding from 7:00to 8:00, he completes this task and deposits the hidden bread and butter in his bedroom, a cannon sounds.
Pip: Hark! Was that great guns, Joe?
Joe: Ah! There’s another conwict off.
Pip: What does that mean, Joe?
Mrs. Joe: Escaped. Escaped.
Pip: What’s a convict?
28Joe: There was a conwict off last night, after sunset-gun. And they fired warning of him. And now, it appears they’re firing warning of another.
Pip: Who’s firing?
Mrs. Joe: Drat that boy. What a questioner he is. Ask no questions, and you’ll be told no lies.
Joe tries to mouth “Hulks” to Pip, although he is left nonplussed.
Pip: Mrs. Joe, I should like to know—if you wouldn’t much mind—where the firing comes from?
Mrs. Joe: Lord bless the boy! From the Hulks.
Pip: Oh-h! Hulks! 29And please what’s Hulks?
Mrs. Joe: That's the way with this boy! Answer him one question, and he'll ask you a dozen directly. Hulks are prison-ships, right 'cross th' meshes."
Pip: I wonder who’s put into prison ships, and why they’re put there?
Mrs. Joe: I tell you what, young fellow. I didn't bring you up by hand to badger people's lives out. It would be blame to me, and not praise, if I had. People are put in the Hulks because they murder, and because they rob, and forge, and do all sorts of bad; and they always begin by asking questions. Now, you get along to bed!
Pip is sent to bed, 30but does not sleep. At dawn he retrieves 31some bread, cheese, mincemeat, brandy, meat, a pork pie and a file. He then runs to the marshes.
Pip: Is she?
Joe: Yes, Pip. And what’s worse, she’s got Tickler with her. 21She Ram-paged out, Pip.
Pip: How long has she been gone, Joe?
Joe: She sot down, and she got up, and she made a grab at Tickler, and she Ram-paged out. That's what she did. She Ram-paged out, Pip.
Enter Mrs. Joe
Mrs. Joe: Where have you been, you young monkey? Tell me directly what you've been doing to wear me away with fret and fright and worrit, or I'd have you out of that corner if you was fifty Pips, and he was five hundred Gargerys.
Pip: I have only been to the churchyard.
Mrs. Joe: Churchyard! If it warn't for me you'd have been to the churchyard long ago, and stayed there. Who brought you up by hand?
Pip: You did.
Mrs. Joe: And why did I do it, I should like to know?
22Pip: I don’t know.
Mrs. Joe: I don't! I'd never do it again! I know that. I may truly say I've never had this apron of mine off, since born you were. It's bad enough to be a blacksmith's wife (and him a Gargery) without being your mother. Hah! Churchyard, indeed! You may well say churchyard, you two. You'll drive me to the churchyard betwixt you, one of these days, and oh, a pr-r-recious pair you'd be without me!
Gives Joe and Pip bread and water, they eat, Pip hides some in his pant leg to give to the convict the following morning
24Mrs. Joe: What’s the matter now?
Joe: I say, you know! Pip, old chap! You’ll do yourself a mischief. It’ll stick somewhere. You can’t have chawed it, Pip.
Mrs. Joe: What’s the matter now?
25Joe: If you can cough any trifle on it up, Pip, I’d recommend you do it. “Manners is manners, but your elth’s still your elth.”
Mrs. Joe: Now, perhaps you’ll mention what’s the matter, you staring great stuck pig.
Joe: You know, Pip, you and me is always friends, and I’d be the last to tell upon you, any time. But such a—such a most oncommon Bolt as that!
Mrs. Joe: Been bolting his food, has he?
Joe: You know, old chap, I Bolted, myself, when I was your age - frequent - and as a boy I've been among a many Bolters; but I never see your Bolting equal yet, Pip, and it's a mercy you ain't Bolted dead.
Mrs. Joe: You come along and be dosed.
26Administers Tar-water, 27Pip is sent to stir pudding from 7:00to 8:00, he completes this task and deposits the hidden bread and butter in his bedroom, a cannon sounds.
Pip: Hark! Was that great guns, Joe?
Joe: Ah! There’s another conwict off.
Pip: What does that mean, Joe?
Mrs. Joe: Escaped. Escaped.
Pip: What’s a convict?
28Joe: There was a conwict off last night, after sunset-gun. And they fired warning of him. And now, it appears they’re firing warning of another.
Pip: Who’s firing?
Mrs. Joe: Drat that boy. What a questioner he is. Ask no questions, and you’ll be told no lies.
Joe tries to mouth “Hulks” to Pip, although he is left nonplussed.
Pip: Mrs. Joe, I should like to know—if you wouldn’t much mind—where the firing comes from?
Mrs. Joe: Lord bless the boy! From the Hulks.
Pip: Oh-h! Hulks! 29And please what’s Hulks?
Mrs. Joe: That's the way with this boy! Answer him one question, and he'll ask you a dozen directly. Hulks are prison-ships, right 'cross th' meshes."
Pip: I wonder who’s put into prison ships, and why they’re put there?
Mrs. Joe: I tell you what, young fellow. I didn't bring you up by hand to badger people's lives out. It would be blame to me, and not praise, if I had. People are put in the Hulks because they murder, and because they rob, and forge, and do all sorts of bad; and they always begin by asking questions. Now, you get along to bed!
Pip is sent to bed, 30but does not sleep. At dawn he retrieves 31some bread, cheese, mincemeat, brandy, meat, a pork pie and a file. He then runs to the marshes.
