that before any step could possibly be taken in it, it must be sub-
mitted to my guardian. I felt that his delicacy arose out of the
consideration that the plan would save Herbert some expense, so
I went off to Little Britain and imparted my wish to Mr. Jaggers.

'If I could buy the furniture now hired for me,' said I, 'and one
or two other little things, I should be quite at home there!'

'Go it!' said Mr. Jaggers, with a short laugh. 'I told you you'd
get on. Well! How much do you want?'

I said I didn't know how much.

'Come!' retorted Mr. Jaggers. 'How much? Fifty pounds?'

'Oh, not nearly so much.'

'Five pounds?' said Mr. Jaggers.

This was such a great fall, that I said in discomfiture, 'Oh! more
than that.'

'More than that, eh!' retorted Mr. Jaggers, lying in wait for me,
with his hands in his pockets, his head on one side, and his eyes on
the wall behind me; 'how much more?'

'It is so difficult to fix a sum,' said I, hesitating.

'Come!' said Mr. Jaggers. 'Let's get at it. Twice five; will that
do? Three times five; will that do? Four times five; will that do?'

I said I thought that would do handsomely.

'Four times five will do handsomely, will it?' said Mr. Jaggers,
knitting his brows. 'Now, what do you make of four times five?'

'What do I make of it!'

'Ah!' said Mr. Jaggers; 'how much?'

'I suppose you make it twenty pounds,' said I, smiling.

'Never mind what I make it, my friend,' observed Mr. Jaggers,
with a knowing and contradictory toss of the head. 'I want to know
what you make it?'

'Twenty pounds, of course.'

'Wemmick!' said Mr. Jaggers, opening his office door. 'Take
Mr. Pip's written order, and pay him twenty pounds.'

This strongly marked way of doing business made a strongly
marked impression on me, and that not of an agreeable kind. Mr.
Jaggers never laughed; but he wore great bright creaking boots;
and, in poising himself on those boots, with his large head bent
down and his eyebrows joined together, awaiting an answer, he

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