"Great Expectations"
by Charles Dickens

  Previous Page   Next Page   Speaker On

     Before we left next day, there was no revival of the difference between her and Estella, nor was it ever revived on any similar occasion; and there were four similar occasions, to the best of my remembrance. Nor, did Miss Havisham's manner towards Estella in anywise change, except that I believed it to have something like fear infused among its former characteristics.

     It is impossible to turn this leaf of my life, without putting Bentley Drummle's name upon it; or I would, very gladly.

 

     On a certain occasion when the Finches were assembled in force, and when good feeling was being promoted in the usual manner by nobody's agreeing with anybody else, the presiding Finch called the Grove to order, forasmuch as Mr. Drummle had not yet toasted a lady; which, according to the solemn constitution of the society, it was the brute's turn to do that day. I thought I saw him leer in an ugly way at me while the decanters were going round, but as there was no love lost between us, that might easily be. What was my indignant surprise when he called upon the company to pledge him to "Estella!"

     "Estella who?" said I.

     "Never you mind," retorted Drummle.

 
Text provided by Project Gutenberg.
Audio by Librivox.org, performed by Mark F. Smith, no rights reserved.
Flash mp3 player by Jeroen Wijering. (cc) some rights reserved.
Web page presentation by LoudLit.org.