Joe's blue eyes turned a little watery; he rubbed first one of them, and
then the other, in a most uncongenial and uncomfortable manner, with the
round knob on the top of the poker.
"It were but lonesome then," said Joe, "living here alone, and I got
acquainted with your sister. Now, Pip,"--Joe looked firmly at me as
if he knew I was not going to agree with him;--"your sister is a fine
figure of a woman."
I could not help looking at the fire, in an obvious state of doubt.
"Whatever family opinions, or whatever the world's opinions, on that
subject may be, Pip, your sister is," Joe tapped the top bar with the
poker after every word following, "a-fine-figure--of--a--woman!"
I could think of nothing better to say than "I am glad you think so,
Joe."
"So am I," returned Joe, catching me up. "I am glad I think so, Pip. A
little redness or a little matter of Bone, here or there, what does it
signify to Me?"
I sagaciously observed, if it didn't signify to him, to whom did it
signify?
"Certainly!" assented Joe. "That's it. You're right, old chap! When I
got acquainted with your sister, it were the talk how she was bringing
you up by hand. Very kind of her too, all the folks said, and I said,
along with all the folks. As to you," Joe pursued with a countenance
expressive of seeing something very nasty indeed, "if you could have
been aware how small and flabby and mean you was, dear me, you'd have
formed the most contemptible opinion of yourself!"
Not exactly relishing this, I said, "Never mind me, Joe."
"But I did mind you, Pip," he returned with tender simplicity. "When
I offered to your sister to keep company, and to be asked in church at
such times as she was willing and ready to come to the forge, I said to
her, 'And bring the poor little child. God bless the poor little child,'
I said to your sister, 'there's room for him at the forge!'"
I broke out crying and begging pardon, and hugged Joe round the neck:
who dropped the poker to hug me, and to say, "Ever the best of friends;
an't us, Pip? Don't cry, old chap!"
When this little interruption was over, Joe resumed:-"Well, you see, Pip, and here we are! That's about where it lights; here
we are! Now, when you take me in hand in my learning, Pip (and I tell
you beforehand I am awful dull, most awful dull), Mrs. Joe mustn't see
too much of what we're up to. It must be done, as I may say, on the sly.
And why on the sly? I'll tell you why, Pip."