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"This is very curious!" said I, with the best assumption I could put on of its being nothing more to me. "Very curious indeed!" I cannot exaggerate the enhanced disquiet into which this conversation threw me, or the special and peculiar terror I felt at Compeyson's having been behind me "like a ghost."
So I begun wi' Compeyson, and a poor tool I was in his hands. But Arthur soon settled the account. The second or third time as ever I see him, he come a tearing down into Compeyson's parlor late at night, in only a flannel gown, with his hair all in a sweat, and he says to Compeyson's wife, 'Sally, she really is upstairs alonger me, now, and I can't get rid of her.
'Go up alonger this drivelling sick man, he says to his wife, 'and Magwitch, lend her a hand, will you? But he never come nigh himself. "Compeyson's wife and me took him up to bed agen, and he raved most dreadful. 'Why look at her! he cries out. 'She's a shaking the shroud at me! Don't you see her? Look at her eyes!
All sorts of traps as Compeyson could set with his head, and keep his own legs out of and get the profits from and let another man in for, was Compeyson's business. He'd no more heart than a iron file, he was as cold as death, and he had the head of the Devil afore mentioned. "There was another in with Compeyson, as was called Arthur, not as being so chrisen'd, but as a surname.
"Compeyson laughed, looked at me again very noticing, giv me five shillings, and appointed me for next night. Same place. "I went to Compeyson next night, same place, and Compeyson took me on to be his man and pardner. And what was Compeyson's business in which we was to go pardners? Compeyson's business was the swindling, handwriting forging, stolen bank-note passing, and such-like.
"In jail and out of jail, in jail and out of jail that's my life pretty much, down to such times as I got shipped off, arter Pip stood my friend." But there was a man who "set up fur a gentleman, named Compeyson," and this Compeyson's business was swindling, forging, and stolen banknote passing.
Has her keeper been for her? he says. 'Yes, says Compeyson's wife. 'Did you tell him to lock her and bar her in? 'Yes. 'And to take that ugly thing away from her? 'Yes, yes, all right. 'You're a good creetur, he says, 'don't leave me, whatever you do, and thank you!
Ain't it awful to see her so mad? Next he cries, 'She'll put it on me, and then I'm done for! Take it away from her, take it away! And then he catched hold of us, and kep on a talking to her, and answering of her, till I half believed I see her myself. "Compeyson's wife, being used to him, giv him some liquor to get the horrors off, and by and by he quieted. 'O, she's gone!
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