Early in the morning I was to go. Early in the morning I was out, and looking in, unseen, at one of the wooden windows of the forge. There I stood, for minutes, looking at Joe, already at work with a glow of health and strength upon his face that made it show as if the bright sun of the life in store for him were shining on it.
“Good-bye, dear Joe! — No, don't wipe it off — for God's sake, give me your blackened hand! — I shall be down soon and often.”
“Never too soon, sir,” said Joe, “and never too often, Pip!”
Biddy was waiting for me at the kitchen door, with a mug of new milk and a crust of bread.
“Biddy,” said I, when I gave her my hand at parting,