Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Chapter 38 Page 3

have seemed to myself further from my hopes when I was nearest to her.

The privilege of calling her by her name and hearing her call me by mine became, under the circumstances an aggravation of my trials; and while I think it likely that it almost maddened her other lovers, I know too certainly that it almost maddened me.

She had admirers without end. No doubt my jealousy made an admirer of every one who went near her; but there were more than enough of them without that.

I saw her often at Richmond, I heard of her often in town, and I used often to take her and the Brandleys on the water; there were picnics, f�te days, plays, operas, concerts, parties, all sorts of pleasures, through which I pursued her, — and they were all miseries to me.