a serial revolving on it, in a most singular and comic manner." This was
the germ of Pip and Magwitch, which at first he intended to make the
groundwork of a tale in the old twenty-number form, but for reasons
perhaps fortunate brought afterwards within the limits of a less
elaborate novel. "Last week," he wrote on the 4th of October 1860, "I
got to work on the new story. I had previously very carefully considered
the state and prospects of _All the Year Round_, and, the more I
considered them, the less hope I saw of being able to get back, _now_,
to the profit of a separate publication in the old 20 numbers." (A tale,
which at the time was appearing in his serial, had disappointed
expectation.) "However I worked on, knowing that what I was doing would
run into another groove; and I called a council of war at the office on
Tuesday. It was perfectly clear that the one thing to be done was, for
me to strike in. I have therefore decided to begin the story as of the
length of the _Tale of Two Cities_ on the first of December--begin
publishing, that is. I must make the most I can out of the book. You
shall have the first two or three weekly parts to-morrow. The name is
GREAT EXPECTATIONS. I think a good name?" Two days later he wrote: "The
sacrifice of _Great Expectations_ is really and truly made for myself.
The property of _All the Year Round_ is far too valuable, in every way,
to be much endangered. Our fall is not large, but we have a considerable
advance in hand of the story we are now publishing, and there is no
vitality in it, and no chance whatever of stopping the fall; which on
the contrary would be certain to increase. Now, if I went into a
twenty-number serial, I should cut off my power of doing anything serial
here for two good years--and that would be a most perilous thing. On the
other hand, by dashing in now, I come in when most wanted; and if Reade
and Wilkie follow me, our course will be shaped out handsomely and
hopefully for between two and three years. A thousand pounds are to be
paid for early proofs of the story to America." A few more days brought
the first instalment of the tale, and explanatory mention of it. "The
book will be written in the first person throughout, and during these
first three weekly numbers you will find the hero to be a boy-child,
like David. Then he will be an apprentice. You will not have to complain
of the want of humour as in the _Tale of Two Cities_. I have made the
opening, I