ected to play at.

I spent the night with Uncle Pumblechook, and the next morning we started
off for Miss Havisham's, and within a quarter hour had reached the house,
which looked dismal, and had a great many iron bars to it. Some of the
windows had been walled up, and the others were rustily barred. There was
a court-yard in front which was also barred, so after ringing the bell we
had to wait until some one should open it. Presently a window was raised
and a voice asked "What name?" to which my conductor replied,
"Pumblechook." Then the window was shut, and a very pretty,
proud-appearing young lady came down with keys in her hand. She opened the
gate to let me in, and Uncle Pumblechook was about to follow, when the
young lady remarked that Miss Havisham did not wish to see him. She said
it in such an undiscussible way that Uncle Pumblechook dared not protest,
and so I followed my young guide in alone and crossed the court-yard. We
entered the house by a side door--the great front entrance had chains
across it--and we went through many passages, and up a staircase, in the
dark except for a single candle. At last we came to the door of a room,
and she said, "Go in."

I answered, more in shyness than politeness, "After you, miss." But she
answered, "Don't be ridiculous, boy; I am not going in," and scornfully
walked away, and what was worse, took the candle with her.

This was most uncomfortable, and I was half afraid. However, there was
only one thing to be done, so I knocked at the door, and was told from
within to enter. I entered and found myself in a pretty, large room, well
lighted with wax candles. No glimpse of daylight was to be seen in it. It
was a dressing-room, as I supposed from the furniture, though much of it
was of forms and uses quite unknown to me then. But prominent in it was a
draped table with a gilded looking-glass, and that I made out to be a fine
lady's dressing-table.

In an arm chair sat the strangest lady I have ever seen or shall ever see.
She was dressed in rich white--in satin and lace and silks--all of white.
Even her shoes were white, and she had a long white veil dependent from
her hair, and bridal flowers in her hair,--and the hair, too, was white.
Some bright jewels sparkled on her neck and hands and others lay sparkling
on the table. Dresses, less splendid than the one she wore, and
half-packed trunks, were scattered about. She had but one shoe on and the
other was on the table near