stared again. "But there weren't any
horses to it." I added this saving clause in the moment of rejecting four
richly caparisoned coursers, which I had had wild thoughts of harnessing.

"Can this be possible, uncle?" asked Mrs. Joe. "What can the boy mean?"

"I'll tell you, mum," said Mr. Pumblechook. "My opinion is it is a
sedan-chair. Well, boy, and what did you play at?"

"We played with flags," I said.

"Flags!" echoed my sister.

"Yes," said I. "Estella waved a blue flag, and I waved a red one, and Miss
Havisham waved one sprinkled all over with little gold stars, out at the
coach window. And then we all waved our swords and hurrahed."

"Swords!" repeated my sister. "Where did you get swords from?"

"Out of the cupboard," said I. "And I saw pistols in it--and jam--and
pills. And there was only candlelight in the room."

If they had asked me any more questions I should undoubtedly have betrayed
myself for I was just on the point of mentioning that there was a balloon
in the yard and should have hazarded the statement, but that my invention
was divided between that phenomenon and a bear in the brewery.

My hearers were so much occupied, however, in discussing the marvels I had
already presented to them, that I escaped. The subject still held them
when Joe came in, and my experiences were at once related to him. Now,
when I saw his big blue eyes open in helpless amazement, I became
penitent, but only in regard to him. And so, after Mr. Pumblechook had
driven off, and my sister was busy, I stole into the forge and confessed
my guilt.

"You remember all that about Miss Havisham's?" I said.

"Remember!" said Joe. "I believe you! Wonderful!"

"It's a terrible thing, Joe. It ain't true."

"What are you a-telling of, Pip?" cried Joe. "You don't mean to say it!"

"Yes, I do;--it's lies, Joe."

"But not all of it? Why, sure you don't mean to say, Pip, that there was
no black welvet co-ch?" For I stood there shaking my head. "But at least
there was dogs, Pip? Come, Pip, if there warn't no weal cutlets, at least
there was dogs? A puppy, come."

"No, Joe," I said. "There was nothing of the kind."

As I fixed my eyes hopelessly on him, he looked at me in dismay. "Pip, old
chap," he said, "this won't do, I say. Where do you expect to go to? What
possessed you?"

"I don't know what possessed me," I replied, hanging my head, "but I wish
you hadn't taught me to call knaves at cards Jacks, and I wish my boots
wer