Diary entry 2

The girl spoke to us asking for our names. Uncle Pumblechook replied politely, to which the girl responded rudely that he should leave. She then invited me in by unlocking the gate. In a very unfriendly way, she ordered me to follow her across the courtyard. The place was very clean but also bare and deserted. I could sense that very few people ever came to this place and I was a bit scared because I could not imagine what type of people could have such a lonely existence. I could not imagine living with no visitors at all and such a feeling of sadness imprinted all over the walls of the house.

I followed this very pretty girl to the big front door which had a chain across it. Eventually we entered the house which was in complete darkness, with the curtains drawn and the shutters closed. In order to be able to see, the girl picked up a lit candle and led me along a passage and up a wide staircase. Finally we came to a door and she instructed me to go in. After that she left.

When I timidly knocked there was an immediate response from within the room. A female voice invited me to go in. As I entered, I was most surprised by what I saw in there. It was a very large room full of furniture. Outside it was a very nice day, but the curtains prevented the sun's rays from fully entering the room which had to be illuminated by many candles. A lady was sat at the dressing table. She was probably the strangest woman I had ever seen.

Miss Havisham was dressed in white satin, she looked almost like a ghost. However, what surprised me the most was that she had a wedding dress on. I could not understand how such an old person could be a bride. Then I noticed that what was once bright and white was now torn and yellow. She sat motionless in her chair and the only way of knowing that Miss Havisham was alive was by her eyes. They showed the sadness of her entire life. Her eyes stared at me. She then asked for my name. "Pip", I answered,

"I've come to play".

She also asked me if I was afraid of looking at her, describing herself as a woman who had not seen the sun in many years. She continued to disrupt me, repeating over and over again that she suffered from a broken heart, and making me feel quite scared. She then commanded me to "play".

Unfortunately the state of shock I was in made me unable to react. She then ordered me to call Estella, whose name was as lovely as she was. As soon as Estella came into the room I was once again impressed by her beauty which made me feel a little more at ease. We played cards for a while, throughout which Estella made fun of me continuously. At the same time Miss Havisham kept teasing me asking me if I found Estella attractive and whether I thought she was beautiful. When Estella won the last game, Miss Havisham said it was time for me to go and ordered Estella to give me some food.

I followed her downstairs and she told me to wait in the courtyard. A few minutes later she came back with some meat which she placed on the floor. She was treating me like a dog and I felt deeply humiliated by it. She was trying to make me cry, and even though I was on the brink of tears I refused to do so in front of her. She then pushed me outside the gate laughing as she locked it.

As I walked home I could not forget all the strange events that had happened. Particularly I could not forget Estella, her beauty and her arrogance, and how she had tried to embarrass me throughout the afternoon session. I felt really depressed and wished I had never seen this girl, but then again, although I did not wish to admit this, I think I was falling in love with Estella.

As soon as I got home, my sister started to ask questions so as to find out how everything had gone. I did not want my sister to know how many insults, shameful comments and scornful looks I had received, so I made up a story for her to avoid having to dwell in the shame I was feeling. I told her we played cards, waved our swords in the air looking victorious then ate cake in golden plates, and that before we knew it, it was time to go. My sister was confused and Joe, well Joe never said anything. At least somebody was happy about the first but not last visit to Satis House, and my encounter with beautiful Estella!