At the appointed time, I returned to the Big House. My hesitating ring at the gate brought out Estella. She locked it after admitting me, as she had done before, and again led me into the dark passage where her candle stood. I followed her silently, She didn't even shoot a glance at me over her shoulder, I knew I was nothing but dust in her eyes.
The passage was a long one, and seemed to go through under the whole square. It was so designed as the master didn't allow the servants to be seen when not in need. They crossed only half of the tunnel; however, Estella stopped, and put her candle down and opened a side door.
Here, the daylight reappeared, and I found myself in a small paved courtyard, the opposite side of which was formed by a separate house. On the outer wall of this house there was a clock which was like the one in Miss Havisham's room. What made me puzzled was that it also had stopped at twenty to nine. Then I spotted a doorplate on the wall, from which I knew it belonged to the manager.
We went in by the door, which stood open, and into a damp room with a low ceiling and a small window, on the ground floor at the back. There was some company sitting in the dim light, and Estella said to me as she went towards, "You are to go and stand there, till you are wanted." She pointed to the window. I went over and stood by the window, in an uncomfortable mind but
I didn't care.
