Miss Havisham

Oh, Oh! How dismal I am! Continually festering in my dreadful abode... However I am delighted to have met a young common boy this day, blast who cares which one it is. He is from the lower village, brother of a wife of the blacksmith. Quite a nice young fellow, he did indeed assist me in experiencing a modicum of joy. Pip was it, played cards with dear Estella, and I think she might be in the business of breaking his heart! Dear me, such awful things bring me out of my usual reveries. What an odd sorts of boy, not being able to play, I had to suggest things until he agreed! Despite that somewhat fun moment, I think I am destined to spend the duration of my broken life up here, oblivious to everything on the outside world.

"But, I saw that everything within my view which ought to be white, had been white long ago, and had lost its lustre, and was faded and yellow. I saw that the bride within the bridal dress had withered like the dress, and like the flowers, and had no brightness left but the brightness of her sunken eyes. I saw that the dress had been put upon the rounded figure of a young woman, and that the figure upon which it now hung loose, had shrunk to skin and bone." (60)

"I sometimes have sick fancies," she went on, "and I have a sick fancy that I want to see some play. There there!" with an impatient movement of the fingers of her right hand; "play, play, play!" (61)