Great Expectations Chapter Forty Summary

Pip is tripping out. He doesn’t know how he can begin to keep his convict, who he doesn’t even want to harbor, safe. His housekeepers are a pair of chatty Cathys, and he decides he’ll tell them that the convict is his uncle.
It’s a really windy night, and all of Pip’s lanterns are blown out. He decides to go outside to ask the watchman to re-light his lanterns. As he gropes his way down the stairs, however, he steps on someone. Seriously.
Pip demands to know who it is, but the person won’t say anything. Pip grabs the watchman, but when they return to the scene of the crime, the mysterious man has disappeared. Pip searches his apartment, but there is no sign of anybody having been there.
Pip can’t really sleep that night.
In the morning, Pip has a million questions for the convict. He wants to know how he can best keep him safe, whether he is known in London, and what his name is. The convict responds that his name is Magwitch, but that he goes by Provis in town.
Pip is dying to know how he is ever going to keep Magwitch a secret. Magwitch tells him he’ll be killed if he is ever discovered by the authorities, but that he does not fear death. He is simply thrilled beyond all telling to see Pip. He wants to watch Pip become a real true gentleman, and he wants to spend his hard-earned money with Pip.
Magwitch is haunted by the solitary life of having been a shepherd, living by himself in rural New South Wales. He never wants to leave Pip’s side.
Pip goes to Jaggers to ask for confirmation. Jaggers speaks in hypothetical terms in order not to incriminate himself or Pip, but definitely confirms that Magwitch is the very benefactor Pip has so long awaited.
Jaggers tells Pip to be very careful.
On the way home, Pip buys Magwitch some new clothes to help make him seem less like an escaped convict recently arrived from New South Wales.
Every time, however, Magwitch puts on these clothes, however, he just seems like more of a convict.
Pip can’t sleep, and he is constantly fearful of Magwitch. He almost leaves everything behind to enlist as a soldier bound for India.
Pip is overjoyed and relieved when Herbert comes home from vacationing in France. Pip tries to prepare Herbert for the news, as Magwitch makes Herbert swear on a greasy Bible.
Herbert is thoroughly confused.

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