Great Expectations Chapter Fifty-One Summary

Pip is hot to trot. In true Sherlockian form, he has figured out who Estella’s parents are, but the man wants confirmation. He knows where to get said confirmation.
He goes to Jaggers’ office only to find Jaggers and Wemmick taking care of business, bills, and other items. They are not in the cheeriest of moods, but Pip is determined.
First order of business, he tells Jaggers about the money Miss Havisham has granted to Herbert’s career, and he asks Jaggers to write him a check in the amounted that was agreed upon.
Mr. Jaggers and Wemmick scold Pip for not asking for money for himself.
Pip then explains that he knows who Estella’s father is, and when he names Provis (a.k.a. Magwitch), Jaggers is certainly surprised, but goes on with business as usual.
Pip does not like being ignored and he continues to rant at Jaggers and Wemmick in the hopes that they will relent and give him the information he so desperately wants.
He explains that he needs to know because he loves Estella, and, though he doesn’t have a chance with her anymore, he still really cares about her.
When Jaggers and Wemmick still won’t offer up any information, Pip then calls upon Wemmick’s soft side, upon the Aged-loving, castle-building Wemmick. Mr. Jaggers is totally surprised to hear that Wemmick has this soft side, and the two are momentarily uncomfortable with each other.
Jaggers agrees to spill the beans, and tells the story of how he won Molly the housekeeper’s case back in the day when she was accused of murder. He explains that Miss Havisham was also at the time looking to adopt a child. Because he saw and sees so many orphaned children grow up to live hard lives and to become criminals, he thought he might be able to save Molly’s daughter. Because Molly had told her husband that she had killed the child, the husband would never know that the daughter had been adopted. Molly was so shaken by the fear of losing her own life that she calms down and starts working for Jaggers, leaving her crazy lifestyle behind her. Jaggers explains that he never knew that Provis/Magwitch was Estella’s father and Molly’s husband.
Jaggers swears both Pip and Wemmick to secrecy, telling Pip that no good can come from uncovering this secret.
Jaggers and Wemmick go back to business as usual, but things are a little awkward between them, now that Jaggers knows Wemmick is a softy. It’s only when Mike, the annoying client who always wipes his nose on his fur cap, shows that the two are able to be blissfully irascible to him, and, thus, are able to restore their irascible relationship.

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