Bad News from Home

• Reflections on Expectations: Pip reflects on how his new life and expectations have changed his behaviour, leading to a state of "chronic uneasiness" regarding his treatment of Joe and Biddy.
• Financial Struggles: Pip admits that his lavish habits have led both himself and his friend Herbert Pocket into significant debt, causing Pip to feel guilty for corrupting Herbert’s previously simple lifestyle.
• Sorrowful News: The household receives a black-bordered letter announcing the death of Pip’s sister, Mrs Joe, and requesting his attendance at her funeral.
• Return to the Forge: Pip returns to his childhood home for the funeral, eventually finding comfort in sitting with Joe by the forge, just as they did in the past.
• Biddy’s Independence: During a private talk in the garden, Biddy reveals her plans to move in with Mrs Hubble and become the mistress of a new school to support herself while continuing her self-education.
• Joe’s Quiet Virtue: Biddy highlights Joe’s noble character, noting that he never complains and always performs his duty with a gentle heart, despite Pip’s long absence.
• Empty Promises: Pip feels defensive when Biddy questions whether he will actually visit Joe often in the future, prompting him to reproach her sharply for her doubt.
• The Departure: The chapter concludes with Pip leaving the forge early the next morning, promising to return "soon and often," while Joe bids him a warm, yet perhaps slightly formal, farewell.