Day by day as his hopes grew stronger and his face brighter, he must have thought me a more and more affectionate friend, for I had the greatest difficulty in restraining my tears of triumph when I saw him so happy. At length, the thing being done, and he having that day entered Clarriker’s House, and he having talked to me for a whole evening in a flush of pleasure and success, I did really cry in good earnest when I went to bed, to think that my expectations had done some good to somebody.
– Charles Dickens
Great Expectations, Chapter 37. Pip comes up with a secret plan to help his friend Herbert get a job with a young shipping broker. He invests a sizeable sum of money from his own fortune in the firm, so that it hires Herbert as a clerk to eventually become partner. The deal is done anonymously through Wemmick and Miss Skiffins’s brother, so that Herbert is unaware of Pip’s role in his career advancement. With all the negative and corrupting influences Pip’s wealth has had on him, this single act of goodness and generosity stands out. It is a pivotal moment that marks a turning point for both Pip and Herbert.