Aperfectmisanthropist’sheaven;andMr.HeathcliffandIaresuchasuitablepairtodividethedesolationbetweenus.Acapitalfellow!
HelittleimaginedhowmyheartwarmedtowardshimwhenIbeheldhisblackeyeswithdrawsosuspiciouslyundertheirbrows,asIrodeup,andwhenhisfingersshelteredthemselves,withajealousresolution,stillfurtherinhiswaistcoat,asIannouncedmyname.
“Mr.Lockwood,yournewtenant,sir.Idomyselfthehonourofcallingassoonaspossibleaftermyarrival,toexpressthehopethatIhavenotinconveniencedyoubymyperseveranceinsolicitingtheoccupationofThrushcrossGrange:Iheardyesterdayyouhadhadsomethoughts-”
“ThrushcrossGrangeismyown,sir,”heinterruptedwincing.“Ishouldnotallowanyonetoinconvenienceme,ifIcouldhinderit—walkin!”
The“walkin”wasutteredwithclosedteeth,andexpressedthesentiment,“Gotothedeuce”:eventhegateoverwhichheleantmanifestednosympathisingmovementtothewords;andIthinkthatcircumstancedeterminedmetoaccepttheinvitation:Ifeltinterestedinamanwhoseemedmoreexaggeratedlyreservedthanmyself.
Whenhesawmyhorse’sbreastfairlypushingthebarrier,hedidputouthishandtounchainit,andthensuddenlyprecededmeupthecauseway,calling,asweenteredthecourt—“Joseph,takeMr.Lockwood’shorse;andbringupsomewine.”
hesoliloquisedinanundertoneofpeevishdispleasure,whilerelievingmeofmyhorse:looking,meantime,inmyfacesosourlythatIcharitablyconjecturedhemusthaveneedofdivineaidtodigesthisdinner,andhispiousejaculationhadnoreferencetomyunexpectedadvent.
“Wuthering”beingasignificantprovincialadjective,descriptiveoftheatmospherictumulttowhichitsstationisexposedinstormyweather.
Pure,bracingventilationtheymusthaveupthereatalltimes,indeed;onemayguessthepowerofthenorthwindblowingovertheedge,bytheexcessiveslantofafew-stuntedfirsattheendofthehouse;andbyarangeofgauntthornsallstretchingtheirlimbsoneway,asifcravingalmsofthesun.
Happily,thearchitecthadforesighttobuilditstrong:thenarrowwindowsaredeeplysetinthewall,andthecornersdefendedwithlargejuttingstones.
Beforepassingthethreshold,Ipausedtoadmireaquantityofgrotesquecarvinglavishedoverthefront,andespeciallyabouttheprincipaldoor;abovewhich,amongawildernessofcrumblinggriffinsandshamelesslittleboys,Idetectedthedate“1500,”andthename“HaretonEarnshaw.”
Iwouldhavemadeafewcomments,andrequestedashorthistoryoftheplacefromthesurlyowner;buthisattitudeatthedoorappearedtodemandmyspeedyentrance,orcompletedeparture,andIhadnodesiretoaggravatehisimpatienceprevioustoinspectingthepenetralium.
Onestepbroughtusintothefamilysitting-room,withoutanyintroductorylobbyorpassage:theycallithere“thehouse”preeminently.
Itincludeskitchenandparlour,generally;butIbelieveatWutheringHeightsthekitchenisforcedtoretreataltogetherintoanotherquarter:atleastIdistinguishedachatteroftongues,andaclatterofculinaryutensils,deepwithin;andIobservednosignsofroasting,boiling,orbaking,aboutthehugefire-place;noranyglitterofcoppersaucepansandtincullendersonthewalls.
Oneend,indeed,reflectedsplendidlybothlightandheatfromranksofimmensepewterdishes,interspersedwithsilverjugsandtankards,toweringrowafterrow,onavastoakdresser,totheveryroof.
Thelatterhadneverbeenunderdrawn:itsentireanatomylaybaretoanenquiringeye,exceptwhereaframeofwoodladenwithoatcakesandclustersoflegsofbeef,mutton,andham,concealedit.
Abovethechimneyweresundryvillainousoldguns,andacoupleofhorsepistols:and,bywayofornament,threegaudily-paintedcanistersdisposedalongitsledge.
Thefloorwasofsmoothwhitestone;thechairs,high-backed,primitivestructures,paintedgreen:oneortwoheavyblackoneslurkingintheshade.
Inanarchunderthedresser,reposedahuge,liver-colouredbitchpointer,surroundedbyaswarmofsquealingpuppies;andotherdogshauntedotherrecesses.
Theapartmentandfurniturewouldhavebeennothingextraordinaryasbelongingtoahomely,northernfarmer,withastubborncountenance,andstalwartlimbssetouttoadvantageinknee-breechesandgaiters.
Suchanindividualseatedinhisarm-chair,hismugofalefrothingontheroundtablebeforehim,istobeseeninanycircuitoffiveorsixmilesamongthesehills,ifyougoattherighttimeafterdinner.
Heisadark-skinnedgipsyinaspect,indressandmannersagentleman:thatis,asmuchagentlemanasmanyacountrysquire:ratherslovenly,perhaps,yetnotlookingamisswithhisnegligence,becausehehasanerectandhandsomefigure;andrathermorose.
Possibly,somepeoplemightsuspecthimofadegreeofunderbredpride;Ihaveasympatheticchordwithinthattellsmeitisnothingofthesort:Iknow,byinstinct,hisreservespringsfromanaversiontoshowydisplaysoffeeling—tomanifestationsofmutualkindliness.
Mr.Heathcliffmayhaveentirelydissimilarreasonsforkeepinghishandoutofthewaywhenhemeetsawould-beacquaintance,tothosewhichactuateme.
Letmehopemyconstitutionisalmostpeculiar:mydearmotherusedtosayIshouldneverhaveacomfortablehome;andonlylastsummerIprovedmyselfperfectlyunworthyofone.
Whileenjoyingamonthoffineweatherattheseacoast,Iwasthrownintothecompanyofamostfascinatingcreature:arealgoddessinmyeyes,aslongasshetooknonoticeofme.
I“nevertoldmylove”vocally;still,iflookshavelanguage,themerestidiotmighthaveguessedIwasoverheadandears:sheunderstoodmeatlast,andlookedareturn—thesweetestofallimaginablelooks.AndwhatdidIdo?
Iconfessitwithshame—shrunkicilyintomyself,likeasnail;ateveryglanceretiredcolderandfarther;tillfinallythepoorinnocentwasledtodoubtherownsenses,and,overwhelmedwithconfusionathersupposedmistake,persuadedhermammatodecamp.
BythiscuriousturnofdispositionIhavegainedthereputationofdeliberateheartlessness;howundeservedIalonecanappreciate.
Itookaseatattheendofthehearthstoneoppositethattowardswhichmylandlordadvanced,andfilledupanintervalofsilencebyattemptingtocaressthecaninemother,whohadlefthernursery,andwassneakingwolfishlytothebackofmylegs,herlipcurledup,andherwhiteteethwateringforasnatch.
“You’dbetterletthedogalone,”growledMr.Heathcliffinunison,checkingfiercerdemonstrationswithapunchofhisfoot.
Josephmumbledindistinctlyinthedepthsofthecellar,butgavenointimationofascending;sohismasterdiveddowntohim,leavingmevis-a-vistheruffianlybitchandapairofgrimshaggysheep-dogs,whosharedwithherajealousguardianshipoverallmymovements.
Notanxioustocomeincontactwiththeirfangs,Isatstill;but,imaginingtheywouldscarcelyunderstandtacitinsults,Iunfortunatelyindulgedinwinkingandmakingfacesatthetrio,andsometurnofmyphysiognomysoirritatedmadam,thatshesuddenlybrokeintoafuryandleaptonmyknees.
Thisproceedingrousedthewholehive:half-a-dozenfour-footedfiends,ofvarioussizesandages,issuedfromhiddendenstothecommoncentre.
Ifeltmyheelsandcoat-lapspeculiarsubjectsofassault;andparryingoffthelargercombatantsaseffectuallyasIcouldwiththepoker,Iwasconstrainedtodemand,aloud,assistancefromsomeofthehouseholdinre-establishingpeace.
Mr.Heathcliffandhismanclimbedthecellarstepswithvexatiousphlegm:Idon’tthinktheymovedonesecondfasterthanusual,thoughthehearthwasanabsolutetempestofworryingandyelping.
Happily,aninhabitantofthekitchenmademoredespatch:alustydame,withtucked-upgown,barearms,andfire-flushedcheeks,rushedintothemidstofusflourishingafrying-pan:andusedthatweapon,andhertongue,tosuchpurpose,thatthestormsubsidedmagically,andsheonlyremained,heavinglikeaseaafterahighwind,whenhermasterenteredonthescene.
“Whatthedevilisthematter?”heasked,eyeingmeinamannerthatIcouldillendureafterthisinhospitabletreatment.
“Whatthedevil,indeed!”Imuttered.“Theherdofpossessedswinecouldhavehadnoworsespiritsinthemthanthoseanimalsofyours,sir.Youmightaswellleaveastrangerwithabroodoftigers!”
“Theywon’tmeddlewithpersonswhotouchnothing,”heremarked,puttingthebottlebeforeme,andrestoringthedisplacedtable.“Thedogsdorighttobevigilant.Takeaglassofwine?”
GuestsaresoexceedinglyrareinthishousethatIandmydogs,Iamwillingtoown,hardlyknowhowtoreceivethem.Yourhealth,sir!”
Ibowedandreturnedthepledge;beginningtoperceivethatitwouldbefoolishtositsulkingforthemisbehaviourofapackofcurs:besides,Ifeltloathtoyieldthefellowfurtheramusementatmyexpense;sincethehumourtookthatturn.
He—probablyswayedbyprudentialconsiderationofthefollyofoffendingagoodtenant—relaxedalittleinthelaconicstyleofchippingoffhispronounsandauxiliaryverbs,andintroducedwhathesupposedwouldbeasubjectofinteresttome—adiscourseontheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofmypresentplaceofretirement.
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