English
INTHECOURSEoftime,Mr.Earnshawbegantofail.
Hehadbeenactiveandhealthy,yethisstrengthlefthimsuddenly;andwhenhewasconfinedtothechimney-cornerhegrewgrievouslyirritable.
Anothingvexedhim;andsuspectedslightsofhisauthoritynearlythrewhimintofits.
Thiswasespeciallytoberemarkedifanyoneattemptedtoimposeupon,ordomineerover,hisfavourite:hewaspainfullyjealouslestawordshouldbespokenamisstohim;seemingtohavegotintohisheadthenotionthat,becausehelikedHeathcliff,allhated,andlongedtodohimanillturn.
Itwasadisadvantagetothelad;forthekinderamongusdidnotwishtofretthemaster,sowehumouredhispartiality;andthathumouringwasrichnourishmenttothechild’sprideandblacktempers.
Stillitbecameinamannernecessary;twice,orthrice,Hindley’smanifestationofscorn,whilehisfatherwasnear,rousedtheoldmantoafury:heseizedhissticktostrikehim,andshookwithragethathecouldnotdoit.
Atlast,ourcurate(wehadacuratethenwhomadethelivinganswerbyteachingthelittleLintonsandEarnshaws,andfarminghisbitoflandhimself)advisedthattheyoungmanshouldbesenttocollege;andMr.Earnshawagreed,thoughwithaheavyspirit,forhesaid—“Hindleywasnought,andwouldneverthriveaswherehewandered.”
Ihopedheartilyweshouldhavepeacenow.
Ithurtmetothinkthemastershouldbemadeuncomfortablebyhisowngooddeed.
Ifanciedthediscontentofageanddiseasearosefromhisfamilydisagreements:ashewouldhaveitthatitdid:really,youknow,sir,itwasinhissinkingframe.
Wemighthavegotontolerably,notwithstanding,butfortwopeople,MissCathyandJoseph,theservant:yousawhimIdaresay,upyonder.
Hewas,andisyetmostlikely,thewearisomestself-righteousPhariseethateverransackedaBibletorakethepromisestohimselfandflingthecursestohisneighbours.
Byhisknackofsermonisingandpiousdiscoursing,hecontrivedtomakeagreatimpressiononMr.Earnshaw;andthemorefeeblethemasterbecame,themoreinfluencehegained.
Hewasrelentlessinworryinghimabouthissoul’sconcerns,andaboutrulinghischildrenrigidly.
HeencouragedhimtoregardHindleyasareprobate;and,nightafternight,heregularlygrumbledoutalongstringoftalesagainstHeathcliffandCatherine:alwaysmindingtoflatterEarnshaw’sweaknessbyheapingtheheaviestblameonthelatter.
Certainly,shehadwayswithhersuchasIneversawachildtakeupbefore;andsheputallofuspastourpatiencefiftytimesandoftenerinaday:fromthehourshecamedownstairstillthehourshewenttobed,wehadnotaminute’ssecuritythatshewouldn’tbeinmischief.
Herspiritswerealwaysathigh-watermark,hertonguealwaysgoing—singing,laughing,andplaguingeverybodywhowouldnotdothesame.
Awild,wickedslipshewas—butshehadthebonniesteye,thesweetestsmile,andlightestfootintheparish;and,afterall,Ibelieveshemeantnoharm;forwhenonceshemadeyoucryingoodearnest,itseldomhappenedthatshewouldnotkeepyoucompany,andobligeyoutobequietthatyoumightcomforther.ShewasmuchtoofondofHeathcliff.
Thegreatestpunishmentwecouldinventforherwastokeepherseparatefromhim:yetshegotchidedmorethananyofusonhisaccount.
Inplay,shelikedexceedinglytoactthelittlemistress;usingherhandsfreely,andcommandinghercompanions:shedidsotome,butIwouldnotbearshoppingandordering;andsoIletherknow.
Now,Mr.Earnshawdidnotunderstandjokesfromhischildren:hehadalwaysbeenstrictandgravewiththem;andCatherine,onherpart,hadnoideawhyherfathershouldbecrosserandlesspatientinhisailingcondition,thanhewasinhisprime.
Hispeevishreproofsawakenedinheranaughtydelighttoprovokehim:shewasneversohappyaswhenwewereallscoldingheratonce,andshedefyinguswithherbold,saucylook,andherreadywords;turningJoseph’sreligiouscursesintoridicule,baitingme,anddoingjustwhatherfatherhatedmost—showinghowherpretendedinsolence,whichhethoughtreal,hadmorepoweroverHeathcliffthanhiskindness:howtheboywoulddoherbiddinginanything,andhisonlywhenitsuitedhisowninclination.
Afterbehavingasbadlyaspossiblyallday,shesometimescamefondlingtomakeitupatnight.
“Nay,Cathy,”theoldmanwouldsay,“Icannotlovethee;thou’rtworsethanthybrother.
Gosaythyprayers,child,andaskGod’spardon.
IdoubtthymotherandImustruethatweeverrearedthee!”
Thatmadehercry,atfirst:andthenbeingrepulsedcontinuallyhardenedher,andshelaughedifItoldhertosayshewassorryforherfaults,andbegtobeforgiven.
Butthehourcame,atlast,thatendedMr.Earnshaw’stroublesonearth.
HediedquietlyinhischaironeOctoberevening,seatedbythefireside.
Ahighwindblusteredroundthehouse,androaredinthechimney:itsoundedwildandstormy,yetitwasnotcold,andwewerealltogether—I,alittleremovedfromthehearth,busyatmyknitting,andJosephreadinghisBiblenearthetable(fortheservantsgenerallysatinthehousethen,aftertheirworkwasdone).
MissCathyhadbeensick,andthatmadeherstill;sheleantagainstherfather’sknee,andHeathcliffwaslyingonthefloorwithhisheadinherlap.
Irememberthemaster,beforehefellintoadoze,strokingherbonnyhair—Itpleasedhimrarelytoseehergentle—andsaying—“Whycanstthounotalwaysbeagoodlass,Cathy?”
Andsheturnedherfaceuptohis,andlaughed,andanswered,“Whycannotyoualwaysbeagoodman,father?”
Butassoonasshesawhimvexedagain,shekissedhishand,andsaidshewouldsinghimtosleep.
Shebegansingingverylow,tillhisfingersdroppedfromhers,andhisheadsankonhisbreast.
ThenItoldhertohush,andnotstir,forfearsheshouldwakehim.
Weallkeptasmuteasmiceafullhalf-hour,andshouldhavedonesolonger,onlyJoseph,havingfinishedhischapter,gotupandsaidthathemustrousethemasterforprayersandbed.
Hesteppedforward,andcalledhimbyname,andtouchedhisshoulder;buthewouldnotmove,sohetookthecandleandlookedathim.
Ithoughttherewassomethingwrongashesetdownthelight;andseizingthechildreneachbyanarm,whisperedthemto“frameupstairs,andmakelittledin—theymightprayalonethatevening—hehadsummuttodo.”
“Ishallbidfathergood-nightfirst,”saidCatherine,puttingherarmsroundhisneck,beforewecouldhinderher.
Thepoorthingdiscoveredherlossdirectly—shescreamedout—“Oh,he’sdead,Heacthcliff!he’sdead!”
Andtheybothsetupaheart-breakingcry.
Ijoinedmywailtotheirs,loudandbitter;butjosephaskedwhatwecouldbethinkingoftoroarinthatwayoverasaintinheaven.
HetoldmetoputonmycloakandruntoGimmertonforthedoctorandtheparson.
Icouldnotguesstheusethateitherwouldbeof,then.
However,Iwent,throughwindandrain,andbroughtone,thedoctor,backwithme;theothersaidhewouldcomeinthemorning.
LeavingJosephtoexplainmatters;Irantothechildren’sroom:theirdoorwasajar,Isawtheyhadneverlaiddown,thoughitwaspastmidnight;buttheywerecalmer,anddidnotneedmetoconsolethem.
ThelittlesoulswerecomfortingeachotherwithbetterthoughtsthanIcouldhavehiton:noparsonintheworldeverpicturedheavensobeautifullyastheydid,intheirinnocenttalk:and,whileIsobbedandlistened,Icouldnothelpwishingwewerealltheresafetogether.
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