English
YESTERDAYwasbright,calm,andfrosty.IwenttotheHeightsasIproposed;myhousekeeperentreatedmetobearalittlenotefromhertoheryounglady,andIdidnotrefuse,fortheworthywomanwasnotconsciousofanythingoddinherrequest.
Thefrontdoorstoodopen,butthejealousgatewasfastened,asatmylastvisit;Iknocked,andinvokedEarnshawfromamongthegardenbeds;heunchainedit,andIentered.
Thefellowisashandsomearusticasneedbeseen.
Itookparticularnoticeofhimthistime;butthenhedoeshisbest,apparently,tomaketheleastofhisadvantages.IaskedifMr.Heathcliffwereathome?
Heanswered,No;buthewouldbeinatdinner-time.
Itwaseleveno’clock,andIannouncedmyintentionofgoinginandwaitingforhim,atwhichheimmediatelyflungdownhistoolsandaccompaniedme,intheofficeofwatchdog,notasasubstituteforthehost.
Weenteredtogether;Catherinewasthere,makingherselfusefulinpreparingsomevegetablesfortheapproachingmeal;shelookedmoresulkyandlessspiritedthenwhenIhadseenherfirst.
Shehardlyraisedhereyestonoticeme,andcontinuedheremploymentwiththesamedisregardtocommonformsofpolitenessasbefore;neverreturningmybowandgood-morningbytheslightestacknowledgment.
“Shedoesnotseemsoamiable,”Ithought,“asMrs.Deanwouldpersuademetobelieve.She’sabeauty,itistrue;butnotanangel.”
Earnshawsurlilybidherremoveherthingstothekitchen.
“Removethemyourself,”shesaid,pushingthemfromherassoonasshehaddone;andretiringtoastoolbythewindow,whereshebegantocarvefiguresofbirdsandbeastsoutoftheturnipparingsinherlap.
Iapproachedher,pretendingtodesireaviewofthegarden;and,asIfancied,adroitlydroppedMrs.Dean’snoteontoherknee,unnoticedbyHareton—butsheaskedaloud,“Whatisthat?”andchuckeditoff.
“Aletterfromyouroldacquaintance,thehousekeeperattheGrange,”Ianswered;annoyedatherexposingmykinddeed,andfearfulitshouldbeimaginedamissiveofmyown.
Shewouldgladlyhavegathereditupatthisinformation,butHaretonbeather;heseizedandputitinhiswaistcoat,sayingMr.Heathcliffshouldlookatitfirst.
Thereat,Catherinesilentlyturnedherfacefromus,and,verystealthily,drewoutherpocket-handkerchiefandappliedittohereyes;andhercousin,afterstrugglingawhiletokeepdownhissofterfeelings,pulledouttheletterandflungitonthefloorbesideher,asungraciouslyashecould.
Catherinecaughtandperusediteagerly;thensheputafewquestionstomeconcerningtheinmates,rationalandirrational,ofherformerhome;andgazingtowardsthehills,murmuredinsoliloquy:
“IshouldliketoberidingMinnydownthere!Ishouldliketobeclimbingupthere!Oh!I’mtired—I’mstalled,Hareton!”
Andsheleantherprettyheadbackagainstthesill,withahalfayawnandahalfasigh,andlapsedintoanaspectofabstractedsadness:neithercaringnorknowingwhetherweremarkedher.
“Mrs.Heathcliff,”Isaid,aftersittingsometimemute,“youarenotawarethatIamanacquaintanceofyours?
sointimatethatIthinkitstrangeyouwon’tcomeandspeaktome.
Myhousekeeperneverweariesoftalkingaboutandpraisingyou;andshe’llbegreatlydisappointedifIreturnwithnonewsoforfromyou,exceptthatyoureceivedherletterandsaidnothing!”
Sheappearedtowonderatthisspeech,andasked:
“DoesEllenlikeyou?”
“Yes,verywell,”Irepliedhesitatingly.
“Youmusttellher,”shecontinued,“thatIwouldanswerherletter,butIhavenomaterialsforwriting:notevenabookfromwhichImighttearaleaf.”
“Nobooks!”Iexclaimed.
“Howdoyoucontrivetoliveherewithoutthem?ifImaytakethelibertytoenquire.
Thoughprovidedwithalargelibrary,I’mfrequentlyverydullattheGrange;takemybooksaway,andIshouldbedesperate!”
“Iwasalwaysreading,whenIhadthem,”saidCatherine;“andMr.Heathcliffneverreads;sohetookitintohisheadtodestroymybooks.
Ihavenothadaglimpseofoneforweeks.
Onlyonce,IsearchedthroughJoseph’sstoreoftheology,tohisgreatirritation;andonce,Hareton,Icameuponasecretstockinyourroom—someLatinandGreek,andsometalesandpoetry:alloldfriends.
Ibroughtthelasthere—andyougatheredthem,asamagpiegatherssilverspoons,forthemereloveofstealing!
Theyareofnousetoyou;orelseyouconcealedtheminthebadspiritthatasyoucannotenjoythemnobodyelseshall.
PerhapsyourenvycounselledMr.Heathclifftorobmeofmytreasures?
ButI’vemostofthemwrittenonmybrainandprintedinmyheart,andyoucannotdeprivemeofthose!”
Earnshawblushedcrimsonwhenhiscousinmadethisrevelationofhisprivateliteraryaccumulations,andstammeredanindignantdenialofheraccusations.
“Mr.Haretonisdesirousofincreasinghisamountofknowledge,”Isaid,comingtohisrescue.“Heisnotenviousbutemulousofyourattainments.He’llbeacleverscholarinafewyears.”
“Andhewantsmetosinkintoadunce,meantime,”answeredCatherine.
“Yes,Ihearhimtryingtospellandreadtohimself,andprettyblundershemakes!
IwishyouwouldrepeatChevyChaseasyoudidyesterday:itwasextremelyfunny,Iheardyou;andIheardyouturningoverthedictionarytoseekoutthehardwords,andthencursingbecauseyoucouldn’treadtheirexplanations!”
Theyoungmanevidentlythoughtittoobadthatheshouldbelaughedatforhisignorance,andthenlaughedatfortryingtoremoveit,Ihadasimilarnotion;and,rememberingMrs.Dean’sanecdoteofhisfirstattemptatenlighteningthedarknessinwhichhehadbeenreared,Iobserved:
“But,Mrs.Heathcliff,wehaveeachhadacommencement,andeachstumbledandtotteredonthethreshold;hadourteachersscornedinsteadofaidingus,weshouldstumbleandtotteryet.”
“Oh!”shereplied,“Idon’twishtolimithisacquirements:still,hehasnorighttoappropriatewhatismine,andmakeitridiculoustomewithhisvilemistakesandmispronunciations!
Thosebooks,bothproseandverse,areconsecratedtomebyotherassociations;andIhatetohavethemdebasedandprofanedinhismouth!
Besides,ofall,hehasselectedmyfavouritepiecesthatIlovethemosttorepeat,asifoutofdeliberatemalice.”
Hareton’schestheavedinsilenceaminute:helabouredunderaseveresenseofmortificationandwrath,whichitwasnoeasytasktosuppress.
Irose,and,fromagentlemanlyideaofrelievinghisembarrassment,tookupmystationinthedoorway,surveyingtheexternalprospectasIstood.
Hefollowedmyexample,andlefttheroom;butpresentlyreappeared,bearinghalf-a-dozenvolumesinhishands,whichhethrewintoCatherine’slap,exclaiming:“Takethem!
Ineverwanttohear,orread,orthinkofthemagain!”
“Iwon’thavethemnow,”sheanswered.“Ishallconnectthemwithyou,andhatethem.”
Sheopenedonethathadobviouslybeenoftenturnedover,andreadaportioninthedrawlingtoneofabeginner;thenlaughed,andthrewitfromher.
“Andlisten,”shecontinuedprovokingly,commencingaverseofanoldballadinthesamefashion.
Buthisself-lovewouldendurenofurthertorment:Iheard,andnotaltogetherdisapprovingly,amanualcheckgiventohersaucytongue.
Thelittlewretchhaddoneherutmosttohurthercousin’ssensitivethoughuncultivatedfeelings,andaphysicalargumentwastheonlymodehehadofbalancingtheaccount,andrepayingitseffectsontheinflictor.
Heafterwardsgatheredthebooksandhurledthemonthefire.
Ireadinhiscountenancewhatanguishitwastoofferthatsacrificetospleen.
Ifanciedthatastheyconsumed,herecalledthepleasuretheyhadalreadyimparted,andthetriumphandever-increasingpleasurehehadanticipatedfromthem;andIfanciedIguessedtheincitementtohissecretstudiesalso.
Hehadbeencontentwithdailylabourandroughanimalenjoyments,tillCatherinecrossedhispath.
Shameatherscorn,andhopeofherapproval,werehisfirstprompterstohigherpursuits;and,insteadofguardinghimfromoneandwinninghimtotheother,hisendeavourstoraisehimselfhadproducedjustthecontraryresult.
“Yes;that’sallthegoodthatsuchabruteasyoucangetfromthem!”criedCatherine,suckingherdamagedlip,andwatchingtheconflagrationwithindignanteyes,
“You’dbetterholdyourtongue,now,”heansweredfiercely.
Andhisagitationprecludedfurtherspeech;headvancedhastilytotheentrance,whereImadewayforhimtopass.
Buterehehadcrossedthedoor-stones,Mr.Heathcliff,comingupthecauseway,encounteredhim,andlayingholdofhisshoulder,asked:
“What’stodonow,mylad?”
“Naught,naught,”hesaid,andbrokeawaytoenjoyhisgriefandangerinsolitude.
Heathcliffgazedafterhim,andsighed.
“ItwillbeoddifIthwartmyself,”hemuttered,unconsciousthatIwasbehindhim.
“ButwhenIlookforhisfatherinhisface,Ifindhereverydaymore.Howthedevilishesolike?Icanhardlybeartoseehim.”
Hebenthiseyestotheground,andwalkedmoodilyin.
Therewasarestless,anxiousexpressioninhiscountenanceIhadneverremarkedtherebefore;andhelookedsparerinperson.
Hisdaughter-in-law,onperceivinghimthroughthewindow,immediatelyescapedtothekitchen,sothatIremainedalone.
“I’mgladtoseeyououtofdoorsagain,Mr.Lockwood,”hesaid,inreplytomygreeting;“fromselfishmotivespartly:Idon’tthinkIcouldreadilysupplyyourlossinthisdesolation.
I’vewonderedmorethanoncewhatbroughtyouhere.”
“Anidlewhim,Ifear,sir,”wasmyanswer;“orelseanidlewhimisgoingtospiritmeaway.
IshallsetoutforLondon,nextweek;andImustgiveyouwarningthatIfeelnodispositiontoretainThrushcrossGrangebeyondthetwelvemonthsIagreedtorentit.
IbelieveIshallnotlivethereanymore.”
“Oh,indeed;you’retiredofbeingbanishedfromtheworld,areyou?”hesaid.
“Butifyoubecomingtopleadoffpayingforaplaceyouwon’toccupy,yourjourneyisuseless:Ineverrelentinexactingmyduefromanyone.”
“I’mcomingtopleadoffnothingaboutit,”Iexclaimedconsiderablyirritated.“Shouldyouwishit,I’llsettlewithyounow,”andIdrewmynote-bookfrommypocket.
“No,no,”herepliedcoolly;“you’llleavesufficientbehindtocoveryourdebts,ifyoufailtoreturn:I’mnotinsuchahurry.
Sitdownandtakeyourdinnerwithus;aguestthatissafefromrepeatinghisvisitcangenerallybemadewelcome.
Catherine,bringthethingsin:whereareyou?”
Catherinereappeared,bearingatrayofknivesandforks.
“YoumaygetyourdinnerwithJoseph,”mutteredHeathcliffaside,“andremaininthekitchentillheisgone.”
Sheobeyedhisdirectionsverypunctually;perhapsshehadnotemptationtotransgress.
Livingamongclownsandmisanthropists,sheprobablycannotappreciateabetterclassofpeoplewhenshemeetsthem.
WithMr.Heathcliff,grimandsaturnine,ontheonehand,andHareton,absolutelydumb,ontheother,Imadeasomewhatcheerlessmeal,andbadeadieuearly.
Iwouldhavedepartedbythebackway,togetalastglimpseofCatherineandannoyoldJoseph;butHaretonreceivedorderstoleadupmyhorse,andmyhosthimselfescortedmetothedoor,soIcouldnotfulfilmywish.
“Howdrearylifegetsoverinthathouse!”
Ireflected,whileridingdowntheroad.
“WhatarealisationofsomethingmoreromanticthanafairytaleitwouldhavebeenforMrs.LintonHeathcliff,hadsheandIstruckupanattachment,ashergoodnursedesired,andmigratedtogetherintothestirringatmosphereofthetown!”
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