| 1 |
l802.
-- This September, I was invited to devastate the moors of a
friend, in the North; and, on my journey to his abode, I
unexpectedly came within fifteen miles of Gimmerton.
The hostler, at a roadside public-house, was holding a pail of
water to refresh my horses, when a cart of very green oats, newly
reaped, passed by, and he remarked --
|
| 2 |
"Yon's frough Gimmerton, nah!
They're allas three wick' after other folk wi' ther harvest."
|
| 3 |
"Gimmerton?" I repeated, my residence in that locality had already
grown dim and dreamy.
"Ah!
I know!
How far is it from this?"
|
| 4 |
"Happen fourteen mile' o'er th' hills, and a rough road," he
answered.
|
| 5 |
A sudden impulse seized me to visit Thrushcross Grange.
It was scarcely noon, and I conceived that I might as well pass the
night under my own roof, as in an inn.
Besides, I could spare a day easily, to arrange matters with my
landlord, and thus save myself the trouble of invading the
neighbourhood again.
|
| 6 |
Having rested a while, I directed my servant to inquire the way to
the village; and, with great fatigue to our beasts, we managed the
distance in some three hours.
|
| 7 |
I left him there, and proceeded down the valley alone.
The grey church looked greyer, and the lonely churchyard lonelier.
I distinguished a moor sheep cropping the short turf on the graves.
It was sweet, warm weather -- too warm for travelling; but the heat
did not hinder me from enjoying the delightful scenery above and
below; had I seen it nearer August, I'm sure it would have tempted
In winter, nothing more dreary, in summer, nothing more divine,
than those glens shut in by hills, and those bluff, bold swells of
heath.
|
| 8 |
I reached the Grange before sunset, and knocked for admittance; but
the family had retreated into the back premises, I judged by one
thin, blue wreath curling from the kitchen chimney, and they did
not hear.
|
| 9 |
I rode into the court.
Under the porch, a girl of nine or ten, sat knitting, and an old
woman reclined on the horse-steps, smoking a meditative pipe.
|
| 10 |
"Is Mrs Dean within?" I demanded of the dame.
|
| 11 |
"Mistress Dean?
Nay!" she answered, "shoo doesn't bide here; shoo's up at th'
Heights."
|
| 12 |
"Are you the housekeeper, then?" I continued.
|
| 13 |
"Eea, Aw keep th' hause," she replied.
|
| 14 |
"Well, I'm Mr Lockwood, the master -- Are there any rooms to lodge
me in, I wonder?
I wish to stay here all night."
|
| 15 |
"T'maister!" she cried in astonishment, "Whet, whoiver knew yah wur
coming?
Yah sud ha' send word.
They's now't norther dry -- nor mensful abaht t' place -- nowt
there is n't!"
|
| 16 |
She threw down her pipe and bustled in, the girl followed, and I
entered too; soon perceiving that her report was true, and,
moreover, that I had almost upset her wits by my unwelcome
apparition.
|
| 17 |
I bid her be composed -- I would go out for a walk; and, meantime
she must try to prepare a corner of a sitting-room for me to sup
in, and a bed-room to sleep in -- No sweeping and dusting, only
good fires and dry sheets were necessary.
|
| 18 |
She seemed willing to do her best; though she thrust the hearth-
brush into the grates in mistake for the poker; and
retired, confiding in her energy for a resting-place against my
return.
|
| 19 |
Wuthering Heights was the goal of my proposed excursion.
An after-thought brought me back, when I had quitted the court.
|
| 20 |
"All well at the Heights?" I inquired of the woman.
|
| 21 |
"Eea, f'r owt Ee knaw!" she answered, skurrying away with a pan of
hot cinders.
|
| 22 |
I would have asked why Mrs Dean had deserted the Grange; but it was
impossible to delay her at such a crisis, so, I turned away and
made my exit, rambling leisurely along with the glow of a sinking
sun behind, and the mild glory of a rising moon in front; one
fading, and the other brightening, as I quitted the park, and
climbed the stony by-road branching off to Mr Heathcliff's
dwelling.
|
| 23 |
Before I arrived in sight of it, all that remained of day was a
beamless, amber light along the west; but I could see every pebble
on the path, and every blade of grass by that splendid moon.
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| 24 |
I had neither to climb the gate, nor to knock -- it yielded to my
hand.
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| 25 |
That is an improvement! I thought.
And I noticed another, by the aid of my nostrils; a fragrance of
stocks and wall flowers, wafted on the air, from amongst the homely
fruit trees.
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| 26 |
Both doors and lattices were open; and, yet, as is usually the case
in a coal district, a fine, red fire illumined the chimney; the
comfort which the eye derives from it, renders the extra heat
endurable.
But the house of Wuthering Heights is so large, that the inmates
have plenty of space for withdrawing out of its influence; and,
accordingly, what inmates there were had stationed themselves not
I could both see them and hear them talk before I entered; and
looked and listened in consequence, being moved thereto by a
mingled sense of curiosity, and envy that grew as I lingered.
|
| 27 |
"Con-trary!" said a voice, as sweet as a silver bell --
"That for the third time, you dunce!
I'm not going to tell you, again -- Recollect, or I'll pull your
hair!"
|
| 28 |
"Contrary, then," answered another, in deep, but softened tones.
"And now, kiss me, for minding so well."
|
| 29 |
"No, read it over first correctly, without a single mistake."
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| 30 |
The male speaker began to read -- he was a young man, respectably
dressed, and seated at a table, having a book before him.
His handsome features glowed with pleasure, and his eyes kept
impatiently wandering from the page to a small white hand over his
shoulder, which recalled him by a smart slap on the cheek, whenever
its owner detected such signs of inattention.
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| 31 |
Its owner stood behind; her light shining ringlets blending, at
intervals, with his brown locks, as she bent to superintend his
studies; and her face -- it was lucky he could not see her face, or
he would never have been so steady -- I could, and I bit my lip, in
spite, at having thrown away the chance I might have had, of doing
something else besides staring at its smiting beauty.
|
| 32 |
The task was done, not free from further blunders, but the pupil
claimed a reward and received at least five kisses, which, however,
he generously returned.
Then, they came to the door, and from their conversation, I judged
they were about to issue out and have a walk on the moors.
I supposed I should be condemned in Hareton Earnshaw's heart, if
not by his mouth, to the lowest pit in the infernal regions if I
showed my unfortunate person in his neighbourhood
to seek refuge in the kitchen.
|
| 33 |
There was unobstructed admittance on that side also; and, at the
door, sat my old friend, Nelly Dean, sewing and singing a song,
which was often interrupted from within, by harsh words of scorn
and intolerance, uttered in far from musical accents.
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| 34 |
"Aw'd rayther, by th' haulf, hev 'em swearing i' my lugs frough
morn tuh neeght, nur hearken yah, hahsiver!" said the tenant of the
kitchen, in answer to an unheard speech of Nelly's.
"It's a blazing shaime, ut Aw cannut oppen t' Blessed Book, bud yah
set up them glories tuh sattan, un' all t' flaysome wickednesses ut
iver wer born intuh t' warld!
Oh! yah're a raight nowt; un' shoo's another; un' that poor lad'ull
be lost atween ye.
Poor lad!" he added, with a groan; "he's witched, Aw'm sartin on't!
O, Lord, judge 'em, fur they's norther law nur justice amang wer
rullers!"
|
| 35 |
"No! or we should be sitting in flaming fagots, I suppose,"
retorted the singer.
"But wisht, old man, and read your Bible like a christian, and
never mind me.
This is 'Fairy Annie's Wedding' -- a bonny tune -- it goes to a
dance."
|
| 36 |
Mrs Dean was about to recommence, when I advanced, and recognizing
me directly, she jumped to her feet, crying --
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| 37 |
"Why, bless you, Mr Lockwood!
How could you think of returning in this way?
All's shut up at Thrushcross Grange.
You should have given us notice!"
|
| 38 |
"I've arranged to be accommodated there, for as long as I shall
stay," I answered.
"I depart again to-morrow.
And how are you transplanted here, Mrs Dean? tell me that."
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| 39 |
"Zillah left, and Mr Heathcliff wished me to come, soon after you
went to London, and stay till you returned.
Have you walked from Gimmerton this evening?"
|
| 40 |
"From the Grange," I replied; "and, while they make me lodging room
there, I want to finish my business with your master, because I
don't think of having another opportunity in a hurry."
|
| 41 |
"What business, sir?" said Nelly, conducting me into the house.
"He's gone out, at present, and wont return soon."
|
| 42 |
"About the rent," I answered.
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| 43 |
"Oh! then it is with Mrs Heathcliff you must settle," she observed,
"or rather with me.
She has not learnt to manage her affairs yet, and I act for her;
there's nobody else."
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| 44 |
I looked surprised.
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| 45 |
"Ah! you have not heard of Heathcliff's death, I see!" she
continued.
|
| 46 |
"Heathcliff dead!" I exclaimed, astonished.
"How long ago?"
|
| 47 |
"Three months since -- but, sit down, and let me take your hat, and
I'll tell you all about it.
Stop, you have had nothing to eat, have you?"
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| 48 |
"I want nothing.
I have ordered supper at home.
You sit down too.
I never dreamt of his dying!
Let me hear how it came to pass.
You say you don't expect them back for some time -- the young
people?"
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| 49 |
"No -- I have to scold them every evening, for their late rambles -
- but they don't care for me.
At least, have a drink of our old ale -- it will do you good -- you
seem weary."
|
| 50 |
She hastened to fetch it, before I could refuse, and I heard Joseph
asking, whether "it warn't a crying scandal that she should have
fellies at her time of life?
And then, to get them jocks out uh t' Maister's cellar!
He fair shaamed to 'bide still and see it."
|
| 51 |
She did not stay to retaliate, but re-entered, in a minute,
with becoming earnestness.
And afterwards she furnished me with the sequel of Heathcliff's
history.
He had a "queer" end, as she expressed it.
|
| 52 |
I was summoned to Wuthering Heights, within a fortnight of your
leaving us, she said; and I obeyed joyfully, for Catherine's sake.
|
| 53 |
My first interview with her grieved and shocked me! she had altered
so much since our separation.
Mr Heathcliff did not explain his reasons for taking a new mind
about my coming here; he only told me he wanted me, and he was
tired of seeing Catherine, I must make the little parlour my
sitting room, and keep her with me.
It was enough if he were obliged to see her once or twice a day.
|
| 54 |
She seemed pleased at this arrangement; and, by degrees, I smuggled
over a great number of books, and other articles, that had formed
her amusement at the Grange; and flattered myself we should get on
in tolerable comfort.
|
| 55 |
The delusion did not last long.
Catherine, contented at first, in a brief space grew irritable and
restless.
For one thing, she was forbidden to move out of the garden, and it
fretted her sadly to be confined to its narrow bounds, as Spring
drew on -- for another, in following the house, I was forced to
quit her frequently, and she complained of loneliness; she
preferred quarrelling with Joseph in the kitchen, to sitting at
peace in her solitude.
|
| 56 |
I did not mind their skirmishes; but Hareton was often obliged to
seek the kitchen also, when the master wanted to have the house to
himself; and, though, in the beginning, she either left it at his
approach, or quietly joined in my occupations, and shunned
remarking, or addressing him -- and though he was always as sullen
and silent, as possible -- after a while, she changed her
Talking at him; commenting on his stupidity and idleness;
expressing her wonder how he could endure the life he lived -- how
he could sit a whole evening staring into the fire, and dozing.
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| 57 |
"He's just like a dog, is he not, Ellen?" she once observed, "or a
cart-horse?
He does his work, eats his food, and sleeps, eternally!
What a blank, dreary mind he must have!
Do you ever dream, Hareton?
And, if you do, what is it about?
But, you can't speak to me!"
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| 58 |
Then she looked at him; but he would neither open his mouth, nor
look again.
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| 59 |
"He's perhaps, dreaming now," she continued.
"He twitched his shoulder as Juno twitches hers.
Ask him, Ellen."
|
| 60 |
"Mr Hareton will ask the master to send you up stairs, if you don't
behave!" I said.
He had not only twitched his shoulder, but clenched his fist, as if
tempted to use it.
|
| 61 |
"I know why Hareton never speaks, when I am in the kitchen," she
exclaimed, on another occasion.
"He is afraid I shall laugh at him.
Ellen, what do you think?
He began to teach himself to read once; and, because I laughed, he
burned his books, and dropped it -- was he not a fool?"
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| 62 |
"Were not you naughty?" I said; "answer me that."
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| 63 |
"Perhaps I was," she went on, "but I did not expect him to be so
silly.
Hareton, if I gave you a book, would you take it now?
I'll try!"
|
| 64 |
She placed one she had been perusing on his hand; he flung it off,
and muttered, if she did not give over, he would break her neck.
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| 65 |
"Well, I shall put it here," she said, "in the table drawer, and
I'm going to bed."
|
| 66 |
Then she whispered me to watch whether he touched it, and departed.
But he would not come near it, and so I informed her in the
morning, to her great disappointment.
I saw she was sorry for his persevering sulkiness and indo
off improving himself -- she had done it effectually.
|
| 67 |
But her ingenuity was at work to remedy the injury; while I ironed,
or pursued other stationary employments I could not well do in the
parlour -- she would bring some pleasant volume, and read it aloud
to me.
When Hareton was there, she generally paused in an interesting
part, and left the book lying about -- that she did repeatedly; but
he was as obstinate as a mule, and, instead of snatching at her
bait, in wet weather he took to smoking with Joseph, and they sat
like automatons, one on each side of the fire, the elder happily
too deaf to understand her wicked nonsense, as he would have called
it, the younger doing his best to seem to disregard it.
On fine evenings the latter followed his shooting expeditions, and
Catherine yawned and sighed, and teased me to talk to her, and ran
off into the court or garden, the moment I began; and, as a last
resource, cried, and said, she was tired of living, her life was
useless.
|
| 68 |
Mr Heathcliff, who grew more and more disinclined to society, had
almost banished Earnshaw out of his apartment.
Owing to an accident, at the commencement of March, he became for
some days a fixture in the kitchen.
His gun burst, while out on the hills, by himself; a splinter cut
his arm, and he lost a good deal of blood before he could reach
home.
The consequence was, that, perforce, he was condemned to the fire-
side and tranquillity, till he made it up again.
|
| 69 |
It suited Catherine to have him there: at any rate, it made her
hate her room up stairs, more than ever; and she would compel me to
find out business below, that she might accompany me.
|
| 70 |
On Easter Monday, Joseph went to Gimmerton fair with some cattle;
and, in the afternoon, I was busy getting up linen in the kitchen -
corner, and my little mistress was beguiling an idle hour with
drawing pictures on the window panes, varying her amusement by
smothered bursts of songs, and whispered ejaculations, and quick
glances of annoyance and impatience in the direction of her cousin,
who steadfastly smoked, and looked into the grate.
|
| 71 |
At a notice that I could do with her no longer, intercepting my
light, she removed to the hearthstone.
I bestowed little attention on her proceedings, but, presently, I
heard her begin --
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| 72 |
"I've found out, Hareton, that I want -- that I'm glad -- that I
should like you to be my cousin, now, if you had not grown so cross
to me, and so rough."
|
| 73 |
Hareton returned no answer.
|
| 74 |
"Hareton, Hareton, Hareton! do you hear?" she continued.
|
| 75 |
"Get off wi' ye!" he growled, with uncompromising gruffness.
|
| 76 |
"Let me take that pipe," she said, cautiously advancing her hand,
and abstracting it from his mouth.
|
| 77 |
Before he could attempt to recover it, it was broken, and behind
the fire.
He swore at her and seized another.
|
| 78 |
"Stop," she cried, "you must listen to me, first; and I can't speak
while those clouds are floating in my face."
|
| 79 |
"Will you go to the devil!" he exclaimed, ferociously, "and let me
be!"
|
| 80 |
"No," she persisted, "I won't -- I can't tell what to do to make
you talk to me, and you are determined not to understand.
When I call you stupid, I don't mean anything -- I don't mean that
I despise you.
Come you shall take notice of me, Hareton -- you are my cousin, and
you shall own me."
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| 81 |
"I shall have naught to do wi' you, and your mucky pride,
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| 82 |
"I'll go to hell, body and soul, before I look sideways after you
again!
Side out of t' gait, now; this minute!"
|
| 83 |
Catherine frowned, and retreated to the window-seat, chewing her
lip, and endeavouring, by humming an eccentric tune, to conceal a
growing tendency to sob.
|
| 84 |
"You should be friends with your cousin, Mr Hareton," I
interrupted, "since she repents of her sauciness! it would do you a
great deal of good -- it would make you another man, to have her
for a companion."
|
| 85 |
"A companion?" he cried; "when she hates me, and does not think me
fit to wipe her shoon!
Nay, if it made me a king, I'd not be scorned for seeking her
goodwill any more."
|
| 86 |
"It is not I who hate you, it is you who hate me!" wept Cathy, no
longer disguising her trouble.
"You hate me as much as Mr Heathcliff does, and more."
|
| 87 |
"You are a damned liar," began Earnshaw; "why have I made him
angry, by taking your part then, a hundred times? and that, when
you sneered at, and despised me, and -- Go on plaguing me, and I'll
step in yonder, and say you worried me out of the kitchen!"
|
| 88 |
"I didn't know you took my part," she answered, drying her eyes;
"and I was miserable and bitter at every body; but, now I thank
you, and beg you to forgive me, what can I do besides?"
|
| 89 |
She returned to the hearth, and frankly extended her hand.
|
| 90 |
He blackened, and scowled like a thunder cloud, and kept his fists
resolutely clenched, and his gaze fixed on the ground.
|
| 91 |
Catherine, by instinct, must have divined it was obdurate
perversity, and not dislike, that prompted this dogged conduct;
for, after remaining an instant, undecided, she stooped, and
|
| 92 |
The little rogue thought I had not seen her, and, drawing back, she
took her former station by the window, quite demurely.
|
| 93 |
I shook my head reprovingly; and then she blushed, and whispered --
|
| 94 |
"Well, what should I have done, Ellen?
He wouldn't shake hands, and he wouldn't look -- I must show him
some way that I like him, that I want to be friends."
|
| 95 |
Whether the kiss convinced Hareton, I cannot tell; he was very
careful, for some minutes, that his face should not be seen; and
when he did raise it, he was sadly puzzled where to turn his eyes.
|
| 96 |
Catherine employed herself in wrapping a handsome book neatly in
white paper; and having tied it with a bit of ribband, and
addressed it to "Mr Hareton Earnshaw," she desired me to be her
ambassadress, and convey the present to its destined recipient.
|
| 97 |
"And tell him, if he'll take it, I'll come and teach him to read it
right," she said, and, "if he refuse it, I'll go upstairs, and
never tease him again."
|
| 98 |
I carried it, and repeated the message, anxiously watched by my
employer.
Hareton would not open his fingers, so I laid it on his knee.
He did not strike it off either.
I returned to my work: Catherine leaned her head and arms on the
table, till she heard the slight rustle of the covering being
removed, then she stole away, and quietly seated herself beside her
cousin.
He trembled, and his face glowed -- all his rudeness, and all his
surly harshness had deserted him -- he could not summon courage, at
first, to utter a syllable, in reply to her questioning look, and
her murmured petition.
|
| 99 |
"Say you forgive me, Hareton, do!
You can make me so happy, by speaking that little word."
|
| 100 |
He muttered something inaudible.
|
| 101 |
"And you'll be my friend?" added Catherine interrogatively.
|
| 102 |
"Nay! you'll be ashamed of me every day of your life," he answered.
"And the more, the more you know me, and I cannot bide it."
|
| 103 |
"So, you won't be my friend?" she said, smiling as sweet as honey,
and creeping close up.
|
| 104 |
I overheard no further distinguishable talk; but on looking round
again, I perceived two such radiant countenances bent over the page
of the accepted book, that I did not doubt the treaty had been
ratified, on both sides, and the enemies were, thenceforth, sworn
allies.
|
| 105 |
The work they studied was full of costly pictures; and those, and
their position had charm enough to keep them unmoved, till Joseph
came home.
He, poor man, was perfectly aghast at the spectacle of Catherine
seated on the same bench with Hareton Earnshaw, leaning her hand on
his shoulder; and confounded at his favourite's endurance of her
proximity.
It affected him too deeply to allow an observation on the subject
that night.
His emotion was only revealed by the immense sighs he drew, as he
solemnly spread his large bible on the table, and overlaid it with
dirty bank-notes from his pocket-book, the produce of the day's
transactions.
At length, he summoned Hareton from his seat.
|
| 106 |
"Tak' these in tuh t' maister, lad," he said, "un' bide theare;
Aw's gang up tuh my awn rahm.
This hoile's norther mensful nor seemly fur us -- we mun side aht
and seearch another!"
|
| 107 |
"Come, Catherine," I said, "we must 'side out,' too -- I've done my
ironing, are you ready to go?"
|
| 108 |
"It is not eight o'clock!" she answered, rising unwillingly,
"Hareton, I'll leave this book on the chimney-piece, and I'll bring
some more to-morrow."
|
| 109 |
"Ony books ut yah leave, Aw shall tak' intuh th' hahse,"
soa, yah muh plase yourseln!"
|
| 110 |
Cathy threatened that his library should pay for hers; and, smiling
as she passed Hareton, went singing up stairs, lighter of heart, I
venture to say, than ever she had been under that roof before;
except, perhaps, during her earliest visits to Linton.
|
| 111 |
The intimacy, thus commenced, grew rapidly; though it encountered
temporary interruptions, Earnshaw was not to be civilized with a
wish; and my young lady was no philosopher, and no paragon of
patience; but both their minds tending to the same point -- one
loving and desiring to esteem; and the other loving and desiring to
be esteemed -- they contrived in the end, to reach it.
|
| 112 |
You see, Mr Lockwood, it was easy enough to win Mrs Heathcliff's
heart; but now, I'm glad you did not try -- the crown of all my
wishes will be the union of those two; I shall envy no one on their
wedding-day -- there won't be a happier woman than myself in
England!
|
| 113 |
|
