CATHY stayed at Thrushcross
Grange five weeks: till Christmas.
By that time her ankle was thoroughly
cured, and her manners much improved.
The mistress visited her often
in the interval, and commenced
her plan of reform by trying
to raise her self-respect with
fine clothes and flattery, which
she took readily; so that, instead
of a wild, hatless little savage
jumping into the house, and rushing
to squeeze us all breathless,
there 'lighted from a handsome
black pony a very dignified person,
with brown ringlets falling from
the cover of a feathered beaver,
and a long cloth habit, which
she was obliged to hold up with
both hands that she might sail
in. Hindley lifted her from her
horse, exclaiming delightedly,
'Why, Cathy, you are quite a
beauty! I should scarcely have
known you: you look like a lady
now. Isabella Linton is not to
be compared with her, is she,
Frances?' 'Isabella has not her
natural advantages,' replied
his wife: 'but she must mind
and not grow wild again here.
Ellen, help Miss Catherine off
with her things - Stay, dear,
you will disarrange your curls
- let
me untie your hat.'
I removed the habit, and there
shone forth beneath a grand plaid
silk frock, white trousers, and
burnished shoes; and, while her
eyes sparkled joyfully when the
dogs came bounding up to welcome
her, she dared hardly touch them
lest they should fawn upon her
splendid garments. She kissed
me gently: I was all flour making
the Christmas cake, and it would
not have done to give me a hug;
and then she looked round for
Heathcliff. Mr. and Mrs. Earnshaw
watched anxiously their meeting;
thinking it would enable them
to judge, in some measure, what
grounds they had for hoping to
succeed in separating the two
friends.
Heathcliff was hard to discover,
at first. If he were careless,
and uncared for, before Catherine's
absence, he had been ten times
more so since. Nobody but I even
did him the kindness to call
him a dirty boy, and bid him
wash himself, once a week; and
children of his age seldom have
a natural pleasure in soap and
water. Therefore, not to mention
his clothes, which had seen three
months' service in mire and dust,
and his thick uncombed hair,
the surface of his face and hands
was dismally beclouded. He might
well skulk behind the settle,
on beholding such a bright, graceful
damsel enter the house, instead
of a rough-headed counterpart
of himself, as he expected. 'Is
Heathcliff not here?' she demanded,
pulling off her gloves, and displaying
fingers wonderfully whitened
with doing nothing and staying
indoors.
'Heathcliff, you may come forward,'
cried Mr. Hindley, enjoying his
discomfiture, and gratified to
see what a forbidding young blackguard
he would be compelled to present
himself. 'You may come and wish
Miss Catherine welcome, like
the other servants.'
Cathy, catching a glimpse of
her friend in his concealment,
flew to embrace him; she bestowed
seven or eight kisses on his
cheek within the second, and
then stopped, and drawing back,
burst into a laugh, exclaiming,
'Why, how very black and cross
you look! and how - how funny
and grim! But that's because
I'm used to Edgar and Isabella
Linton. Well, Heathcliff, have
you forgotten me?'
She had some reason to put
the question, for shame and pride
threw double gloom over his countenance,
and kept him immovable.
'Shake hands, Heathcliff,'
said Mr. Earnshaw, condescendingly;
'once in a way, that is permitted.'
'I shall not,' replied the
boy, finding his tongue at last;
'I shall not stand to be laughed
at. I shall not bear it!' And
he would have broken from the
circle, but Miss Cathy seized
him again.
'I did not mean to laugh at
you,' she said; 'I could not
hinder myself: Heathcliff, shake
hands at least! What are you
sulky for? It was only that you
looked odd. If you wash your
face and brush your hair, it
will be all right: but you are
so dirty!'
She gazed concernedly at the
dusky fingers she held in her
own, and also at her dress; which
she feared had gained no embellishment
from its contact with his.
'You needn't have touched me!'
he answered, following her eye
and snatching away his hand.
'I shall be as dirty as I please:
and I like to be dirty, and I
will be dirty.'
With that he dashed headforemost
out of the room, amid the merriment
of the master and mistress, and
to the serious disturbance of
Catherine; who could not comprehend
how her remarks should have produced
such an exhibition of bad temper.
After playing lady's-maid to
the new-comer, and putting my
cakes in the oven, and making
the house and kitchen cheerful
with great fires, befitting Christmas-eve,
I prepared to sit down and amuse
myself by singing carols, all
alone; regardless of Joseph's
affirmations that he considered
the merry tunes I chose as next
door to songs. He had retired
to private prayer in his chamber,
and Mr. and Mrs. Earnshaw were
engaging Missy's attention by
sundry gay trifles bought for
her to present to the little
Lintons, as an acknowledgment
of their kindness. They had invited
them to spend the morrow at Wuthering
Heights, and the invitation had
been accepted, on one condition:
Mrs. Linton begged that her darlings
might be kept carefully apart
from that 'naughty swearing boy.'
Under these circumstances I
remained solitary. I smelt the
rich scent of the heating spices;
and admired the shining kitchen
utensils, the polished clock,
decked in holly, the silver mugs
ranged on a tray ready to be
filled with mulled ale for supper;
and above all, the speckless
purity of my particular care
- the scoured and well-swept
floor. I gave due inward applause
to every object, and then I remembered
how old Earnshaw used to come
in when all was tidied, and call
me a cant lass, and slip a shilling
into my hand as a Christmas-box;
and from that I went on to think
of his fondness for Heathcliff,
and his dread lest he should
suffer neglect after death had
removed him: and that naturally
led me to consider the poor lad's
situation now, and from singing
I changed my mind to crying.
It struck me soon, however, there
would be more sense in endeavouring
to repair some of his wrongs
than shedding tears over them:
I got up and walked into the
court to seek him. He was not
far; I found him smoothing the
glossy coat of the new pony in
the stable, and feeding the other
beasts, according to custom.
'Make haste, Heathcliff!' I
said, 'the kitchen is so comfortable;
and Joseph is up-stairs: make
haste, and let me dress you smart
before Miss Cathy comes out,
and then you can sit together,
with the whole hearth to yourselves,
and have a long chatter till
bedtime.'
He proceeded with his task,
and never turned his head towards
me.
'Come - are you coming?' I
continued. 'There's a little
cake for each of you, nearly
enough; and you'll need half-an-hour's
donning.'
I waited five minutes, but
getting no answer left him. Catherine
supped with her brother and sister-in-law:
Joseph and I joined at an unsociable
meal, seasoned with reproofs
on one side and sauciness on
the other. His cake and cheese
remained on the table all night
for the fairies. He managed to
continue work till nine o'clock,
and then marched dumb and dour
to his chamber. Cathy sat up
late, having a world of things
to order for the reception of
her new friends: she came into
the kitchen once to speak to
her old one; but he was gone,
and she only stayed to ask what
was the matter with him, and
then went back. In the morning
he rose early; and, as it was
a holiday, carried his ill-humour
on to the moors; not re-appearing
till the family were departed
for church. Fasting and reflection
seemed to have brought him to
a better spirit. He hung about
me for a while, and having screwed
up his courage, exclaimed abruptly
- 'Nelly, make me decent, I'm
going to be good.'
'High time, Heathcliff,' I
said; 'you HAVE grieved Catherine:
she's sorry she ever came home,
I daresay! It looks as if you
envied her, because she is more
thought of than you.'
The notion of ENVYING Catherine
was incomprehensible to him,
but the notion of grieving her
he understood clearly enough.
'Did she say she was grieved?'
he inquired, looking very serious.
'She cried when I told her
you were off again this morning.'
'Well, I cried last night,'
he returned, 'and I had more
reason to cry than she.'
'Yes: you had the reason of
going to bed with a proud heart
and an empty stomach,' said I.
'Proud people breed sad sorrows
for themselves. But, if you be
ashamed of your touchiness, you
must ask pardon, mind, when she
comes in. You must go up and
offer to kiss her, and say -
you know best what to say; only
do it heartily, and not as if
you thought her converted into
a stranger by her grand dress.
And now, though I have dinner
to get ready, I'll steal time
to arrange you so that Edgar
Linton shall look quite a doll
beside you: and that he does.
You are younger, and yet, I'll
be bound, you are taller and
twice as broad across the shoulders;
you could knock him down in a
twinkling; don't you feel that
you could?'
Heathcliff's face brightened
a moment; then it was overcast
afresh, and he sighed.
'But, Nelly, if I knocked him
down twenty times, that wouldn't
make him less handsome or me
more so. I wish I had light hair
and a fair skin, and was dressed
and behaved as well, and had
a chance of being as rich as
he will be!'
'And cried for mamma at every
turn,' I added, 'and trembled
if a country lad heaved his fist
against you, and sat at home
all day for a shower of rain.
Oh, Heathcliff, you are showing
a poor spirit! Come to the glass,
and I'll let you see what you
should wish. Do you mark those
two lines between your eyes;
and those thick brows, that,
instead of rising arched, sink
in the middle; and that couple
of black fiends, so deeply buried,
who never open their windows
boldly, but lurk glinting under
them, like devil's spies? Wish
and learn to smooth away the
surly wrinkles, to raise your
lids frankly, and change the
fiends to confident, innocent
angels, suspecting and doubting
nothing, and always seeing friends
where they are not sure of foes.
Don't get the expression of a
vicious cur that appears to know
the kicks it gets are its desert,
and yet hates all the world,
as well as the kicker, for what
it suffers.'
'In other words, I must wish
for Edgar Linton's great blue
eyes and even forehead,' he replied.
'I do - and that won't help me
to them.'
'A good heart will help you
to a bonny face, my lad,' I continued,
'if you were a regular black;
and a bad one will turn the bonniest
into something worse than ugly.
And now that we've done washing,
and combing, and sulking - tell
me whether you don't think yourself
rather handsome? I'll tell you,
I do. You're fit for a prince
in disguise. Who knows but your
father was Emperor of China,
and your mother an Indian queen,
each of them able to buy up,
with one week's income, Wuthering
Heights and Thrushcross Grange
together? And you were kidnapped
by wicked sailors and brought
to England. Were I in your place,
I would frame high notions of
my birth; and the thoughts of
what I was should give me courage
and dignity to support the oppressions
of a little farmer!'
So I chattered on; and Heathcliff
gradually lost his frown and
began to look quite pleasant,
when all at once our conversation
was interrupted by a rumbling
sound moving up the road and
entering the court. He ran to
the window and I to the door,
just in time to behold the two
Lintons descend from the family
carriage, smothered in cloaks
and furs, and the Earnshaws dismount
from their horses: they often
rode to church in winter. Catherine
took a hand of each of the children,
and brought them into the house
and set them before the fire,
which quickly put colour into
their white faces.
I urged my companion to hasten
now and show his amiable humour,
and he willingly obeyed; but
ill luck would have it that,
as he opened the door leading
from the kitchen on one side,
Hindley opened it on the other.
They met, and the master, irritated
at seeing him clean and cheerful,
or, perhaps, eager to keep his
promise to Mrs. Linton, shoved
him back with a sudden thrust,
and angrily bade Joseph 'keep
the fellow out of the room -
send him into the garret till
dinner is over. He'll be cramming
his fingers in the tarts and
stealing the fruit, if left alone
with them a minute.'
'Nay, sir,' I could not avoid
answering, 'he'll touch nothing,
not he: and I suppose he must
have his share of the dainties
as well as we.'
'He shall have his share of
my hand, if I catch him downstairs
till dark,' cried Hindley. 'Begone,
you vagabond! What! you are attempting
the coxcomb, are you? Wait till
I get hold of those elegant locks
- see if I won't pull them a
bit longer!'
'They are long enough already,'
observed Master Linton, peeping
from the doorway; 'I wonder they
don't make his head ache. It's
like a colt's mane over his eyes!'
He ventured this remark without
any intention to insult; but
Heathcliff's violent nature was
not prepared to endure the appearance
of impertinence from one whom
he seemed to hate, even then,
as a rival. He seized a tureen
of hot apple sauce (the first
thing that came under his gripe)
and dashed it full against the
speaker's face and neck; who
instantly commenced a lament
that brought Isabella and Catherine
hurrying to the place. Mr. Earnshaw
snatched up the culprit directly
and conveyed him to his chamber;
where, doubtless, he administered
a rough remedy to cool the fit
of passion, for he appeared red
and breathless. I got the dishcloth,
and rather spitefully scrubbed
Edgar's nose and mouth, affirming
it served him right for meddling.
His sister began weeping to go
home, and Cathy stood by confounded,
blushing for all.
'You should not have spoken
to him!' she expostulated with
Master Linton. 'He was in a bad
temper, and now you've spoilt
your visit; and he'll be flogged:
I hate him to be flogged! I can't
eat my dinner. Why did you speak
to him, Edgar?'
'I didn't,' sobbed the youth,
escaping from my hands, and finishing
the remainder of the purification
with his cambric pocket- handkerchief.
'I promised mamma that I wouldn't
say one word to him, and I didn't.'
'Well, don't cry,' replied
Catherine, contemptuously; 'you're
not killed. Don't make more mischief;
my brother is coming: be quiet!
Hush, Isabella! Has anybody hurt
you?'
'There, there, children - to
your seats!' cried Hindley, bustling
in. 'That brute of a lad has
warmed me nicely. Next time,
Master Edgar, take the law into
your own fists - it will give
you an appetite!'
The little party recovered
its equanimity at sight of the
fragrant feast. They were hungry
after their ride, and easily
consoled, since no real harm
had befallen them. Mr. Earnshaw
carved bountiful platefuls, and
the mistress made them merry
with lively talk. I waited behind
her chair, and was pained to
behold Catherine, with dry eyes
and an indifferent air, commence
cutting up the wing of a goose
before her. 'An unfeeling child,'
I thought to myself; 'how lightly
she dismisses her old playmate's
troubles. I could not have imagined
her to be so selfish.' She lifted
a mouthful to her lips: then
she set it down again: her cheeks
flushed, and the tears gushed
over them. She slipped her fork
to the floor, and hastily dived
under the cloth to conceal her
emotion. I did not call her unfeeling
long; for I perceived she was
in purgatory throughout the day,
and wearying to find an opportunity
of getting by herself, or paying
a visit to Heathcliff, who had
been locked up by the master:
as I discovered, on endeavouring
to introduce to him a private
mess of victuals.
In the evening we had a dance.
Cathy begged that he might be
liberated then, as Isabella Linton
had no partner: her entreaties
were vain, and I was appointed
to supply the deficiency. We
got rid of all gloom in the excitement
of the exercise, and our pleasure
was increased by the arrival
of the Gimmerton band, mustering
fifteen strong: a trumpet, a
trombone, clarionets, bassoons,
French horns, and a bass viol,
besides singers. They go the
rounds of all the respectable
houses, and receive contributions
every Christmas, and we esteemed
it a first-rate treat to hear
them. After the usual carols
had been sung, we set them to
songs and glees. Mrs. Earnshaw
loved the music, and so they
gave us plenty.
Catherine loved it too: but
she said it sounded sweetest
at the top of the steps, and
she went up in the dark: I followed.
They shut the house door below,
never noting our absence, it
was so full of people. She made
no stay at the stairs'-head,
but mounted farther, to the garret
where Heathcliff was confined,
and called him. He stubbornly
declined answering for a while:
she persevered, and finally persuaded
him to hold communion with her
through the boards. I let the
poor things converse unmolested,
till I supposed the songs were
going to cease, and the singers
to get some refreshment: then
I clambered up the ladder to
warn her. Instead of finding
her outside, I heard her voice
within. The little monkey had
crept by the skylight of one
garret, along the roof, into
the skylight of the other, and
it was with the utmost difficulty
I could coax her out again. When
she did come, Heathcliff came
with her, and she insisted that
I should take him into the kitchen,
as my fellow-servant had gone
to a neighbour's, to be removed
from the sound of our 'devil's
psalmody,' as it pleased him
to call it. I told them I intended
by no means to encourage their
tricks: but as the prisoner had
never broken his fast since yesterday's
dinner, I would wink at his cheating
Mr. Hindley that once. He went
down: I set him a stool by the
fire, and offered him a quantity
of good things: but he was sick
and could eat little, and my
attempts to entertain him were
thrown away. He leant his two
elbows on his knees, and his
chin on his hands and remained
rapt in dumb meditation. On my
inquiring the subject of his
thoughts, he answered gravely
- 'I'm trying to settle how I
shall pay Hindley back. I don't
care how long I wait, if I can
only do it at last. I hope he
will not die before I do!'
'For shame, Heathcliff!' said
I. 'It is for God to punish wicked
people; we should learn to forgive.'
'No, God won't have the satisfaction
that I shall,' he returned. 'I
only wish I knew the best way!
Let me alone, and I'll plan it
out: while I'm thinking of that
I don't feel pain.'
'But, Mr. Lockwood, I forget
these tales cannot divert you.
I'm annoyed how I should dream
of chattering on at such a rate;
and your gruel cold, and you
nodding for bed! I could have
told Heathcliff's history, all
that you need hear, in half a
dozen words.'
Thus interrupting herself,
the housekeeper rose, and proceeded
to lay aside her sewing; but
I felt incapable of moving from
the hearth, and I was very far
from nodding. 'Sit still, Mrs.
Dean,' I cried; 'do sit still
another half-hour. You've done
just right to tell the story
leisurely. That is the method
I like; and you must finish it
in the same style. I am interested
in every character you have mentioned,
more or less.'
'The clock is on the stroke
of eleven, sir.'
'No matter - I'm not accustomed
to go to bed in the long hours.
One or two is early enough for
a person who lies till ten.'
'You shouldn't lie till ten.
There's the very prime of the
morning gone long before that
time. A person who has not done
one-half his day's work by ten
o'clock, runs a chance of leaving
the other half undone.'
'Nevertheless, Mrs. Dean, resume
your chair; because to-morrow
I intend lengthening the night
till afternoon. I prognosticate
for myself an obstinate cold,
at least.'
'I hope not, sir. Well, you
must allow me to leap over some
three years; during that space
Mrs. Earnshaw - '
'No, no, I'll allow nothing
of the sort! Are you acquainted
with the mood of mind in which,
if you were seated alone, and
the cat licking its kitten on
the rug before you, you would
watch the operation so intently
that puss's neglect of one ear
would put you seriously out of
temper?'
'A terribly lazy mood, I should
say.'
'On the contrary, a tiresomely
active one. It is mine, at present;
and, therefore, continue minutely.
I perceive that people in these
regions acquire over people in
towns the value that a spider
in a dungeon does over a spider
in a cottage, to their various
occupants; and yet the deepened
attraction is not entirely owing
to the situation of the looker-on.
They DO live more in earnest,
more in themselves, and less
in surface, change, and frivolous
external things. I could fancy
a love for life here almost possible;
and I was a fixed unbeliever
in any love of a year's standing.
One state resembles setting a
hungry man down to a single dish,
on which he may concentrate his
entire appetite and do it justice;
the other, introducing him to
a table laid out by French cooks:
he can perhaps extract as much
enjoyment from the whole; but
each part is a mere atom in his
regard and remembrance.'
'Oh! here we are the same as
anywhere else, when you get to
know us,' observed Mrs. Dean,
somewhat puzzled at my speech.
'Excuse me,' I responded; 'you,
my good friend, are a striking
evidence against that assertion.
Excepting a few provincialisms
of slight consequence, you have
no marks of the manners which
I am habituated to consider as
peculiar to your class. I am
sure you have thought a great
deal more than the generality
of servants think. You have been
compelled to cultivate your reflective
faculties for want of occasions
for frittering your life away
in silly trifles.'
Mrs. Dean laughed.
'I certainly esteem myself
a steady, reasonable kind of
body,' she said; 'not exactly
from living among the hills and
seeing one set of faces, and
one series of actions, from year's
end to year's end; but I have
undergone sharp discipline, which
has taught me wisdom; and then,
I have read more than you would
fancy, Mr. Lockwood. You could
not open a book in this library
that I have not looked into,
and got something out of also:
unless it be that range of Greek
and Latin, and that of French;
and those I know one from another:
it is as much as you can expect
of a poor man's daughter. However,
if I am to follow my story in
true gossip's fashion, I had
better go on; and instead of
leaping three years, I will be
content to pass to the next summer
- the summer of 1778, that is
nearly twenty-three years ago.'
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