SUMMER was already past its
prime, when Edgar reluctantly
yielded his assent to their entreaties,
and Catherine and I set out on
our first ride to join her cousin.
It was a close, sultry day: devoid
of sunshine, but with a sky too
dappled and hazy to threaten
rain: and our place of meeting
had been fixed at the guide-stone,
by the cross-roads. On arriving
there, however, a little herd-boy,
despatched as a messenger, told
us that, - 'Maister Linton wer
just o' this side th' Heights:
and he'd be mitch obleeged to
us to gang
on a bit further.'
'Then Master Linton has forgot
the first injunction of his uncle,'
I observed: 'he bid us keep on
the Grange land, and here we
are off at once.'
'Well, we'll turn our horses'
heads round when we reach him,'
answered my companion; 'our excursion
shall lie towards home.'
But when we reached him, and
that was scarcely a quarter of
a mile from his own door, we
found he had no horse; and we
were forced to dismount, and
leave ours to graze. He lay on
the heath, awaiting our approach,
and did not rise till we came
within a few yards. Then he walked
so feebly, and looked so pale,
that I immediately exclaimed,
- 'Why, Master Heathcliff, you
are not fit for enjoying a ramble
this morning. How ill you do
look!'
Catherine surveyed him with
grief and astonishment: she changed
the ejaculation of joy on her
lips to one of alarm; and the
congratulation on their long-postponed
meeting to an anxious inquiry,
whether he were worse than usual?
'No - better - better!' he
panted, trembling, and retaining
her hand as if he needed its
support, while his large blue
eyes wandered timidly over her;
the hollowness round them transforming
to haggard wildness the languid
expression they once possessed.
'But you have been worse,'
persisted his cousin; 'worse
than when I saw you last; you
are thinner, and - '
'I'm tired,' he interrupted,
hurriedly. 'It is too hot for
walking, let us rest here. And,
in the morning, I often feel
sick - papa says I grow so fast.'
Badly satisfied, Cathy sat
down, and he reclined beside
her.
'This is something like your
paradise,' said she, making an
effort at cheerfulness. 'You
recollect the two days we agreed
to spend in the place and way
each thought pleasantest? This
is nearly yours, only there are
clouds; but then they are so
soft and mellow: it is nicer
than sunshine. Next week, if
you can, we'll ride down to the
Grange Park, and try mine.'
Linton did not appear to remember
what she talked of and he had
evidently great difficulty in
sustaining any kind of conversation.
His lack of interest in the subjects
she started, and his equal incapacity
to contribute to her entertainment,
were so obvious that she could
not conceal her disappointment.
An indefinite alteration had
come over his whole person and
manner. The pettishness that
might be caressed into fondness,
had yielded to a listless apathy;
there was less of the peevish
temper of a child which frets
and teases on purpose to be soothed,
and more of the self-absorbed
moroseness of a confirmed invalid,
repelling consolation, and ready
to regard the good-humoured mirth
of others as an insult. Catherine
perceived, as well as I did,
that he held it rather a punishment,
than a gratification, to endure
our company; and she made no
scruple of proposing, presently,
to depart. That proposal, unexpectedly,
roused Linton from his lethargy,
and threw him into a strange
state of agitation. He glanced
fearfully towards the Heights,
begging she would remain another
half-hour, at least.
'But I think,' said Cathy,
'you'd be more comfortable at
home than sitting here; and I
cannot amuse you to-day, I see,
by my tales, and songs, and chatter:
you have grown wiser than I,
in these six months; you have
little taste for my diversions
now: or else, if I could amuse
you, I'd willingly stay.'
'Stay to rest yourself,' he
replied. 'And, Catherine, don't
think or say that I'm VERY unwell:
it is the heavy weather and heat
that make me dull; and I walked
about, before you came, a great
deal for me. Tell uncle I'm in
tolerable health, will you?'
'I'll tell him that YOU say
so, Linton. I couldn't affirm
that you are,' observed my young
lady, wondering at his pertinacious
assertion of what was evidently
an untruth.
'And be here again next Thursday,'
continued he, shunning her puzzled
gaze. 'And give him my thanks
for permitting you to come -
my best thanks, Catherine. And
- and, if you DID meet my father,
and he asked you about me, don't
lead him to suppose that I've
been extremely silent and stupid:
don't look sad and downcast,
as you are doing - he'll be angry.'
'I care nothing for his anger,'
exclaimed Cathy, imagining she
would be its object.
'But I do,' said her cousin,
shuddering. 'DON'T provoke him
against me, Catherine, for he
is very hard.'
'Is he severe to you, Master
Heathcliff?' I inquired. 'Has
he grown weary of indulgence,
and passed from passive to active
hatred?'
Linton looked at me, but did
not answer; and, after keeping
her seat by his side another
ten minutes, during which his
head fell drowsily on his breast,
and he uttered nothing except
suppressed moans of exhaustion
or pain, Cathy began to seek
solace in looking for bilberries,
and sharing the produce of her
researches with me: she did not
offer them to him, for she saw
further notice would only weary
and annoy.
'Is it half-an-hour now, Ellen?'
she whispered in my ear, at last.
'I can't tell why we should stay.
He's asleep, and papa will be
wanting us back.'
'Well, we must not leave him
asleep,' I answered; 'wait till
lie wakes, and be patient. You
were mighty eager to set off,
but your longing to see poor
Linton has soon evaporated!'
'Why did HE wish to see me?'
returned Catherine. 'In his crossest
humours, formerly, I liked him
better than I do in his present
curious mood. It's just as if
it were a task he was compelled
to perform - this interview -
for fear his father should scold
him. But I'm hardly going to
come to give Mr. Heathcliff pleasure;
whatever reason he may have for
ordering Linton to undergo this
penance. And, though I'm glad
he's better in health, I'm sorry
he's so much less pleasant, and
so much less affectionate to
me.'
'You think HE IS better in
health, then?' I said.
'Yes,' she answered; 'because
he always made such a great deal
of his sufferings, you know.
He is not tolerably well, as
he told me to tell papa; but
he's better, very likely.'
'There you differ with me,
Miss Cathy,' I remarked; 'I should
conjecture him to be far worse.'
Linton here started from his
slumber in bewildered terror,
and asked if any one had called
his name.
'No,' said Catherine; 'unless
in dreams. I cannot conceive
how you manage to doze out of
doors, in the morning.'
'I thought I heard my father,'
he gasped, glancing up to the
frowning nab above us. 'You are
sure nobody spoke?'
'Quite sure,' replied his cousin.
'Only Ellen and I were disputing
concerning your health. Are you
truly stronger, Linton, than
when we separated in winter?
If you be, I'm certain one thing
is not stronger - your regard
for me: speak, - are you?'
The tears gushed from Linton's
eyes as he answered, 'Yes, yes,
I am!' And, still under the spell
of the imaginary voice, his gaze
wandered up and down to detect
its owner.
Cathy rose. 'For to-day we
must part,' she said. 'And I
won't conceal that I have been
sadly disappointed with our meeting;
though I'll mention it to nobody
but you: not that I stand in
awe of Mr. Heathcliff.'
'Hush,' murmured Linton; 'for
God's sake, hush! He's coming.'
And he clung to Catherine's arm,
striving to detain her; but at
that announcement she hastily
disengaged herself, and whistled
to Minny, who obeyed her like
a dog.
'I'll be here next Thursday,'
she cried, springing to the saddle.
'Good-bye. Quick, Ellen!'
And so we left him, scarcely
conscious of our departure, so
absorbed was he in anticipating
his father's approach.
Before we reached home, Catherine's
displeasure softened into a perplexed
sensation of pity and regret,
largely blended with vague, uneasy
doubts about Linton's actual
circumstances, physical and social:
in which I partook, though I
counselled her not to say much;
for a second journey would make
us better judges. My master requested
an account of our ongoings. His
nephew's offering of thanks was
duly delivered, Miss Cathy gently
touching on the rest: I also
threw little light on his inquiries,
for I hardly knew what to hide
and what to reveal.
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