1802. - 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 ostler
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, - 'Yon's
frough Gimmerton, nah! They're
allas three wick' after other
folk wi' ther harvest.'
'Gimmerton?' I repeated - my
residence in that locality had
already grown dim and dreamy.
'Ah! I know. How far is it from
this?'
'Happen fourteen mile o'er
th' hills; and a rough road,'
he answered.
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. Having
rested awhile, 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.
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 me to waste a month
among its solitudes. In winter
nothing more dreary, in summer
nothing more divine, than those
glens shut in by hills, and those
bluff, bold swells of heath.
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. I rode into
the court. Under the porch, a
girl of nine or ten sat knitting,
and an old woman reclined on
the housesteps, smoking a meditative
pipe.
'Is Mrs. Dean within?' I demanded
of the dame.
'Mistress Dean? Nay!' she answered,
'she doesn't bide here: shoo's
up at th' Heights.'
'Are you the housekeeper, then?'
I continued.
'Eea, aw keep th' hause,' she
replied.
'Well, I'm Mr. Lockwood, the
master. Are there any rooms to
lodge me in, I wonder? I wish
to stay all night.'
'T' maister!' she cried in
astonishment. 'Whet, whoiver
knew yah wur coming? Yah sud
ha' send word. They's nowt norther
dry nor mensful abaht t' place:
nowt there isn't!'
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,
I bade 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 bedroom to sleep in.
No sweeping and dusting, only
good fire and dry sheets were
necessary. She seemed willing
to do her best; though she thrust
the hearth-brush into the grates
in mistake for the poker, and
malappropriated several other
articles of her craft: but I
retired, confiding in her energy
for a resting-place against my
return. Wuthering Heights was
the goal of my proposed excursion.
An afterthought brought me back,
when I had quitted the court.
'All well at the Heights?'
I inquired of the woman.
'Eea, f'r owt ee knaw!' she
answered, skurrying away with
a pan of hot cinders.
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. 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. I had
neither to climb the gate nor
to knock - it yielded to my hand.
That is an improvement, I thought.
And I noticed another, by the
aid of my nostrils; a fragrance
of stocks and wallflowers wafted
on the air from amongst the homely
fruit- trees.
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 far from one of
the windows. 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.
'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!'
'Contrary, then,' answered
another, in deep but softened
tones. 'And now, kiss me, for
minding so well.'
'No, read it over first correctly,
without a single mistake.'
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. Its owner stood
behind; her light, shining ringlets
blending, at intervals, with
his brown looks, 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
besides staring at its smiting
beauty.
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 then; and
feeling very mean and malignant,
I skulked round to seek refuge
in the kitchen. 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.
'I'd rayther, by th' haulf,
hev' 'em swearing i' my lugs
fro'h morn to neeght, nor hearken
ye hahsiver!' said the tenant
of the kitchen, in answer to
an unheard speech of Nelly's.
'It's a blazing shame, that I
cannot oppen t' blessed Book,
but yah set up them glories to
sattan, and all t' flaysome wickednesses
that iver were born into th'
warld! Oh! ye're a raight nowt;
and shoo's another; and that
poor lad 'll be lost atween ye.
Poor lad!' he added, with a groan;
'he's witched: I'm sartin on't.
Oh, Lord, judge 'em, for there's
norther law nor justice among
wer rullers!'
'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.'
Mrs. Dean was about to recommence,
when I advanced; and recognising
me directly, she jumped to her
feet, crying - '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!'
'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.'
'Zillah left, and Mr. Heathcliff
wished me to come, soon after
you went to London, and stay
till you returned. But, step
in, pray! Have you walked from
Gimmerton this evening?'
'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.'
'What business, sir?' said
Nelly, conducting me into the
house. 'He's gone out at present,
and won't return soon.'
'About the rent,' I answered.
'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.'
I looked surprised.
'Ah! you have not heard of
Heathcliff's death, I see,' she
continued.
'Heathcliff dead!' I exclaimed,
astonished. 'How long ago?'
'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?'
'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?'
'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.'
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
followers at her time of life?
And then, to get them jocks out
o' t' maister's cellar! He fair
shaamed to 'bide still and see
it.'
She did not stay to retaliate,
but re-entered in a minute, bearing
a reaming silver pint, whose
contents I lauded with becoming
earnestness. And afterwards she
furnished me with the sequel
of Heathcliff's history. He had
a 'queer' end, as she expressed
it.
I was summoned to Wuthering
Heights, within a fortnight of
your leaving us, she said; and
I obeyed joyfully, for Catherine's
sake. 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. 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. 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. 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 behaviour, and became incapable
of letting him alone: 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.
'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!'
Then she looked at him; but
he would neither open his mouth
nor look again.
'He's, perhaps, dreaming now,'
she continued. 'He twitched his
shoulder as Juno twitches hers.
Ask him, Ellen.'
'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.
'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?'
'Were not you naughty?' I said;
'answer me that.'
'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!'
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.
'Well, I shall put it here,'
she said, 'in the table-drawer;
and I'm going to bed.'
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 indolence: her
conscience reproved her for frightening
him off improving himself: she
had done it effectually. But
her ingenuity was at work to
remedy the injury: while I ironed,
or pursued other such stationary
employments as 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.
Mr. Heathcliff, who grew more
and more disinclined to society,
had almost banished Earnshaw
from 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 fireside and tranquillity,
till he made it up again. 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.
On Easter Monday, Joseph went
to Gimmerton fair with some cattle;
and, in the afternoon, I was
busy getting up linen in the
kitchen. Earnshaw sat, morose
as usual, at the chimney 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.
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 - '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.'
Hareton returned no answer.
'Hareton, Hareton, Hareton!
do you hear?' she continued.
'Get off wi' ye!' he growled,
with uncompromising gruffness.
'Let me take that pipe,' she
said, cautiously advancing her
hand and abstracting it from
his mouth.
Before he could attempt to
recover it, it was broken, and
behind the fire. He swore at
her and seized another.
'Stop,' she cried, 'you must
listen to me first; and I can't
speak while those clouds are
floating in my face.'
'Will you go to the devil!'
he exclaimed, ferociously, 'and
let me be!'
'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.'
'I shall have naught to do
wi' you and your mucky pride,
and your damned mocking tricks!'
he answered. 'I'll go to hell,
body and soul, before I look
sideways after you again. Side
out o' t' gate, now, this minute!'
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.
'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.'
'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 good-will
any more.'
'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.'
'You're 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!'
'I didn't know you took my
part,' she answered, drying her
eyes; 'and I was miserable and
bitter at everybody; but now
I thank you, and beg you to forgive
me: what can I do besides?'
She returned to the hearth,
and frankly extended her hand.
He blackened and scowled like
a thunder-cloud, and kept his
fists resolutely clenched, and
his gaze fixed on the ground.
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 impressed
on his cheek a gentle kiss. The
little rogue thought I had not
seen her, and, drawing back,
she took her former station by
the window, quite demurely. I
shook my head reprovingly, and
then she blushed and whispered
- '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.'
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.
Catherine employed herself
in wrapping a handsome book neatly
in white paper, and having tied
it with a bit of ribbon, and
addressed it to 'Mr. Hareton
Earnshaw,' she desired me to
be her ambassadress, and convey
the present to its destined recipient.
'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.'
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.
'Say you forgive me, Hareton,
do. You can make me so happy
by speaking that little word.'
He muttered something inaudible.
'And you'll be my friend?'
added Catherine, interrogatively.
'Nay, you'll be ashamed of
me every day of your life,' he
answered; 'and the more ashamed,
the more you know me; and I cannot
bide it.'
'So you won't be my friend?'
she said, smiling as sweet as
honey, and creeping close up.
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.
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.
'Tak' these in to t' maister,
lad,' he said, 'and bide there.
I's gang up to my own rahm. This
hoile's neither mensful nor seemly
for us: we mun side out and seearch
another.'
'Come, Catherine,'
I said, 'we must "side out" too:
I've done my ironing. Are you
ready
to go?'
'It is not eight o'clock!'
she answered, rising unwillingly.
'Hareton, I'll leave this book
upon the chimney-piece, and I'll
bring some more to-morrow.'
'Ony books that yah leave,
I shall tak' into th' hahse,'
said Joseph, 'and it'll be mitch
if yah find 'em agean; soa, yah
may plase yerseln!'
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.
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.
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!
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