I\'llkillher,EllenDean,ifyoulethercomeintomysightagain!\'
Haretontried,underhisbreath,topersuadehertogo。
`Dragheraway!\'hecriedsavagely。`Areyoustayingtotalk?\'
Andheapproachedtoexecutehisowncommand。
`He\'llnotobeyyou,wickedman,anymore,\'saidCatherine;`andhe\'llsoondetestyouasmuchasIdo。\'
\"Wisht!wisht!\'mutteredtheyoungmanreproachfully。`Iwillnothearyouspeaksotohim。Havedone。\'
`Butyouwon\'tlethimstrikeme?\'shecried。`Come,then,\'hewhisperedearnestly。Itwastoolate:Heathcliffhadcaughtholdofher。
`Nowyougo!\'hesaidtoEarnshaw。`Accursedwitch!thistimeshehasprovokedmewhenIcouldnotbearit;andI\'llmakeherrepentitforever!\'
Hehadhishandinherhair;Haretonattemptedtoreleasethelocks,entreatinghimnottohurtherthatonce。Heathcliff\'sblackeyesflashed;heseemedreadytotearCatherineinpieces,andIwasjustworkeduptoriskcomingtotherescue,whenofasuddenhisfingersrelaxed;
heshiftedhisgraspfromherheadtoherarm,andgazedintentlyinherface。Thenhedrewhishandoverhiseyes,stoodamomenttocollecthimselfapparently,andturninganewtoCatherine,saidwithassumedcalmness:
`Youmustlearntoavoidputtingmeinapassion,orIshallreallymurderyousometime!GowithMrsDean,andkeepwithher;andconfineyourinsolencetoherears。AstoHaretonEarnshaw,ifIseehimlistentoyou,I\'llsendhimseekinghisbreadwherehecangetit!Yourlovewillmakehimanoutcastandabeggar。Nelly,takeher;andleavemeallofyou!Leaveme!\'
Iledmyyoungladyout:shewastoogladofherescapetoresist;
theotherfollowed,andMrHeathcliffhadtheroomtohimselftilldinner。
IhadcounselledCatherinetogethersupstairs;but,assoonasheperceivedhervacantseat,hesentmetocallher。Hespoketononeofus,ateverylittle,andwentoutdirectlyafterwards,intimatingthatheshouldnotreturnbeforeevening。
Thetwonewfriendsestablishedthemselvesinthehouseduringhisabsence;whenIheardHaretonsternlycheckhiscousin,onherofferingarevelationofherfather-in-law\'sconducttohisfather。Hesaidhewouldn\'tsufferawordtobeutteredtohim,inhisdisparagement:ifhewerethedevil,itdidn\'tsignify:hewouldstandbyhim;andhe\'drathershewouldabusehimself,assheusedto,thanbeginonMrHeathcliff。Catherinewaswaxingcrossatthis;buthefoundmeanstomakeherholdhertongue,byaskinghowshewouldlikehimtospeakillofherfather?andthenshecomprehendedthatEarnshawtookthemaster\'sreputationhometohimself;
andwasattachedbytiesstrongerthanreasoncouldbreak——chains,forgedbyhabit,whichitwouldbecrueltoattempttoloosen。Sheshowedagoodheart,thenceforth,inavoidingbothcomplaintsandexpressionsofantipathyconcerningHeathcliff;andconfessedtomehersorrowthatshehadendeavouredtoraiseabadspiritbetweenhimandHareton:indeed,Idon\'tbelieveshehaseverbreathedasyllable,inthelatter\'shearing,againstheroppressorsince。
`Whenthisslightdisagreementwasover,theywerethickagain,andasbusyaspossibleintheirseveraloccupationsofpupilandteacher。
Icameintositwiththem,afterIhaddonemywork;andIfeltsosoothedandcomfortedtowatchthem,thatIdidnotnoticehowtimegoton。Youknow,theybothappearedinameasuremychildren:Ihadlongbeenproudofone;andnow,Iwassure,theotherwouldbeasourceofequalsatisfaction。
Hishonest,warm,andintelligentnatureshookoffrapidlythecloudsofignoranceanddegradationinwhichithadbeenbred;andCatherine\'ssincerecommendationsactedasaspurtohisindustry。Hisbrighteningmindbrightenedhisfeatures,andaddedspiritandnobilitytotheiraspect:IcouldhardlyfancyitthesameindividualIhadbeheldonthedayIdiscoveredmylittleladyat`WutheringHeights,afterherexpeditiontotheCrags。`WhileI
admiredandtheylaboured,duskgrewon,andwithitreturnedthemaster。
Hecameuponusquiteunexpectedly,enteringbythefrontway,andhadafullviewofthewholethree,erewecouldraiseourheadstoglanceathim。Well,Ireflected,therewasneverapleasanter,ormoreharmlesssight;anditwillbeaburningshametoscoldthem。Theredfirelightglowedontheirtwobonnyheads,andrevealedtheirfacesanimatedwiththeeagerinterestofchildren;for,——thoughhewastwenty-threeandsheeighteen,eachhadsomuchofnoveltytofeelandlearn,thatneitherexperiencednorevincedthesentimentsofsoberdisenchantedmaturity。
Theyliftedtheireyestogether,toencounterMrHeathcliff:perhapsyouhaveneverremarkedthattheireyesarepreciselysimilar,andtheyarethoseofCatherineEarnshaw。ThepresentCatherinehasnootherlikenesstoher,exceptabreadthofforehead,andacertainarchofthenostrilthatmakesherappearratherhaughty,whethershewillornot。`WithHaretontheresemblanceiscarriedfurther:itissingularatalltimes,thenitwasparticularlystriking;becausehissenseswerealert,andhismentalfacultieswakenedtounwontedactivity。IsupposethisresemblancedisarmedMrHeathcliff:hewalkedtothehearthinevidentagitation;butitquicklysubsidedashelookedattheyoungman:or,Ishouldsay,altereditscharacter;
foritwasthereyet。Hetookthebookfromhishand,andglancedattheopenpage,thenreturneditwithoutanyobservation;merelysigningCatherineaway:hercompanionlingeredverylittlebehindher,andIwasabouttodepartalso,buthebidmesitstill。
`Itisapoorconclusion,isitnot?\'heobserved,havingbroodedawhileonthescenehehadjustwitnessed:`anabsurdterminationtomyviolentexertions?Igetleversandmattockstodemolishthetwohouses,andtrainmyselftobecapableofworkinglikeHercules,andwheneverythingisreadyandinmypower,Ifindthewilltoliftaslateoffeitherroofhasvanished!Myoldenemieshavenotbeatenme;nowwouldbetheprecisetimetorevengemyselfontheirrepresentatives:Icoulddoit;andnonecouldhinderme。Butwhereistheuse?Idon\'tcareforstriking;Ican\'ttakethetroubletoraisemyhand!ThatsoundsasifIhadbeenlabouringthewholetimeonlytoexhibitafinetraitofmagnanimity。Itisfarfrombeingthecase:Ihavelostthefacultyofenjoyingtheirdestruction,andIamtooidletodestroyfornothing。
`Nelly,thereisastrangechangeapproaching:I\'minitsshadowatpresent。Itakesolittleinterestinmydailylife,thatIhardlyremembertoeatanddrink。Thosetwowhohavelefttheroomaretheonlyobjectswhichretainadistinctmaterialappearancetome;andthatappearancecausesmepain,amountingtoagony。AboutherIwon\'tspeak;andIdon\'tdesiretothink;butIearnestlywishshewereinvisible:herpresenceinvokesonlymaddeningsensations。Hemovesmedifferently:andyetifIcoulddoitwithoutseeminginsane,I\'dneverseehimagain。You\'llperhapsthinkmeratherinclinedtobecomeso,\'headded,makinganefforttosmile,`ifItrytodescribethethousandformsofpastassociationsandideasheawakensorembodies。Butyou\'llnottalkofwhatItellyou;andmymindissoeternallysecludedinitself,itistemptingatlasttoturnitouttoanother。
`Fiveminutesago,Haretonseemedapersonificationofmyyouth,notahumanbeing:Ifelttohiminsuchavarietyofways,thatitwouldhavebeenimpossibletohaveaccostedhimrationally。Inthefirstplace,hisstartlinglikenesstoCatherineconnectedhimfearfullywithher。That,however,whichyoumaysupposethemostpotenttoarrestmyimagination,isactuallytheleast:forwhatisnotconnectedwithhertome?andwhatdoesnotrecallher?Icannotlookdowntothisfloor,butherfeaturesareshapedintheflags!Ineverycloud,ineverytree——fillingtheairatnight,andcaughtbyglimpsesineveryobjectbyday——Iamsurroundedwithherimage!Themostordinaryfacesofmenandwomen——myownfeatures——mockmewitharesemblance。Theentireworldisadreadfulcollectionofmemorandathatshedidexist,andthatIhavelosther!Well,Hareton\'saspectwastheghostofmyimmortallove;ofmywildendeavourstoholdmyright;
mydegradation,mypride,myhappiness,andmyanguish:
`Butitisfrenzytorepeatthesethoughtstoyou:onlyitwillletyouknowwhy,withareluctancetobealwaysalone,hissocietyisnobenefit;ratheranaggravationoftheconstanttormentIsuffer;anditpartlycontributestorendermeregardlesshowheandhiscousingoontogether。Icangivethemnoattention,anymore。
`Butwhatdoyoumeanbyachange,MrHeathcliff?\'Isaid,alarmedathismanner:thoughhewasneitherindangeroflosinghissenses,nordying,accordingtomyjudgment;hewasquitestrongandhealthy:and,astohisreason,fromchildhoodhehadadelightindwellingondarkthings,andentertainingoddfancies。Hemighthavehadamonomaniaonthesubjectofhisdepartedidol;butoneveryotherpointhiswitswereassoundasmine。
`Ishallnotknowthattillitcomes,\'hesaid,`I\'monlyhalfconsciousofitnow。
`Youhavenofeelingsofillness,haveyou?\'Iasked。
`No,Nelly,Ihavenot,\'heanswered。
`Thenyouarenotafraidofdeath?\'Ipursued。
`Afraid?No!\'hereplied。`Ihaveneitherafear,norapresentiment,norahopeofdeath。WhyshouldI?`Withmyhardconstitutionandtemperatemodeofliving,andunperilousoccupations,Ioughtto,andprobablyshall,remainabovegroundtillthereisscarcelyablackhaironmyhead。AndyetIcannotcontinueinthiscondition!Ihavetoremindmyselftobreathe——almosttoremindmyhearttobeat!Anditislikebendingbackastiffspring;
itisbycompulsionthatIdotheslightestactnotpromptedbyonethought;
andbycompulsionthatInoticeanythingaliveordead,whichisnotassociatedwithoneuniversalidea。Ihaveasinglewish,andmywholebeingandfacultiesareyearningtoattainIt。Theyhaveyearnedtowardsitsolong,andsounwaveringly,thatI\'mconvinceditwillbereached——andsoon——becauseithasdevouredmyexistence:Iamswallowedupintheanticipationofitsfulfilment。Myconfessionshavenotrelievedme;buttheymayaccountforsomeotherwiseunaccountablephasesofhumourwhichIshow。OGod!
Itisalongfight,Iwishitwereover!\'
Hebegantopacetheroom,mutteringterriblethingstohimself,tillIwasinclinedtobelieve,ashesaidJosephdid,thatconsciencehadturnedhishearttoanearthlyhell。Iwonderedgreatlyhowitwouldend。Thoughheseldombeforehadrevealedthisstateofmind,evenbylooks,itwashishabitualmood,Ihadnodoubt:heassertedithimself;butnotasoul,fromhisgeneralbearing,wouldhaveconjecturedthefact。Youdidnotwhenyousawhim,MrLockwood:andattheperiodofwhichIspeakhewasjustthesameasthen;onlyfonderofcontinuedsolitude,andperhapsstillmorelaconicincompany。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]WutheringHeights[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter34Forsomedaysafterthatevening,MrHeathcliffshunnedmeetingusatmeals;
yethewouldnotconsentformallytoexcludeHaretonandCathy。Hehadanaversiontoyieldingsocompletelytohisfeelings,choosingrathertoabsenthimself;andeatingonceintwenty-fourhoursseemedsufficientsustenanceforhim。
Onenight,afterthefamilywereinbed,Iheardhimgodownstairs,andoutatthefrontdoor。Ididnothearhimre-enter,andinthemorningIfoundhewasstillaway。WewereinAprilthen:theweatherwassweetandwarm,thegrassasgreenasshowersandsuncouldmakeit,andthetwodwarfappletreesnearthesouthernwallinfullbloom。Afterbreakfast,Catherineinsistedonmybringingachairandsittingwithmyworkunderthefirtreesattheendofthehouse;andshebeguiledHareton,whohadperfectlyrecoveredfromhisaccident,todigandarrangeherlittlegarden,whichwasshiftedtothatcornerbytheinfluenceofJoseph\'scomplaints。
Iwascomfortablyrevellinginthespringfragrancearound,andthebeautifulsoftblueoverhead,whenmyyounglady,whohadrundownnearthegatetoprocuresomeprimroserootsforaborder,returnedonlyhalfladen,andinformedusthatMrHeathcliffwascomingin。`Andhespoketome,\'
sheadded,withaperplexedcountenance。
\"Whatdidhesay?\'askedHareton。
`HetoldmetobegoneasfastasIcould,\'sheanswered。`ButhelookedsodifferentfromhisusuallookthatIstoppedamomenttostareathim。\'
`How?\'heinquired。
`Why,almostbrightandcheerful。No,almostnothing——verymuchexcited,andwildandglad!\'shereplied。
`Nightwalkingamuseshim,then,\'Iremarked,affectingacarelessmanner:inrealityassurprisedasshewas,andanxioustoascertainthetruthofherstatement;fortoseethemasterlookinggladwouldnotbeaneverydayspectacle。Iframedanexcusetogoin。Heathcliffstoodattheopendoor,hewaspale,andhetrembled:yet,certainly,hehadastrange,joyfulglitterinhiseyes,thatalteredtheaspectofhiswholeface。
`Willyouhavesomebreakfast?\'Isaid。`Youmustbehungry,ramblingaboutallnight!\'Iwantedtodiscoverwherehehadbeen,butIdidnotliketoaskdirectly。
`No,I\'mnothungry,\'heanswered,avertinghishead,andspeakingrathercontemptuously,asifheguessedIwastryingtodivinetheoccasionofhisgoodhumour。
Ifeltperplexed:Ididn\'tknowwhetheritwerenotaproperopportunitytoofferabitofadmonition。
`Idon\'tthinkitrighttowanderoutofdoors,\'Iobserved,`insteadofbeinginbed:itisnotwise,atanyrate,thismoistseason。Idaresayyou\'llcatchabadcold,orafever:youhavesomethingthematterwithyounow!\'
`NothingbutwhatIcanbear,\'hereplied;`andwiththegreatestpleasure,providedyou\'llleavemealone;getin,anddon\'tannoyme。\'
Iobeyed:and,inpassing,Inoticedhebreathedasfastasacat。
`Yes!\'Ireflectedtomyself,`weshallhaveafitofillness。
Icannotconceivewhathehasbeendoing。\'
Thatnoonhesatdowntodinnerwithus,andreceivedaheaped-upplatefrommyhands,asifheintendedtomakeamendsforpreviousfasting。
`I\'veneithercoldnorfever,Nelly,\'heremarked,inallusiontomymorning\'sspeech;`andI\'mreadytodojusticetothefoodyougiveme。
Hetookhisknifeandfork,andwasgoingtocommenceeating,whentheinclinationappearedtobecomesuddenlyextinct。Helaidthemonthetable,lookedeagerlytowardsthewindow,thenroseandwentout。
`Wesawhimwalkingtoandfrointhegardenwhileweconcludedourmeal,andEarnshawsaidhe\'dgoandaskwhyhewouldnotdine:hethoughtwehadgrievedhimsomeway。
`Well,ishecoming?\'criedCatherine,whenhercousinreturned。
`Nay,\'heanswered;`buthe\'snotangry:heseemedrareandpleasedindeed;onlyImadehimimpatientbyspeakingtohimtwice;andthenhebidmebeofftoyou:hewonderedhowIcouldwantthecompanyofanybodyelse。\'
Isethisplatetokeepwarmonthefender;andafteranhourortwohere-entered,whentheroomwasclear,innodegreecalmer:thesameunnatural——itwasunnatural——appearanceofjoyunderhisblackbrows;
thesamebloodlesshue,andhisteethvisible,nowandthen,inakindofsmile;hisframeshivering,notasoneshiverswithchillorweakness,butasatight-stretchedcordvibrates——astrongthrilling,ratherthantrembling。
Iwillaskwhatisthematter,Ithought;orwhoshould?AndI
exclaimed:
`Haveyouheardanygoodnews,MrHeathcliff?Youlookuncommonlyanimated。\'
`Whereshouldgoodnewscomefromtome?\'hesaid。`I\'manimatedwithhunger;and,seemingly,Imustnoteat。\'
`Yourdinnerishere,\'Ireturned;`whywon\'tyougetit?\'
`Idon\'twantitnow;\'hemutteredhastily;`I\'llwaittillsupper。
And,Nelly,onceforall,letmebegyoutowarnHaretonandtheotherawayfromme。Iwishtobetroubledbynobody:Iwishtohavethisplacetomyself。\'
`Istheresomenewreasonforthisbanishment?\'Iinquired。`Tellmewhyyouaresoqueer,MrHeathcliff?`Wherewereyoulastnight?I\'mnotputtingthequestionthroughidlecuriosity,but——\'
`Youareputtingthequestionthroughveryidlecuriosity,\'heinterrupted,withalaugh。`YetI\'llanswerit。LastnightIwasonthethresholdofhell。Today,Iamwithinsightofmyheaven。Ihavemyeyesonit:hardlythreefeettoseverme!Andnowyou\'dbettergo!You\'llneitherseenorhearanythingtofrightenyou,ifyourefrainfromprying。\'
Havingsweptthehearthandwipedthetable,Ideparted;moreperplexedthanever。
Hedidnotquitthehouseagainthatafternoon,andnooneintrudedonhissolitude;till,ateighto\'clock,Ideemeditproper,thoughunsummoned,tocarryacandleandhissuppertohim。Hewasleaningagainsttheledgeofanopenlattice,butnotlookingout:hisfacewasturnedtotheinteriorgloom。Thefirehadsmoulderedtoashes;theroomwasfilledwiththedamp,mildairofthecloudyevening;andsostill,thatnotonlythemurmurofthebeckdownGimmertonwasdistinguishable,butitsripplesanditsgurglingoverthepebbles,orthroughthelargestoneswhichitcouldnotcover。Iutteredanejaculationofdiscontentatseeingthedismalgrate,andcommencedshuttingthecasements,oneafteranother,tillIcametohis。
`MustIclosethis?\'Iasked,inordertorousehim;forhewouldnotstir。
ThelightflashedonhisfeaturesasIspoke。Oh,MrLockwood,IcannotexpresswhataterriblestartIgotbythemomentaryview!Thosedeepblackeyes!Thatsmile,andghastlypaleness!Itappearedtome,notMrHeathcliff,butagoblin;and,inmyterror,Iletthecandlebendtowardsthewall,anditleftmeindarkness。
`Yes,closeit,\'hereplied,inhisfamiliarvoice。`There,thatispureawkwardness!Whydidyouholdthecandlehorizontally?Bequick,andbringanother。\'
Ihurriedoutinafoolishstateofdread,andsaidtoJoseph:
`Themasterwishesyoutotakehimalightandrekindlethefire。\'
ForIdarenotgoinmyselfagainjustthen。
Josephrattledsomefireintotheshovel,andwent;buthebroughtitbackimmediately,withthesuppertrayinhisotherhand,explainingthatMrHeathcliffwasgoingtobed,andhewantednothingtoeattillmorning。Weheardhimmountthestairsdirectly;hedidnotproceedtohisordinarychamber,butturnedintothatwiththepanelledbed:itswindow,asImentionedbefore,iswideenoughforanybodytogetthrough;anditstruckmethatheplottedanothermidnightexcursion,ofwhichhehadratherwehadnosuspicion。
`Isheaghouloravampire?\'Imused。Ihadreadofsuchhideousincarnatedemons。AndthenIsetmyselftoreflecthowIhadtendedhimininfancy,andwatchedhimgrowtoyouth,andfollowedhimalmostthroughhiswholecourse;andwhatabsurdnonsenseitwastoyieldtothatsenseofhorror。`Butwheredidhecomefrom,thelittledarkthing,harbouredbyagoodmantohisbane?\'mutteredSuperstition,asIdozedintounconsciousness。
AndIbegan,halfdreaming,towearymyselfwithimaginingsomefitparentageforhim;and,repeatingmywakingmeditations,Itrackedhisexistenceoveragain,withgrimvariations;atlast,picturinghisdeathandfuneral:
ofwhich,allIcanrememberis,beingexceedinglyvexedathavingthetaskofdictatinganinscriptionforhismonument,andconsultingthesextonaboutit;and,ashehadnosurname,andwecouldnot`tellhisage,wewereobligedtocontentourselveswiththesingleword,`Heathcliff\'。Thatcametrue:wewere。Ifyouenterthekirkyard,you\'llreadonhisheadstone,onlythat,andthedateofhisdeath。
Dawnrestoredmetocommonsense。Irose,andwentintothegarden,assoonasIcouldsee,toascertainiftherewereanyfootmarksunderhiswindow。Therewerenone。`Hehasstayedathome~ought,`andhe\'llbeallrighttoday。\'Ipreparedbreakfastforthehousehold,aswasmyusualcustom,buttoldHaretonandCatherinetogettheirserethemastercamedown,forhelaylate。Theypreferredtakingitoutofdoors,underthetrees,andIsetalittletabletoaccommodatethem。
Onmyre-entrance,IfoundMrHeathcliffbelow。HeandJosephwereconversingaboutsomefarmingbusiness;hegaveclear,minutedirectionsconcerningthematterdiscussed,buthespokerapidly,andturnedhisheadcontinuallyaside,andhadthesameexcitedexpression,evenmoreexaggerated。
`WhenJosephquittedtheroomhetookhisseatintheplacehegenerallychose,andIputabasinofcoffeebeforehim。Hedrewitnearer,andthenrestedhisarmsonthetable,andlookedattheoppositewall,asIsupposed,surveyingoneparticularportion,upanddown,withglittering,restlesseyes,andwithsucheagerinterestthathestoppedbreathingduringhalfaminutetogether。
`Comenow,Iexclaimed,pushingsomebreadagainsthishand,`eatanddrinkthat,whileitishot:ithasbeenwaitingnearanhour。\'
Hedidn\'tnoticeme,andyethesmiled。I\'dratherhaveseenhimgnashhisteeththansmileso。
`MrHeathcliff!master!\'Icried,`don\'t,forGod\'ssake,stareasifyousawanunearthlyvision。\'
`Don\'t,forGod\'ssake,shoutsoloud,\'hereplied。`Turnround,andtellme,arewebyourselves?\'
`Ofcourse,\'wasmyanswer;`ofcourseweare。\'
StillIinvoluntarilyobeyedhim,asifIwerenotquitesure。
`Withasweepofhishandheclearedavacantspaceinfrontamongthebreakfastthings,andleantforwardtogazemoreathisease。
Now,Iperceivedhewasnotlookingatthewall;forwhenIregardedhimalone,itseemedexactlythathegazedatsomethingwithintwoyards\'
distance。Andwhateveritwas,itcommunicated,apparently,bothpleasureandpaininexquisiteextremes:atleasttheanguished,yetraptured,expressionofhiscountenancesuggestedthatidea。Thefanciedobjectwasnotfixed:
eitherhiseyespursueditwithunwearieddiligence,and,eveninspeakingtome,wereneverweanedaway。Ivainlyremindedhimofhisprotractedabstinencefromfood:ifhestirredtotouchanythingincompliancewithmyentreaties,ifhestretchedhishandouttogetapieceofbread,hisfingersclenchedbeforetheyreachedit,andremainedonthetable,forgetfuloftheiraim。
Isat,amodelofpatience,tryingtoattracthisabsorbedattentionfromitsengrossingspeculation;tillhegrewirritable,andgot——up,askingwhyIwouldnotallowhimtohavehisowntimeintakinghismeals?andsayingthatonthenextoccasion,Ineedn\'twait:Imightsetthethingsdownandgo。Havingutteredthesewordsheleftthehouse,slowlysauntereddownthegardenpath,anddisappearedthroughthegate。
Thehourscreptanxiouslyby:anothereveningcame。Ididnotretiretoresttilllate,andwhenIdid,Icouldnotsleep。Hereturnedaftermidnight,and,insteadofgoingtobed,shuthimselfintotheroombeneath。Ilistened,andtossedabout,and,finally,dressedanddescended。
Itwastooirksometolieupthere,harassingmybrainwithahundredidlemisgivings。
IdistinguishedMrHeathcliff\'sstep,restlesslymeasuringthefloor,andhefrequentlybrokethesilencebyadeepinspiration,resemblingagroan。Hemuttereddetachedwordsalso;theonlyoneIcouldcatchwasthenameofCatherine,coupledwithsomewildtermofendearmentorsuffering;
andspokenasonewouldspeaktoapersonpresent:lowandearnest,andwrungfromthedepthofhissoul。Ihadnotcouragetowalkstraightintotheapartment;butIdesiredtodiverthimfromhisreverie,andthereforefellfoulofthekitchenfire,stirredit,andbegantoscrapethecinders。
ItdrewhimforthsoonerthanIexpected。Heopenedthedoorimmediately,andsaid:
`Nelly,comehere——isitmorning?Comeinwithyourlight。\'
`Itisstrikingfour,\'Ianswered。`Youwantacandletotakeupstairs:youmighthavelitoneatthisfire。\'
`No,Idon\'twishtogoupstairs,\'hesaid。`Comein,andkindlemeafire,anddoanythingthereistodoabouttheroom。\'
`Imustblowthecoalsredfirst,beforeIcancarryany,\'Ireplied,gettingachairandthebellows。
Heroamedtoandfro,meantime,inastateapproachingdistraction;
hisheavysighssucceedingeachothersothickastoleavenospaceforcommonbreathingbetween。
\"WhendaybreaksI\'llsendforGreen,\'hesaid;`IwishtomakesomelegalinquiriesofhimwhileIcanbestowathoughtonthosematters,andwhileIcanactcalmly。Ihavenotwrittenmywillyet;andhowtoleavemypropertyIcannotdetermine。IwishIcouldannihilateitfromthefaceoftheearth。\'
`Iwouldnottalkso,MrHeathcliff,\'Iinterposed。`Letyourwillbeawhile:you\'llbesparedtorepentofyourmanyinjusticesyet。
Ineverexpectedthatyournerveswouldbedisordered:theyare,atpresent,marvellouslyso,however;andalmostentirelythroughyourownfault。Thewayyou\'vepassedthesethreelastdaysmightknockupaTitan。Dotakesomefood,andsomerepose。Youneedonlylookatyourselfinaglasstoseehowyourequireboth。Yourcheeksarehollow,andyoureyesbloodshot,likeapersonstarvingwithhungerandgoingblindwithlossofsleep。\'
`ItisnotmyfaultthatIcannoteatorrest,\'hereplied。`I
assureyouitisthroughnosettleddesigns。I\'lldobothassoonasI
possiblycan。Butyoumightaswellbidamanstrugglinginthewaterrestwithinarm\'slengthoftheshore!Imustreachitfirst,andthenI\'llrest。Well,nevermindMrGreen:astorepentingofmyinjustices,I\'vedonenoinjustice,andIrepentofnothing。I\'mtoohappy;andyetI\'mnothappyenough。Mysoul\'sblisskillsmybody,butdoesnotsatisfyitself。\'
`Happy,master?\'Icried。`Strangehappiness!Ifyouwouldhearmewithoutbeingangry,Imightoffersomeadvicethatwouldmakeyouhappier。
\"Whatisthat?\'heasked。`Giveit。\'
`Youareaware,MrHeathcliff,\'Isaid,`thatfromthetimeyouwerethirteenyearsold,youhavelivedaselfish,unchristianlife;andprobablyhardlyhadaBibleinyourhandsduringallthatperiod。Youmusthaveforgottenthecontentsofthebook,andyoumaynothavespacetosearchitnow。Coulditbehurtfultosendforsomeone——someministerofanydenomination,itdoesnotmatterwhich——toexplainit,andshowyouhowveryfaryouhaveerredfromitsprecepts;andhowunfityouwillbeforitsheaven,unlessachangetakesplace`beforeyoudie?\'
`I\'mratherobligedthanangry,Nelly,\'hesaid,`foryouremindmeofthemannerthatIdesiretobeburiedin。Itistobecarriedtothechurchyardintheevening。YouandHaretonmay,ifyouplease,accompanyme:andmind,particularly,tonoticethatthesextonobeysmydirectionsconcerningthetwocoffins!Noministerneedcome;norneedanythingbesaidoverme——ItellyouIhavenearlyattainedmyheaven;andthatofothersisaltogetherunvaluedanduncoveredbyme。
`Andsupposingyouperseveredinyourobstinatefast,anddiedbythatmeans,andtheyrefusedtoburyyouintheprecinctsofthekirk?\'
Isaid,shockedathisgodlessindifference。`Howwouldyoulikeit?\'
`Theywon\'tdothat,\'hereplied:`iftheydid,youmusthavemeremovedsecretly:andifyouneglectityoushallprove,practically,thatthedeadarenotannihilated!\'
Assoonasheheardtheothermembersofthefamilystirringheretiredtohisden,andIbreathedfreer。Butintheafternoon,whileJosephandHaretonwereattheirwork,hecameintothekitchenagain,and,withawildlook,bidmecomeandsitinthehouse:hewantedsomebodywithhim。Ideclined:tellinghimplainlythathisstrangetalkandmannerfrightenedme,andIhadneitherthenervenorthewilltobehiscompanionalone。
`Ibelieveyouthinkmeafiend,\'hesaid,withhisdismallaugh:
somethingtoohorribletoliveunderadecentroof。\'ThenturningtoCatherine,whowasthere,andwhodrewbehindmeathisapproach,headded,halfsneeringly——`Willyoucome,chuck?I\'llnothurtyou。No!toyouI\'vemademyselfworsethanthedevil。Well,thereisonewhowon\'tshrinkfrommycompany!ByGod!she\'srelentless。Oh,damnit!It\'sunutterablytoomuchforfleshandbloodtobear——evenmine。\'
Hesolicitedthesocietyofnoonemore。Atdusk,hewentintohischamber。Throughthewholenight,andfarintothemorning,weheardhimgroaningandmurmuringtohimself。Haretonwasanxioustoenter;butIbadehimfetchMrKenneth,andheshouldgoinandseehim。Whenhecame,andIrequestedadmittanceandtriedtoopenthedoor,Ifounditlocked;
andHeathcliffbidusbedamned。Hewasbetter,andwouldbeleftalone;
sothedoctorwentaway。
Thefollowingeveningwasverywet:indeeditpoureddowntillday-dawn;and,asItookmymorningwalkroundthehouse,Iobservedthemaster\'swindowswingingopen,andtheraindrivingstraightin。Hecannotbeinbed,Ithought:thoseshowerswoulddrenchhimthrough。Hemusteitherbeuporout。ButI\'llmakenomoreado,I\'llgoboldlyandlook。
Havingsucceededinobtainingentrancewithanotherkey,Irantounclosethepanels,forthechamberwasvacant;quicklypushingthemaside,Ipeepedin。MrHeathcliffwasthere——laidonhisback。Hiseyesmetminesokeenandfierce,Istarted;andthenheseemedtosmile。I
couldnotthinkhimdead:buthisfaceandthroatwerewashedwithrain;
thebedclothesdripped,andhewas~perfectlystill。Thelattice,flappingtoandfro,hadgrazedonehandthatrestedonthesill;nobloodtrickledfromthebrokenskin,andwhenIputmyfingerstoit,Icoulddoubtnomore:hewasdeadandstark!
Ihaspedthewindow;Icombedhisblacklonghairfromhisforehead;
Itriedtoclosehiseyes:toextinguish,ifpossible,thatfrightful,lifelikegazeofexultationbeforeanyoneelsebeheldit。Theywouldnotshut:theyseemedtosneeratmyattempts:andhispartedlipsandsharpwhiteteethsneeredtoo!Takenwithanotherfitofcowardice,IcriedoutforJoseph。Josephshuffledupandmadeanoise;butresolutelyrefusedtomeddlewithhim。
`Th\'divil\'sharriedoffhissoul,\'hecried,`andhemuhhevhiscarcassintuht\'bargain,forow\'tAwcare!Ech!whatawickedunhelooksgirningatdeath!\'andtheoldsinnergrinnedinmockery。Ithoughtheintendedtocutacaperroundthebed;but,suddenlycomposinghimself,hefellonhisknees,andraisedhishands,andreturnedthanksthatthelawfulmasterandtheancientstockwererestoredtotheirrights。
Ifeltstunnedbytheawfulevent;andmymemoryunavoidablyrecurredtoformertimeswithasortofoppressivesadness。ButpoorHareton,themostwronged,wastheonlyonethatreallysufferedmuch。Hesatbythecorpseallnight,weepinginbitterearnest。Hepresseditshand,andkissedthesarcasticsavagefacethateveryoneelseshrankfromcontemplating;
andbemoanedhimwiththatstronggriefwhichspringsnaturallyfromagenerousheart,thoughitbetoughastemperedsteel。
MrKennethwasperplexedtopronounceofwhatdisorderthemasterdied。Iconcealedthefactofhishavingswallowednothingforfourdays,fearingitmightleadtotrouble,andthen,Iampersuaded,hedidnotabstainonpurpose:itwastheconsequenceofhisstrangeillness,notthecause。
`Weburiedhim,tothescandalofthewholeneighbourhood,ashewished。EarnshawandI,thesexton,andsixmentocarrythecoffin,comprehendedthewholeattendance。Thesixmendepartedwhentheyhadletitdownintothegrave:westayedtoseeitcovered。Hareton,withastreamingface,duggreensods,andlaidthemoverthebrownmouldhimself:atpresentitisassmoothandverdantasitscompanionmounds——andIhopeitstenantsleepsassoundly。Butthecountryfolk,ifyouaskthem,wouldswearontheBiblethathewalks:therearethosewhospeaktohavingmethimnearthechurch,andonthemoor,andeveninthishouse。Idletales,you\'llsay,andsosayI。Yetthatoldmanbythekitchenfireaffirmshehasseentwoon`em,lookingoutofhischamberwindow,oneveryrainynightsincehisdeath:andanoddthinghappenedtomeaboutamonthago。
IwasgoingtotheGrangeoneevening——adarkevening,threateningthunder——and,justattheturnoftheHeights,Iencounteredalittleboywithasheepandtwolambsbeforehim;hewascryingterribly;andIsupposedthelambswereskittish,andwouldnotbeguided。
\"What\'sthematter,mylittleman?\'Iasked。
`There\'sHeathcliffandawoman,yonder,undert\'nab,\'heblubbered,`un\'Idarnutpass`em。\'
Isawnothing;butneitherthesheepnorhewouldgoon;soI
bidhimtaketheroadlowerdown。Heprobablyraisedthephantomsfromthinking,ashetraversedthemoorsalone,onthenonsensehehadheardhisparentsandcompanionsrepeat。Yet,still,Idon\'tlikebeingoutinthedarknow;andIdon\'tlikebeingleftbymyselfinthisgrimhouse:
Icannothelpit;Ishallbegladwhentheyleaveit,andshifttotheGrange。
`TheyaregoingtotheGrange,then,\'Isaid。
`Yes,\'answeredMrsDean,`issoonastheyaremarried,andthatwillbeonNewYear\'sDay。\'
`Andwhowilllivehere,then?\'
`Why,Josephwilltakecareofthehouse,and,perhaps,aladtokeephimcompany。Theywillliveinthekitchen,andtherestwillbeshutup。\'
`Fortheuseofsuchghostsaschoosetoinhabitit,\'Iobserved。
`No,MrLockwood,\'saidNelly,shakingherhead。`Ibelievethedeadareatpeace:butitisnotrighttospeakofthemwithlevity。\'
Atthatmomentthegardengateswungto;theramblerswerereturning。
`Theyareafraidofnothing,\'Igrumbled,watchingtheirapproachthroughthewindow。`TogethertheywouldbraveSatanandallhislegions。\'
Astheysteppedontothedoorstones,andhaltedtotakealastlookatthemoon——or,morecorrectly,ateachotherbyherlight——Ifeltirresistiblyimpelledtoescapethemagain;and,pressingaremembranceintothehandofMrsDean,anddisregardingherexpostulationsatmyrudeness,Ivanishedthroughthekitchenastheyopenedthehouse-door;andsoshouldhaveconfirmedJosephinhisopinionofhisfellow-servant\'sgayindiscretions,hadhenotfortunatelyrecognizedmeforarespectablecharacterbythesweetringofasovereignathisfeet。
Mywalkhomewaslengthenedbyadiversioninthedirectionofthekirk。`Whenbeneathitswalls,Iperceiveddecayhadmadeprogress,eveninsevenmonths:manyawindowshowedblackgapsdeprivedofglass;
andslatesjuttedoff,hereandthere,beyondtherightlineoftheroof,tobegraduallyworkedoffincomingautumnstorms。
Isought,andsoondiscovered,thethreeheadstonesontheslopenextthemoor:themiddleonegrey,andhalfburiedinheath:EdgarLinton\'sonlyharmonizedbytheturfandmosscreepingupitsfoot:Heathcliff\'sstillbare。
Ilingeredroundthem,underthatbenignsky;watchedthemothsflutteringamongtheheathandharebells,listenedtothesoftwindbreathingthroughthegrass,andwonderedhowanyonecouldeverimagineunquietslumbersforthesleepersinthatquietearth。