Wuthering Heights

Chapter 33

"What are you talking about?" Zira asked. "That's not a story he made up, that's what the village people say, that you got lost in the moor, and I called Earnshaw as soon as I came in—

"'Well, strange things have happened since I was gone, Mr. Hareton. What a pity that pretty young girl and that talkative Nelly Dean are.''

"He stared. I thought he hadn't heard, so I repeated the rumor to him."

"The master was listening, he just smiled to himself and said:

"'If they were in the moor, they're out now, Zilla. Nelly Dean's in your room right now. You can tell her to run away when you go upstairs, and here's the key. The muddy water Poured into her head, she could have run home fast, but I'll keep her till she comes to her senses. You can tell her to go to the Grange at once, if she can, take a message for me, Just say that her young lady will arrive soon, in time for the squire's funeral."'

"Mr. Edgar's not dead?" I gasped. "Oh! Zilla! Zilla!"

"No, no, sit down, my good lady," she answered. "He's still sick. He's not dead. Dr. Kenneth thinks he'll make it through another day. I bumped into him on the road and asked him."

Instead of sitting down, I grabbed my coat and hat and hurried downstairs, for the way was clear.

Once in the hall, I looked around for news of Catherine.

The room was full of sunlight, the door was open, but there seemed to be no one in sight.

I was hesitating whether to leave immediately, or run back to find my mistress, when a low cough drew my attention to the fireplace.

Linton was lying on the high-backed chair, occupying the room to himself, and was sucking a lollipop. His cold eyes followed my movements, "Where is Miss Catherine?" I asked sternly, thinking that since I bumped into He's single-handed, or it might scare him into spewing out the news.

He continued to suck on the lollipop, as if he didn't know it.

"Is she gone?" I asked.

"No," he replied. "She's upstairs, she didn't leave, we won't let her go."

"You won't let her go, little idiot," I yelled. "Show me her room right now, or I'll make you scream." "

"Papa will make you scream if you dare go there," he replied. "He said I couldn't be weak with Catherine. She's my wife, and it would be a disgrace for her to want to leave me! He said she hated me and would have me die so she could have my money. But she couldn't , she can't go home! Forever! She can go cry and get sick as she likes!"

He returned to his previous movements and closed his eyes as if going to sleep.

"Master Heathcliff!" I said again, "Have you forgotten all the benefits Catherine has done to you? Last winter, when you kept saying that you loved her, she brought books with you and sang to you. The first time I came to see you in the wind and snow! If you miss a night, she will cry, lest you will be disappointed. At that time, you thought she was a hundred times better than you, but now you believe your father's lies, although you Knowing that he hates you both! You've joined him against her. That's very grateful, isn't it?"

The corners of Linton's mouth drooped, and he took the lollipop from between his lips.

"She came to Wuthering Heights because she hated you?" I went on. "Think about it for yourself! When it comes to your money, she doesn't even know if you have it. You say she's sick, but you leave her upstairs alone in a strange house. You, who have tasted being cast aside! You could have pitied your own misery, and she pitied you, but you would not pity hers! I am weeping, Master Heathcliff, You see, an old woman, but a servant, and you, pretending to be so affectionate, have every reason to adore her, and then you lay there with your tears in your eyes. Ah! you are heartless! Yes, selfish child!"

"I can't stay with her," he replied oddly. "I don't want to be alone. She's crying so hard I can't bear it. She won't stop, and I say I'll call my father, but it's no use. I did call him once, and he threatened her by saying, If she couldn't keep her mouth shut, she was strangled, but as soon as he came out of the room, she burst into tears again. Moaned and moaned all night, and I couldn't sleep, and screamed with boredom, but it was no use."

"Has Mr. Heathcliff gone?" I asked, seeing that the poor thing had no heart for his cousin.

"He's in the yard," he replied. "Talking to Dr. Kenneth. Kenneth said, Uncle is really going to die after all. I'm glad, because after him, I'm the owner of Thrushcross Grange. Catherine always talks about the Grange as if it was her home." Like. It ain't hers! It's mine-- Papa says everything she owns is mine. Her pretty books are all mine. She says if I could get the key to our room, Let her out, and she gave me the books, and her beautiful birds, and her little Mamini, and I told her she had nothing to give, because they were all, all mine. And she Then wept, and took a little photograph from her neck, and said to give it to me, it was two photographs in a gold frame, one of her mother, the other of her uncle, their young Time. That was yesterday. I said they were mine too and tried to grab them. The nasty thing wouldn't say yes and she pushed me away and hurt me. I screamed and that scared her again Yes--she heard papa coming, and broke the hinges, unwrapped the frame, and gave me her mother's photograph. The other half she tried to hide. But papa asked what was the matter, and I told the truth. He took half of my hand and told her to give me hers. She refused, and he, he knocked her down: on the ground, tore it from the necklace, and crushed it with his foot."

"Are you happy to see her being beaten?" I asked, trying to elicit his words.

"I blinked," he answered. "I saw my father blink when he beat dogs and horses, and he beat so hard. But I was glad at first, and she deserved punishment for pushing me. But papa went away." Finally, she called me to the window, and showed me that the inside of her cheek was busted, that she had been hit by a tooth, and that her mouth was full of blood. Then she gathered the fragments of the photograph. She went to the wall, and faced She sat down against the wall. She never said a word to me again. I sometimes think she was too hurt to speak. I don't like to think of it! But she kept crying, it was annoying, and her face So pale and wild, I'm afraid of her!"

"You can get the key if you will?" I said.

"Yes. Upstairs," he answered, "but I can't go upstairs now."

"Which room?" I asked.

"Oh," he cried, "I won't tell you where it is! It's our secret. No one can know, neither Hareton nor Zillar. Look! You wear me out, go away .Go away!" He buried his head in his arms.I closed my eyes again.

When I thought it over, I thought it best to leave Heathcliff without saying goodbye, and go to the Grange to rescue my lady.

I can't describe the amazement and joy of my fellow servants when we arrived home.Then they heard that their little mistress was still alive, and that two or three persons were about to rush up to Mr. Linton's door and shout the news.But I went to announce the news myself.

No matter how short it was in just a few days, I found out that he is a different person!He lay there looking miserable and hopeless, waiting to die, and though he was only thirty-nine, one would think he was at least ten years younger.He was thinking of Catherine, for he murmured her name silently.I touched his hand and said:
"Catherine is coming, my dear master!" I whispered. "She is alive and well. I think she will be here to-night."

The first effect of my quick wit was to make me tremble: he straightened up, looked anxiously over his room, and then fainted again.

He just woke up.So I told him about our being forced to go to the mountain villa and being detained there.I said that Heathcliff had forced me in, which was not entirely true.I spoke as little as possible of Linton, and of his father's savagery.I don't want to add new sorrow to his already full sorrow, if I can do it.

He surmised that one of the purposes of his enemies was to secure personal property and houses, lands, for his son, or rather for himself.But why he couldn't wait for him to die so he rushed to do it.But it made my master unpredictable.Because he didn't know how closely he would return home with him.

However, he thought it best to make a change in his will: instead of putting Catherine's property at her own disposal, he decided to entrust it to a custodian for her life; Then, pass it on to her children.After this change.Even if Linton died, the property would not fall into the hands of Heathcliff.

At his command, I sent a servant to fetch a lawyer, and four others, equipped with good weapons, to recover my lady from her jailer.Both parties returned very late, the servant who started out alone first.

He said the lawyer, Greene, was out when he arrived at his house, and he had to wait two hours for him to come back.Mr. Green told him that he had some little business to do in the village, but that he would be at Thrushcross Grange before morrow morning.

The four of them also came back empty-handed.They sent word that Catherine was too sick to leave her room, and that Heathcliff would not let them see her, so as not to upset their hearts.

I reprimanded these stupid bastards severely, and they would listen to such nonsense. I don't want to copy this lie to my master.I think that in broad daylight, I would bring the whole team to kill the villa and smash it to pieces, unless the Taiping handed over people to us.

I swear to let her father see her, and I swear again, since the devil prevents them from meeting, even if he is strangled to death on the stone steps in front of his own house, he will not hesitate!

At three o'clock I went downstairs to fetch a pitcher of water, and was carrying it across the hall when I was startled by a sharp knock at the front door.

"Oh! it's Grimm," I said, gathering myself, "only Grimm," and I went on my way, intending to ask no one to open the door.But the knock on the door rang again, the sound was not loud, but still very hasty.

I put the jug on the landing, and hurried to meet him.

The autumn moon outside is truly bright.The person who came was not a lawyer. My beloved little mistress jumped up and hugged my neck, crying and asking me:

"Alan! Alan! Is Daddy alive?"

"Alive!" I cried, "alive, my angel, he is alive! Thank God, you are back safe and sound!"

She was out of breath, but hurried upstairs to Mr. Linton's room.But I made her sit on a chair, gave her a drink of water, washed her pale face, and wiped a little blush with my apron.Then I said I must go up first, and inform her, and begged her to say that she was doing well with little Heathcliff.Her eyes widened, but she quickly understood why I told her to lie, and she assured me she would never complain.

I couldn't bear to interrupt their meeting, so I stood outside the door for a quarter of an hour, hardly daring to approach the hospital bed.

But—everything was peaceful.Catherine's despair is as silent as her father's joy.She supported him, outwardly quite calm.He stared at her face, his wide eyes seemed to pop out because of the great joy.

He died a happy death, Mr. Lockwood, that's how he died.Kissing her cheek, he murmured:

"I went to her, and you, my dear boy, will come to us." He didn't move, didn't say anything, just opened his eyes bright with great joy. , until his pulse quietly stopped beating, and his soul flew out of his body.No one can say exactly when he died, without the slightest bit of struggle.

Catherine could not tell whether she had dried up her tears, or whether her grief was too heavy to shed, but she sat there with dry eyes, till the sun rose, and till noon, if I had not insisted on her going away and resting a little, She would still sit in the factory like this, meditating in front of the coffin.

Fortunately I persuaded her to leave, for the solicitor came at lunchtime, and had been given instructions as to what to do, having visited Wuthering Heights earlier.He betrayed himself to Mr. Heathcliff, and that's why he was so slow in answering my master's request.Fortunately, after his daughter's arrival, no thoughts of worldly affairs disturbed my master's frame of mind.

Mr. Green considered himself entitled to arrange all the affairs of the Grange, and all persons.He sent his servants all the way, leaving me alone.He had faithfully carried out his mandate so far as to insist that Edgar Linton should be buried not beside his wife, but among his kindred in the church.Fortunately, there is still a will to prevent him from doing so, and I also protested loudly that no violation of the will is allowed.

The funeral hastily passed by.Catherine, now Mrs. Linton Heathcliff, was granted permission to remain at the Grange until her father's body was brought out.

She told me that her pain finally reached Linton, who risked her release.She heard my servants arguing at the door, and guessed the gist of Heathcliff's reply.It drives her crazy.Linton was carried upstairs into the little drawing-room after I had left, and was so frightened that his father took the key away before he could go upstairs again.

He deftly opened the sub-lock and re-locked the door, but it was not locked.When it came time for him to go to bed, he begged to sleep with Hareton, and his request was rarely granted.

Catherine slipped out before dawn.She dared not open the door to go out, for fear of the dog barking endlessly.She went into the empty rooms one by one and inspected the windows.By chance she entered her mother's room, slipped easily through the latticed window, clung to the nearest fir-tree, and fell to the ground.Her accomplice, though carefully disguised, had his share of the punishment for the flight.

The night after the funeral, my young lady and I sat in the study, alternately grieving, one of us brooding desperately on our loss, alternately speculating blindly about the bleak future.

We just came to an agreement that Catherine's best fate would be to be allowed to continue living at the Grange, at least as long as Linton lived: let him come here to meet her, and I would remain my butler.Such an arrangement seemed fantastic, but I hoped earnestly, and cheered up, to keep my home, my work, and above all my dear young lady.At this moment, a servant, who had been dismissed and had not yet left, hurried up and said, "The devil Heathcliff has come into the courtyard. Shall the door be fastened for him?"

Even if we were mad to make such a command, there is no time.The etiquette of knocking on the door was omitted, and he did not announce his name.He was the master, so of course he walked in without saying a word.

The voice of our messenger called his attention to the study.He walked in, waved him out, and closed the door.

It was the same room 18 years ago when he was brought here as a guest.The same moonlight shines into the window, and the same autumn scenery is laid out outside.We had not yet lighted the candles, but the whole room was still in view, even the pictures on the walls--the beautiful head of Mrs. Linton, and the graceful countenance of her husband.

Heathcliff went to the fire.Time hadn't changed him much.It was still the same man, with a darker face more haggard and calmer, perhaps a little taller, but otherwise no other difference.

As soon as Catherine saw him, she stood up, with an instinct to rush out.

"Stop!", he said, grabbing her arm. "No more running! Where do you want to go? I'll take you home. I hope you will be a dedicated daughter-in-law. Don't encourage my son to come here again to plot evil. When I found out that he was involved in the last incident, how to punish him? embarrass me. He's such a good-for-nothing, a pinch would kill him. But you can see by the look on his face, he got what he deserved! One day I fucked him came down, the day before yesterday, but put him on a chair, and haven't touched him at all since. I sent Hareton out, and we were just the two of us in the room, and after two hours I called John Sejong carried him upstairs again. Since then, whenever he saw me, his nerves were tense as if he had seen a ghost. I felt that even if I was not with him, he must have seen me often. Hareton said that he Waking up, screaming hour after hour, calling for you to come and protect him from my bullying. So, whether you like it or not, your baby, you must come, he's yours now, and I'm on his All interests are handed over to you."

"Why don't you let Catherine stay here?" I begged. "Send Master Linton here. Since you hate them both, you don't think much of them. They are nothing more than your unkind heart." It's just a daily plague."

"I want a lodger for the Grange," he answered. "I want my children to live with me, of course. And, of course, the girl eats my bread and does things for me. I don't want her to be pampered and idle after Linton's dead. Pack up quickly." , don’t force me to force you.”

"I'll go," said Catherine. "There is only Linton in the world whom I ought to love, and though you have managed to make him very repulsive to me, and I to him as well, you cannot make us hate each other! As long as I am By my side, I am not afraid of you hurting him, and I am not afraid of you threatening me!"

(End of this chapter)