CHAPTER I
關燈
小
中
大
dhispiousejaculationhadnoreferencetomyunexpectedadvent.
WutheringHeightsisthenameofMr.Heathcliff’sdwelling.“Wuthering”beingasignificantprovincialadjective,descriptiveoftheatmospherictumulttowhichitsstationisexposedinstormyweather.Pure,bracingventilationtheymusthaveupthereatalltimes,indeed:onemayguessthepowerofthenorthwind,blowingovertheedge,bytheexcessiveslantofafewstuntedfirsattheendofthehouseandbyarangeofgauntthornsallstretchingtheirlimbsoneway,asifcravingalmsofthesun.Happily,thearchitecthadforesighttobuilditstrong:thenarrowwindowsaredeeplysetinthewall,andthecornersdefendedwithlargejuttingstones.
Beforepassingthethreshold,Ipausedtoadmireaquantityofgrotesquecarvinglavishedoverthefront,andespeciallyabouttheprincipaldoorabovewhich,amongawildernessofcrumblinggriffinsandshamelesslittleboys,Idetectedthedate“1500,”andthename“HaretonEarnshaw.”Iwouldhavemadeafewcomments,andrequestedashorthistoryoftheplacefromthesurlyownerbuthisattitudeatthedoorappearedtodemandmyspeedyentrance,orcompletedeparture,andIhadnodesiretoaggravatehisimpatienceprevioustoinspectingthepenetralium.
Onestepbroughtusintothefamilysitting-room,withoutanyintroductorylobbyorpassage:theycallithere“thehouse”pre-eminently.Itincludeskitchenandparlour,generallybutIbelieveatWutheringHeightsthekitchenisforcedtoretreataltogetherintoanotherquarter:atleastIdistinguishedachatteroftongues,andaclatterofculinaryutensils,deepwithinandIobservednosignsofroasting,boiling,orbaking,aboutthehugefireplacenoranyglitterofcoppersaucepansandtincullendersonthewalls.Oneend,indeed,reflectedsplendidlybothlightandheatfromranksofimmensepewterdishes,interspersedwithsilverjugsandtankards,toweringrowafterrow,onavastoakdresser,totheveryroof.Thelatterhadneverbeenunder-drawn:itsentireanatomylaybaretoaninquiringeye,exceptwhereaframeofwoodladenwithoatcakesandclustersoflegsofbeef,mutton,andham,concealedit.Abovethechimney
