CHAPTER III

ozeinsuchaden!” “Whatdoyoumean?”askedHeathcliff,“andwhatareyoudoing?Liedownandfinishoutthenight,sinceyouareherebut,forHeaven’ssake!don’trepeatthathorridnoise:nothingcouldexcuseit,unlessyouwerehavingyourthroatcut!” “Ifthelittlefiendhadgotinatthewindow,sheprobablywouldhavestrangledme!”Ireturned.“I’mnotgoingtoendurethepersecutionsofyourhospitableancestorsagain.WasnottheReverendJabezBranderhamakintoyouonthemother’sside?Andthatminx,CatherineLinton,orEarnshaw,orhowevershewascalled—shemusthavebeenachangeling—wickedlittlesoul!Shetoldmeshehadbeenwalkingtheearththesetwentyyears:ajustpunishmentforhermortaltransgressions,I’venodoubt!” ScarcelywerethesewordsutteredwhenIrecollectedtheassociationofHeathcliff’swithCatherine’snameinthebook,whichhadcompletelyslippedfrommymemory,tillthusawakened.Iblushedatmyinconsideration:but,withoutshowingfurtherconsciousnessoftheoffence,Ihastenedtoadd—“Thetruthis,sir,Ipassedthefirstpartofthenightin—”HereIstoppedafresh—Iwasabouttosay“perusingthoseoldvolumes,”thenitwouldhaverevealedmyknowledgeoftheirwritten,aswellastheirprinted,contentsso,correctingmyself,Iwenton—“inspellingoverthenamescratchedonthatwindow-ledge.Amonotonousoccupation,calculatedtosetmeasleep,likecounting,or—” “Whatcanyoumeanbytalkinginthiswaytome!”thunderedHeathcliffwithsavagevehemence.“How—howdareyou,undermyroof?—God!he’smadtospeakso!”Andhestruckhisforeheadwithrage. IdidnotknowwhethertoresentthislanguageorpursuemyexplanationbutheseemedsopowerfullyaffectedthatItookpityandproceededwithmydreamsaffirmingIhadneverheardtheappellationof“CatherineLinton”before,butreadingitoftenoverproducedanimpressionwhichpersonifieditselfwhenIhadnolongermyimaginationundercontrol.Heathcliffgraduallyfellbackintotheshelterofthebed,asIspokefinallysittingdownalmostconcealedbehindit.Iguessed,however,byhisirregularandinterceptedbreathing,thathestruggledtovanquishanexcessofviolentemotion.NotlikingtoshowhimthatIhadheardtheconflict,Icontinuedmytoiletterathernoisily,lookedatmywatch,andsoliloquisedonthelengthofthenight:“Notthreeo’clockyet!Icouldhavetakenoathithadbeensix.Timestagnateshere:wemustsurelyhaveretiredtorestateight!” “Alwaysatnineinwinter,andriseatfour,”saidmyhost,suppressingagroan:and,asIfancied,bythemotionofhisarm’sshadow,dashingatearfromhiseyes.“Mr.Lockwood,”headded,“youmaygointomyroom:you’llonlybeintheway,comingdownstairssoearly:andyourchildishoutcryhassentsleeptothedevilforme.” “Andforme,too,”Ireplied.“I’llwalkintheyardtilldaylight,andthenI’llbeoffandyouneednotdreadarepetitionofmyintrusion.I’mnowquitecuredofseekingpleasureinsociety,beitcountryortown.Asensiblemanoughttofindsufficientcompanyinhimself.” “Delightfulcompany!”mutteredHeathcliff.“Takethecandle,andgowhereyouplease.Ishalljoinyoudirectly.Keepoutoftheyard,though,thedogsareunchainedandthehouse—Junomountssentinelthere,and—nay,youcanonlyrambleaboutthestepsandpassages.But,awaywithyou!I’llcomeintwominutes!” Iobeyed,sofarastoquitthechamberwhen,ignorantwherethenarrowlobbiesled,Istoodstill,andwaswitness,involuntarily,toapieceofsuperstitiononthepartofmylandlordwhichbelied,oddly,hisapparentsense.Hegotontothebed,andwrenchedopenthelattice,bursting,ashepulledatit,intoanuncontrollablepassionoftears.“Comein!comein!”hesobbed.“Cathy,docome.Oh,do—oncemore!Oh!myheart’sdarling!hearmethistime,Catherine,atlast!”Thespectreshowedaspectre’sordinarycaprice:itgavenosignofbeingbutthesnowandwindwhirledwildlythrough,evenreachingmystation,andblowingoutthelight. Therewassuchanguishinthegushofgriefthataccompaniedthisraving,thatmycompassionmademeoverlookitsfolly,andIdrewoff,halfangrytohavelistenedatall,andvexedathavingrelatedmyridiculousnightmare,sinceitproducedthatagonythoughwhywasbeyondmycomprehension.Idescendedcautiouslytothelowerregions,andlandedintheback-kitchen,whereagleamoffire,rakedcompactlytogether,enabledmetorekindlemycandle.Nothingwasstirringexceptabrindled,greycat,whichcreptfromtheashes,andsalutedmewithaquerulousmew. Twobenches,shapedinsectionsofacircle,nearlyenclosedthehearthononeoftheseIstretchedmyself,andGrimalkinmountedtheother.Wewerebothofusnoddingereanyoneinvadedourretreat,andthenitwasJoseph,shufflingdownawoodenladderthatvanishedintheroof,throughatrap:theascenttohisgarret,Isuppose.HecastasinisterlookatthelittleflamewhichIhadenticedtoplaybetweentheribs,sweptthecatfromitselevation,andbestowinghimselfinthevacancy,commencedtheoperationofstuffingathree-inchpipewithtobacco.Mypresenceinhissanctumwasevidentlyesteemedapieceofimpudencetooshamefulforremark:hesilentlyappliedthet