CHAPTER XVII

nswouldnothurtyouforfearofoffendingher.It’swellpeopledon’treallyrisefromtheirgrave,or,lastnight,shemighthavewitnessedarepulsivescene!Arenotyoubruised,andcutoveryourchestandshoulders?’ “‘Ican’tsay,’heanswered‘butwhatdoyoumean?DidhedaretostrikemewhenIwasdown?’ “‘Hetrampledonandkickedyou,anddashedyouontheground,’Iwhispered.‘Andhismouthwateredtotearyouwithhisteethbecausehe’sonlyhalfman:notsomuch,andtherestfiend.’ “Mr.Earnshawlookedup,likeme,tothecountenanceofourmutualfoewho,absorbedinhisanguish,seemedinsensibletoanythingaroundhim:thelongerhestood,theplainerhisreflectionsrevealedtheirblacknessthroughhisfeatures. “‘Oh,ifGodwouldbutgivemestrengthtostranglehiminmylastagony,I’dgotohellwithjoy,’groanedtheimpatientman,writhingtorise,andsinkingbackindespair,convincedofhisinadequacyforthestruggle. “‘Nay,it’senoughthathehasmurderedoneofyou,’Iobservedaloud.‘AttheGrange,everyoneknowsyoursisterwouldhavebeenlivingnowhaditnotbeenforMr.Heathcliff.Afterall,itispreferabletobehatedthanlovedbyhim.WhenIrecollecthowhappywewere—howhappyCatherinewasbeforehecame—I’mfittocursetheday.’ “Mostlikely,Heathcliffnoticedmorethetruthofwhatwassaid,thanthespiritofthepersonwhosaidit.Hisattentionwasroused,Isaw,forhiseyesraineddowntearsamongtheashes,andhedrewhisbreathinsuffocatingsighs.Istaredfullathim,andlaughedscornfully.Thecloudedwindowsofhellflashedamomenttowardsmethefiendwhichusuallylookedout,however,wassodimmedanddrownedthatIdidnotfeartohazardanothersoundofderision. “‘Getup,andbegoneoutofmysight,’saidthemourner. “Iguessedheutteredthosewords,atleast,thoughhisvoicewashardlyintelligible. “‘Ibegyourpardon,’Ireplied.‘ButIlovedCatherinetooandherbrotherrequiresattendance,which,forhersake,Ishallsupply.Nowthatshe’sdead,IseeherinHindley:Hindleyhasexactlyhereyes,ifyouhadnottriedtogougethemout,andmadethemblackandredandher—’ “‘Getup,wretchedidiot,beforeIstampyoutodeath!’hecried,makingamovementthatcausedmetomakeonealso. “‘Butthen,’Icontinued,holdingmyselfreadytoflee,‘ifpoorCatherinehadtrustedyou,andassumedtheridiculous,contemptible,degradingtitleofMrs.Heathcliff,shewouldsoonhavepresentedasimilarpicture!Shewouldn’thaveborneyourabominablebehaviourquietly:herdetestationanddisgustmusthavefoundvoice.’ “ThebackofthesettleandEarnshaw’spersoninterposedbetweenmeandhimsoinsteadofendeavouringtoreachme,hesnatchedadinner-knifefromthetableandflungitatmyhead.Itstruckbeneathmyear,andstoppedthesentenceIwasutteringbut,pullingitout,IsprangtothedooranddeliveredanotherwhichIhopewentalittledeeperthanhismissile.ThelastglimpseIcaughtofhimwasafuriousrushonhispart,checkedbytheembraceofhishostandbothfelllockedtogetheronthehearth.InmyflightthroughthekitchenIbidJosephspeedtohismasterIknockedoverHareton,whowashangingalitterofpuppiesfromachair-backinthedoorwayand,blessedasasoulescapedfrompurgatory,Ibounded,leaped,andflewdownthesteeproadthen,quittingitswindings,shotdirectacrossthemoor,rollingoverbanks,andwadingthroughmarshes:precipitatingmyself,infact,towardsthebeacon-lightoftheGrange.AndfarratherwouldIbecondemnedtoaperpetualdwellingintheinfernalregionsthan,evenforonenight,abidebeneaththeroofofWutheringHeightsagain.” Isabellaceasedspeaking,andtookadrinkofteathensherose,andbiddingmeputonherbonnet,andagreatshawlIhadbrought,andturningadeafeartomyentreatiesforhertoremainanotherhour,shesteppedontoachair,kissedEdgar’sandCatherine’sportraits,bestowedasimilarsaluteonme,anddescendedtothecarriage,accompaniedbyFanny,whoyelpedwildwithjoyatrecoveringhermistress.Shewasdrivenaway,nevertorevisitthisneighbourhood:butaregularcorrespondencewasestablishedbetweenherandmymasterwhenthingsweremoresettled.Ibelievehernewabodewasinthesouth,nearLondonthereshehadasonbornafewmonthssubsequenttoherescape.HewaschristenedLinton,and,fromthefirst,shereportedhimtobeanailing,peevishcreature. Mr.Heathcliff,meetingmeonedayinthevillage,inquiredwhereshelived.Irefusedtotell.Heremarkedthatitwasnotofanymoment,onlyshemustbewareofcomingtoherbrother:sheshouldnotbewithhim,ifhehadtokeepherhimself.ThoughIwouldgivenoinformation,hediscovered,throughsomeoftheotherservants,bothherplaceofresidenceandtheexistenceofthechild.Still,hedidn’tmolesther:forwhichforbearanceshemightthankhisaversion,Isuppose.Heoftenaskedabouttheinfant,whenhesawmeandonhearingitsname,smiledgrimly,andobserved:“Theywishmetohateittoo,dothey?” “Idon’tthinktheywishyoutoknowanythingaboutit,”Ianswered. “ButI’llhaveit,”hesaid,“whenIwantit.Theymayreckononthat!” FortunatelyitsmotherdiedbeforethetimearrivedsomethirteenyearsafterthedeceaseofCatherine,whenLintonwastwelve,oralittlemore. OnthedaysucceedingIsabella’sunexpectedvisitIhadnoopportunityofspeakingtomymaster:heshunnedconversation,andwasfitfordiscussingnothing.WhenIcouldgethimtolisten,Isawitpleasedhimthathissisterhadleftherhusbandwhomheabhorredwithanintensitywhichthemildnessofhisnaturewouldscarcelyseemtoallow.Sodeepandsensitivewashisaversion,thatherefrainedfromgoinganywherewherehewaslikelytoseeorhearofHeathcliff.Grief,andthattogether,transformedhimintoacompletehermit:hethrewuphisofficeofmagistrate,ceasedeventoattendchurch,avoidedthevillageonalloccasions,andspentalifeofentireseclusionwithinthelimitsofhisparkandgroundsonlyvariedbysolitaryramblesonthemoors,andvisitstothegraveofhiswife,mostlyatevening,orearlymorningbeforeotherwandererswereabroad.Buthewastoogoodtobethoroughlyunhappylong.Hedidn’tprayforCatherine’ssoultohaunthim.Timebroughtresignation,andamelancholysweeterthancommonjoy.Herecalledhermemorywithardent,tenderlove,andhopefulaspiringtothebetterworldwherehedoubtednotshewasgone. Andhehadearthlyconsolationandaffectionsalso.Forafewdays,Isaid,heseemedregardlessofthepunysuccessortothedeparted:thatcoldnessmeltedasfastassnowinApril,anderethetinythingcouldstammerawordortotterastepitwieldedadespot’ssceptreinhisheart.ItwasnamedCatherinebuthenevercalleditthenameinfull,ashehadnevercalledthefirstCatherineshort:probablybecauseHeathcliffhadahabitofdoingso.ThelittleonewasalwaysCathy:itformedtohimadistinctionfromthemother,andyetaconnectionwithherandhisattachmentsprangfromitsrelationtoher,farmorethanfromitsbeinghisown. IusedtodrawacomparisonbetweenhimandHindleyEarnshaw,andperplexmyselftoexplainsatisfactorilywhytheirconductwassooppositeinsimilarcircumstances.Theyhadbothbeenfondhusbands,an