CHAPTER XXV

therine’scompany,then. “Idonotask,”hesaid,“thatshemayvisitherebutamInevertoseeher,becausemyfatherforbidsmetogotoherhome,andyouforbidhertocometomine?Do,nowandthen,ridewithhertowardstheHeightsandletusexchangeafewwords,inyourpresence!Wehavedonenothingtodeservethisseparationandyouarenotangrywithme:youhavenoreasontodislikeme,youallow,yourself.Dearuncle!sendmeakindnoteto-morrow,andleavetojoinyouanywhereyouplease,exceptatThrushcrossGrange.Ibelieveaninterviewwouldconvinceyouthatmyfather’scharacterisnotmine:heaffirmsIammoreyournephewthanhissonandthoughIhavefaultswhichrendermeunworthyofCatherine,shehasexcusedthem,andforhersake,youshouldalso.Youinquireaftermyhealth—itisbetterbutwhileIremaincutofffromallhope,anddoomedtosolitude,orthesocietyofthosewhoneverdidandneverwilllikeme,howcanIbecheerfulandwell?” Edgar,thoughhefeltfortheboy,couldnotconsenttogranthisrequestbecausehecouldnotaccompanyCatherine.Hesaid,insummer,perhaps,theymightmeet:meantime,hewishedhimtocontinuewritingatintervals,andengagedtogivehimwhatadviceandcomforthewasablebyletterbeingwellawareofhishardpositioninhisfamily.Lintoncompliedandhadhebeenunrestrained,wouldprobablyhavespoiledallbyfillinghisepistleswithcomplaintsandlamentations:buthisfatherkeptasharpwatchoverhimand,ofcourse,insistedoneverylinethatmymastersentbein