I HAVE paid a visit to the Heights,
but I have not seen her since
she left: Joseph held the door
in his hand when I called to
ask after her, and wouldn't let
me pass. He said Mrs. Linton
was 'thrang,' and the master
was not in. Zillah has told me
something of the way they go
on, otherwise I should hardly
know who was dead and who living.
She thinks Catherine haughty,
and does not like her, I can
guess by her talk. My young lady
asked some aid of her when she
first came; but Mr. Heathcliff
told her to follow her own business,
and let his daughter-in-law look
after herself; and Zillah willingly
acquiesced, being a narrow-minded,
selfish woman. Catherine evinced
a child's annoyance at this neglect;
repaid it with contempt, and
thus enlisted my informant among
her enemies, as securely as if
she had done her some great wrong.
I had a long talk with Zillah
about six weeks ago, a little
before you came, one day when
we foregathered on the moor;
and this is what she told me.
'The first thing Mrs. Linton
did,' she said, 'on her arrival
at the Heights, was to run up-stairs,
without even wishing good-evening
to me and Joseph; she shut herself
into Linton's room, and remained
till morning. Then, while the
master and Earnshaw were at breakfast,
she entered the house, and asked
all in a quiver if the doctor
might be sent for? her cousin
was very ill.
'"We know that!" answered Heathcliff; "but
his life is not worth a farthing,
and I won't spend a farthing
on him."
'"But I cannot tell how to
do," she said; "and if nobody
will help me, he'll die!"
'"Walk out of the room," cried
the master, "and let me never
hear a word more about him! None
here care what becomes of him;
if you do, act the nurse; if
you do not, lock him up and leave
him."
'Then she began to bother me,
and I said I'd had enough plague
with the tiresome thing; we each
had our tasks, and hers was to
wait on Linton: Mr. Heathcliff
bid me leave that labour to her.
'How they managed together,
I can't tell. I fancy he fretted
a great deal, and moaned hisseln
night and day; and she had precious
little rest: one could guess
by her white face and heavy eyes.
She sometimes came into the kitchen
all wildered like, and looked
as if she would fain beg assistance;
but I was not going to disobey
the master: I never dare disobey
him, Mrs. Dean; and, though I
thought it wrong that Kenneth
should not be sent for, it was
no concern of mine either to
advise or complain, and I always
refused to meddle. Once or twice,
after we had gone to bed, I've
happened to open my door again
and seen her sitting crying on
the stairs'- top; and then I've
shut myself in quick, for fear
of being moved to interfere.
I did pity her then, I'm sure:
still I didn't wish to lose my
place, you know.
'At last, one
night she came boldly into
my chamber, and frightened
me out of my wits, by saying, "Tell
Mr. Heathcliff that his son is
dying - I'm sure he is, this
time. Get up, instantly, and
tell him."
'Having uttered this speech,
she vanished again. I lay a quarter
of an hour listening and trembling.
Nothing stirred - the house was
quiet.
'She's mistaken, I said to
myself. He's got over it. I needn't
disturb them; and I began to
doze. But my sleep was marred
a second time by a sharp ringing
of the bell - the only bell we
have, put up on purpose for Linton;
and the master called to me to
see what was the matter, and
inform them that he wouldn't
have that noise repeated.
'I delivered Catherine's message.
He cursed to himself, and in
a few minutes came out with a
lighted candle, and proceeded
to their room. I followed. Mrs.
Heathcliff was seated by the
bedside, with her hands folded
on her knees. Her father-in-law
went up, held the light to Linton's
face, looked at him, and touched
him; afterwards he turned to
her.
'"Now - Catherine," he said, "how
do you feel?"
'She was dumb.
'"How do you feel, Catherine?" he
repeated.
'"He's safe, and I'm free," she
answered: "I should feel well
- but," she continued, with a
bitterness she couldn't conceal, "you
have left me so long to struggle
against death alone, that I feel
and see only death! I feel like
death!"
'And she looked like it, too!
I gave her a little wine. Hareton
and Joseph, who had been wakened
by the ringing and the sound
of feet, and heard our talk from
outside, now entered. Joseph
was fain, I believe, of the lad's
removal; Hareton seemed a thought
bothered: though he was more
taken up with staring at Catherine
than thinking of Linton. But
the master bid him get off to
bed again: we didn't want his
help. He afterwards made Joseph
remove the body to his chamber,
and told me to return to mine,
and Mrs. Heathcliff remained
by herself.
'In the morning,
he sent me to tell her she
must come down
to breakfast: she had undressed,
and appeared going to sleep,
and said she was ill; at which
I hardly wondered. I informed
Mr. Heathcliff, and he replied,
- "Well, let her be till after
the funeral; and go up now and
then to get her what is needful;
and, as soon as she seems better,
tell me."'
Cathy stayed upstairs a fortnight,
according to Zillah; who visited
her twice a day, and would have
been rather more friendly, but
her attempts at increasing kindness
were proudly and promptly repelled.
Heathcliff went up once, to
show her Linton's will. He had
bequeathed the whole of his,
and what had been her, moveable
property, to his father: the
poor creature was threatened,
or coaxed, into that act during
her week's absence, when his
uncle died. The lands, being
a minor, he could not meddle
with. However, Mr. Heathcliff
has claimed and kept them in
his wife's right and his also:
I suppose legally; at any rate,
Catherine, destitute of cash
and friends, cannot disturb his
possession.
'Nobody,' said Zillah, 'ever
approached her door, except that
once, but I; and nobody asked
anything about her. The first
occasion of her coming down into
the house was on a Sunday afternoon.
She had cried out, when I carried
up her dinner, that she couldn't
bear any longer being in the
cold; and I told her the master
was going to Thrushcross Grange,
and Earnshaw and I needn't hinder
her from descending; so, as soon
as she heard Heathcliff's horse
trot off, she made her appearance,
donned in black, and her yellow
curls combed back behind her
ears as plain as a Quaker: she
couldn't comb them out.
'Joseph and I generally go
to chapel on Sundays:' the kirk,
you know, has no minister now,
explained Mrs. Dean; and they
call the Methodists' or Baptists'
place (I can't say which it is)
at Gimmerton, a chapel. 'Joseph
had gone,' she continued, 'but
I thought proper to bide at home.
Young folks are always the better
for an elder's over-looking;
and Hareton, with all his bashfulness,
isn't a model of nice behaviour.
I let him know that his cousin
would very likely sit with us,
and she had been always used
to see the Sabbath respected;
so he had as good leave his guns
and bits of indoor work alone,
while she stayed. He coloured
up at the news, and cast his
eyes over his hands and clothes.
The train-oil and gunpowder were
shoved out of sight in a minute.
I saw he meant to give her his
company; and I guessed, by his
way, he wanted to be presentable;
so, laughing, as I durst not
laugh when the master is by,
I offered to help him, if he
would, and joked at his confusion.
He grew sullen, and began to
swear.
'Now, Mrs. Dean,' Zillah went
on, seeing me not pleased by
her manner, 'you happen think
your young lady too fine for
Mr. Hareton; and happen you're
right: but I own I should love
well to bring her pride a peg
lower. And what will all her
learning and her daintiness do
for her, now? She's as poor as
you or I: poorer, I'll be bound:
you're saying, and I'm doing
my little all that road.'
Hareton allowed Zillah to give
him her aid; and she flattered
him into a good humour; so, when
Catherine came, half forgetting
her former insults, he tried
to make himself agreeable, by
the housekeeper's account.
'Missis walked in,' she said,
'as chill as an icicle, and as
high as a princess. I got up
and offered her my seat in the
arm-chair. No, she turned up
her nose at my civility. Earnshaw
rose, too, and bid her come to
the settle, and sit close by
the fire: he was sure she was
starved.
'"I've been starved a month
and more," she answered, resting
on the word as scornful as she
could.
'And she got a chair for herself,
and placed it at a distance from
both of us. Having sat till she
was warm, she began to look round,
and discovered a number of books
on the dresser; she was instantly
upon her feet again, stretching
to reach them: but they were
too high up. Her cousin, after
watching her endeavours a while,
at last summoned courage to help
her; she held her frock, and
he filled it with the first that
came to hand.
'That was a great advance for
the lad. She didn't thank him;
still, he felt gratified that
she had accepted his assistance,
and ventured to stand behind
as she examined them, and even
to stoop and point out what struck
his fancy in certain old pictures
which they contained; nor was
he daunted by the saucy style
in which she jerked the page
from his finger: he contented
himself with going a bit farther
back and looking at her instead
of the book. She continued reading,
or seeking for something to read.
His attention became, by degrees,
quite centred in the study of
her thick silky curls: her face
he couldn't see, and she couldn't
see him. And, perhaps, not quite
awake to what he did, but attracted
like a child to a candle, at
last he proceeded from staring
to touching; he put out his hand
and stroked one curl, as gently
as if it were a bird. He might
have stuck a knife into her neck,
she started round in such a taking.
'"Get away this moment! How
dare you touch me? Why are you
stopping there?" she cried, in
a tone of disgust. "I can't endure
you! I'll go upstairs again,
if you come near me."
'Mr. Hareton recoiled, looking
as foolish as he could do: he
sat down in the settle very quiet,
and she continued turning over
her volumes another half hour;
finally, Earnshaw crossed over,
and whispered to me.
'Will you ask
her to read to us, Zillah?
I'm stalled of doing
naught; and I do like - I could
like to hear her! Dunnot say
I wanted it, but ask of yourseln."
'"Mr. Hareton wishes you would
read to us, ma'am," I said, immediately. "He'd
take it very kind - he'd be much
obliged."
'She frowned; and looking up,
answered -
'"Mr. Hareton,
and the whole set of you, will
be good enough
to understand that I reject any
pretence at kindness you have
the hypocrisy to offer! I despise
you, and will have nothing to
say to any of you! When I would
have given my life for one kind
word, even to see one of your
faces, you all kept off. But
I won't complain to you! I'm
driven down here by the cold;
not either to amuse you or enjoy
your society."
'"What could I ha' done?" began
Earnshaw. "How was I to blame?"
'"Oh! you are an exception," answered
Mrs. Heathcliff. "I never missed
such a concern as you."
'"But I offered more than once,
and asked," he said, kindling
up at her pertness, "I asked
Mr. Heathcliff to let me wake
for you - "
'"Be silent! I'll go out of
doors, or anywhere, rather than
have your disagreeable voice
in my ear!" said my lady.
'Hareton muttered she might
go to hell, for him! and unslinging
his gun, restrained himself from
his Sunday occupations no longer.
He talked now, freely enough;
and she presently saw fit to
retreat to her solitude: but
the frost had set in, and, in
spite of her pride, she was forced
to condescend to our company,
more and more. However, I took
care there should be no further
scorning at my good nature: ever
since, I've been as stiff as
herself; and she has no lover
or liker among us: and she does
not deserve one; for, let them
say the least word to her, and
she'll curl back without respect
of any one. She'll snap at the
master himself, and as good as
dares him to thrash her; and
the more hurt she gets, the more
venomous she grows.'
At first, on hearing this account
from Zillah, I determined to
leave my situation, take a cottage,
and get Catherine to come and
live with me: but Mr. Heathcliff
would as soon permit that as
he would set up Hareton in an
independent house; and I can
see no remedy, at present, unless
she could marry again; and that
scheme it does not come within
my province to arrange.
Thus ended Mrs. Dean's story.
Notwithstanding the doctor's
prophecy, I am rapidly recovering
strength; and though it be only
the second week in January, I
propose getting out on horseback
in a day or two, and riding over
to Wuthering Heights, to inform
my landlord that I shall spend
the next six months in London;
and, if he likes, he may look
out for another tenant to take
the place after October. I would
not pass another winter here
for much.
|