Wuthering Heights Emily BrontĂ« (best free novels txt) đ
- Author: Emily Brontë
Book online «Wuthering Heights Emily BrontĂ« (best free novels txt) đ». Author Emily BrontĂ«
The corner of Lintonâs mouth fell, and he took the sugar-candy from his lips.
âDid she come to Wuthering Heights because she hated you?â I continued. âThink for yourself! As to your money, she does not even know that you will have any. And you say sheâs sick; and yet you leave her alone, up there in a strange house! You who have felt what it is to be so neglected! You could pity your own sufferings; and she pitied them, too; but you wonât pity hers! I shed tears, Master Heathcliff, you seeâ âan elderly woman, and a servant merelyâ âand you, after pretending such affection, and having reason to worship her almost, store every tear you have for yourself, and lie there quite at ease. Ah! youâre a heartless, selfish boy!â
âI canât stay with her,â he answered crossly. âIâll not stay by myself. She cries so I canât bear it. And she wonât give over, though I say Iâll call my father. I did call him once, and he threatened to strangle her if she was not quiet; but she began again the instant he left the room, moaning and grieving all night long, though I screamed for vexation that I couldnât sleep.â
âIs Mr. Heathcliff out?â I inquired, perceiving that the wretched creature had no power to sympathize with his cousinâs mental tortures.
âHeâs in the court,â he replied, âtalking to Doctor Kenneth; who says uncle is dying, truly, at last. Iâm glad, for I shall be master of the Grange after him. Catherine always spoke of it as her house. It isnât hers! Itâs mine: papa says everything she has is mine. All her nice books are mine; she offered to give me them, and her pretty birds, and her pony Minny, if I would get the key of our room, and let her out; but I told her she had nothing to give, they were all, all mine. And then she cried, and took a little picture from her neck, and said I should have that; two pictures in a gold case, on one side her mother, and on the other uncle, when they were young. That was yesterdayâ âI said they were mine, too; and tried to get them from her. The spiteful thing wouldnât let me: she pushed me off, and hurt me. I shrieked outâ âthat frightens herâ âshe heard papa coming, and she broke the hinges and divided the case, and gave me her motherâs portrait; the other she attempted to hide: but papa asked what was the matter, and I explained it. He took the one I had away, and ordered her to resign hers to me; she refused, and heâ âhe struck her down, and wrenched it off the chain, and crushed it with his foot.â
âAnd were you pleased to see her struck?â I asked: having my designs in encouraging his talk.
âI winked,â he answered: âI wink to see my father strike a dog or a horse, he does it so hard. Yet I was glad at firstâ âshe deserved punishing for pushing me: but when papa was gone, she made me come to the window and showed me her cheek cut on the inside, against her teeth, and her mouth filling with blood; and then she gathered up the bits of the picture, and went and sat down with her face to the wall, and she has never spoken to me since: and I sometimes think she canât speak for pain. I donât like to think so; but sheâs a naughty thing for crying continually; and she looks so pale and wild, Iâm afraid of her.â
âAnd you can get the key if you choose?â I said.
âYes, when I am upstairs,â he answered; âbut I canât walk upstairs now.â
âIn what apartment is it?â I asked.
âOh,â he cried, âI shanât tell you where it is. It is our secret. Nobody, neither Hareton nor Zillah, is to know. There! youâve tired meâ âgo away, go away!â And he turned his face on to his arm, and shut his eyes again.
I considered it best to depart without seeing Mr. Heathcliff, and bring a rescue for my young lady from the Grange. On reaching it, the astonishment of my fellow-servants to see me, and their joy also, was intense; and when they heard that their little mistress was safe, two or three were about to hurry up and shout the news at Mr. Edgarâs door: but I bespoke the announcement of it myself. How changed I found him, even in those few days! He lay an image of sadness and resignation awaiting his death. Very young he looked: though his actual age was thirty-nine, one would have called him ten years younger, at least. He thought of Catherine; for he murmured her name. I touched his hand, and spoke.
âCatherine is coming, dear master!â I whispered; âshe is alive and well; and will be here, I hope, tonight.â
I trembled at the first effects of this intelligence: he half rose up, looked eagerly round the apartment, and then sank back in a swoon. As soon as he recovered, I related our compulsory visit, and detention at the Heights. I said Heathcliff forced me to go in: which was not quite true. I uttered as little as possible against Linton; nor did I describe all his fatherâs brutal conductâ âmy intentions being to add no bitterness, if I could help it, to his already overflowing cup.
He divined that one of his enemyâs purposes was to secure the personal property, as well as the estate, to his son: or rather himself; yet why he
Comments (0)