Chapter 15 Chapter fifteen

It's been another week - after all these days, I'm finally getting closer to health and spring!Since my housekeeper can still take time off from his busy work to come and sit with me, I have now heard all the stories of my neighbor.I'm going to continue the story in her voice, only slightly condensed.On the whole, she is a capable storyteller, in a style of her own; I don't think I have the power to improve that style. That night, the night of my visit at the Heights, I knew—as I saw—that Mr. Heathcliff was near here again.I didn't go out, because I still had his letter in my pocket, and I didn't want to be threatened and pestered by him anymore.

I made up my mind not to hand over the letter until the master was going somewhere, for I could not guess what would happen to Catherine when she received it.As a result, after three days, the letter hadn't been delivered to her yet.The fourth day was Sunday, and I did not bring the letter into her room until the whole family had gone to church. A manservant was left with me to look after the house, and it was our usual practice to keep the front and rear doors locked during the hours of worship.However, it happened to be a warm and pleasant day, so I left the doors wide open.I knew in my heart who would come, and to fulfill my promise, I told my companion that the mistress was very hungry for oranges, and that he should hurry to the village and buy some, and pay for them the next day.He went, and I went upstairs.

Mrs. Linton, in a loose white dress, with a thin shawl over her shoulders, sat, as usual, in the recess of the open window.Her thick long hair, which had been trimmed when she first became ill, is now combed a little and falls naturally over her temples and neck.As I have said to Heathcliff, her appearance has changed; but in her repose this change seems to have endowed her with a marvelous beauty. Her shining eyes had taken on a sad, dreamlike tenderness; it seemed to you that they were no longer looking at things around her, but seemed to be gazing into the distance, the distant distance—maybe So to speak, staring at a place beyond the world.And her pallor--the haggard aspect of her face had vanished from her regained weight--and her peculiar expression of melancholy, which, though a painful reminder of the cause of her illness, made her all the more lovable. sympathy.It seemed to me—I know, to anyone who saw her—that it all proved that it was not a fact that she was recovering, but that she was doomed to die.

A book lay open on the windowsill in front of her, and a barely perceptible breeze occasionally turned the pages.Linton put it there, I believe, because it never occurred to her to read it, or do anything else.For this reason Linton spent a lot of time trying to make her interested again in the things she used to love. She also understood his intentions, and when she was in a better mood, she would obey him, only suppressing a weary sigh from time to time to show that he was wasting his thoughts in vain; Kiss to stop him.At other times she would turn away suddenly, cover her face with her hands, or even push him away angrily.So he had to walk away cautiously, leaving her alone, convinced that there was nothing he could do.

The bells in Gimmerton Church were still ringing.There was a melodious gurgle from the swollen brook in the valley.This sweet sound replaced the rustling of the leaves in the early summer, when the trees were full of leaves, and would drown the sound of the stream near the Grange.And in Wuthering Heights, in the calm days after the thaw or the rainy season, you can always hear the gurgling sound of the creek.Catherine was listening now, and Wuthering Heights was on her mind.That is, if she is actually listening and thinking.Her eyes, however, had that vacant, absent-minded look which I have mentioned before, which showed that she was incapable of discerning external objects with either ear or eye.

"There is a letter from you, Mrs. Linton," I said, slipping it lightly into one hand on her knee. "You must read it at once, for you are expecting an answer. I will Would you please open the seal?" "Okay," she replied, without changing the direction of her gaze. I opened the letter—it was short. "Now," I went on, "look." She retracted her hand and let the letter fall to the ground.I picked up the letter, put it on her lap again, and stood there waiting for her to lower her eyes to take a look, but nothing happened for a long time.In the end I had to go on:

"Shall I read, madame? Here is a letter from Heathcliff." She was taken aback, a flash of painful memory flashed across her face, and she showed an expression of trying to sort out her thoughts.She picked up the letter, as if reading it, and when she saw the signature, she sighed; but I still found that she did not understand what it meant.I wanted to hear her reply, but she just pointed to the signature and looked at me with a sad, eager questioning expression. "Oh, he wants to see you," I said, thinking she needed an explanation, "and now he's in the garden, anxious to know what I've got for him."

As I spoke, I saw a large dog lying downstairs on the sunny lawn, pricking up its ears as if about to bark, then flattening its ears and wagging its tail, announcing that someone It came, and it didn't think the comer was a stranger. Mrs Linton leaned forward and listened with bated breath.After a while there was the sound of footsteps crossing the passage.The open door was so tempting to Heathcliff that he had to step through it.In all likelihood, he thought I was deliberately breaking my promise, and so he decided to act boldly himself. Catherine watched the bedroom door nervously and eagerly.But for a moment he couldn't figure out which house she lived in.She motioned for me to pick him up, but before I reached the door, he found him, walked up to her in two steps, and hugged her into his arms.

For about five minutes, he didn't say a word, and he didn't let her go.During that time, dare I say, he gave her more kisses than he had ever kissed in his entire life.But it was my mistress who kissed first.I clearly saw that he couldn't bear to look at her face because of too much grief!When he saw her, he was as convinced as I was that she was not going to get better, that she was destined to die. "Oh, Cathy! Oh, my life! How can I bear this?" were the first words he cried, in a tone which did not try to conceal the despair in him.Now he was looking at her so eagerly, so intensely in his gaze, that I thought it must have brought tears to his eyes.But what burned in his eyes was pain, not tears.

"What now?" said Catherine, throwing back her face suddenly hardened in response to his gaze, and her temper was only the weather-cock of her capricious temperament. "You And Edgar has broken my heart, Heathcliff! You both have come to me weeping over it, as if you were the ones to have mercy! I will have no mercy for you, never. You've killed me—I think you're all right. How strong you are! How many years do you intend to live after I'm dead?" Heathcliff knelt down and put one leg around her.He tried to stand up, but she grabbed him by the hair and held him down.

"Wish I could keep you," she went on bitterly, "till we're both dead! I don't care what you suffer, I don't care what you suffer. Why shouldn't you suffer? And I must suffer! Will you forget me? Will you be happy when I'm buried in the earth? Will you say twenty years from now, 'That's Catherine Earnshaw's grave. I loved her once , was very distressed at the loss of her. But that is in the past. I have loved many people since then. My children are dearer to me now than she is. And, to me And when I die, I shall not be glad that I can go and see her, I shall be sorry that I have to leave the child behind!' Would you say so, Heathcliff?" "Don't drive me crazy like you!" he cried, gritting his teeth and freeing his head. To a cold-eyed onlooker, the two men made a strange and terrifying sight.Catherine could have thought of heaven as her exile, except that when she cast off her earthly body, she also cast off her earthly character.Now, on her pale cheeks and bleeding lips, and in her twinkling eyes, there was a savage, vengeful malice in her whole countenance, and in her clenched fists there remained There was a handful of hair that she pulled out.As for her companion, he stood up on one hand, and with the other he clasped her arm.How inappropriate his tender grip was in her present situation.When he let go, I saw four clear purple marks left on her bloodless skin. "Are you possessed?" he asked ferociously. "You are almost dead, and you still talk to me like this? Did you ever think that these words will all be seared in my memory, and I will die after you leave me?" Afterwards, they will always bite me deeply? You said that I killed you, and you know that you are lying. Catherine, you also know that when I forget you, I forget myself! When you have already Is it not enough to satisfy your vicious selfishness that I suffer in hellish agony when I rest in peace?" "There is no rest for me," moaned Catherine, feeling herself physically weak; and this emotional overexcitement made her heart beat irregularly and violently, so violently that it was audible. She didn't say anything more, and it wasn't until after the fit had passed that she continued in a softer tone: "I don't want you to suffer more than I do, Heathcliff. I only want us never to be parted. If I have anything to say that will pain you afterwards, know that I will suffer as well underground. For my sake, forgive me! Come here, kneel down again! You have never hurt me in your life. No, if you are so angry, you will think of it later than my harsh words It’s even worse! Don’t you want to come over again? Come on!” Heathcliff went to the back of her chair, and bent down towards her, but not so low that she could see his face, which was blue with emotion.She turned to look at him, but he wouldn't let her look, and he turned abruptly and went to the fire and stood there with his back to us, saying nothing. Mrs. Linton's eyes followed him in bewilderment, and every movement of his aroused new feelings in her.After a silence and a long stare, she spoke again, and said to me in a tone of exasperated disappointment: "Oh, look, Nellie, he wouldn't be kind enough to keep me out of the grave a little longer. That's how people love me! Well, nothing. That's not my Heathcliff. I Still the one who loves me, I will carry him forever, and he is in my soul. Also," she went on thinking, "the thing that annoys me the most, after all, is this fragmented A cage. I'm tired of being shut up here. I'm longing to escape into that bliss and stay there forever; not seeing it vaguely with tears, nor thinking of it in a state of pain , but to really stay there, in that world. Nellie, you think you're better than me, happier than me, stronger than me, and you feel sorry for me—but it won't be long before this happens It's about to change. I'm going to feel sorry for you. I'm going to be so far ahead of you that none of you can match me. I don't understand why he won't come to me!" she went on, talking to herself. "I think he'd like to come. Heathcliff, my dear! You must stop puffing up now. Come to me, Heathcliff!" She couldn't wait to stand up and leaned on the armrest of the chair.At her earnest plea, he turned to her with an air of utter desperation.He opened his wet eyes wide, and finally shot a flashing gaze at her suddenly.His chest heaved violently.They stood alone for a moment, and then I didn't see how they came together at all.Catherine sprang forward, and he caught her, and they embraced tightly.I thought to myself that my mistress could never live again when she let go of such embraces.In fact, it seemed to me that she passed out immediately.He sat down on the nearest chair, I rushed to see if she had passed out, but he was foaming like a mad dog, gnashing his teeth at me with greed Jealousy, he hugged her even tighter.I just feel as if I am not staying with my own kind. It seems that even if I talk to him, he will not understand.So I had no choice but to stand aside, not making a sound, at a loss as to what to do. Catherine moved suddenly, which relieved me somewhat.She raised an arm around his neck, he hugged her, she pressed her face to his, and he, in return, caressed her wildly, mouthing wildly Say: "You're only now showing me how cruel you are--cruel and false! Why did you despise me before? Why did you lie to your conscience, Cathy? I won't give you a word of comfort, it's you You did it to yourself. You killed yourself. Yes, you can kiss me, you can cry, you can force my kisses and tears, but my kisses and tears will torture you—they will curse you. You loved I—then what right have you to leave me? What right have you—answer me—to harbor such despicable fantasies about Linton? Suffering, disgrace, death, and all the blows God or Satan can inflict, Neither could tear us apart, and you, you did this willingly. I didn't break your heart—you broke yours. In breaking it, you put My heart is broken too. I am a strong man, so it is all the more bitter for me. Shall I go on living? What is this life? When you—oh God!—when you Your soul has gone to the grave, do you still want to live?" "Stop talking about me! Stop talking about me!" sobbed Catherine. "If I've done anything wrong, I'm giving my life for it. That's enough! You've deserted me too, and I won't Blame you. I forgive you, and you forgive me!" "It is hard for me to forgive you, looking into those eyes, and touching those thin hands!" he replied, "Kiss me again, and don't let me see your eyes! Done. I love the man who killed me--but the man who killed you! How can I spare him?" They were silent—faces pressed together, washing each other with each other's tears.At least, I think both were crying.On a special occasion like this one, it seemed that Heathcliff would cry too. At this time, I became more and more anxious.For the afternoon passed quickly, and the man I had sent to buy oranges had returned from his mission, and in the setting sun that shone over the valley, I saw already a great crowd pouring out of the gate of Gimmerton Church. . "The service is over," I reported, "and the master will be back in half an hour." Heathcliff groaned an oath, and squeezed Catherine more tightly, but she remained motionless. Presently I saw a group of servants cross the road, heading towards the kitchen.Mr. Linton was not far behind them.He opened the door by himself, and walked over slowly and leisurely, perhaps enjoying the sunny, summer-like afternoon. "He's home now," I cried, "for God's sake, get down! You won't meet anybody going down the front stairs. Go! You stay in the bushes till he comes in." You go." "I must go, Cathy," said Heathcliff, trying to free himself from his mate's arms, "but I'll come and see you before you fall asleep as long as I live, and I Not five yards from your window." "You must not go!" she answered, holding him as tight as she could. "I told you not to go." "Just go away for an hour," he pleaded earnestly. "Not for a minute," she replied. "I must go—Linton is coming up soon!" insisted the frightened intruder. He tried to stand up, to free herself from her gripping fingers - but she tightened her grip, panting, with a frantic determination on her face. "No!" she screamed. "Oh, don't, don't go! It's the last time! Edgar won't hurt us. Heathcliff, I'm dying! I'm dying!" "Damned bastard! Here he comes," cried Heathcliff, sitting back in his chair. "Be quiet, my dear! Shh, shh, Catherine! I won't go. If he shoots I, I will die with the blessing on my lips." They hugged each other tightly again.I heard the master coming upstairs—a cold sweat broke out on my brow, and I was terrified. "Are you just listening to her nonsense?" I said emotionally. "She doesn't know what she's talking about. Are you trying to destroy her just because she's insane and unable to control herself? Get up! You can get away. It's the worst thing you've ever done. We're all ruined—master, mistress, and me, the maid!" I was so anxious that I wrung my hands and yelled loudly.Mr. Linton quickened his steps at the sound.While I was bewildered, I was glad to see Catherine's arms let go limply, and her head on one side. "She's passed out, isn't she dead?" I thought to myself, "That's fine. It's better to be dead than to be alive and burden the people around me and cause everyone pain." Edgar rushed straight at the intruder, his face pale with surprise and anger.What he intends to do with him, I cannot tell.However, he didn't expect the other party to put that lifeless body into his arms, and immediately restrained all emotional impulses. "Look!" said he, "unless you're a demon, save her first—then talk to me!" He went into the living room and sat down.Mr. Linton called me to her, and we managed to bring her to life with great difficulty and in every possible way.But her consciousness was completely lost, she just kept moaning and sighing, and she didn't recognize anyone.Edgar was so anxious about her that he had long forgotten her hateful friend.I have not forgotten.As soon as I had an opportunity, I went to tell him to leave as soon as possible.I told him Catherine was better, and asked him to hear from me again in the morning: how she was getting on that night. "I don't refuse to go out," he answered, "but I'll stay in the garden. Remember, Nellie, you'll keep your word to-morrow. I'll stay under those larches, remember! Or I Will come in again, I don't care if Linton is at home." The bedroom door was ajar, and he cast a quick glance inside, convinced that I was telling the truth, before the doom-bringer left the house.