Chapter 10 Chapter Six

Mr. Hindley came home for the funeral, and--to our great astonishment, and to the chatter of the neighbors--he brought a wife.Who she was, where she was born, he never told us.Probably she has neither money nor family status to boast about, otherwise he wouldn't have kept this marriage a secret from his father. She was not one to upset the whole family for her own sake.Once she had crossed the threshold, everything she saw, everything that happened around her, except the preparations for the burial, and the arrival of the mourners, seemed to please her.At this moment, I thought she was a little crazy from her behavior: she ran into the bedroom and asked me to come in too, and although I was supposed to dress the children in mourning, she sat trembling, clasped her hands, and repeated He asked, "Have they left yet?"

Then, with nervous agitation, she began describing how seeing black would affect her, startled, trembling, and finally crying—and when I asked her what was going on, she said she didn't know, she just thought Very afraid of death!I think she is as unlikely to die as I am.She was rather thin, but young and well-looking, with eyes that shone like jewels.I did notice, however, that she was short of breath as she went upstairs, trembling at the slightest sudden noise, and sometimes having a troublesome cough.But I had no idea what these illnesses portended, and I had no sympathy for her impulsiveness.We don't get very close to strangers here, Mr. Lockwood, unless they first get close to us.

Young Earnshaw was greatly changed after three years' absence.He was thinner, his face lost the color, and his speech and clothes were different from before.On the day he came back, he told Joseph and me to settle down in the back kitchen from now on, and leave the hall to him.Indeed, he had planned to clean up a hut with carpets and plastered walls as a living room.But his wife was so kind to the white wood floor and the big, glowing fireplace, to the pewter dishes and the cupboards with the magnets, and the kennel, and the wide space in which they usually moved about when they sat up and down. He liked it, so he thought it unnecessary to tidy up the living room for his wife's comfort, so he gave up the idea.

She expressed her joy at finding a sister among her new acquaintances.At first she talked to Catherine, kissed her, ran about with her, and gave her many presents.But it didn't take long for her affection to recede.When she became surly, Hindley became tyrannical.A few words from her uttering a hint of dislike for Heathcliff were enough to revive all his old hatred for the boy.He kept him out of the company, cast him among the servants, deprived him of instruction from the curate, insisted that he should work outside, forced him to work as hard as the other boys on the estate. work. At first the child tolerated his demotion quite well, for Katie taught him all she had learned, and accompanied him in working or playing in the fields.They all had the hope of growing up like wild savages.The young master didn't care about their behavior and actions at all, so they were happy to avoid him.He didn't even notice if they were at church on Sunday, and only Joseph and the curate rebuked him for his neglect when they saw their absence.This reminded him to order Heathcliff to be whipped and Catherine to be starved for lunch or supper.But going out into the fields early in the morning, and staying there all day, had become one of their chief amusements, and the subsequent punishment was a ridiculous trifle.Though the curate left as many chapters for Catherine to recite as he pleased, and though Joseph thrashed Heathcliff's arm sorely, the moment they were together again, or at least the minute they hatched some naughty scheme of revenge, They just forget everything.How many times have I been forced to cry to myself as I watched their mischief go by every day, and I dared not say a word, lest I lose what little power I still had over these two unaccompanied little fellows.They happened to be kicked out of the sitting room one Sunday night again for being too loud or something like that.When I went to fetch them to supper, they were nowhere to be found, and we searched the house, up and down, and in the yard and stables, and there was no sign of them.At last, Hindley lost his temper, and made us bolt the doors of the houses, and swore that no one would let them in that night.The whole family went to bed, and I was so anxious that I couldn't lie down, so I opened my window and put my head out to listen. Although it was raining, I decided that as long as they came back, I would let them in regardless of the ban.After a while I heard footsteps on the road, and the flickering light of a lantern entered the gate.I threw the shawl over my head, and ran in case they should knock on the door and wake Earnshaw.It was Heathcliff, and he was alone—I was surprised to see him come back alone.

"Where's Miss Catherine?" I called hastily. "I hope it's all right." "At Thrushcross Grange," he answered, "I could have stayed there too, but they had no manners to keep me." "Well, you're out of luck!" I said. "You'll never give up until you're told to go away. How did you think you were going to Thrushcross Grange?" "Let me get off my wet clothes before I tell you what's the matter, Nelly," he answered. I told him to be careful not to wake the master.As he was undressing and I was waiting for the lights to go out, he went on: "Katy and I slipped out of the laundry to wander freely. We saw the lights of the Grange, and we wanted to see what Linton and the others were doing." Did they stand shivering in the corner on Sunday nights while their parents sat there eating and drinking and singing and laughing and warming themselves by the fire until the eyeballs blazed. Do you think Linton's were like that? Or reading the Bible, and being cross-examined by their manservant, and reciting a passage of names from the Bible if they don't get it right?"

"Probably not," I replied, "of course they are good boys and don't deserve to be punished like you for your bad behaviour." "Don't be prudish, Nelly," he said. "Nonsense! We ran from the top of the hill to the manor without stopping a step--Catherine was left far behind, because she was barefoot. You get the bog to-morrow." We climbed over a broken fence, groped our way, and stood on a flower bed under the parlor window, where the light came in, and they hadn't closed the shutters, and the curtains were only ajar. We stood at the base of the wall, with our hands on the edge of the window, and we could look in. We saw—oh! how beautiful—a beautiful and splendid place, with scarlet carpets, and tables and chairs. a pure white ceiling trimmed with gold, from the middle of which hung a mass of glass pendants on silver chains, gleaming in the soft light of many small candles. Old Mr. and Mrs. Linton were not there, but Edgar and his sister occupy the house. Aren't they supposed to be happy? We'd think we were in heaven! But, guess what you're talking about those good kids doing? Isabella—I Believed she was eleven years old, a year younger than Katie--laid across the room screaming as if a witch had driven a red-hot needle into her. Edgar stood at the fire by the side, crying silently, and in the middle of the table sat a little dog, shaking its paws, and barking. From the complaints of both of them, we understand that they nearly tore it in two. Half. Stuck! That's their fun! Arguing over who gets to hold the pile of warm fur, and both start crying because both of them scrambled for it and then refused to take it. That spoiled darling laughed out loud. We despise 'em! When did you catch me wanting what Catherine wanted, or seeing us crying and screaming and rolling on the floor, one on each side of the room, that way? Let me live a thousand times more, and I won't trade my place here for Edgar's at Thrushcross Grange—just give me the privilege of throwing Joseph off the highest spire, and in front of the house Smear Hindley's blood, and I won't do it either!"

"Hush! Shh!" I interrupted. "Heathcliff, you haven't told me how you left Catherine?" "I told you we were laughing," he answered, "and Linton and the others heard us, and they rushed together to the door like arrows, at first silent, then shouting, 'Oh, mother, mother! Oh, father. Oh, mother! Come on! Oh, father, ah!' They literally howled out something like that. And we made a horrible noise to scare them more, and we got off the ledge, Because someone was pulling the latch, we thought we'd better get away. I grabbed Katie's hand and dragged her along, and suddenly she fell. 'Run, Heathcliff, run,' she whispered. said. 'They let the bulldog go, he's got me!' The devil has her ankle, Nelly, I hear his nasty twang. She doesn't cry out--no! She just Poked on the horns of a mad bull, it wouldn't bark either. But I yelled, and uttered a curse that would have exterminated any demon in Christ's kingdom, and I picked up a stone and stuffed it in its mouth, and with all my might Tried to thrust the stone down its throat. A beast-like servant came with a lantern and cried, 'Hold on, Fox!' But when he saw the fox's prey, he changed The dog was choked, its big purple tongue hanging half a foot from its mouth, bloody saliva dripping from its drooping mouth. The man picked up Katie. Terrified, I dare say, of pain. He took her in. I followed, muttering curses and words of vengeance. 'Caught what, Robert?' cried Linton from the gate. 'Mr. , the fox caught a little girl.' He replied, 'here's a boy,' he added, caught me, 'I look like an expert! It's like robbers sent them in the window, so that Everybody's asleep, go open the door and let the gang in, so we can be done in peace. Shut up, you dirty-mouthed thief, you! You're going to hang for this. Mr. Linton, you first Don't put the gun away.' 'No, Robert,' said the old bastard, 'these rascals know I was collecting rent yesterday, and they're trying to trick me. Come in, I'm going to entertain them. John, bring The chain is fastened. Give the fox some water, Jenny. How dare you offend a magistrate, and in their mansion, and it's the Sabbath! Is there an end to their follies? Ah, my dear Mary, look here! Don't be afraid, it's just a boy—but he's got a rascal on his face, and they've got their looks, and it'd be a good thing for the country to hang him right away before he's doing anything." He drew me under the chandelier. Mrs. Linton put her spectacles on her nose, and held up her hands in fright. The timid children crept closer, and Isabella mumbled, 'Terrible thing! Put him in the cellar, papa. He's just like the fortune teller's son who stole my tamer pheasant. Isn't that him, Edgar?'

① Fox - the name of the dog. "While they were examining me, Katie came along. She laughed at the last remark. Edgar Linton looked at her curiously, and was not foolish enough to recognize her. You know, they Saw us in church, though we seldom met them anywhere else. 'That's Miss Earnshaw!' he whispered to his mother, 'look how the fox bit her, her feet are bloody What a flow!' "'Miss Earnshaw? Nonsense!' cried the lady. 'Miss Earnshaw is wandering about the country with a gypsy! But, my dear, the child is mourning--of course--she may be all her life Crippled!'

"'Her brother's carelessness is a crime!' sighed Mr. Linton, turning from me to Catherine. 'I heard from Hilders (that was the curate, sir) that he let her Brought up in true paganism. But who is this? Where did she pick up such a fellow? Oh! I'm sure he—must be the strange one my late neighbor brought back from his trip to Liverpool Harvest—a young East Indian sailor, or an American or Spaniard outcast.' "'A bad boy, whatever it is,' said the old lady, 'and quite unfit for a respectable family! Did you notice his words, Linton! I am terrified to think my children hear them. It's going to kill me.'

"I started cursing again—don't be angry, Nelly—and Robert was ordered to take me away. I wouldn't go without Katie. He dragged me into the garden, and put the lantern in my hand, Tell me, Mr. Earnshaw must be informed of my conduct, and, to set off at once, close the door again. The curtains are drawn aside, and I will spy again, for, if Catherine will come back, I was going to knock their big window into pieces unless they let her out. She sat quietly on the sofa. Mrs. Linton gave her the milkmaid's coat which we had borrowed for our excursion, and shook Head, I suppose, to persuade her. She was a lady, and they treated her very differently from me. Then the maid brought a basin of lukewarm water to wash her feet, and Mr. Linton made a large glass of rum, Isabella poured a plate full of biscuits into her arms, while Edgar stood away, gaping open-mouthed. Then they dried and combed her beautiful hair and gave her a pair of big Slippers, and carted her to the fire. I left her, for she was happily distributing her food to the puppies and the fox. She pinched her nose while he ate, And set a spark of life in those dull blue eyes of the Lintons--a faint reflection elicited by her own charming face. I saw them all expressing dull admiration. , she's incomparably higher than them--above every human being in the world, isn't she, Nelly?"

"It's going to be a lot more serious than you think," I replied, tucking him in and turning out the light. "You are hopeless, Heathcliff. Mr. Hindley must go to extremes. Let's see if he will." My words are more effective than I expected.This unfortunate adventure made Earnshaw very angry.Then Mr. Linton, in order to remedy the matter, came to visit us next morning himself, and gave the young master a long speech, as to the course of the family he led, so that he was really moved. Heart.Heathcliff was not whipped, but he was ordered to be thrown out if he spoke to Miss Catherine.Mrs. Earnshaw undertook the rather restrictive task of waiting for her sister-in-law when she came home, by artifice, not force; by force she would find it would not work.