Chapter 19 Chapter fifteen

Another week has passed - and I'm closer to health and spring!I have now heard the whole history of my neighbor, for the steward can come and sit often in his spare time from his more important duties.I'm going to go on in her own words, just condensed a bit.Overall, she's a great storyteller, and I don't think I could have changed her style for the better. Evening, (she said): the night I went to the Grange, I knew Mr. Heathcliff was near again, as if I saw him; I didn't go out, because I still had his letter in my pocket , and no longer want to be frightened or teased.I resolved not to deliver the letter now, till my master had gone somewhere, for I was not sure what would happen to Catherine when she received it.It turned out that it took three days for the letter to reach her.The fourth day was Sunday, and after the whole family had gone to church, I took the letter to her house.A manservant stayed with me to watch the house.We used to keep our doors locked during our services, but it was such a warm and pleasant day that I left them all wide open, and, as I knew who was coming, to fulfill my promise, I told my companions that the mistress He wanted oranges so badly that he had to go to the village to buy some and pay for them tomorrow.He left and I went upstairs.

Mrs. Linton, in a baggy white dress, sat, as usual, in an alcove with an open window, with a thin shawl over her shoulders.Her thick long hair had been cut off a little when she was first ill, but now she simply combed it and let it fall naturally on her temples and neck.As I told Heathcliff, her appearance was changed; but when she was serene, there seemed to be a marvelous beauty in this change.The light in her eyes had changed to a dreamy, melancholy tenderness; her eyes no longer gave the impression that she was looking at things around her; Places - you could say looking out of the world.And the pallor of her face--the haggard features disappeared when she recovered--and the peculiar expression which emanated from her state of mind, which, though sadly suggesting the cause, made her all the more endearing. ; these phenomena--to me, I know, to others who saw her must have thought--sufficient to disprove the evident evidence of recovery, and to mark her doomed to wither.

A book was placed on the windowsill in front of her, open, and the almost imperceptible wind flipped the pages from time to time.I believe Linton put it there: as she never wanted to read, or do anything, he would spend many hours calling her attention to things that had formerly pleased her.She knew his purpose, and when she was in a better mood, she was mildly at his mercy; only now and then suppressing a weary sigh to show that it was no use, and at last stopping him with the most miserable smiles and kisses. .At other times she would turn abruptly, cover her face with her hands, or even push him away angrily; and then he would carefully leave her alone, convinced that there was nothing he could do.

Gimmerton's clock was still ringing; and the murmur of the full brook in the valley was very pleasant.This sweet sound took the place of the rustle of leaves in summer, which was not yet here, and when the trees were bearing fruit, it drowned out the music of the neighborhood of the Grange.Around Wuthering Heights, the brook always sounded like this in the calm days after a storm or a rainy season.When Catherine listened, that is, if she was thinking or listening; all she was thinking was Wuthering Heights!But she had that dazed, inscrutable air of which I have mentioned before, which showed that her ear or eye could hardly discern anything external.

"Here is a letter from you, Mrs. Linton," said I, and gently thrust the letter into one hand which was lying on her lap. "You'll have to read it right away, because you're expecting a reply. Shall I break the seal?" "Very well," she answered, without changing the direction of her eyes.I opened it - the letter was short. "Now," I went on, "look." She withdrew her hand and let the letter fall to the floor.I put it in her arms again, and stood till she'd like to look down; but she wouldn't move, and at last I said-- "Shall I read it, ma'am? It's from Mr. Heathcliff."

She was startled, showing a look of troubled by memories, trying to calm herself down.She picked up the letter as if she were reading it; when she saw the signature, she sighed; but I still found that she didn't understand the meaning, because I was eager to hear her answer, but she only pointed to the letter. Signed, staring at me with mournful, questioning eagerness. "Well, he wants to see you," I said, thinking she needed someone to explain to her, "while he's in the garden, and is anxious to know what answer I'm going to bring him." As I spoke, I saw a large dog lying on the sunny grass below prick up its ears as if about to bark, then flatten them back again.It wags its tail to announce that someone is coming, and it doesn't treat the person as a stranger.Mrs. Linton leaned forward, and listened breathlessly.A minute later there was the sound of footsteps crossing the hall; the open house was too tempting for Heathcliff to refrain from entering: presumably he thought I was willfully breaking my promise, and resolved to do as boldly as I pleased. .Catherine stared at the door of her bedroom with nervous eagerness.He didn't see at once which room to go into: she motioned for me to take him in, but he found it before I reached the door, strode up to her, and took her in his arms.

For five minutes or so he did not speak, nor let go of his embrace, during which time I dare say he gave more kisses than he ever gave in his life: but it was my mistress who kissed him first, and I could see Clearly, he could hardly look her in the face because of real grief!As soon as he saw her, he was as sure as I was that there was no final hope of her recovery--she was destined to die. "Oh, Kitty! Oh, my life! How can I bear it?" were the first words he uttered, in a tone which did not attempt to conceal his despair.Now he's staring at her so eagerly, his gaze is so intense, I think he's going to cry.But those eyes burned with agony: they did not turn into tears.

"What now?" said Catherine, leaning back, answering his gaze with a suddenly sullen look: her temperament was but a weathervane of her ever-changing state of mind. "You and Edgar broke my heart, Heathcliff! You all came begging me for that, as if you were the ones to be pitied! I will have no mercy on you, I No. You've killed me—and, I think, contented with it. How strong you are! How many years do you intend to live after I'm dead?" Heathcliff had knelt on one knee and put his arms around her.He tried to stand up, but she grabbed his hair and pushed him down again.

"I wish I could hold you," she went on bitterly, "till we're both dead! I shouldn't care what you suffer. I don't care what you suffer. Why shouldn't you suffer What? I'm suffering! Will you forget me? Will you be happy when I'm buried above? Will you say twenty years from now, 'That's Catherine Earnshaw's grave. Long ago I loved her, and grieved over her loss; but it was all over. I have loved many since: my child is dearer to me than she is; and, when I die, I will not because I'll be glad to go to her: I'll be sorry to have to leave them!' Would you say so, Heathcliff?"

"Don't drive me crazy like yourself," he cried, turning his head away and gritting his teeth. To a dispassionate onlooker, the two formed a bizarre and terrifying picture.Catherine had good reason to think that heaven was a place of exile for her, unless her spirit was cast away along with her body.In her present countenance, the pale cheeks, bloodless lips, and twinkling eyes expressed a wild vengeance; handful of hair.As for her companion, he propped himself up with one arm, and held her arm in the other; his tenderness towards her was very unbecoming to her then state of health.When he let go, I saw four distinct purple marks left on the bloodless skin.

"Are you haunted by a ghost," he demanded ferociously, "talking to me like that when you were dying? Did you ever imagine that all these words would be seared into my memory, and that they would be burned into my memory when you left me?" After me, will you eat me ever deeper? You know you are lying when you say I killed you; and, Catherine, you know I will never forget you as long as I live! When you are at rest, I Is it not enough to satisfy your vicious selfishness to suffer in the torments of hell?" "I shall not find rest," cried Catherine, feeling her weakness, for her heart beat violently and erratically, even perceptibly, under the excessive excitement.She was at a loss for words, and did not speak again, a little softer, until the excitement had passed. "I don't want you to suffer more than I do, Heathcliff. I just want us to never be apart: if one word from me makes you sad in the future, think I feel the same in the underground For my own sake, forgive me! Come here, kneel again! You never hurt me in your life. Yes, if you get angry, you will think of your anger better than my rough It's even more uncomfortable if you say it! Don't you want to come over again? Come on!" Heathcliff stepped behind her chair, and leaning forward, hid her face, blue with emotion.She looked back at him; he would not allow her to look; he turned suddenly, went to the fire, and stood there, silent, with his back to us.Mrs. Linton's eyes followed him questioningly: every movement aroused in her a new emotion.After a silence and a long stare, she spoke again; speaking to me in tones of indignant disappointment— "Ah, look, Nelly, he won't give me a moment's mercy to keep me from the grave. That's how I'm loved! Well, that's all right. That's not my Heathcliff. I'll still Loved me that; I carried him: he was in my soul. And," she went on musingly, "what bores me most is this broken prison, and I don't want to be locked up here. How I wish To hide in that pleasant world, to be always there: not seeing it with blurred eyes, not longing for it in an aching heart; but really being with it, being in it. Nelly, you think you're better than me Better, luckier; perfectly healthy and strong: you are sorry for me--soon this will change. I will be sorry for you. I will surpass you incomparably, above all of you. I wonder he won't Come near me?" she went on to herself, "I thought he would. Heathcliff, dear! Now you shouldn't be sullen.Come to me, Heathcliff. " She stood up with great excitement and leaned against the arm of the chair.After hearing that sincere begging, he turned to her with a look of complete desperation.His eyes were wide open, with tears in his eyes, and finally he flashed towards her suddenly, his chest heaving with excitement.They stood apart for a moment, and then I could scarcely see how they came together, but Catherine leaped forward, and he caught her, and they embraced so tightly that I thought my mistress would never Will be let go alive: in fact, as far as I can see, she seems to be unconscious at once.He threw himself into the nearest chair, and I hurried forward to see if she was unconscious, and he gritted his teeth at me, foamed like a mad dog, and hugged her tightly with a greedy and jealous look.I hardly felt that I was in the company of an animal of my own kind: it seemed that he would not understand if I spoke to him; Catherine moved, which immediately reassured me: she threw her arms around his neck, he held her, she pressed her face to his; Say-- "You're only now showing me how cruel you were--cruel and false. Why did you despise me? Why did you lie to your own heart, Katie? I don't have a word of comfort. You deserve it. You Killed yourself. Yes, you can kiss me and cry and force my kisses and tears: my kisses and tears will destroy you—curse you. You loved me—then what right have you Leave me? What right—answer me—has that poor vision of Linton? For misery, shame, and death, and all the blows and pains that God or Satan can inflict, cannot separate us, and Thou did it of thy own will. I did not break your heart—you did; and in breaking it you broke mine. For I To be strong is to be extra bitter for me. Shall I live? What kind of life will that be when you— ① Satan - the devil. Ah, God!Would you take your soul in the grave? " "Leave me alone, leave me alone," sobbed Catherine. "If I have ever done wrong, I shall die for it. Enough! You have abandoned mine, and I do not blame you! I forgive you. Forgive me!" "Look at those eyes, feel those gaunt hands, it's hard to forgive," he replied. "Kiss me again; don't let me see your eyes! I forgive you for what you did to me. I love the man who hurt me—but what about the man who hurt you? How can I forgive him?" They were silent—faces pressed together, washing each other's tears.At least, I suppose both parties were weeping; and on such an extraordinary occasion even Heathcliff seemed capable of weeping. At the same time my anxiety grew; for the afternoon passed quickly, those I had sent out had returned from their mission, and I could tell from the setting sun in the valley that a great crowd was pouring out of Gimmerton Church. up. "Prayer is over," I announced. "My master will be home in half an hour." Heathcliff groaned an oath, and held Catherine tighter, and she did not move. Presently I saw a group of servants crossing the road towards the kitchen.Mr. Linton was not far behind; he opened the gate himself, and came slowly, presumably to enjoy the sunny, summery afternoon. "Now he's here," I yelled. "For God's sake, go down! You're not going to meet anybody on the front stairs. Come on, stay in the woods till he comes in." "I must go, Kitty," said Heathcliff, trying to free himself from his partner's arms. "But if I live, I'll come and see you before you go to sleep. I won't be five yards from your window." "You must not walk!" she replied, holding him as tightly as she could. "I tell you, don't go." "Just go away for an hour," he begged fervently. "Not for a minute," she replied. "I must go—Linton is coming soon," insisted the frightened intruder. He tried to get up, to let go of her fingers—but she held on tight, panting: mad determination in 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, falling back in his chair. 'Don't make noise, my dear!Don't make a noise, don't make a noise, Catherine!I'm not leaving.If he just took a gun and killed me, I would die with blessings on my lips. " They hugged each other tightly again.I heard my master come upstairs--a cold sweat broke out on my brow; I was frightened. "Do you just listen to her nonsense?" I said excitedly. "She doesn't know what she's talking about. Are you going to destroy her just because she's out of her wits? Get up! You'll be free in a minute. It's the worst thing you've ever done. We—Master, Mistress Master, servant—all ruined!" I wrung my hands and cried out; Mr. Linton quickened his pace at the sound, and in my shock I saw with all my heart that Catherine's arms let go, and her head droop. "Is she unconscious, or Dead," I thought, "that would be better. Rather than living to be a burden to those around her, to be the maker of misfortune, it would be better for her to die." Edgar rushed towards the uninvited guest, his face pale with shock and anger.What he intended, I do not know; but the other man put the apparently inanimate thing into his arms, and immediately stopped all demonstrations. "Look!" he said. "Unless you're a demon, go and save her—and then you talk to me!" He went to the living room and sat down.Mr. Linton beckoned me, and with great difficulty and contrivances we managed to revive her; but she was quite insane; she sighed and groaned, and knew no one.Edgar was so anxious for her that he forgot her hateful friend.I have not forgotten.I persuaded him to leave at the earliest opportunity: I was sure Catherine was better, and he could hear me tell him how her night had been in the morning. "I won't refuse this door," he answered, "but I'll stay in the garden: Nelly, remember you'll keep your word to-morrow. I'll be under those larches, remember! Or I'll come again, Whether Linton is at home or not." A hasty glance through the half-open door of the bedroom confirmed what I had said to be true, and the inauspicious man left the house.