Chapter 31 Chapter Twenty Seven

Seven days passed quickly, and each day Edgar Linton's condition progressed dramatically.The first few months had broken him down, and now it was getting worse hour by hour.We still tried to deceive Catherine; but her cunning was no match for her own; she brooded upon herself, brooding over that terrible possibility which was ripening into inevitability.When Thursday came again and she was not in the mood to mention her riding, I mentioned it to her and got permission to go outdoors with her: because the library (her father can only be there once a day, he can only sit very For a short time) and his bedroom have become his whole world.She is willing to bend over his pillow or sit beside him all the time.Her face grew pale with protection and sorrow, and my master wished her to go away, which he thought would give her a happy change of surroundings and company, and comforted her with the hope that she would not be alone after his death. Own.

He had a persistent notion, as I guessed from his several conversations, that his nephew, if he looked like him, must have a heart like him, for Linton's letters showed little or nothing. over his flaws.And I, with pardonable weakness, refrained from rectifying this mistake, and asked myself: How would it be possible for him to be disturbed by the news, which he had neither the power nor the opportunity to reverse, at the last moment of his life? He knew what good it was. We postponed our excursion until the afternoon; a rare and fine afternoon in August: every breath that blew from the mountains was so full of life that whoever inhaled it, even the dying, will be resurrected.Catherine's face was just like the landscape--the shadows and the sun flitting alternately; but the shadows lingered longer, the suns shorter, and her poor little heart even reproached myself.

We see Linton still guarding the place he had chosen last time.My little mistress dismounted, and told me that she had decided to stay only for a moment, and that I had better ride and lead her pony, but I disagreed: I could not risk losing sight of my ward for a minute. ; so we climbed down the slope of the meadow together.Master Heathcliff received us this time with a greater excitement: not, however, the excitement of glee, nor the excitement of glee; more like fear. "It's late!" he said, in short labored words. "Isn't your father very ill? I thought you weren't coming."

"Why don't you speak frankly?" cried Catherine, swallowing her greeting. "Why can't you just say that you don't want me? It's extraordinary, Linton, that the second time you insist on my coming here, you're obviously just making us suffer for each other, for no other reason!" Linton trembled, and glanced at her partly beseechingly, partly ashamed; but his cousin had not the patience to bear such ambiguity. "My father is very ill," she said, "and why did you tell me to leave his bedside? Why didn't you send me a letter to let me go if you wanted me to break my promise? Come! I want one." Explanation: I'm not in the mood for game chatter at all: now I can't make fun of your poses either!"

"My pose!" he murmured, "what's that? For God's sake, Catherine, don't be so angry! Despise me all you want; It's not enough to laugh at, but I'm too unworthy to make you angry. Hate my father and despise me." "Boring!" Catherine exclaimed excitedly. "Confused fool, look, he's trembling, as if I were going to touch him! You needn't ask for contempt, Linton: you can make anyone look down on you automatically at any time. Go away! I'm going home : It's just ridiculous, dragging you out of the fireplace and pretending--what shall we pretend? Let go of my clothes! If I pity you for your crying and your very frightened look, you should too Deny the mercy. Alan, tell him how indecent it is. Arise, and don't reduce yourself to a lowly reptile—don't!"

Linton, weeping, threw his limp body on the ground with an expression of pain: he seemed terrified by a violent terror. "Ah," he sobbed, "I can't bear it! Catherine, Catherine, and I'm a treacherous man, I dare not tell you! But if you leave me, I'll be killed! Catherine dear, My life is in your hands: you said you loved me, and if you did, it would be no harm to you. Then don't you go? Merciful, sweet, good Catherine! Perhaps you will—he Even if I die, I will be with you!" My lady, seeing that he was in great pain, stooped to help him.The old forgiving tenderness overwhelmed her troubles, and she was thoroughly moved and frightened.

"Promise what!" she asked, "promise to stay? Tell me what you mean by this strange statement, and I'll stay. You contradict yourself and confuse me too! Be calm and frank, and say at once. Come out with all the burdens on your heart. You won't hurt me, Linton, will you? You won't let any enemy hurt me, if you can stop it! I can believe you are a coward yourself, But not a cowardly betrayer of your best friend." "But my father frightens me," gasped the boy, squeezing his thin fingers, "I'm afraid of him—I'm afraid of him! I can't tell!"

"Ah! well!" said Catherine, with mocking pity, "keep your secret, I am no coward. Save yourself; I am not afraid!" Her magnanimity aroused his tears; he wept wildly, and kissed her supporting hand, but could not summon courage to speak.I was thinking what the secret would be, and determined that it was my good intentions not to let Catherine suffer herself for his benefit or anyone else's; when I heard a rustle in the heather. The sound, I looked up, and saw Heathcliff coming down the hill, and approaching us.He did not look at the two persons I was with, though they were near enough for him to hear Linton's weeping; Greeting, the sincerity makes me have to doubt, he said:

"It is a comfort to see you so near to my house, Nelly. How are you doing at the Grange? Tell us." He added, lowering his voice, "the rumor is that Edgar Linton is dying. , or have they exaggerated his condition?" "No, my master is dying," I answered; "it is true. It is a sad thing for us all, but a blessing for him!" "How much longer do you think he can hold off?" he asked. "I don't know," I said. "Because," he went on, looking at the two young men, who were frozen under his notice—Linton seemed afraid to move or look up, and Catherine for his sake too. —"Because that boy over there seems determined to make me hard; I wish his uncle would die sooner and before him! Say; has the little brute been playing tricks? I've been to his snot-tear tricks Taught him a lesson. He's always lively with Miss Linton, isn't he?"

"Lively? No—he's showing great pain," I answered. "Looking at him, I must say, he shouldn't be loitering on the hills with his sweetheart, he should be lying in bed under the care of a doctor." "He'll be lying down in a day or two," grunted Heathcliff. "But first—get up, Linton! Get up!" he cried. "Don't lie there on your stomach: get up, get up now!" Again Linton fell to the ground in a fit of powerless terror, which, I suppose, was caused by his father's glance: nothing else could have produced such humiliation.Several times he tried to obey, but what little physical strength he had was temporarily gone, and he fell down again with a groan.Heathcliff stepped forward and lifted him up against a raised hay.

"Now," he said with subdued ferocity, "I'm going to be angry; if you don't get your little bit of strength together--damn you! Get up at once!" "I'll get up, Father," he gasped. "Just leave me alone, or I'm going to faint. I promise I've done your wish. Catherine will tell you that I—I—could have been happy. Oh, stay with me, Catherine , give me your hand." "Take my hand," said his father, "and stand up. Come—she'll give you her arm, that's right, look at her. Miss Linton, you'll imagine me Remember this horrible demon itself, do a good deed, and please accompany him home, will you? When I touch him, he trembles." "Linton, dear!" whispered Catherine, "I can't go to Wuthering Heights... Papa forbids me... He won't hurt you. Why are you so frightened?" "I can never go into that house again," he replied. "If I don't go in with you, I can't go in again!" "Shut up!" his father yelled. "Catherine's filial scruples should be respected. Take him in, Nelly, and I will follow your advice about a doctor without delay." "Then you can take him there," I replied. "But I must be with my lady; it is not my business to look after your son." "You're obstinate," said Heathcliff, "I know it: but you're making me pinch the baby, and make him scream, so that he won't touch your compassion. Come, then, my hero. Will you go back and be escorted by me?" He approached again, making as if to grasp the frail thing; but Linton drew back, clinging to his cousin, with an air of mad begging that was simply undeniable. .However much I disapproved, I could not stop her: indeed, how could she refuse him herself?What it was that filled him with terror we couldn't see, but there he was, feebly in his grasp, as if any added threat could scare him into an idiot.We reached the door: Catherine went in, and I stood waiting for her to guide the patient into a chair, hoping she would come out at once, when Mr. Heathcliff, pushing me forward, cried: "I The house is not plagued, Nelly; I want to entertain today; sit down, and let me close the door." He closed the door and locked it again.I was taken aback. "You can have some tea before you go home," he added. "Only by myself. Hareton went out to herd the cattle by the Rees, and Zillar and Joseph hung out; and though I am used to being alone, I would rather have some interesting company if I could get it. Lin Sit beside him, Miss Dun. I give you all I have: the gift is simply unworthy to accept; but I have nothing else to offer. I mean Linton. Why are you staring! Really! Curious, what a savage feeling I should have for anything that seemed to fear me! If I had been born in a country where the laws were less strict and the fashions less refined, I would surely bring these two together vivisection, for evening entertainment." He gasped, pounded the table, and cursed to himself, "I swear to hell, I hate them." "I'm not afraid of you!" cried Catherine, who could not stand the second part of his speech.She approached him; her dark eyes sparkled with passion and determination. "Give me the key: I want it!" she said. "Even if I'm starving to death, I won't eat or drink here." Heathcliff took in his hand the key which lay on the table.He looked up, and was amazed at her bravery; or, perhaps, her voice and glance reminded him of the one who had inherited them from her.She grabbed the key, nearly wrenching it from his loose fingers, but her movement brought him back to reality; he recovered quickly. "Now, Catherine Linton," said he, "stand away, or I'll strike you down; that would drive Mrs. Dean mad." Ignoring the warning, she grabbed his clenched fist and its contents again. "We must go!" she repeated, trying with all her strength to loosen the iron muscles; finding her nails ineffective, she gnawed hard with her teeth.Heathcliff gave me a look which for a moment prevented me from interfering.Catherine was so focused on his fingers that she ignored his face.Suddenly he opened his fingers, throwing away the object of contention; but, before she could take it, he seized her with the loosened hand, drew her to kneel before him, and with the other hand faced There was a torrential rain of blows on her head and face. If she could fall down, one blow would be enough to accomplish his threat. Seeing this diabolical fury, I rushed up to him in rage. "You bastard!" I began to yell, "You bastard!" He shut me up with a punch in the chest: I was fat, I couldn't breathe in a second: with that blow and rage, I fainted He staggered backwards, feeling like he was about to suffocate, or burst a blood vessel. The fuss was over in two minutes; Catherine was let go, with her hands on her temples, as if she could not quite know whether her ears were still up or not.She trembled like a reed, poor thing, and leaned against the table in utter panic. "You see, I know how to punish children," said the rogue ferociously, as he stooped to pick up the keys that had fallen on the floor, "and now, as I told you, go to Linton's; Come on! I'll be your father, to-morrow—in a day or two you'll have only one father—you've got plenty to suffer. You can take it, you're a fool, and if I See such a ghostly look in your eyes, and you'll taste it once a day!" Kitty, instead of going to Linton's side, ran up to me, knelt down, and laid her hot face on my knees, and wept aloud.Her cousin, huddled in a corner of the chaise longue, was as still as a mouse, and I daresay he was privately congratulating that the punishment had fallen on someone else and not him.Heathcliff saw us all petrified, and got up, and went quickly to make tea himself.The cups and saucers are all set.He poured tea and gave me a cup. "Wash your temper out," he said. "Help me, and pour a cup of tea for your own naughty darling and my own boy. I prepared it, but it wasn't poisoned. I'm going out to get your horses." As soon as he was gone, our first thought was to fight a way out somewhere.We tried the kitchen door, but it was bolted from the outside: we looked at the windows—they were too narrow for even Kitty's little stature to get through. "Master Linton," I cried, seeing that we were duly imprisoned, "you know what your wicked father is up to, and tell us, or I'll box you like he did your cousin. Same." "Yes, Linton, you must tell us," said Catherine. "I have come for your sake; it would be ungrateful if you would not." "Give me some tea, I'm thirsty, and I'll tell you," he replied. "Go away, Mrs. Dean. I don't like you standing in front of me. Look, Catherine, you've poured your tears into my teacup. I won't drink that cup. Pour me another." Catherine pushed him another glass and wiped his face.I am disgusted by the openness of the poor little wretch, who is no longer afraid of himself.As soon as he entered Wuthering Heights, all the pain he had shown on the moor disappeared; so I guessed he was threatened with a wrathful punishment, if he could not lure us there; and that was done. , he has no fear now. "Daddy wants us to get married," he went on, after a sip of tea. "He knows your father won't let us marry now; if we wait, he's afraid I'll die, so we'll get married in the morning, and you'll have to stay here for the night, and if you do what he wishes, the next day You can go home and take me with you." "Take you with her, poor half-hearted man!" I cried. "You married? Then the man is crazy! Or he thinks we're fools, we all do. You think that beautiful lady, that healthy, hearty girl, would chain herself to a dying little Monkey's side? Don't say Miss Linton, do you think anyone's going to have you as a husband? You deserve to be whipped by your cowardly whimpering tricks to lure us here; and—now , don't be so dumb! I'd like to shake you hard for your contemptible treachery and your imbecile whims." I did shake him a little bit, but that caused a cough, and he went back to the old moaning and crying routine, and Catherine scolded me. "Overnight? No!" she said, looking around slowly. "Alan, I'm going to burn that door down, I'm going out anyway." She was about to carry out her threats, but Linton panicked again for his dear self.He put his thin arms around her, sobbing: "You don't want me, save me? Won't you let me go to the Grange? Ah, dear Catherine! You must not go away, or leave me. You must obey my father, you must! " "I must obey my own father," she answered, "to get him out of this cruel suspense. All night! What will he think? He's going to suffer. I must fight my way out, or go around One way out. Quiet! You're in no danger—but if you get in my way—Linton, I love Papa more than you!" The mortal horror of Mr. Heathcliff's wrath revived his cowardly eloquence.Catherine was almost insane: still she insisted on going home, and this time it was her turn to entreat and persuade him to curb his selfish distress. They were tangling like this, and our jailer came in again. "Your horses are gone," said he, "and—oh, Linton! Crying again? What has she done to you? Come, come—well, go to bed. In a month or two, My child, you can avenge her present tyranny with a mighty hand. Thou wilt for pure love, don't you? Nothing else in the world: she'll have you! Then, Go to bed! Zira won't be here to-night; you'll have to undress yourself. Hush! Be quiet! I won't come near you when you're in your own room, and you needn't be afraid. As it happens, you managed to do well this time. I'll take care of the rest." Having said these words, he opened the door to let his son pass, who went out with the air of a begging puppy, lest the person who opened the door should intend to give him a malicious squeeze.The door is locked again.Heathcliff approached the fire, where my mistress and I stood silent.Catherine looked up, and instinctively raised her hands to her face: the pain revived in his proximity.No one else could have taken this childish behavior seriously, but he frowned at her and grunted: "Ah! You are not afraid of me? Your bravery is not bad: but you seem very frightened!" "I'm afraid now," she answered, "because papa will be upset if I stay here: how can I bear to make him upset—in him—in him—Mr. Heathcliff , let me go home! I promise to marry Linton: father would have me marry him, and I love him. Why would you force me to do what I would have done myself?" "See how he dares to force you!" I called. "The country has laws, thank God! There are laws; though we live in a remote place. Even if he were my own son, I'd sue him; it's a felony that not even a priest can pardon!" "Shut up!" said the villain. "You yell! I don't want you to talk. Miss Linton, I am very happy to think that your father will be distressed; I shall be sleepless with satisfaction. It would be the best thing for you to tell me that such a thing will happen." The reason is that you must stay twenty-four hours at my house. As for your promise to marry Linton, I will tell you to keep your word; for if you do not do so, you will never leave here." "Then tell Ellen to let papa know I'm safe!" cried Catherine, weeping bitterly. "Or marry me now. Poor papa, Ellen, he'll think we're lost. What shall we do?" "He won't! He'll think you're tired of waiting on him, and go off and play," answered Heathcliff.You cannot deny that you came into my house of your own accord, in violation of his prohibition.At your age it is quite natural that you should be eager for some amusement; and naturally you would be weary of tending a sick man who is only your father.When your life began, Catherine, his happiest days were over.I dare say he cursed you for coming into this world (at least, I cursed); and if he cursed you when he came out, that would be fine.I would like to curse with him.I do not love you!How can I?go cry.Crying will be your chief pastime hereafter, I suppose: unless Linton makes up for other losses: your prudent patriarch seems to fancy he can.His letters of counsel and comfort greatly pleased me.In his last letter he exhorted my darling to take care of his darling; and to be gentle with her when he got her.Caring and gentle - that is the love of a father.But Linton directed all his care and tenderness to himself.Linton is good at playing the petty tyrant.He would torture as many cats as he wanted by pulling out their teeth and chipping off their claws.I assure you that when you come home again you will be able to make up all sorts of wonderful stories about his gentleness to tell his uncle. " "You're right!" said I. "You've explained your son's character rightly. There's a resemblance between him and yourself, so I think Miss Catty will think twice before she accepts the viper! " "I don't care so much to speak of his lovely qualities now," he answered, "for either she must accept him, or be a prisoner, and have you with her till the death of your master. I can put You all stay, quite tightly, right here. If you doubt, encourage her to withdraw her words, and you can have a chance to judge!" "I don't want to retract my words," Catherine said. "If I can go to Thrushcross Grange when I'm married, I'll marry him within the hour, Mr. Heathcliff, you're a cruel man, but you're not a devil; you don't just do it out of malice, Just ruin all my happiness irretrievably. If papa thinks I left him on purpose, how can I live if he dies before I go back? I don't cry anymore: but here I am on my knees , kneel before you; I won't get up, and I'll keep my eyes on your face, till you look back at me too! No, don't turn around! Look! You won't see anything to offend you. I I don’t hate you. I’m not angry when you hit me. Uncle, have you never loved anyone in your life? Never? Ah! You must see me. Have mercy on me." "Get off your lizard fingers; go away, or I'll kick you!" cried Heathcliff, pushing her savagely away. "I'd rather be entangled by a snake. How can you dream of flattering me? I hate you so much!" He shrugged: he did shudder himself, as if he shuddered with disgust; and pushed back his chair; while I stood up, opened my mouth, and wanted to curse.But I was blocked by a threat just halfway through the first sentence.He said that if I said another word, I would be locked in a room alone.It was getting dark—we heard voices at the garden gate.Our master drove out at once: he had his tact, and we hadn't.After two or three minutes of talking, he came back alone again. "I thought it was your cousin Hareton," I said to Catherine. "I wish he would! He might be on our side, who knows?" "Three servants from the Grange are looking for you," said Heathcliff, hearing me. "You should have opened the window and yelled out: but I can swear the little girl was glad you didn't, and she was glad to be kept, I'm sure." We knew we had lost our chance, and we couldn't help venting our sorrows; he made us cry until nine o'clock.Then he told us to go upstairs, through the kitchen, to Zilla's bedroom: I whispered to my companion to obey: or we could try to get out through the window over there, or into a garret, and out through the skylight.However, the windows were as narrow as downstairs, and the attic was impossible to reach, as we were locked in as before.Neither of us lay down: Catherine remained at the window, anxiously awaiting morning; and to my repeated entreaties to her to rest, the only answer I could get was a deep sigh.I myself sat in a rocking-chair, rocking to and fro, with my mind sternly reprimanding my many neglects of duty; and I thought then that all the misfortunes of my masters had come from them.I now see that this was not the case; but it was, in my fancy, that dreary night; and I thought Heathcliff was less guilty than I was. At seven o'clock he came, and asked Miss Linton if she was up.She ran to the door at once, and answered, "Up." "Here, then," he said, opening the door and pulling her out.I got up and followed, but he locked it again.I ask to be let go. "Be patient," he answered, "I'll send for your breakfast in a moment." I pounded on the door, and shook the latch angrily; Catherine asked why should I be shut?He replied, I have to endure another hour, and they left.I endured it for two or three hours; at last I heard footsteps: not Heathcliff's. "I've brought you food," said a voice, "open the door!" I obeyed eagerly, and saw Hareton, with enough food to last me all day. "Here," he said again, thrusting the plate into my hand. "Wait a minute," I began. "No," he cried, and withdrew, but he ignored my pleas to keep him. There I was locked up all day, and all night; and day, and night.I stayed five nights and four days altogether, seeing no one, save Hareton once every morning; deaf.