Chapter 11

Unhappy Christmas

01 The next day Heathcliff rose early, and as it was a holiday, he took his bad temper on to the moors, not reappearing until the family had left for church.

02 By this time he seemed to be in a better state of mind. He stood near me for a time, and then gathering up his courage, said, 'Nelly, make me tidy. I'm going to be good.'

03 'It's time that you behaved,' I said. 'You have hurt Catherine's feelings. You are too proud. If you're ashamed, you must ask pardon. And though I have dinner to get ready, I'll make time to arrange you so that Edgar Linton shall look like a baby beside you. You are younger, but you're taller and twice as broad across the shoulders. You could knock him down in a second.'

04 Heathcliff's face brightened for a moment, then it darkened again.

05 'But Nelly, it wouldn't make him less good-looking. I wish I had light hair and a fair skin, and was as well dressed and rich as he!'

06 'And cried for mama, and sat at home all day for a shower of rain!' I added. 'Oh, Heathcliff, you are showing a poor spirit! Now, look in the glass and tell me if you don't find yourself rather good-looking too, now you're washed and combed and have finished with your bad temper. For all we know, your father was a king in some faraway country, and your mother a queen, and you were seized as a child by wicked sailors, and brought to England!'

07 So I continued to talk, and Heathcliff began to look quite pleasant, when all at once our conversation was interrupted by the sound of wheels moving up the road and entering the yard. From the window we saw the two Lintons get down from the family carriage, covered with furs, and the Earnshaws get off their horses. Catherine took a hand of each of the children, and brought them into the house.

08 I urged my companion to go and show his good temper, but unfortunately for him, when he opened the door leading from the kitchen on one side, Hindley opened it on the other. They met, and the master, annoyed at seeing him clean and cheerful, or perhaps remembering Mr Linton's words, pushed him back sharply and ordered Joseph to send him upstairs till dinner was over.

09 'Away, you gypsy!' he cried. 'What! Are you trying to make yourself look like your superiors! Wait till I get hold of that fine hair—see if I won't pull it a little longer!'

10 'It's long enough already,' remarked Edgar Linton from the doorway. 'It's like a horse's.'

11 Heathcliff's violent nature was not prepared to accept this insult from one whom he seemed to hate, even then, as his rival. He seized a dish of hot apple sauce and threw it right in the speaker's face. Edgar began to cry, and Isabella and Catherine hurried in. Mr Hindley dragged Heathcliff outside, while I got a kitchen cloth and rather unkindly rubbed Edgar's nose and mouth clean. Cathy stood by, confused and blushing for all.

12 'You shouldn't have spoken to him!' she said to Edgar. 'Now he'll be beaten, and I hate that! I can't eat my dinner.'

13 'I didn't speak to him,' wept the youth. 'I promised Mama I wouldn't say a word to him.'

14 'Well, don't cry,' said Catherine scornfully. 'You're not killed. My brother is coming. Be quiet!'

15 At the sight of the feast at table, the little visitors recovered their good spirits. They were hungry after their journey, and no real harm had been done. I waited at table behind the mistress's chair. Cathy lifted a mouthful to her lips, and then set it down again. Her cheeks were hot and the tears poured over them. She hastily dropped her fork to the floor, and bent beneath the tablecloth to hide her feelings. She was miserable all day.

16 In the evening we had a dance. Cathy begged that Heathcliff, who had been locked up by the master, might be freed, as Isabella had nobody to dance with; but she spoke in vain, and I had to fill the place. Our pleasure in the exercise was increased by the arrival of a band of fifteen musicians, and some singers besides. Young Mrs Earnshaw loved the music, so they gave us plenty.

17 Catherine loved it too, but she said it sounded sweetest at the top of the stairs, and she went up in the dark. I followed. They shut the door below, never noticing our absence. She did not stop at the head of the stairs, but went on up the ladder to the top of the house, where Heathcliff was imprisoned, and spoke to him through the door.

18 When the singers had finished, I went to warn her. Instead of finding her outside, I heard her voice from inside. The naughty little thing had crept out through one small window in the roof, and along the outside and in through the window in Heathcliff's prison, and it was with the greatest difficulty that I could persuade her to come out again. When she did come, Heathcliff came with her.

19 I told them that I didn't mean to encourage their tricks, but as Heathcliff had not eaten at all since yesterday's dinner, I would shut my eyes for once to his deceiving Mr Hindley. He went down, and I set him in a chair by the fire in the kitchen.

20 He was sick, and could eat little. He sat with his head in his hands and remained silent. When I inquired what he was thinking about, he answered:

21 'I'm trying to settle how I shall take my revenge on Hindley. I don't care how long I wait, if only I can do it at last.'