Chapter 12

'No company at all'

01 On the morning of a bright day in the following June, 1778, Hareton, the last of the ancient family of Earnshaw, was born. He was a fine boy. The doctor said, however, that his mother had had a disease of the lungs for many months, and would not live long. Mr Hindley refused to believe it, but one night, while she was leaning on his shoulder, a fit of coughing seized her. He raised her in his arms; she put her two hands around his neck, her face changed, and she was dead.

02 The child Hareton was left entirely in my charge. His father, so long as he saw him healthy and never heard him cry, was contented, as far as he was concerned.

03 For himself, he was in despair. He had room in his heart for only his wife and himself, and he could not bear the loss. He neither wept nor prayed; he cursed God and man, and gave himself up to wild living. The servants all left: Joseph and I were the only two who would stay. The curate stopped visiting us, and nobody respectable came near us in the end, except Edgar Linton, who came for Cathy's sake.

04 At fifteen she was the queen of our part of the country: a proud, self-willed girl, but wonderfully faithful and loyal. Heathcliff kept his hold on her affections unchangeably, and Linton, with all his superiority, found it difficult to awaken an equally strong feeling.

05 Catherine did not show her rough side in the Lintons' company, but had the good sense to be ashamed of being rude where she was received with such unfailing good manners. She was full of ambition, and this led her to adopt a double character. The old lady and gentleman were deceived by her pretty ways, and became fond of her, and she gained the admiration of Isabella, and the heart and soul of her brother.

06 One afternoon, Mr Hindley had gone from home so Heathcliff had given himself a holiday. He had reached about the age of sixteen, and had by that time lost the advantage of his early education. His childhood's sense of superiority, developed by the favours of old Mr Earnshaw, had faded away. He had struggled long to keep up with Catherine in her studies, and yielded with regret, but yielded completely, when he found he must sink below his former level. Then his appearance began to reflect his state of mind. His walk lacked confidence, he looked disagreeable, and spoke seldom, and he took pleasure in stirring up the dislike of those whom he met.

07 Catherine and he were still faithful companions when his work was done, and on this occasion he came into the house in search of her. I was assisting her to arrange her dress, as she thought she had the whole place to herself, and had let Edgar Linton know of her brother's absence.

08 'Why have you got that silk dress on?' asked Heathcliff. 'Nobody is coming here, I hope?'

09 'Not that I know of,' replied Catherine rather awkwardly, 'but you should be in the fields now, Heathcliff.'

10 'Hindley doesn't often free us of his presence,' remarked the boy. 'I'll not work any more today. I'll stay with you.'

11 He moved towards the fire. Catherine hesitated for an instant.

12 'Isabella and Edgar Linton talked of calling this afternoon,' she said, after a short silence. 'As it's raining, I hardly expect them, but they may come.'

13 'Order Ellen to say that you are out, Cathy,' he went on. 'Don't turn me out for those miserable, silly friends of yours.'

14 'And should I always be sitting with you?' she demanded. 'What good do I get? You might be a baby, unable to talk, for anything you say to amuse me!'

15 'You never told me before that I talked too little, or that you disliked my company, Cathy!' exclaimed Heathcliff, greatly upset.

16 'It's no company at all, when people know nothing, and say nothing,' she complained.

17 Her companion rose, but he had no time to express his feelings further, because a horse's feet were heard on the stone path outside, and after a gentle knock young Linton entered, his fair, good-looking face shining with delight. No doubt Cathy noticed the difference between her friends, as the one came in and the other left.