Part Two

The Second Catherine, or
the Tree of Revenge Grows
(1784-1801)

Continued by Mrs Ellen Dean

Chapter 31

Cathy rides out

01 The twelve years that followed were the happiest of my life. My greatest troubles arose from our little lady's small illnesses, which she had to experience like any other child. For the rest, after the first six months, she grew tall and straight, and could walk, and talk too in her own way, before the heather was in flower for the second summer over her mother's grave. She was the most charming thing that ever brought sunshine into an unhappy house: a real beauty in face, with the Earnshaws' dark eyes, but the Lintons' fair skin and delicate face and yellow curling hair. Her spirit was high, but not rough, and her heart was tender and loving. It must be admitted that she had her faults, and she was as spoilt as any child that always got her way. I don't believe her father ever spoke a severe word to her. He took entire charge of her education. Curiosity and a quick intelligence made her a good pupil. She learnt rapidly and did honour to his teaching.

02 Till she reached the age of thirteen, she had not once been beyond the park by herself. Her father would take her with him a mile or so outside, on rare occasions, but he trusted her to no one else. She had never been to the village, and the church was the only building she had entered, except her own home. Wuthering Heights and Mr Heathcliff did not exist for her.

03 Although she seemed contented enough with her sheltered life, she would sometimes stare out of her window upstairs and ask:

04 'How long will it be before I can walk to the top of those hills, Ellen? What are those rocks like when you stand under them?'

05 One of the maids told her about the wonderful cave in the rocks. Our little lady begged her father to let her go there, and he promised that she should make the journey when she was older. But Miss Cathy measured her age by months, not years, and was continually repeating her request. The road to these rocks wound close to Wuthering Heights. Edgar could not bear to pass the place, so he continued to refuse.

06 The Linton family were by nature delicate. Isabella lived only a dozen years after leaving her husband. When her last illness came upon her, she wrote to her brother, and begged him to come to her, if possible, as she wished to say goodbye to him, and deliver her son safely into his hands. Her hope was that the boy might be left with him, and that the father would show no interest.

07 Although my master was very unwilling to leave home for ordinary calls, he did not hesitate an instant now. He set out at once, leaving Cathy in my particular care, with repeated orders that she must not wander out of the park, even if I went with her.

08 He was away three weeks. The first day or two, my little lady sat in a corner in the library, too sad to read or play, and too quiet to give trouble. This was followed by a time of restlessness, and as I was too busy to run up and down amusing her, I made a habit of sending her on her travels round the grounds, sometimes on foot and sometimes on a pony. When she returned I would listen with patience to the story of her adventures, real and imaginary.

09 I did not fear her leaving the grounds, because the gates were usually locked, and I thought that even if they were not, she would not dare to go out alone. In this belief I was wrong.

10 Cathy came to me one morning, at eight o'clock, and said that she was that day an Arab merchant, going to cross the desert, and I must give her plenty of food for herself and her animals (her horse and her three dogs). She rode off with the basket that I gave her, laughing when I told her to be back early.

11 The naughty thing never made her appearance at teatime. One traveller, the oldest dog, returned, but there was no sign of Cathy or her pony. I sent people out to search in all directions, and at last went myself.

12 A workman was busy at a fence on the edge of the grounds. I asked if he had seen our young mistress.

13 'I saw her in the morning,' he replied. 'She made her horse jump over the hedge just here, where it is lowest, and rode out of sight.'