Chapter 38

Result of climbing a wall

01 Summer came to an end. The harvest was late that year. Mr Linton and his daughter would frequently walk out among the workers in the fields, and on the last day of the gathering-in of the crops, they stayed till night fell. As a result of this, my master caught a bad cold, which settled on his lungs, keeping him indoors all through the winter.

02 Poor Cathy, frightened from her little love affair, had been sadder and duller since it had ended, and her father insisted on her reading less, and taking more exercise. She had his companionship no longer, and though I tried to supply the lack, I could spare only two or three hours from my many daily duties.

03 One afternoon at the beginning of November, when it looked likely to rain, I asked my young lady to give up her walk. She refused, so I unwillingly put on my outdoor clothes to go with her to the bottom of the park. This was a walk she chose when she was feeling low spirited, as now, when my master was worse than usual.

04 As we neared a door which opened on to the road, my lady became more cheerful, and climbed up and seated herself on top of the wall to pick some red berries from a wild rose tree. As she reached out to get them, her hat fell off on the outer side, and as the door was locked, she suggested dropping down to get it. I told her to be careful of falling, and she disappeared.

05 But the return was not so easy. The stones of the wall outside were smooth and well joined. I didn't remember this until I heard her laughing and calling out:

06 'Ellen, you'll have to fetch the key, or else I must run round to the main gate.'

07 'Stay where you are,' I answered. 'I have my bunch of keys in my pocket. Perhaps I may manage to open it.'

08 I had tried all the keys in vain, when I heard the sound of a horse, and Cathy whispered anxiously through the door:

09 'Ellen, I wish you could open it.'

10 'Hullo, Miss Linton!' cried a deep voice. 'I'm glad to meet you. I have an explanation to ask of you.'

11 'I shan't speak to you, Mr Heathcliff,' answered Cathy. 'Papa says you are a wicked man, and you hate both him and me; and Ellen says the same.'

12 'That is nothing to the purpose,' said Heathcliff. 'I don't hate my son, I suppose, and it is concerning him that I demand your attention. Yes! You have cause to blush! Two or three months ago, you were in the habit of writing to Linton. I've got your letters, and if you will not listen to me, I'll show them to your father. I suppose you grew weary of the amusement? Well, Linton was in earnest. He's dying for you—breaking his heart at your cruelty. He gets worse every day, and unless you do something to help him, he'll be under the ground before next summer.'

13 'How can you lie so shamelessly to the poor child!' I called out. 'Miss Cathy, I'll break this lock open with a stone in a minute. Don't believe his nonsense.'

14 'I didn't know that there was anyone listening,' murmured Heathcliff. 'Mrs Dean, how can you lie so shamelessly! Miss Linton, I shall be away from home all this week. Go and see if I have not spoken the truth.'

15 The lock broke, and I came out.

16 'Come in,' I said, taking Cathy by the arm, and half forcing her to enter, as she was looking with troubled eyes at the speaker.

17 I closed the door, and the rain having begun, we hurried home in silence.

18 That evening, as we sat by the fire, she wept to herself. I argued with her in vain. Heathcliff had done his work too skilfully.

19 'You may be right, Ellen,' she said, 'but I shall never feel at peace till I know.'

20 What use were anger and argument against her silly determination? Next day saw me on the road to Wuthering Heights, by the side of my naughty young mistress's pony. I couldn't bear her sorrow, her pale face and heavy eyes, and I yielded in the faint hope that Linton might prove, by his way of receiving her, how little truth there was in his father's words.