Part Three

The Fruit of Revenge is Tasteless
(February-April 1802)

Told by Mrs Ellen Dean

Chapter 48

'Can't you speak to me?'

01 When, within two weeks of your leaving the Grange, Mr Lockwood, I was sent for to go to Wuthering Heights, I obeyed joyfully, for Cathy's sake. My first meeting with her upset me and filled me with grief: she had changed so much since our separation. Mr Heathcliff did not explain why he had changed his mind about my coming. He only said he was tired of seeing Cathy, so I must make the little room upstairs, which had belonged to Linton, into my sitting room, and keep her with me. She seemed pleased with this arrangement, and by degrees, I secretly brought over from the Grange a number of books and other things.

02 Cathy was contented at first, but after a short time she became restless and difficult to please. For one thing, she was forbidden to move out of the garden. For another, in looking after the house, I was forced to leave her frequently, and she complained of loneliness. She preferred quarrelling with Joseph in the kitchen, to sitting in peace by herself. I did not mind this, but Hareton often had to be in the kitchen also, and though at the beginning she either left at his approach, or quietly joined me in my work, taking no notice of him at all, after a time, she changed her behaviour, and was unable to let him alone, talking about him, remarking on his idleness and stupidity, wondering how he could bear the life he led.

03 'He's just like a dog, isn't he, Ellen?' she once remarked, 'or a cart horse? He does his work, eats his food, and sleeps. Do you ever dream, Hareton? Can't you speak to me?'

04 She looked at him, but he would neither open his mouth nor look again.

05 'I know why Hareton never speaks when I am in the kitchen,' she exclaimed on another occasion. 'He's afraid I'll laugh at him. Ellen, what do you think? He began to teach himself to read once, and because I laughed, he burnt his books and gave it up. Wasn't he a fool?'

06 'Weren't you naughty?' I said. 'Answer me that.'

07 'Perhaps I was,' she went on, 'but I didn't expect him to be so silly. Hareton, if I gave you a book, would you take it now?'

08 She placed one in his hand. He threw it away, and threatened her.

09 'Well, I shall put it in the table drawer,' she said, 'and I'm going to bed.'

10 She whispered to me to watch whether he touched it when she went out. He would not come near it, to her great disappointment. I saw she was sorry about his continued unfriendliness, and her conscience blamed her for frightening him off improving himself.

11 She tried hard to remedy the harm she had done. While I was at work in the kitchen she would bring in some pleasant book and read aloud to me. When Hareton was there, she would pause at some interesting point, and leave the book about open at the page. She did this repeatedly, but he was determined to resist, and in the wet weather got into the habit of smoking with Joseph, while on fine evenings he went off shooting.

12 Meanwhile Cathy sighed and complained and worried me to talk to her, and said that her life was useless.