Chapter 49

Friends at last

01 Mr Heathcliff, who found any sort of society less and less likeable, had almost forbidden Hareton to enter his room. The young man, owing to an accident at the beginning of March, had to remain at home in the kitchen for several days. His gun had burst while he was out on the hills by himself. His arm was damaged, and he had lost a good deal of blood. It suited Cathy to have him by the fireside, or, at any rate, made her hate her room upstairs more.

02 On Easter Monday, Joseph went to Gimmerton market with some cattle, and in the afternoon I was busy pressing clothes in the kitchen. Hareton sat silent as usual in the chimney corner, and my little mistress was drawing pictures on the windows, and amusing herself by little bursts of song, and whispered exclamations, and quick looks of impatience in the direction of her cousin, who went on smoking and looking in the fire.

03 I paid little attention to her doings, but soon I heard her begin:

04 'I've found out, Hareton, that I want—that I'm glad—that I should like you to be my cousin, now, if you hadn't become so disagreeable to me, and rough.'

05 Hareton returned no answer.

06 'Hareton! Hareton! Hareton! Do you hear?'

07 'Get off with you!' he said fiercely.

08 'Let me take that pipe,' she said, cautiously advancing her hand, and removing it from his mouth.

09 Before he could attempt to get it back, it was broken, and thrown in the fire. He swore at her, and seized another.

10 'Stop!' she cried. 'You must listen to me first, and I can't speak with those clouds floating in my face.'

11 'Will you go away,' he exclaimed, 'and let me alone!'

12 'No,' she replied. 'Come, you shall take notice of me. You are my cousin, and shall recognize me. When I call you stupid, I don't mean I'm scornful of you.'

13 'I shall have nothing to do with you, and your cursed making fun of me,' he answered, 'and I'll never look at you again. Move out of the way, now, this minute!'

14 Cathy went away to the window-seat, biting her lip, and trying not to weep.

15 'You should be friends with your cousin, Mr Hareton,' I said, 'as she is sorry for her past behaviour. It would do you a great deal of good, to have her for a companion.'

16 'A companion?' he cried. 'When she hates me, and doesn't think me fit to wipe her shoes?'

17 'It's not I who hate you, it's you who hate me!' Cathy said, now openly weeping. 'You hate me more than Mr Heathcliff does.'

18 'That's not true,' began Hareton. 'Why have I made him angry, by defending you a hundred times—and that when you laughed at me, and scorned me!'

19 'I didn't know you defended me,' she answered, drying her eyes, 'and I was angry and bitter at everybody. But now I thank you, and beg you to forgive me.'

20 She came to the fire, and offered her hand. His face grew dark as a thundercloud, and he would not see it or take it.

21 Cathy must have guessed that it was unwillingness to yield, and not dislike, that caused the refusal, because, after remaining a moment undecided, she bent down, and gave his cheek a gentle kiss. The naughty thing thought I had not seen her, and drawing back, took her former seat by the window. I shook my head disapprovingly, and she blushed.

22 Hareton was very careful, for some minutes, that his face should not be seen, and when he did raise it, he was sadly puzzled where to turn his eyes.

23 Cathy employed herself meanwhile in wrapping a fine book neatly in white paper, and having tied it with a bit of ribbon, and addressed it to 'Mr Hareton Earnshaw', she asked me to be her messenger, and bear the present to him.

24 'And tell him, if he'll take it, I'll come and teach him to read it,' she said, 'and if he refuses, I'll go upstairs and never trouble him again.'

25 I carried it, and repeated the message. Hareton would not open his fingers, so I laid it on his knee. I returned to my work.

26 Cathy leant her head and arms on the table, till she heard the slight noise of the covering being removed, then she crept away and seated herself quietly by her cousin. He trembled, and his face shone. All his rudeness had deserted him. He could not at first find the courage to say a word in reply to her questioning look.

27 'Say you forgive me, Hareton, do!

28 He murmured something that could not be heard.

29 'And you'll be my friend?'

30 'But you'll be ashamed of me every day of your life,' he answered, 'and I can't bear it.'

31 'So you won't be my friend?' she said, smiling sweet as sugar, and creeping close up.

32 I could hear no further talk, but on looking round again, I saw two happy shining faces bent over the pages of the accepted book.

33 The friendship thus begun, grew rapidly, though there were sometimes interruptions. Hareton was not to be civilized with a wish, and my young lady was not a model of patience. But as both their minds tended to the same point—one loving and desiring good opinion, the other loving and desiring to give praise—they managed in the end to reach it.