CHAPTER THREE

Cathy's Anger

The next June, Hindley's son was born. But his mother, Hindley's wife, was dead within the month.

The boy was named Hareton, and he was given to Ellen to take care of. Hindley did not seem to care about the baby, as long as he was healthy and did not cry.

He was upset that his wife had died, and began to drink every day.

Hindley continued to treat Heathcliff terribly, and the boy grew more angry and proud as the years passed. Edgar Linton was very interested in Cathy, even though not many good people wanted to go near Wuthering Heights. They did not like Hindley and his drinking. But Edgar liked Cathy, and he would have visited her, but he was afraid of Hindley. One afternoon, Hindley was away from the house. Heathcliff was about sixteen years old then. He was a handsome boy, with black hair and eyes. Cathy and Heathcliff were still friends, but Heathcliff did not like to show his feelings for her. On this day, Heathcliff came into the house while Ellen was helping Cathy put on a pretty dress. Cathy did not know that Heathcliff was there, and she had asked Edgar Linton to come over. "Cathy, why are you wearing that silk dress?" Heathcliff asked. "Is someone coming here?" Cathy looked worried. "Edgar and Isabella are coming to visit," she said. She did not look at Heathcliff. Heathcliff looked angry. "Tell Ellen to say that you can't see them," he said. "Don't leave me for those silly friends of yours!"

But they heard a horse in the yard, so it was too late. Heathcliff went into the kitchen. Then Edgar Linton entered. His face was happy at the thought of seeing Cathy again. "I hope I haven't come too soon?" he said, looking at Ellen.

Ellen turned away and began to clean up a corner of the room.

"No, Edgar," answered Cathy sweetly. "What are you doing, Ellen?"

"Only my work, Miss Cathy," Ellen said.

The truth was that Hindley had told Ellen to watch Cathy and Edgar when they were together. Cathy stepped up behind Ellen and whispered angrily, "Ellen, go away! I want to be alone with him!" Ellen said, "I'm sure Mr Edgar won't mind if I finish my work." Cathy looked at Ellen. "I order you to go!" she said. "I'm sorry, Miss Cathy, but Master Hindley asked me to do it," said Ellen. Immediately, Cathy grabbed the cloth from Ellen's hand and pinched her on the arm. It hurt, and Ellen shouted angrily, "Miss Cathy, that's a nasty trick! You have no right to pinch me!" "I didn't touch you, you lying woman!" cried Cathy, her ears all red with rage.

Ellen held out her arm and showed a purple mark. "What's this, then?" she said loudly.

Cathy stamped her foot in a fury, and then slapped Ellen hard across the face. The slap made Ellen's eyes filled with tears from the pain.

"Catherine!" cried Edgar, very surprised.

Cathy did not answer him. "Leave the room, Ellen!" she said, shaking all over. Little Hareton was sitting on the floor. He loved Ellen and went everywhere with her. He started to cry, and Cathy seemed to become even angrier. She picked up the child and shook him. Edgar grabbed the baby and took hold of her hands to stop her. Immediately, she slapped Edgar across the ear! He drew back. Without a word to Cathy, Ellen took Hareton and walked off into the kitchen. She left the door open, because she wanted to hear what would happen. Edgar got his coat and hat and walked toward the door. "Where are you going, Edgar?" cried Cathy, running to the door.

He tried to move past Cathy, but she would not let him move.

"You must not go!" she cried.

"Well, I'm not staying here after that!" he said. "I won't come here again, either! What is wrong with you, Cathy? Why did you treat Ellen so terribly? And then you lied about it! I saw you pinch Ellen!" "I didn't, I didn't!" she cried. "I didn't do anything! All right—go, if you want to! Go away! And now I'll cry until I'm sick!"

She dropped on her knees and began to cry. Edgar walked out of the door, but then he stopped. There he stopped. Ellen saw him look back. Suddenly he turned and went into the house again. He put his arms around Cathy and began to comfort her. Ellen came in after an hour to tell them that Hindley had come home and was drunk. Cathy and Edgar were sitting quietly together, and Edgar was staring at Cathy lovingly. Ellen wondered how Cathy felt. When Edgar found out that Hindley was back, he left quickly. Cathy went to her room. Ellen went to hide Hareton, because she did not want his father to see him when he was drunk. However, Hindley ran into the kitchen before she could hide the boy. He grabbed Hareton and cried, "Ellen, the boy needs a haircut! Give me the scissors, and I'll cut it all off! Kiss me, my darling boy! What? You won't! To think that I could have such a terrible child! I'll break your neck, you little monster!" The child was kicking and screaming in his father's arms, and when Hindley carried him upstairs and held him over the staircase he screamed even louder. Ellen ran after them, crying out that he would frighten the child.

Suddenly, when his father was at the top of the stairs, Hareton gave a sudden kick. His father dropped him, and he fell!

Ellen screamed. But then she saw that he was safe! Heathcliff, who had come into the room suddenly, had held out his arms, caught the child and set him down on his feet.

Hindley came down the stairs, pale and sober. "Is he hurt?" he cried. "Hurt? No!" cried Ellen, angrily. "But you're worse than a savage, treating your son in that way! The boy hates you—and that's the truth! Look at what's happened to you!"

Hindley laughed. "I don't care! Take the boy away! And Heathcliff—stay out of my way. You've done something good for once in your life, so I wouldn't want to kill you tonight!" Ellen and Heathcliff watched him walk into the sitting room. He took a bottle of liquor from the dresser, and then kicked the door shut.

"It's a pity he doesn't fall down and kill himself with drinking!" said Heathcliff.

Ellen went into the kitchen and sat down with Hareton on her lap. At the time, she thought Heathcliff had left the house and went to the barn. But he was only outside the kitchen, he sat down on a bench outside the kitchen and remained quiet.

Ellen was singing to the child when Cathy entered the room and said, "Ellen, are you alone?" "Yes, Miss Cathy."

Cathy came in and sat down by the fire. Ellen thought that she looked worried.

"Where's Heathcliff?" she asked.

"In the barn, I think."

Cathy didn't say anything. After a while Ellen looked up and saw a tear fall down Cathy's cheek. She pretended not to notice, however. "Oh, dear, Ellen!" cried Cathy. "I'm so unhappy!"

"Then you're very hard to please," Ellen answered. "When you have so many friends and so few problems!"

"Ellen, will you keep a secret for me?" Cathy asked.

"I don't know. Is it important?" asked Ellen.

"Yes, it is. I must tell someone. Edgar Linton asked me to marry him today. Should I have said yes or no?"

"Well, after the terrible way you acted today, I would say no to him, Miss Cathy," said Ellen firmly. "If he asked you to marry him after all that, he must be very stupid!" Cathy stood up, her face red. "Well, I said yes," she went on. "Was I wrong?"

"Do you love him?" Ellen asked.

"Oh, yes. He's handsome and rich, and I'll just love being the greatest lady in the area!"

"Well, then what are you unhappy about, girl?" asked Ellen. She did not understand Cathy.

"I feel unhappy—here and here," said Cathy, putting one hand on her forehead and the other on her heart.

She sat in a chair, and her face was frightened and sad. "I have no reason to marry Edgar Linton." she said. "If Hindley had not made Heathcliff into a servant, with no education or money, I would never marry Edgar. But ... But I can't marry Heathcliff now, when he's nothing but a farm boy! Oh, Ellen, I would be so ashamed!" she cried.

There was a long silence. "Heathcliff can never know how much I love him," she said finally. "Ellen, Heathcliff is more myself than I am—I don't love him because he's handsome, or intelligent, or hates Hindley as much as I do.—I am Heathcliff, and he is me. We love the same things, and feel about things the same way. He's always, always, always in my mind, Ellen—but it would shame me to marry him!"

As soon as Cathy had mentioned Heathcliff's name, Ellen had heard a slight sound. When she turned her head, she saw Heathcliff stand up from the bench by the wall. He had listened to Cathy's words, until he heard Cathy say that it would lower her to marry him. Then he had left without a sound. Ellen knew what he was feeling.

(end of section)