CHAPTER NINE

A Child Is Born

The beautiful young girl who Lockwood met at Wuthering Heights was born on that same night. The little baby was also named Catherine, like her mother. But about two hours after the child was born, her mother, the only person Heathcliff had ever loved, died in her sleep. The beautiful light of early morning came through the windows of Cathy's bedroom. Ellen was crying as she looked at Cathy's face. She looked more beautiful and peaceful than Ellen remembered. Edgar Linton was lying next to her, and his eyes were closed. After the sun had risen Ellen left the room. She knew Heathcliff would be waiting in the garden for Ellen's message. Somehow, Ellen knew that Heathcliff already knew Cathy was dead. He was there in the garden, leaning against a tree. He raised his eyes and spoke. "She's dead. I know, you don't need to tell me. And stop crying. She wants none of your tears!"

But Ellen was crying for him, and his terrible loss. "How did she die?" he asked in that loud, cold voice, but Ellen saw that he was shaking. She felt so sorry for Heathcliff that she did not know what to do or say.

"She died quietly and peacefully," Ellen said. "There was a smile on her face when she went to sleep. She never woke up again."

"Did she—did she mention me?" he asked. He was in great pain.

"I'm so sorry, Heathcliff—she did not know anyone when she died, even me. I hope she will wake up as peacefully in Heaven!" "Peacefully? I hope she wakes up in the greatest pain!" he cried. "Where is she? She isn't in Heaven. Catherine Linton! You will not rest, as long as I'm alive! You said I broke your heart, even killed you—haunt me then! Drive me mad! Only do not leave me alone, where I cannot find you! I cannot live without my life, and you are my life, Cathy!"

Suddenly he stopped speaking and told Ellen to go. She walked away quickly. She knew there was nothing she could do for him.

They decided to bury Cathy on the next Friday. Her coffin sat in the living room during that week, and was covered with flowers. Edgar spent his days and nights there, and Heathcliff spent his nights outside in the garden.

Ellen did not see Heathcliff, but one night when Edgar had gone to sleep for a few hours, Ellen opened one of the windows, so that Heathcliff could come into the living room and say goodbye to Cathy.

Hindley Earnshaw, Cathy's brother, was asked to come to his sister's funeral, but he did not come. There were only a few people at the funeral besides Edgar and Ellen. Heathcliff did not come, and Edgar had not asked Isabella to attend the funeral. Cathy's grave was in a pretty place in the churchyard, with a simple stone above it with the name "Catherine Linton."

During that month Thrushcross Grange was a sad, quiet house. Ellen sat alone in the sitting room with little Catherine, Edgar's daughter. Edgar stayed in his room and his library. While Ellen cared for the baby, she watched the snow fall on the cold ground. She did not do anything else for many days. And then, one evening, the door opened and a young girl entered, running into the room and laughing loudly!

Ellen was angry because she thought it was a servant girl. "What are you doing, girl? You'll bother Mr Linton and wake up the baby! Be quiet!"

"I'm sorry," the girl said. "But I can't stop myself from laughing!" The voice was Isabella's!

Ellen turned and stared at the girl. Her thin dress was wet, and she wore small, dirty shoes on her feet. Her pale face was full of cuts and bruises.

Isabella ran to the fire to get warm. "I've run here from Wuthering Heights," she said. "I'm hurting all over! Ellen, please tell a servant to find me some new clothes—and ask a carriage to take me to Gimmerton!"

"You're not going to Gimmerton tonight," said Ellen, "you're too cold and wet, Isabella!"

"Yes, I am, even if I have to walk!" said Isabella. "I must have some dry clothes!"

Ellen could see Isabella would go to Gimmerton, no matter what she said. So she helped Isabella get ready to go, and soon Isabella was sitting in a chair by the fire drinking a hot cup of tea.

"I'm sorry I laughed, Ellen," Isabella said. "Please don't think that I didn't care about poor Cathy. She and I did not agree about Heathcliff, and I thought she treated my brother very badly. But I can't forgive myself for not writing to her! But that's over now. And now, I'm going to throw away the last thing of Heathcliff's that I have! I will never go back to him!"

Isabella took a wedding ring on her finger and dropped it onto the floor. "I'll smash the ring," she cried, "and then I'll throw it into the fire!" She tried to break the ring with her feet, and then threw it into the fire. She was laughing and crying at the same time.

"Isabella, calm down!" said Ellen. "So you have finally realized the truth about Heathcliff! You've run away from him. What will you do now?"

"I'll go anywhere," Isabella said, "as long as it's far away from him! No, he's not a man—he's a monster!"

Isabella told Ellen how that night, Hindley and Heathcliff had been in a terrible fight. Hindley had tried to shoot Heathcliff with a gun, but Heathcliff had fought Hindley with a knife. When Isabella tried to protect Hindley, Heathcliff had cut her with the knife. Isabella had told him that she would rather die than stay with him, and left immediately.

Ellen felt sad for Isabella. "My dear," she said gently, "do not think that Heathcliff is really an evil man. He has a terrible character, and has had a very hard life. Catherine was the only person he ever loved, but they could never marry and be together. Now she is dead, and a part of Heathcliff is dead too."

"Ellen, don't tell me these things," Isabella said, "I don't care, and I don't want to hear them. I only want to leave here forever!"

Then Isabella stood up, put on her coat, and went outside where the carriage was waiting for her. Like she promised Ellen, Isabella never returned to that part of the country again.

However, many months later, Ellen heard that Isabella was living in the south of England, near London. Isabella had a new baby son, named Linton. She wrote a letter to Edgar about the child, saying that he was small and got sick easily.

One day Ellen saw Heathcliff in the village, and he asked her where Isabella had gone. She would not tell him, because she was afraid he would force Isabella and the baby to come back to Wuthering Heights. However, he found out the truth, and knew where Isabella lived and about his new son. After that, whenever he saw Ellen he asked about the baby. When he heard the baby's name, he laughed loudly and said, "Oh! So she wants me to hate the baby, because it's a Linton, does she? Well, I'll have him when I want him. She can be sure of that!"

After the death of his wife, Edgar Linton lived alone. He spent his time inside his house, and only went out to visit his wife's grave.

But Edgar could not stay very unhappy for long. He did not want Catherine's ghost to haunt him, and he had a little daughter to love. Little Cathy looked like her mother, and this made him happy.

When Hindley died, no one was surprised. He died soon after his sister, very drunk. He was only twenty-seven years old.

Wuthering Heights became Heathcliff's house, since Hindley had lost all the money that he owned. It was strange that the poor "gypsy" boy, who had once been almost a servant, now owned the great house. And Hareton Earnshaw, Hindley's son, was a servant in his own father's house! Ellen felt afraid when she realized these things. She knew that Hareton did not know what Heathcliff had done. Heathcliff's revenge on the Earnshaw family was not finished yet!

(end of section)