Wuthering Heights, Page 33

  CHAPTER XXXIII

  On the morrow of that Monday, Earnshaw being still unable to follow hisordinary employments, and therefore remaining about the house, I speedilyfound it would be impracticable to retain my charge beside me, asheretofore. She got downstairs before me, and out into the garden, whereshe had seen her cousin performing some easy work; and when I went to bidthem come to breakfast, I saw she had persuaded him to clear a largespace of ground from currant and gooseberry bushes, and they were busyplanning together an importation of plants from the Grange.

  I was terrified at the devastation which had been accomplished in a briefhalf-hour; the black-currant trees were the apple of Joseph's eye, andshe had just fixed her choice of a flower-bed in the midst of them.

  'There! That will be all shown to the master,' I exclaimed, 'the minuteit is discovered. And what excuse have you to offer for taking suchliberties with the garden? We shall have a fine explosion on the head ofit: see if we don't! Mr. Hareton, I wonder you should have no more witthan to go and make that mess at her bidding!'

  'I'd forgotten they were Joseph's,' answered Earnshaw, rather puzzled;'but I'll tell him I did it.'

  We always ate our meals with Mr. Heathcliff. I held the mistress's postin making tea and carving; so I was indispensable at table. Catherineusually sat by me, but to-day she stole nearer to Hareton; and Ipresently saw she would have no more discretion in her friendship thanshe had in her hostility.

  'Now, mind you don't talk with and notice your cousin too much,' were mywhispered instructions as we entered the room. 'It will certainly annoyMr. Heathcliff, and he'll be mad at you both.'

  'I'm not going to,' she answered.

  The minute after, she had sidled to him, and was sticking primroses inhis plate of porridge.

  He dared not speak to her there: he dared hardly look; and yet she wenton teasing, till he was twice on the point of being provoked to laugh. Ifrowned, and then she glanced towards the master: whose mind was occupiedon other subjects than his company, as his countenance evinced; and shegrew serious for an instant, scrutinizing him with deep gravity.Afterwards she turned, and recommenced her nonsense; at last, Haretonuttered a smothered laugh. Mr. Heathcliff started; his eye rapidlysurveyed our faces, Catherine met it with her accustomed look ofnervousness and yet defiance, which he abhorred.

  'It is well you are out of my reach,' he exclaimed. 'What fiendpossesses you to stare back at me, continually, with those infernal eyes?Down with them! and don't remind me of your existence again. I thought Ihad cured you of laughing.'

  'It was me,' muttered Hareton.

  'What do you say?' demanded the master.

  Hareton looked at his plate, and did not repeat the confession. Mr.Heathcliff looked at him a bit, and then silently resumed his breakfastand his interrupted musing. We had nearly finished, and the two youngpeople prudently shifted wider asunder, so I anticipated no furtherdisturbance during that sitting: when Joseph appeared at the door,revealing by his quivering lip and furious eyes that the outragecommitted on his precious shrubs was detected. He must have seen Cathyand her cousin about the spot before he examined it, for while his jawsworked like those of a cow chewing its cud, and rendered his speechdifficult to understand, he began:--

  'I mun hev' my wage, and I mun goa! I _hed_ aimed to dee wheare I'dsarved fur sixty year; and I thowt I'd lug my books up into t' garret,and all my bits o' stuff, and they sud hev' t' kitchen to theirseln; fort' sake o' quietness. It wur hard to gie up my awn hearthstun, but Ithowt I _could_ do that! But nah, shoo's taan my garden fro' me, and byth' heart, maister, I cannot stand it! Yah may bend to th' yoak an yewill--I noan used to 't, and an old man doesn't sooin get used to newbarthens. I'd rayther arn my bite an' my sup wi' a hammer in th' road!'

  'Now, now, idiot!' interrupted Heathcliff, 'cut it short! What's yourgrievance? I'll interfere in no quarrels between you and Nelly. She maythrust you into the coal-hole for anything I care.'

  'It's noan Nelly!' answered Joseph. 'I sudn't shift for Nelly--nasty illnowt as shoo is. Thank God! _shoo_ cannot stale t' sowl o' nob'dy! Shoower niver soa handsome, but what a body mud look at her 'bout winking.It's yon flaysome, graceless quean, that's witched our lad, wi' her boldeen and her forrard ways--till--Nay! it fair brusts my heart! He'sforgotten all I've done for him, and made on him, and goan and riven up awhole row o' t' grandest currant-trees i' t' garden!' and here helamented outright; unmanned by a sense of his bitter injuries, andEarnshaw's ingratitude and dangerous condition.

  'Is the fool drunk?' asked Mr. Heathcliff. 'Hareton, is it you he'sfinding fault with?'

  'I've pulled up two or three bushes,' replied the young man; 'but I'mgoing to set 'em again.'

  'And why have you pulled them up?' said the master.

  Catherine wisely put in her tongue.

  'We wanted to plant some flowers there,' she cried. 'I'm the only personto blame, for I wished him to do it.'

  'And who the devil gave _you_ leave to touch a stick about the place?'demanded her father-in-law, much surprised. 'And who ordered _you_ toobey her?' he added, turning to Hareton.

  The latter was speechless; his cousin replied--'You shouldn't grudge afew yards of earth for me to ornament, when you have taken all my land!'

  'Your land, insolent slut! You never had any,' said Heathcliff.

  'And my money,' she continued; returning his angry glare, and meantimebiting a piece of crust, the remnant of her breakfast.

  'Silence!' he exclaimed. 'Get done, and begone!'

  'And Hareton's land, and his money,' pursued the reckless thing. 'Haretonand I are friends now; and I shall tell him all about you!'

  The master seemed confounded a moment: he grew pale, and rose up, eyeingher all the while, with an expression of mortal hate.

  'If you strike me, Hareton will strike you,' she said; 'so you may aswell sit down.'

  'If Hareton does not turn you out of the room, I'll strike him to hell,'thundered Heathcliff. 'Damnable witch! dare you pretend to rouse himagainst me? Off with her! Do you hear? Fling her into the kitchen!I'll kill her, Ellen Dean, if you let her come into my sight again!'

  Hareton tried, under his breath, to persuade her to go.

  'Drag her away!' he cried, savagely. 'Are you staying to talk?' And heapproached to execute his own command.

  'He'll not obey you, wicked man, any more,' said Catherine; 'and he'llsoon detest you as much as I do.'

  'Wisht! wisht!' muttered the young man, reproachfully; 'I will not hearyou speak so to him. Have done.'

  'But you won't let him strike me?' she cried.

  'Come, then,' he whispered earnestly.

  It was too late: Heathcliff had caught hold of her.

  'Now, _you_ go!' he said to Earnshaw. 'Accursed witch! this time she hasprovoked me when I could not bear it; and I'll make her repent it forever!'

  He had his hand in her hair; Hareton attempted to release her locks,entreating him not to hurt her that once. Heathcliff's black eyesflashed; he seemed ready to tear Catherine in pieces, and I was justworked up to risk coming to the rescue, when of a sudden his fingersrelaxed; he shifted his grasp from her head to her arm, and gazedintently in her face. Then he drew his hand over his eyes, stood amoment to collect himself apparently, and turning anew to Catherine,said, with assumed calmness--'You must learn to avoid putting me in apassion, or I shall really murder you some time! Go with Mrs. Dean, andkeep with her; and confine your insolence to her ears. As to HaretonEarnshaw, if I see him listen to you, I'll send him seeking his breadwhere he can get it! Your love will make him an outcast and a beggar.Nelly, take her; and leave me, all of you! Leave me!'

  I led my young lady out: she was too glad of her escape to resist; theother followed, and Mr. Heathcliff had the room to himself till dinner. Ihad counselled Catherine to dine up-stairs; but, as soon as he perceivedher vacant seat, he sent me to call her. He spoke to none of us, atevery little, and went out directly afterwards, intimating that he shouldn
ot return before evening.

  The two new friends established themselves in the house during hisabsence; where I heard Hareton sternly check his cousin, on her offeringa revelation of her father-in-law's conduct to his father. He said hewouldn't suffer a word to be uttered in his disparagement: if he were thedevil, it didn't signify; he would stand by him; and he'd rather shewould abuse himself, as she used to, than begin on Mr. Heathcliff.Catherine was waxing cross at this; but he found means to make her holdher tongue, by asking how she would like _him_ to speak ill of herfather? Then she comprehended that Earnshaw took the master's reputationhome to himself; and was attached by ties stronger than reason couldbreak--chains, forged by habit, which it would be cruel to attempt toloosen. She showed a good heart, thenceforth, in avoiding bothcomplaints and expressions of antipathy concerning Heathcliff; andconfessed to me her sorrow that she had endeavoured to raise a bad spiritbetween him and Hareton: indeed, I don't believe she has ever breathed asyllable, in the latter's hearing, against her oppressor since.

  When this slight disagreement was over, they were friends again, and asbusy as possible in their several occupations of pupil and teacher. Icame in to sit with them, after I had done my work; and I felt so soothedand comforted to watch them, that I did not notice how time got on. Youknow, they both appeared in a measure my children: I had long been proudof one; and now, I was sure, the other would be a source of equalsatisfaction. His honest, warm, and intelligent nature shook off rapidlythe clouds of ignorance and degradation in which it had been bred; andCatherine's sincere commendations acted as a spur to his industry. Hisbrightening mind brightened his features, and added spirit and nobilityto their aspect: I could hardly fancy it the same individual I had beheldon the day I discovered my little lady at Wuthering Heights, after herexpedition to the Crags. While I admired and they laboured, dusk drewon, and with it returned the master. He came upon us quite unexpectedly,entering by the front way, and had a full view of the whole three, ere wecould raise our heads to glance at him. Well, I reflected, there wasnever a pleasanter, or more harmless sight; and it will be a burningshame to scold them. The red fire-light glowed on their two bonny heads,and revealed their faces animated with the eager interest of children;for, though he was twenty-three and she eighteen, each had so much ofnovelty to feel and learn, that neither experienced nor evinced thesentiments of sober disenchanted maturity.

  They lifted their eyes together, to encounter Mr. Heathcliff: perhaps youhave never remarked that their eyes are precisely similar, and they arethose of Catherine Earnshaw. The present Catherine has no other likenessto her, except a breadth of forehead, and a certain arch of the nostrilthat makes her appear rather haughty, whether she will or not. WithHareton the resemblance is carried farther: it is singular at all times,_then_ it was particularly striking; because his senses were alert, andhis mental faculties wakened to unwonted activity. I suppose thisresemblance disarmed Mr. Heathcliff: he walked to the hearth in evidentagitation; but it quickly subsided as he looked at the young man: or, Ishould say, altered its character; for it was there yet. He took thebook from his hand, and glanced at the open page, then returned itwithout any observation; merely signing Catherine away: her companionlingered very little behind her, and I was about to depart also, but hebid me sit still.

  'It is a poor conclusion, is it not?' he observed, having brooded awhileon the scene he had just witnessed: 'an absurd termination to my violentexertions? I get levers and mattocks to demolish the two houses, andtrain myself to be capable of working like Hercules, and when everythingis ready and in my power, I find the will to lift a slate off either roofhas vanished! My old enemies have not beaten me; now would be theprecise time to revenge myself on their representatives: I could do it;and none could hinder me. But where is the use? I don't care forstriking: I can't take the trouble to raise my hand! That sounds as if Ihad been labouring the whole time only to exhibit a fine trait ofmagnanimity. It is far from being the case: I have lost the faculty ofenjoying their destruction, and I am too idle to destroy for nothing.

  'Nelly, there is a strange change approaching; I'm in its shadow atpresent. I take so little interest in my daily life that I hardlyremember to eat and drink. Those two who have left the room are the onlyobjects which retain a distinct material appearance to me; and thatappearance causes me pain, amounting to agony. About _her_ I won'tspeak; and I don't desire to think; but I earnestly wish she wereinvisible: her presence invokes only maddening sensations. _He_ moves medifferently: and yet if I could do it without seeming insane, I'd neversee him again! You'll perhaps think me rather inclined to become so,' headded, making an effort to smile, 'if I try to describe the thousandforms of past associations and ideas he awakens or embodies. But you'llnot talk of what I tell you; and my mind is so eternally secluded initself, it is tempting at last to turn it out to another.

  'Five minutes ago Hareton seemed a personification of my youth, not ahuman being; I felt to him in such a variety of ways, that it would havebeen impossible to have accosted him rationally. In the first place, hisstartling likeness to Catherine connected him fearfully with her. That,however, which you may suppose the most potent to arrest my imagination,is actually the least: for what is not connected with her to me? and whatdoes not recall her? I cannot look down to this floor, but her featuresare shaped in the flags! In every cloud, in every tree--filling the airat night, and caught by glimpses in every object by day--I am surroundedwith her image! The most ordinary faces of men and women--my ownfeatures--mock me with a resemblance. The entire world is a dreadfulcollection of memoranda that she did exist, and that I have lost her!Well, Hareton's aspect was the ghost of my immortal love; of my wildendeavours to hold my right; my degradation, my pride, my happiness, andmy anguish--

  'But it is frenzy to repeat these thoughts to you: only it will let youknow why, with a reluctance to be always alone, his society is nobenefit; rather an aggravation of the constant torment I suffer: and itpartly contributes to render me regardless how he and his cousin go ontogether. I can give them no attention any more.'

  'But what do you mean by a _change_, Mr. Heathcliff?' I said, alarmed athis manner: though he was neither in danger of losing his senses, nordying, according to my judgment: he was quite strong and healthy; and, asto his reason, from childhood he had a delight in dwelling on darkthings, and entertaining odd fancies. He might have had a monomania onthe subject of his departed idol; but on every other point his wits wereas sound as mine.

  'I shall not know that till it comes,' he said; 'I'm only half consciousof it now.'

  'You have no feeling of illness, have you?' I asked.

  'No, Nelly, I have not,' he answered.

  'Then you are not afraid of death?' I pursued.

  'Afraid? No!' he replied. 'I have neither a fear, nor a presentiment,nor a hope of death. Why should I? With my hard constitution andtemperate mode of living, and unperilous occupations, I ought to, andprobably _shall_, remain above ground till there is scarcely a black hairon my head. And yet I cannot continue in this condition! I have toremind myself to breathe--almost to remind my heart to beat! And it islike bending back a stiff spring: it is by compulsion that I do theslightest act not prompted by one thought; and by compulsion that Inotice anything alive or dead, which is not associated with one universalidea. I have a single wish, and my whole being and faculties areyearning to attain it. They have yearned towards it so long, and sounwaveringly, that I'm convinced it will be reached--and soon--because ithas devoured my existence: I am swallowed up in the anticipation of itsfulfilment. My confessions have not relieved me; but they may accountfor some otherwise unaccountable phases of humour which I show. O God!It is a long fight; I wish it were over!'

  He began to pace the room, muttering terrible things to himself, till Iwas inclined to believe, as he said Joseph did, that conscience hadturned his heart to an earthly hell. I wondered greatly how it wouldend. Though he seldom before had revealed this state of mind, even
bylooks, it was his habitual mood, I had no doubt: he asserted it himself;but not a soul, from his general bearing, would have conjectured thefact. You did not when you saw him, Mr. Lockwood: and at the period ofwhich I speak, he was just the same as then; only fonder of continuedsolitude, and perhaps still more laconic in company.