الفصل الفصل 30 · 第30章

I have paid a visit to the Heights, but I have not seen her since she

left: Joseph held the door in his hand when I called to ask after her,

and wouldn’t let me pass. He said Mrs. Linton was “thrang,” and the

master was not in. Zillah has told me something of the way they go on,

otherwise I should hardly know who was dead and who living. She thinks

Catherine haughty, and does not like her, I can guess by her talk. My

young lady asked some aid of her when she first came; but Mr.

Heathcliff told her to follow her own business, and let his

daughter-in-law look after herself; and Zillah willingly acquiesced,

being a narrow-minded, selfish woman. Catherine evinced a child’s

annoyance at this neglect; repaid it with contempt, and thus enlisted

my informant among her enemies, as securely as if she had done her some

great wrong. I had a long talk with Zillah about six weeks ago, a

little before you came, one day when we foregathered on the moor; and

this is what she told me.

“The first thing Mrs. Linton did,” she said, “on her arrival at the

Heights, was to run upstairs, without even wishing good-evening to me

and Joseph; she shut herself into Linton’s room, and remained till

morning. Then, while the master and Earnshaw were at breakfast, she

entered the house, and asked all in a quiver if the doctor might be

sent for? her cousin was very ill.

“‘We know that!’ answered Heathcliff; ‘but his life is not worth a

farthing, and I won’t spend a farthing on him.’

“‘But I cannot tell how to do,’ she said; ‘and if nobody will help me,

he’ll die!’

“‘Walk out of the room,’ cried the master, ‘and let me never hear a

word more about him! None here care what becomes of him; if you do, act

the nurse; if you do not, lock him up and leave him.’

“Then she began to bother me, and I said I’d had enough plague with the

tiresome thing; we each had our tasks, and hers was to wait on Linton:

Mr. Heathcliff bid me leave that labour to her.

“How they managed together, I can’t tell. I fancy he fretted a great

deal, and moaned hisseln night and day; and she had precious little

rest: one could guess by her white face and heavy eyes. She sometimes

came into the kitchen all wildered like, and looked as if she would

fain beg assistance; but I was not going to disobey the master: I never

dare disobey him, Mrs. Dean; and, though I thought it wrong that

Kenneth should not be sent for, it was no concern of mine either to

advise or complain, and I always refused to meddle. Once or twice,

after we had gone to bed, I’ve happened to open my door again and seen

her sitting crying on the stairs’-top; and then I’ve shut myself in

quick, for fear of being moved to interfere. I did pity her then, I’m

sure: still I didn’t wish to lose my place, you know.

“At last, one night she came boldly into my chamber, and frightened me

out of my wits, by saying, ‘Tell Mr. Heathcliff that his son is

dying—I’m sure he is, this time. Get up, instantly, and tell him.’

“Having uttered this speech, she vanished again. I lay a quarter of an

hour listening and trembling. Nothing stirred—the house was quiet.

“She’s mistaken, I said to myself. He’s got over it. I needn’t disturb

them; and I began to doze. But my sleep was marred a second time by a

sharp ringing of the bell—the only bell we have, put up on purpose for

Linton; and the master called to me to see what was the matter, and

inform them that he wouldn’t have that noise repeated.

“I delivered Catherine’s message. He cursed to himself, and in a few

minutes came out with a lighted candle, and proceeded to their room. I

followed. Mrs. Heathcliff was seated by the bedside, with her hands

folded on her knees. Her father-in-law went up, held the light to

Linton’s face, looked at him, and touched him; afterwards he turned to

her.

“‘Now—Catherine,’ he said, ‘how do you feel?’

“She was dumb.

“‘How do you feel, Catherine?’ he repeated.

“‘He’s safe, and I’m free,’ she answered: ‘I should feel well—but,’ she

continued, with a bitterness she couldn’t conceal, ‘you have left me so

long to struggle against death alone, that I feel and see only death! I

feel like death!’

“And she looked like it, too! I gave her a little wine. Hareton and

Joseph, who had been wakened by the ringing and the sound of feet, and

heard our talk from outside, now entered. Joseph was fain, I believe,

of the lad’s removal; Hareton seemed a thought bothered: though he was

more taken up with staring at Catherine than thinking of Linton. But

the master bid him get off to bed again: we didn’t want his help. He

afterwards made Joseph remove the body to his chamber, and told me to

return to mine, and Mrs. Heathcliff remained by herself.

“In the morning, he sent me to tell her she must come down to

breakfast: she had undressed, and appeared going to sleep, and said she

was ill; at which I hardly wondered. I informed Mr. Heathcliff, and he

replied,—‘Well, let her be till after the funeral; and go up now and

then to get her what is needful; and, as soon as she seems better, tell

me.’”

Cathy stayed upstairs a fortnight, according to Zillah; who visited her

twice a day, and would have been rather more friendly, but her attempts

at increasing kindness were proudly and promptly repelled.

Heathcliff went up once, to show her Linton’s will. He had bequeathed

the whole of his, and what had been her, moveable property, to his

father: the poor creature was threatened, or coaxed, into that act

during her week’s absence, when his uncle died. The lands, being a

minor, he could not meddle with. However, Mr. Heathcliff has claimed

and kept them in his wife’s right and his also: I suppose legally; at

any rate, Catherine, destitute of cash and friends, cannot disturb his

possession.

“Nobody,” said Zillah, “ever approached her door, except that once, but

I; and nobody asked anything about her. The first occasion of her

coming down into the house was on a Sunday afternoon. She had cried

out, when I carried up her dinner, that she couldn’t bear any longer

being in the cold; and I told her the master was going to Thrushcross

Grange, and Earnshaw and I needn’t hinder her from descending; so, as

soon as she heard Heathcliff’s horse trot off, she made her appearance,

donned in black, and her yellow curls combed back behind her ears as

plain as a Quaker: she couldn’t comb them out.

“Joseph and I generally go to chapel on Sundays:” the kirk, (you know,

has no minister now, explained Mrs. Dean; and they call the Methodists’

or Baptists’ place, I can’t say which it is, at Gimmerton, a chapel.)

“Joseph had gone,” she continued, “but I thought proper to bide at

home. Young folks are always the better for an elder’s over-looking;

and Hareton, with all his bashfulness, isn’t a model of nice behaviour.

I let him know that his cousin would very likely sit with us, and she

had been always used to see the Sabbath respected; so he had as good

leave his guns and bits of indoor work alone, while she stayed. He

coloured up at the news, and cast his eyes over his hands and clothes.

The train-oil and gunpowder were shoved out of sight in a minute. I saw

he meant to give her his company; and I guessed, by his way, he wanted

to be presentable; so, laughing, as I durst not laugh when the master

is by, I offered to help him, if he would, and joked at his confusion.

He grew sullen, and began to swear.

“Now, Mrs. Dean,” Zillah went on, seeing me not pleased by her manner,

“you happen think your young lady too fine for Mr. Hareton; and happen

you’re right: but I own I should love well to bring her pride a peg

lower. And what will all her learning and her daintiness do for her,

now? She’s as poor as you or I: poorer, I’ll be bound: you’re saving,

and I’m doing my little all that road.”

Hareton allowed Zillah to give him her aid; and she flattered him into

a good humour; so, when Catherine came, half forgetting her former

insults, he tried to make himself agreeable, by the housekeeper’s

account.

“Missis walked in,” she said, “as chill as an icicle, and as high as a

princess. I got up and offered her my seat in the arm-chair. No, she

turned up her nose at my civility. Earnshaw rose, too, and bid her come

to the settle, and sit close by the fire: he was sure she was starved.

“‘I’ve been starved a month and more,’ she answered, resting on the

word as scornful as she could.

“And she got a chair for herself, and placed it at a distance from both

of us. Having sat till she was warm, she began to look round, and

discovered a number of books on the dresser; she was instantly upon her

feet again, stretching to reach them: but they were too high up. Her

cousin, after watching her endeavours a while, at last summoned courage

to help her; she held her frock, and he filled it with the first that

came to hand.

“That was a great advance for the lad. She didn’t thank him; still, he

felt gratified that she had accepted his assistance, and ventured to

stand behind as she examined them, and even to stoop and point out what

struck his fancy in certain old pictures which they contained; nor was

he daunted by the saucy style in which she jerked the page from his

finger: he contented himself with going a bit farther back and looking

at her instead of the book. She continued reading, or seeking for

something to read. His attention became, by degrees, quite centred in

the study of her thick silky curls: her face he couldn’t see, and she

couldn’t see him. And, perhaps, not quite awake to what he did, but

attracted like a child to a candle, at last he proceeded from staring

to touching; he put out his hand and stroked one curl, as gently as if

it were a bird. He might have stuck a knife into her neck, she started

round in such a taking.

“‘Get away this moment! How dare you touch me? Why are you stopping

there?’ she cried, in a tone of disgust. ‘I can’t endure you! I’ll go

upstairs again, if you come near me.’

“Mr. Hareton recoiled, looking as foolish as he could do: he sat down

in the settle very quiet, and she continued turning over her volumes

another half hour; finally, Earnshaw crossed over, and whispered to me.

“‘Will you ask her to read to us, Zillah? I’m stalled of doing naught;

and I do like—I could like to hear her! Dunnot say I wanted it, but ask

of yourseln.’

“‘Mr. Hareton wishes you would read to us, ma’am,’ I said, immediately.

‘He’d take it very kind—he’d be much obliged.’

“She frowned; and looking up, answered—

“‘Mr. Hareton, and the whole set of you, will be good enough to

understand that I reject any pretence at kindness you have the

hypocrisy to offer! I despise you, and will have nothing to say to any

of you! When I would have given my life for one kind word, even to see

one of your faces, you all kept off. But I won’t complain to you! I’m

driven down here by the cold; not either to amuse you or enjoy your

society.’

“‘What could I ha’ done?’ began Earnshaw. ‘How was I to blame?’

“‘Oh! you are an exception,’ answered Mrs. Heathcliff. ‘I never missed

such a concern as you.’

“‘But I offered more than once, and asked,’ he said, kindling up at her

pertness, ‘I asked Mr. Heathcliff to let me wake for you—’

“‘Be silent! I’ll go out of doors, or anywhere, rather than have your

disagreeable voice in my ear!’ said my lady.

“Hareton muttered she might go to hell, for him! and unslinging his

gun, restrained himself from his Sunday occupations no longer. He

talked now, freely enough; and she presently saw fit to retreat to her

solitude: but the frost had set in, and, in spite of her pride, she was

forced to condescend to our company, more and more. However, I took

care there should be no further scorning at my good nature: ever since,

I’ve been as stiff as herself; and she has no lover or liker among us:

and she does not deserve one; for, let them say the least word to her,

and she’ll curl back without respect of any one. She’ll snap at the

master himself, and as good as dares him to thrash her; and the more

hurt she gets, the more venomous she grows.”

At first, on hearing this account from Zillah, I determined to leave my

situation, take a cottage, and get Catherine to come and live with me:

but Mr. Heathcliff would as soon permit that as he would set up Hareton

in an independent house; and I can see no remedy, at present, unless

she could marry again; and that scheme it does not come within my

province to arrange.

* * * * *

Thus ended Mrs. Dean’s story. Notwithstanding the doctor’s prophecy, I

am rapidly recovering strength; and though it be only the second week

in January, I propose getting out on horseback in a day or two, and

riding over to Wuthering Heights, to inform my landlord that I shall

spend the next six months in London; and, if he likes, he may look out

for another tenant to take the place after October. I would not pass

another winter here for much.