Wuthering Heights / Грозовой перевал. Уровень 3. Эмили Бронте

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ chief amusements to run away to the moors in the morning and remain there all day, and later they only laughed at punishment.

      One Sunday evening, they were banished from the sitting-room for making a noise. When I went to call them to supper, I could discover them nowhere. At last, Hindley in a passion told us to bolt the doors, and ordered not to let them in that night. In a while, I distinguished steps coming up the road, and the light of a lantern glimmered through the gate. I threw a shawl over my head and ran out. I wanted to prevent them from waking Mr. Earnshaw. There was Heathcliff, by himself.

      'Where is Miss Catherine?' I cried hurriedly. 'No accident, I hope?'

      'At Thrushcross Grange,' he answered; 'and I wanted to be there too, but they had not the manners[8] to ask me to stay'.

      He told me then they had run to see, through the window, how the Lintons were spending their evening. There they saw Edgar Linton and his two sisters arguing very silly over petting the dog. They laughed and made themselves discovered, and a bulldog ran and bit Cathy by her ankle. At first the household thought our children were thieves. Then they recognized Catherine for what she was. Then they sent Heathcliff off and left the girl there to take care of Catherine. The worst thing for Heathcliff was that she liked it there – by the fire, in a family circle, everyone adoring and admiring her. Heathcliff, of course, felt heartbroken.

      The luckless adventure made Earnshaw furious, and no surprise. And then Mr. Linton paid us a visit himself on the morrow, and read the young master such a lecture on the road. Heathcliff received no flogging. But the first word he speaks to Miss Catherine will ensure a dismissal. Mrs. Earnshaw undertook to keep her sister-in-law in due restraint when she returned home.

      Chapter VII

      Cathy stayed at Thrushcross Grange five weeks: till Christmas. By that time her ankle was cured, and her manners much improved. The mistress visited her often in the interval, and commenced her plan of reform. She was trying to raise her selfrespect with fine clothes and flattery, which she took readily. So instead of a wild little savage she became quite a lady. She was beautifully dressed, and careful not to stain her frock; and then she looked round for Heathcliff. Mr. and Mrs. Earnshaw watched anxiously their meeting. At first, it was hard to discover Heathcliff.

      'You may come forward,' cried Mr. Hindley, enjoying his discomfiture. 'You may come and wish Miss Catherine welcome, like the other servants.'

      Cathy flew to embrace him, kissed him, and then stopped, and drawing back, burst into a laugh, exclaiming,

      'Why, how black and cross you look! and how – how funny and grim! But that's because I'm used to Edgar and Isabella Linton. Well, Heathcliff, have you forgotten me? Shake hands at least! I didn't mean to laugh at you. It was only that you looked odd. If you wash your face and brush your hair, it will be all right: but you are so dirty!'

      'You needn't touch me!' he answered, snatching away his hand. 'I shall be as dirty as I please: and I like to be dirty, and I will be dirty.'

      With that he ran out of the room.

      Mr. and Mrs. Earnshaw had invited the Lintons to spend the Christmas morning at Wuthering Heights. The invitation was accepted, on one condition: Mrs. Linton wanted to keep her darlings carefully apart from that 'naughty swearing boy.' And the latter refused to change into a better set of clothes, or have a piece of cake; while Cathy was enjoying herself with her brother and sister-in-law. She did not understand what had happened to Heathcliff.

      Soon, though, he decided to look and behave decently. I told him not to feel ashamed of his origin – why, his father can be the Emperor of China, and his mother the Queen of India! Edgar Linton was but a doll compared to him. But of course it all was spoiled.

      Heathcliff's violent nature was not prepared to endure humiliation from one whom he seemed to hate, even then, as a rival. He threw a bowl of hot apple sauce into Edgar after the latter laughed at him. As a result, Heathcliff got punished, the Linton children started weeping to go home. Cathy was standing confounded, she was blushing. She blamed the Lintons at first, then tried to dinner, then cried, then asked to liberate Heathcliff. She did like the dinner and the music and the dance, though.

      It was only late in the evening that she managed to talk to the boy through the door. I let the poor things converse undisturbed. When I came back, I heard her voice within. The little monkey had crept by the skylight of one garret, along the roof, into the skylight of the other. It was with the utmost difficulty I could coax her out again. When she came, Heathcliff came with her. She wanted to take him into the kitchen and feed him. He went down: I set him a stool by the fire, and offered him a quantity of good things. But he was sick and could eat little, and my attempts to entertain him were thrown away. He leant his two elbows on his knees, and his chin on his hands and remained rapt in dumb meditation. On my inquiring the subject of his thoughts, he answered gravely,

      'I'm trying to settle how I shall pay Hindley back. I don't care how long I wait, if I can only do it at last. I hope he will not die before I do! Leave me alone, and I'll plan it out. While I'm thinking of that I don't feel pain.'

      Well, sir, you must allow me to pass to the next summer – the summer of 1778, that is, nearly twenty-three years ago.

      Chapter VIII

      On the morning of a fine June day my first little nursling, and the last of the ancient Earnshaw family, was born. We were busy with the hay in a far-away field, when the girl that usually brought our breakfasts came across the meadow and up the lane, calling me as she ran.

      'Oh, such a grand baby!' she panted out. 'The finest lad that ever breathed! But the doctor says Missis will die. He says she's been in a consumption these many months. You must come home directly. Nurse it, Nelly!'

      When we got to Wuthering Heights, Mr. Earnshaw stood at the front door; and, as I passed in, I asked,

      'How is the baby?'

      'Nearly ready, Nell!' he replied, with a cheerful smile.

      'And the mistress? The doctor says she's – '

      'Damn the doctor!' he interrupted. 'Frances is quite right: she'll be perfectly well by this time next week. Are you going upstairs? Will you tell her that I'll come, if she promise not to talk? I left her because she did not hold her tongue. And she must – tell her Mr. Kenneth says she must be quiet.'

      Poor soul! Till within a week of her death that heart never failed her; and her husband was affirming furiously that her health improved every day. She seemed to believe him; but one night, while leaning on his shoulder, and trying to get up, a fit of coughing took her – a very slight one. He raised her in his arms; she put her two hands about his neck, her face changed, and she was dead.

      As the girl had anticipated, the child Hareton fell wholly into my hands. Mr. Earnshaw was contented with it. For himself, he grew desperate: his sorrow was of that kind that will not lament. He neither wept nor prayed; he cursed and defied. The servants could not bear his tyrannical and evil conduct long. Joseph and I were the only two that stayed.

      The master's behaviour formed a pretty example for Catherine and Heathcliff. His treatment of the latter was enough to make a fiend of a saint. And, truly, the lad was possessed of something diabolical at that period. He delighted to witness Hindley degrading himself past redemption. Nobody decent came near us, at last; unless Edgar Linton's visits to Miss Cathy were an exception. At fifteen she was the queen of the countryside; she had no peer; and she did turn out a haughty, headstrong creature! Edgar Linton was my late master: that is his portrait over the fireplace. Can you see it?

      Mrs. СКАЧАТЬ