Wuthering Heights Audiobook Story by Emily Bront Learn English Through Story

wuthering heights by emily bronte

[Music]

[Laughter]

[Music]

chapter one

mr lockwood visits wuthering heights

1801

i have just returned from a visit to my

landlord mr heathcliff

i am delighted with the house i am

renting from him

thrash cross grange is miles away from

any town or village

that suits me perfectly

and the scenery here in yorkshire is so

beautiful

mr heathcliff in fact is my only

neighbor

and i think his character is similar to

mine

he does not like people either

my name is lockwood i said when i met

him at the gate to his house

i’m renting thrush cross grange from you

i just wanted to come and introduce

myself

he said nothing

but frowned

and did not encourage me to enter

after a while however he decided to

invite me in

joseph

take mr lockwood’s horse

he called

and bring up some wine from the cellar

joseph was a very old servant with a

sour expression on his face

he looked crossly up at me as he took my

horse

god help us

a visitor

he muttered to himself

perhaps there were no other servants i

thought

and it seemed that mr heathcliff hardly

ever received guests

his house is called wuthering heights

the name means a windswept house on a

hill

and it is a very good description

the trees around the house do not grow

straight

but are bent by the north wind

which blows over the moors every day of

the year

fortunately the house is strongly built

and is not damaged even by the worst

winter storms

the name earnshaw is cut into a stone

over the front door

mr heathcliff and i entered the huge

main room it could have been any

yorkshire farmhouse kitchen

except that there was no sign of cooking

and no farmer sitting at the table

mr heathcliff certainly does not look

like a farmer

his hair and skin are dark like a

gypsies

but he has the manners of a gentleman

he could perhaps take more care with his

appearance

but he is

handsome i think he is proud

and also unhappy

we sat down by the fire in silence

joseph

shouted mr heathcliff

no answer came from the seller

so he dived down there

leaving me alone with several rather

fierce looking dogs

suddenly one of them jumped angrily up

at me and in a moment all the others

were attacking me

from every shadowy corner in the great

room appeared a growling animal

ready to kill me it seemed

help

mr heathcliff help

i shouted

trying to keep the dogs back

my landlord and his servant were in no

hurry to help

and could not have climbed the cellar

steps more slowly

but luckily a woman who i supposed was

the housekeeper

rushed into the room to calm the dogs

what the devil is the matter

mr heathcliff asked me rudely when he

finally entered the room

your dog sir

i replied

you shouldn’t leave a stranger with them

they’re

dangerous come come mr lockwood

have some wine

we don’t often have strangers here

and i’m afraid neither i nor my dogs are

used to receiving them

i could not feel offended after this and

accepted the wine

we sat drinking and talking together for

a while

i suggested visiting him tomorrow

he did not seem eager to see me again

but i shall go anyway

i am interested in him

even if he isn’t interested in me

two days later

yesterday afternoon was misty and

bitterly cold

but i walked the four miles to

weathering heights and arrived just as

it was beginning to snow

i banged on the front door for ten

minutes

getting colder and colder

finally joseph’s head appeared at a

window of one of the farm buildings

what do you want

he growled

could you let me in

i asked desperately

he shook his head

there’s only mrs heathcliff indoors and

she won’t open the door to you

just then a young man appeared and

called me to follow him

we went through the back door

and into the big room where i had been

before

i was delighted to see a warm fire and a

table full of food

and this time there was a woman sitting

by the fire

she must be mrs heathcliff i thought i

had not imagined my landlord was married

she looked at me coldly without saying

anything

terrible weather

i remarked

there was silence

what a beautiful animal

i tried again

pointing to one of the dogs that had

attacked me

she still said nothing but got up to

make the tea

she was only about 17

with the most beautiful little face i

had ever seen

her golden wavy hair fell around her

shoulders

have you been invited to tea

she asked me crossly

no

but you are the proper person to invite

me

i smiled

for some reason this really annoyed her

she stopped making the tea and threw

herself angrily back in her chair

meanwhile the young man was staring

aggressively at me

he looked like a farm worker but seemed

to be part of the family

i did not feel at all comfortable

at last heathcliff came in

here i am sir

as i promised i said

cheerfully you shouldn’t have come

he answered

shaking the snow off his clothes

you’ll never find your way back in the

dark

perhaps you could lend me a servant to

guide me back to the grange

i asked

no i couldn’t

there aren’t any servants here except

joseph and the housekeeper

get the tea ready will you

he added fiercely to the young woman

i was shocked by his unpleasantness

we sat down to eat

i tried to make conversation with the

three silent people round the table

how happy you must be mr heathcliff i

began

in this quiet place

with your wife and

my wife

my wife’s ghost you mean

i suddenly realized i had made a serious

mistake

so his wife was dead

of course he was too old to be married

to that young girl

she must be married to the young man

next to me

who was drinking his tea out of a bowl

and eating his bread with unwashed hands

perhaps the poor girl had found no one

better to marry in this uninhabited

area i turned politely to the young man

ah

so you are this lady’s husband

this was worse than before

his face went red and he seemed only

just able to stop himself hitting me

he muttered something i could not hear

wrong again mr lockwood

said mr heathcliff

no her husband

my son

is dead

this

he added looking scornfully at the young

man

is certainly not my son

my name

is the young man

we finished our meal in silence

and when i looked out of the window all

i could see was darkness and snow

i don’t think i can get home without a

guide

i said politely

no one answered me

i turned to the woman

mrs heathcliff

i begged

what can i do

please help me

take the road you came on

she replied without interest opening a

book

that’s the best advice i can give

mr heathcliff

i’ll have to stay here for the night i

told him

i hope that will teach you not to walk

over the moors in bad weather

he answered

i don’t keep guest bedrooms

you can share a bed with harton or

joseph

i was so angry with them all that i

could not stay there a moment longer and

rushed out into the darkness

i saw joseph by the back door

caught hold of the lamp he was carrying

and ran with it to the gate

but the dogs chased after me and

attacked me

and i was soon knocked to the ground

heathcliff and herton stood at the door

laughing

as i shouted at the dogs and tried to

get up

in the end i was again rescued by the

housekeeper zilla

who ordered away the dogs and helped me

to my feet

i was so bruised and exhausted that i

did not feel strong enough to walk home

and although i did not want to

i had to spend the night at wuthering

heights

nobody wished me a good night

as zilla took me upstairs

to find a bed for me

[Music]

chapter 2

catherine earnshaw’s room

1801

quietly sir

whispered the housekeeper as we climbed

up the dark stairs

my master will be angry if he discovers

which bedroom you’re sleeping in

for some reason

he doesn’t want anyone to sleep there

i don’t know why

there’s strange people in this house you

know

here’s the room sir

but i was too tired to listen

thank you zilla i said and taking the

candle i entered the room and closed the

door

the only piece of furniture in the large

dusty bedroom was a bed

placed next to the window

there were heavy curtains which could be

pulled around it

to hide the sleeper from anyone else in

the room

looking inside the curtains

i saw a little shelf full of books just

under the window

i put my candle down on the shelf

and dropped thankfully onto the bed

i closed the curtains around the bed

and felt safe from heathcliff

and everyone else at wuthering heights

i noticed that there were names

written on the wall in childish

handwriting

earnshaw

catherine heathcliff

and catherine linton

then i fell asleep

but i was woken very suddenly by a smell

of burning

my candle had fallen onto a bible on the

shelf and was burning it

when i opened the bible to see if it was

damaged

i found that wherever there was an empty

page

or half a page

someone had written on it

and on the first page was written

catherine earnshaw’s diary

who was the girl who had slept in this

bed

written her name on the wall

and then written her diary in the bible

25 years ago

i read it with interest

how i hate my brother hindley

it began

he is so cruel to poor heathcliff

if only my father hadn’t died

while he was alive

heathcliff was like a brother to hindley

and me

but now hindley and his wife francis

have inherited the house and the money

and they hate heathcliff

that horrible old servant joseph is

always angry with heathcliff and me

because we don’t pray

or study the bible

and when he tells his master hindley

always punishes us

i can’t stop crying

poor heathcliff

hindley says he is wicked

and can’t play with me

or eat with me anymore

my eyes were beginning to close again

and i fell

asleep never before had i passed such a

terrible night

disturbed by the most frightening dreams

suddenly

i was woken by a gentle knocking on the

window it must be the branch of a tree i

thought and tried to sleep again

outside i could hear the wind driving

the snow against the window

but i could not sleep

the knocking annoyed me so much that i

tried to open the window

when it did not open i broke the glass

angrily and stretched out my hand

towards the branch

but instead my fingers closed around a

small

ice cold hand

it held my hand tightly

and a voice cried sadly

let me in

let me in

who are you

i asked

trying to pull my hand away

katherine linton

it replied

i’ve come home

i lost my way

there seemed to be a child’s face

looking in the window

terra made me cruel

i rubbed the creature’s tiny wrist

against the broken glass so that blood

poured down onto the bed

as soon as the cold fingers let go for a

moment

i pulled my hand quickly back

put a pile of books in front of the

broken window

and tried not to listen to the desperate

cries outside

[Music]

go away

i called

i’ll never let you in

not if you go on crying for 20 years

it is almost 20 years

replied the sad little voice

i’ve been out here in the dark

for nearly 20 years

the hand started pushing through the

window at the pile of books

and i knew it would find me and catch

hold of me again

unable to move i stared in horror at the

shape behind the glass

and screamed

there were rapid footsteps outside my

bedroom door

and then i saw the light of a candle in

the room

is anyone here

whispered heathcliff

he could not see me behind the curtains

and clearly did not expect an answer

i knew i could not hide from him

so i opened the curtains wide

i was surprised by the effect of my

action

heathcliff dropped his candle

and stood without moving

his face as white as the wall behind him

he did not seem to recognize me

it’s only your guest lockwood

i said

i’m sorry

i must have had a bad dream and screamed

in my sleep

to the devil with you mr lockwood

rowled my landlord

who allowed you to sleep in this room

who was it

it was your housekeeper mr heathcliff

i said

quickly putting my clothes on

and i’m angry with her myself

no one can sleep in a room full of

ghosts

what do you mean

asked heathcliff looking suddenly very

interested

ghosts you say

that little girl

catherine linton or earnshaw or whatever

her name was

must have been wicked

she told me she had been a ghost for

nearly 20 years

it was probably a punishment for her

wickedness

how dare you speak of her to me

cried heathcliff wildly

but as i described my dream

he became karma

and sat down on the bed

trembling as he tried to control his

feelings

mr lockwood

he said finally

brushing a tear from his eye

you can go into my bedroom to sleep for

the rest of the night

i’ll stay here for a while

no more sleep for me tonight

i replied

i’ll wait in the kitchen until it’s

daylight

and then i’ll leave

you needn’t worry about my visiting you

again either

i’ve had enough company for a long time

but as i turned to go downstairs

my landlord thinking he was alone

threw himself on the bed

pushed open the window

and called into the darkness

come in

come in

he cried

tears rolling down his face

catherine

do come

my darling

hear me this time

but only the snow and wind blew into the

room

how could my dream have produced such

madness

i could not watch his suffering anymore

and went downstairs

i waited in the kitchen until it was

light enough outside for me to find my

way through the deep snow

back to thrash cross grange

the housekeeper there ellen dean

rushed out to welcome me home

she thought i must have died in the

previous night’s snowstorm

with a warm fire

and a hot meal

i began to recover from my unpleasant

experiences

after my stay at wuthering heights

i thought i would never want to speak to

any human being again

but by the end of the next day

i was beginning to feel lonely

decided to ask mrs dean to sit with me

after supper

how long have you lived in this house

i asked her

18 years sir i came here early in 1783

when my mistress was married

to look after her

and when she died

i stayed here as housekeeper

who was your mistress

i asked

her name was catherine earnshaw

she replied

ah

my ghostly catherine

i muttered quietly to myself

she married mr edgar linton

a neighbor

added mrs dean

and they had a daughter

cathy

who married mr heathcliff’s son

ah so that must be the widow

young mrs heathcliff at wuthering

heights

that’s right sir

did you see her

i looked after her as a baby you know

how is she

i do want to know

she looked very well

and very beautiful

but i don’t think she’s happy

oh poor thing

and what did you think of mr heathcliff

he’s a rough hard man mrs dean

but i’m very interested in him

tell me more about him

well

he’s very rich of course

and mean at the same time

he could live here at thrust cross

grange

which is a finer house than wuthering

heights

but he would rather receive rent

than live comfortably

but i’ll tell you the whole story of his

life

as much as i know

that is

and then you can judge for yourself

chapter three

ellen dean’s story

catherine and heathcliff as children

1770

when i was a child

i was always at wuthering heights

because my mother was a servant with the

onshore family

they are a very old family who’ve lived

in that house for centuries

as you can see from their name on the

stone over the front door

i grew up with catherine and hindley

earnshaw

and we three played together as children

one day

their father mr earnshaw came back from

a long journey

he had traveled 60 miles to liverpool

and back on business

and was very tired

look what i brought you

he told us all unwrapping something he

was holding carefully in his

arms catherine and hindley were

expecting presents and they rushed

eagerly to see what it was

they were very disappointed to see only

a dirty black-haired gypsy child

i found him all alone in the busy

streets of liverpool

mr earnshaw explained to them

and i couldn’t leave him to die

he can sleep in your room

but hindley and catherine were angry

because they had not received any

presents and refused to let the strange

child share their room

however mr earnshaw insisted

and little by little the boy became

accepted by the family

he was called heathcliff as a first and

last name

no one ever discovered who his parents

had been

catherine and he became great friends

but hindley hated him and was often

cruel to him

old mr earnshaw was strangely fond of

this gypsy child

and frequently punished his son for

behaving badly to heathcliff

hindley began to be jealous of his

father’s feelings for heathcliff and saw

them both as enemies

the situation could not last

as mr earnshaw grew old and ill

heathcliff became even more his favorite

and hindley often quarreled with his

father

when hindley was sent away to study

i hoped that we would have peace in the

house

but then it was that old servant joseph

who caused trouble

he tried to persuade his master to be

stricter with the children

and was always complaining that

heathcliff and catherine did not spend

enough time studying the bible or

attending church services

catherine was a wild wicked girl in

those days

we had to watch her every moment of the

day to stop her planar tricks on us

she was proud and like giving orders

but she had the prettiest face and the

sweetest smile you’ve ever seen

i could forgive her anything when she

came to say she was sorry

she was much too fond of heathcliff

and the worst punishment we could invent

was to keep her separate from him

her father could no longer understand

her or her behavior

and catherine did not realize that his

illness made him less patient with her

at last mr earnshaw found peace

he died quietly in his chair by the fire

one october evening in 1775.

the night was wild and stormy

and we were all sitting together in the

big kitchen

joseph was reading his bible at the

table

while catherine had her head on her

father’s knee

he was pleased to see her so gentle for

once

and she was singing him to sleep

i was glad the old gentleman was

sleeping so well

but when it was time to go to bed

catherine put her arms around her

father’s neck to say good night

and immediately

oh

he’s dead heathcliff

he’s dead

heathcliff and i started crying loudly

and bitterly too

joseph told me to fetch the doctor so i

ran to the village

although i knew it was too late

when i came back

i went to the children’s room to see if

they needed me

and i listened for a moment at their

door

they were imagining the dead man in a

beautiful distant place

far from the troubles of this world

and as i listened

crying silently

i could not help wishing we were all

there safe together

[Music]

chapter four

[Music]

catherine earnshaw

gets to know the lintons

[Music]

hindley came home for his father’s

burial

was more surprising was that he brought

a wife with him

she was called francis

a thin

pale woman with a frequent cough

now that hindley was the master of the

house

he ordered joseph and me to spend our

evenings in the small back kitchen as we

were only servants

while he his wife and catherine sat in

the main room

catherine and heathcliff were treated

very differently

catherine received presents and could

continue her lessons

but heathcliff was made to work on the

farm with the men

and as a farm worker was only allowed to

eat with us in the back kitchen

they grew up like two wild animals

hindley did not care what they did as

long as they kept out of his way

and they did not care even if he

punished them

they often ran away onto the moors in

the morning and stayed out all day

just to make hindley angry

i was the only one who cared what

happened to the two poor creatures

and i was afraid for them

one sunday evening they were missing at

bedtime

and hindley ordered me angrily to lock

the front door

but i did not want them to stay out in

the cold all night

so i kept my window open to look out for

them

in a while i saw heathcliff walking

through the gate

i was shocked to see him alone

where’s catherine

i cried sharply

at thrushcross grange with our neighbors

the lintons he replied

let me in ellen and i’ll explain what

happened

i went down to unlock the door and we

came upstairs very quietly

don’t wake the master up i whispered

now tell me

well

catherine and i thought we’d just walk

to the linton’s house we wanted to see

if isabella and edgar linton are

punished all the time by their parents

as we are

probably not

i answered i expect they are good

children and don’t need to be punished

nonsense ellen

guess what we saw when we looked in at

their sitting room window

a very pretty room with soft carpets and

white walls

catherine and i would love to have a

room like that

but in the middle of this beautiful room

isabella and edgar linton were screaming

and fighting over a little dog

how stupid they are ellen

if katherine wanted something i would

give it to her and she would do the same

for me

i would rather be here at wuthering

heights with her even if i’m punished by

joseph and that wicked hindley then at

thrush cross grange with those two fools

not so loud heathcliff

but you still haven’t told me why

catherine isn’t with you

well

as we were looking in

we started laughing at them so loudly

that they heard us

and sent the docks after us

we were about to run away

when a great fierce dog caught

catherine’s leg in its teeth

i attacked it and made it let go of her

leg

but the linton servants appeared and

caught hold of me

they must have thought we were robbers

catherine was carried unconscious into

the house and they pulled me inside too

all the time i was shouting and swearing

at them

what a wicked pair of thieves

said oh mr linton

the boy must be a gypsy he’s as dark as

the devil

mrs linton raised her hands in horror at

the sight of me

catherine opened her eyes

and edgar looked closely at her

mother

he whispered

the young lady

is miss unsure of wuthering heights

i’ve seen her in church occasionally

and look what our dog has done to her

leg

it’s bleeding badly

miss

earnshaw with a gypsy

cried mrs linton

surely not

but i think you must be right edgar

this girl is wearing black

and mr earnshaw died recently

it must be her

i’d better put a bandage on her leg at

once

why does her brother hindley let her run

around with such a companion

wondered mr linton

i remember now

he’s the gypsy child mr earnshaw brought

home from liverpool a few years ago

he’s a wicked boy

you can see that said mrs linton

and did you hear the bad language he

used just now

i’m shocked that my children heard it

i was pushed out into the garden

but i stayed to watch through the window

they put catherine on a comfortable sofa

cleaned her wound and fed her with cakes

and wine

i only left the house when i was sure

she was well taken care of

she’s a breath of fresh air for those

stupid lintons

i’m not surprised they like her

everybody who sees her must love her

mustn’t they ellen

i’m afraid you’ll be punished for this

heathcliff

i said sadly

and i was right

hindley warned heathcliff that he must

never speak to catherine again or he

would be sent away from wuthering

heights

and it was decided that catherine would

be taught to behave like a young

lady she stayed with the linton family

at thrushcross grange for five weeks

until christmas

by that time her leg was fine

and her manners were much better than

before

francis earnshaw visited her often

bringing her pretty dresses to wear

and persuading her to take care of her

appearance

so that when she finally came home after

her long absence

she almost seemed a different person

instead of a wild heartless girl we saw

a beautiful

carefully dressed young lady

when she had greeted all of us she asked

for heathcliff

come forward heathcliff

called hindley

you may welcome miss catherine home like

the other

servants heathcliff was used to being

outside all day and had not bothered to

wash or change his clothes

his face and hands were black with dirt

in spite of this

catherine was very glad to see him and

rushed up to kiss him

then she laughed

how funny and black and cross you look

but that’s because i’m used to edgar and

isabella who are always so clean and

tidy

well heathcliff have you forgotten me

but ashamed and proud

the boy said nothing

until suddenly his feelings were too

much for him

i won’t stay to be laughed at

he cried

and was about to run away

when catherine caught hold of his hand

why are you angry he cliff

you

you just look a bit strange that’s all

you’re so dirty

she looked worriedly at her hands and

her new

dress he needn’t have touched me

he said

pulling away his hand

i like being dirty and i’m going to be

dirty

as he ran

miserably out of the room

hindley and his wife laughed loudly

delighted that their plan to separate

the two young people seemed to be

succeeding

the next day was christmas day

edgar and isabella linton had been

invited to lunch

and their mother had agreed on condition

that her darlings were kept carefully

apart from that wicked boy

i felt sorry for poor heathcliff

and while the urn shores were at church

i helped him wash and dress in clean

clothes

you’re too proud

i scolded him as i brushed his black

hair

you should think how sad catherine is

when you can’t be together

and don’t be jealous of edgar linton

i wish i had blue eyes and fair hair

like him

i wish i’d behaved well and was going to

inherit a fortune

he has none of your intelligence or

character

and if you have a good heart you’ll have

a handsome face

who knows who your parents were

perhaps a king and queen

far more important than the linton’s

in this way

i encouraged heathcliff to have more

confidence in himself

but when the earnshaws and the linton’s

arrived back from church

the first thing hindley did was shout at

heathcliff

out of my sight until we finished eating

i’ll pull that long hair of yours if you

don’t obey me at once

it is long

said edgar

i’m surprised he can see anything

this was too much for heathcliff

he looked desperately around for a

weapon

picked up a bowl of hot soup

and threw it at edgar who started

screaming

hindley immediately took hold of

heathcliff and pushed him upstairs

i’m sure hindley’s going to hit him

cried catherine

i hate it when heathcliff is punished

it’s your fault edgar you annoyed him

why did you speak to him

i didn’t

replied edgar tears in his eyes

i promised mother i wouldn’t

i spoke about him not to him

well don’t cry

said catherine with scorn

you’ve made enough trouble already here

comes my brother

hindley returned

hot and breathless

that’ll teach him

he said

and now let’s have lunch

the others seem to forget heathcliff

but i noticed catherine could not eat

much

and i knew she was sorry for her friend

in the evening there was music from a

travelling band and dancing in the main

room

catherine said the music sounded sweeter

from high up

and so she went to sit in the dark on

the stairs

when i went to find her however

i discovered she had gone right to the

top of the house to talk to heathcliff

through his locked bedroom door

and had then climbed out onto the roof

and in through his window

i persuaded them both to come out of the

room the same way as i had no key to the

door

and took heathcliff down into the warm

servant’s kitchen with me

while catherine returned to her guests

and the dancing

you must be hungry heathcliff i said

you haven’t eaten all day

have some christmas cake do

i can’t eat anything

he growled putting his head in his hands

i’ve got to think how i can have my

revenge on hindley

i only hope he doesn’t die first

he’ll be sorry he’s treated me like this

ellen

[Music]

chapter 5

catherine and edgar

in the summer of this year

hindley’s wife francis had her first and

last baby

they called the boy hairtan

but the poor woman had been ill for a

long time although we had not realized

it

and died soon after hayton was born

hindley only had room in his heart for

two people

himself

and his wife so when she died he was in

despair

he neither cried nor prayed

instead he swore at god and man

and drank himself to sleep every night

the servants all left him except for

joseph and me

joseph enjoyed being able to scold his

wicked employer with warnings from the

bible

and i could not leave miss catherine

after all i had grown up with her and

hindley

but the master’s behaviour was a bad

example for catherine and heathcliff

at 15

catherine was the most beautiful girl

for miles around

but she was proud and quick-tempered

she led what was almost a double life

at wuthering heights under heathcliff’s

influence she annoyed hindley laughed at

joseph and was rude to me

but at thrushcross grange which she

often visited she showed a different

karma side of her character and was

polite intelligent and amusing

the lintons all liked her

and poor edgar had fallen in love with

her

heathcliff was 16 at this time

he did not have time to study anymore

and the long hours of work on the farm

made him tired and dull

there was always an angry expression on

his face

and he did not even try to keep himself

clean and tidy

he seemed to want people to dislike him

catherine and he still spent time

together when he was not working in the

fields

but he no longer expressed his fondness

for her in words

and he looked angry if she touched or

kissed him

one afternoon when hindley had gone into

town

heathcliff came into the main room after

lunch

i was helping catherine to arrange her

hair

as she had invited edgar linton to visit

her while hindley was absent

catherine

are you going anywhere this afternoon

asked heathcliff

why have you got that silk dress on

nobody’s visiting you i hope

no

i don’t think so

replied catherine looking quickly at me

but you should be at work by now

heathcliff

that devil hindley isn’t away very often

i’m taking a holiday

i won’t work anymore today

i’m staying with you this afternoon

he’ll never know

catherine thought for a moment

somehow she had to prepare him for

edgar’s visit

isabella and edgar said they might call

here this afternoon

if they come you’ll be scolded for not

working

tell ellen to say you’re busy and can’t

see them

he said

those friends of yours take up all your

time

you spend most of your evenings with

them not with me

why should i always spend my time with

you she asked crossley

what can you talk about

how can you amuse me

you never told me before that you didn’t

like my company catherine

cried heathcliff

just then we heard a horse outside and

there was a light knock on the door

edgar linton entered

his handsome face full of delight at

receiving catherine’s unexpected

invitation

i wondered if catherine was comparing

her two friends as edgar came in and

heathcliff ran out

i haven’t come too soon have i

asked edgar politely

no

answered catherine

leave us alone ellen

i’m just doing my work miss

i replied pretending to dust the

furniture

hindley had told me to be present if

edgar linton came to visit catherine

she came up to me and whispered crossly

go away elana

keeping her back to edgar she cruelly

scratched my arm

oh

i screamed to show edgar what had

happened

what a wicked thing to do miss you have

no right to hurt me

i didn’t touch you you lying creature

she cried angrily and unable to control

herself

hit me hard on the face

catherine love

catherine

cried edgar shocked

the baby hairtan who followed me

everywhere immediately started sobbing

and saying

wicked aunt catherine

she picked him up and shook the poor

child until he screamed

edgar rushed up to her and tried to stop

her

at once she turned and hit him over the

ear as hard as she could

the young man looked very pale and went

straight to the door

where are you going edgarlinton

she asked

don’t leave me

i shall be miserable all night

can i stay

after you have hit me

he replied

you’ve made me afraid and ashamed of you

i won’t come here again

well

go then if you want to

she cried

i’m going to cry until i’m ill

and she dropped onto the floor her

shoulders shaking and the tears rolling

down her face

edgar managed to get as far as the door

but here he hesitated

and i called out to him to encourage him

to leave

miss is just a selfish child sir

you’d better ride home and forget her

but as he could not stop looking at her

i knew there was no hope for him

nothing would keep him away from her now

and sure enough he came back into the

room and shut the door

this time

i left them alone and stayed in the

kitchen with little hairton

but when i came to warn them that

hindley had returned

i realized that their quarrel had only

brought them closer together

chapter six

heathcliff disappears

1778 to 1779.

[Music]

hendley came into the kitchen swearing

terribly just as i was about to hide

little hurtin in a cupboard

i was always afraid that hindley would

hurt his small son

either by accident or on purpose

when he was drunk so i tried to keep

hurtin out of the way

but this time hindley discovered my plan

ah

you keep my son in a cupboard do you

he cried angrily

picking up a sharp kitchen knife

with the devil’s help i’ll make you

swallow this ellen

and he pushed the knife between my teeth

i was never afraid he would hurt me

and calmly took the knife out of my

mouth

but that can’t be my son

can it

he continued aggressively

staring at the frightened little boy

if it is

he should be punished for not running to

greet his father

perhaps i’ll cut his ears off

and then suddenly this manner changed

no

hat and darling

don’t cry

kiss me

kiss your father

what

you won’t

then i’ll break your neck

pooh hurt and

screaming wildly was carried upstairs by

his father

suddenly

henley stopped on the stairs to listen

almost forgetting what he was holding

heathcliff had come into the house

and stood at the bottom of the stairs

looking up

just then

the child jumped out of hindley’s arms

and fell

i only had time to gasp in horror

before i saw that heathcliff had caught

him

heathcliff stared down at the child he

was holding

he must have felt sorry he had saved the

life of his enemy’s son

i rushed to take the poor little boy in

my arms

and hindly came slowly downstairs

look what you’ve done mr hindley i cried

you nearly killed your own son

what would his mother say if she were

alive

take him away ellen

and you heathcliff

go away too

i won’t murder you tonight

unless perhaps i set the house on fire

but that depends how i feel

he poured himself a drink

don’t drink anymore mr hindley

i begged

what difference does it make

he growled

get out both of you

to the devil with you

we left him swearing at us

and went back into the kitchen

it’s a pity he can’t kill himself with

drink but a teeth heathcliff

dr kenneth says he’ll live longer than

any of us he’s so strong

he walked out of the door

and i thought into the fields

in fact

i discovered later that he was sitting

just under the window and could hear

everything that was said in the kitchen

i was singing little herton to sleep

when catherine came in

are you alone ellen

she whispered

where’s heathcliff

he’s out on the farm i answered

she looked sad and worried

and i even saw a tear or two on her face

but i had not forgotten how she had lied

and behaved so badly to me as well as to

edgar linton so i did not feel sorry for

her or encourage her to talk

ellen

will you keep a secret for me

she asked in the end

giving me her sweetest smile

i must tell you

i need your advice

today

edgar linton

has asked me to marry him

and i gave him an answer

now

before i tell you if it was yes or no

you tell me

which i should have said

really miss catherine

how can i know

perhaps you should have refused him he

must be a fool to ask you after you were

so rude and violent this afternoon

well i accepted him ellen

she said crossley

but should i have done so

should i what do you think

first

do you love him

i asked

of course i do

she replied

why do you love him miss catherine

well i do

that’s enough

well

because he’s handsome and a pleasant

companion

that’s bad i said shaking my head

and because he loves me

that’s worse

and because he’ll be rich

and i shall be the most important woman

for miles around

worst of all

but there are several other handsome

rich young men in the world

why don’t you marry one of them

i don’t know any of them

i only know edgar

i don’t know why you’re unhappy miss

catherine

your brother will be pleased and mr

edgar’s parents will too

you love edgar and edgar loves you

what’s the problem

here

and here

replied catherine

beat in her head and her chest

in my heart and soul i know i’m wrong

ellen

i can’t live apart from heathcliff

he is more myself than i am

our souls are the same

i have nothing in common with edgar

but i can’t marry heathcliff now

hindley has made him become a poor dull

farmworker

he’ll never know how i love him

i suddenly heard a movement outside the

window

and saw heathcliff stand up and walk

away

i realized he had been listening until

he heard catherine say she could not

marry him

then he stayed to hear no more

quiet miss catherine

i said

just imagine how hard it will be for

heathcliff when you marry mr edgar

he’ll have no friends at all when you

leave him

leave him

why should we be separated

she asked angrily

who will separate us nobody will dare

edgar must learn to accept him as my

friend

didn’t you ever think ellen that if

heathcliff and i married we would be

very poor

but if i marry edgar i can help

heathcliff with my husband’s money

that’s the worst reason you’ve given so

far for marrying mr edgar

i replied shocked

it isn’t

heathcliff is more important to me than

myself

my love for edgar

is like the leaves on the trees

i’m sure time will change it

but my love for heathcliff

is like the rocks in the ground

not beautiful

but necessary and

unchanging he’s always

always in my heart

just then

joseph entered the kitchen

i whispered to catherine that i was sure

heathcliff had heard some of what she

said

she jumped up frightened and rushed

outside

but although we all looked everywhere

for heathcliff

there was no sign of him that night or

for many nights in the future

at about midnight

while we were still waiting for him to

come home

we noticed the wind was getting

stronger we could hear it whistling down

the chimney and howling all around the

house

suddenly there was a terrible crash of

thunder

and the branch of a tree fell onto the

roof

we were not hurt

but joseph immediately dropped onto his

knees to pray

the rain was beating down on the windows

but catherine stayed outside

although by now her hair and clothes

were completely wet

in the end

we all went to bed

i managed to persuade catherine to come

in

but she insisted on sleeping in the

kitchen

in case heathcliff returned during the

night

in the morning we discovered that she

had caught a fever as a result of

getting

wet she became seriously ill

and it was several weeks before dr

kenneth would allow her out of bed

when she recovered

she was invited to stay for a while at

thrushcross grange

unfortunately

old mr and mrs linton caught the fever

too

and died within a few days of each other

catherine returned to us prouder and

quicker tempered than ever

but not as strong as before

if she gets ill again

it could be fatal

dr kenneth warned us

my advice to you

is to do whatever she wants and don’t

make her angry

so we had to obey all her orders

and joseph and i were not allowed to

scold her anymore

edgar linton was still in love with her

and thought himself the happiest man on

earth when he married her three years

after his parents death

she insisted on having me with her so we

moved together to thrush cross grange

although i was very sad to leave little

hairtun with his father

it’s very late mr lockwood i think you

should go to bed or you’ll be ill

tomorrow

i can tell you the rest of the story

another time

four weeks later

in fact i was ill the next day

and have been ill since then

the terrible night i spent at wuthering

heights was the cause of my illness

and i blame mr heathcliff for it

dr kenneth has warned me i won’t be able

to go out until the spring

all i can do is lie in bed

listening to the howling wind

and staring at the gray northern sky

so i’ve decided to ask mrs dean to come

upstairs

and finish telling me her story

she tells me she’s happy to continue

chapter 7

heathcliff returns

well sir

when miss catherine became mrs linton

and we went to live at thrushcross

grange

i must say i was surprised and pleased

by her behaviour

she showed great funness for her husband

and for his sister isabella

he of course was very anxious that no

one should disobey her or make her angry

if she was depressed for a time

he blamed it on the illness she had had

and was sympathetic

but for most of the time

i believed they shared a deep and

growing love for each other

unfortunately

this happiness did not last

one evening i was bringing in a basket

of apples from the garden

when a voice behind me said

ellen

is that you

it was a deep

rather unusual voice

i turned to see a tall dark man in the

shadow near the kitchen door

don’t you know me

he asked

look

i’m not a stranger

what

i cried in surprise

for it had been four years since he

disappeared

heathcliff

is it really you

yes

he replied

looking up at the windows of the house

are they at home

where is she

tell me alan i must speak to her

i’m

not sure if you should see her

i hesitated

will the shock be too much for her

go and tell her i’m here ellen he said

impatiently

don’t make me suffer like this

i left him at the door

and went upstairs to find mr and mrs

linton

they were sitting quietly together

looking out over the peaceful valley

the room

and the view

and the two people

seemed so calm that i did not want to

disturb them but i had to deliver my

message

a man wants to see you madame i muttered

i’ll go downstairs and see him then

replied catherine bring the tea up ellen

while i’m away

she left the room

who is it ellen

asked mr edgar

it’s that heathcliff sir

you remember

he used to live at wuthering heights

what

the gypsy who worked on the farm

he cried

mrs linton would be angry if she heard

you talking about him like that sir

she was very upset when he ran away

she’s very fond of him you know

mr edgar put his head out of the window

and called to his wife

don’t stand there in the cold love bring

the person in if it’s anyone special

catherine rushed upstairs and into the

room wild and breathless

she threw her arms round her husband’s

neck

oh edgar darling

heathcliff’s come back

well well

said mr edgar crossley there’s no need

to get excited

i know you didn’t like him she said

but please i beg you to be friends with

him now

shall i ask him to come up

you’re suggesting inviting him up here

into our sitting room

don’t you think the kitchen is more

suitable for him

catherine looked at her husband

half angry and half laughing

no

she said

i can’t sit in the kitchen

ellen

bring two tables

one for your master and miss isabella

the other for heathcliff and myself

we’ll sit apart from them as we’re of a

lower class will that please you edgar

darling

decide quickly

i must have him near me

ellen

you go and bring him up said mr edgar

and catherine

try not to behave foolishly

remember he’s only a servant

when heathcliff entered the sitting room

i was surprised to see how much he had

changed

he wore a confident intelligent

expression on his face

and his manner was no longer rough

although i recognized the same black

fire in his eyes

the farm boy had become a gentleman

mr edgar was as surprised as i was

but welcomed heathcliff as politely as

he could

however he grew more and more annoyed as

he watched his wife’s delighted face

she could not take her eyes off

heathcliff

tomorrow

i won’t be able to believe that i’ve

seen and touched you heathcliff

she cried

catching hold of his hands

but how cruel of you to run away and

keep silent for four years and never

think of me

[Music]

i thought of you

more than you’ve thought of me

he replied quietly

i heard you had married catherine

and i came just to see you once

and then take my revenge on your brother

hindley

your welcome may change my plans

you know

i’ve had a bitter hard life since i last

heard your voice

and if i’ve survived it’s all because of

you

catherine

said mr edgar trying to remain polite

please pour out the tea or it will be

cold

mr heathcliff will have a long walk to

wherever he’s staying tonight

and i’m thirsty

but catherine was too excited and mr

edgar too angry to drink any tea

after a while their guest left

we discovered that he had been invited

to stay at wuthering heights by hindley

i could not understand why hindley who

hated him would want his company

and i felt sure it would have been

better for all of us if heathcliff had

never come back

catherine could not keep her happiness

to herself

in the middle of the night she woke me

to talk about heathcliff

i just can’t sleep ellen she said

an edgar won’t listen when i tell him

how happy i am

he’s so selfish

he never liked heathcliff i replied and

he’ll be angry if you go on talking

about him

you think he’s weak

but he could be as determined as you

about something he thinks is

important no

she laughed

i have such confidence in edgar’s love

that i think i could kill him and he

wouldn’t blame me for it

he will have to learn to accept

heathcliff as my friend

do you know why heathcliff is staying at

wuthering heights

oh yes

he explained that he went there to look

for me

hindley asked him to play cards

and when he discovered hiftive had a lot

of money

invited him to stay there

you know how greedy my brother is

you make heathcliff pay rent

and hope to win money from him at cards

heathcliff wants to stay there to be

near me

i’m so happy ellen

and i want everyone around me to be

happy too

catherine behaved so sweetly to her

husband in the next few days that

thrushcross grange seemed full of

sunshine and in spite of his doubts mr

edgar allowed heathcliff to visit her

regularly

however heathcliff’s visits produced a

result which none of us had expected

isabella

mr edgar’s sister a pretty girl of 18

suddenly declared that she was in love

with heathcliff

mr edgar who loved her dearly was

shocked

he knew that if he and catherine had no

sons

isabella would inherit the considerable

linton fortune

he did not like the idea of the fortune

passing to heathcliff as isabella’s

husband

but more importantly he suspected that

heathcliff was hiding his true

wickedness under his gentlemanly

appearance

catherine

tried hard to persuade isabella that

heathcliff was not worth loving

but poor isabella was jealous of

catherine’s relationship with heathcliff

and would not listen

finally catherine told heathcliff

himself that isabella was in love with

him

she thought she knew what his answer

would be

how could i ever love that stupid girl

he asked

she has a miserable pale face and weak

blue eyes just like your husband

but

she will inherit the family wealth from

him won’t she

that’s true

replied catherine

but don’t think about that heathcliff

i hope edgar and i will have several

sons and then they will inherit it

catherine did not speak of this matter

again

but i am sure heathcliff often thought

about it

i watched him carefully in the next few

days

i hoped he would do nothing to hurt mr

edgar who was a kind master to me

i was worried too about what was

happening at wuthering heights

hindley and his son herton seemed like

lost sheep to me

and i knew there was a wicked wolf just

waiting for the chance to attack them

[Music]

chapter 8

catherine is ill

the next time heathcliff came to

thrushcross grange

he met isabella by chance in front of

the house

i was watching from the kitchen window

as he went up to her

and supposing that no one else could see

him

kissed her

look madam

i cried to catherine who was passing

through the kitchen

that devil heathcliff told you he could

never love miss isabella

and now he’s kissing her

so when heathcliff entered the house

catherine was ready to scold him

leave isabella alone heathcliff she

ordered

you’ll make edgar

you think i’m afraid of that weak little

creature he growled

anyway

what difference does it make to you

i can kiss her if she likes it

i’m not your husband

you needn’t be jealous of me

i’m not jealous of you

replied catherine

if you like isabella you can marry her

but do you like

her it’s you i want to talk about

catherine

you know you’ve treated me badly

and i’m going to have my revenge

thank you for telling me isabella’s

secret

i swear i’ll make good use of it

at this point

i went to look for my master

and told him that catherine and

heathcliff were quarreling in the

kitchen how can my wife call that man a

friend

he cried angrily

i’ve been too weak with her

i can’t allow him to visit her anymore

call two servants ellen

he went to the kitchen

i followed him

telling the servants to wait in the hall

catherine

said mr edgar to his wife as he entered

do you think it’s right to listen to

this wicked man’s talk

have you been listening at the door

edgar

asked catherine coldly

heathcliff laughed which made mr edgar

even angrier

you sir

he said to heathcliff are poisoning our

family life

i should never have accepted you as

catherine’s friend

i must inform you that you will never be

allowed to enter this house again

and that if you don’t leave within three

minutes you will be thrown out

well

well

replied heathcliff looking scornfully at

mr edgar’s small figure

so

you’re going to throw me out yourself

are you

my master looked towards the door

i realized he wanted to call the

servants as he knew he was not strong

enough to fight heathcliff alone

but catherine must have guessed his plan

she hurried to the door and locked it

mr edgar looked at her in angry surprise

you must fight him like a gentleman

without anyone to help you

she told her husband

that’ll teach you to scold me

mr edgar tried to get hold of the key

but she threw it quickly into the

hotties part of the fire

he went very pale and could not stop his

whole body trembling

oh

edgar

crowdy’s wife

you’ve lost the fight already

you aren’t a man you’re a mouse

so that

said heathcliff pointing at mr edgar

is the thing you preferred to me

catherine

is he crying

or is he going to die of fear

he went up to look more closely at mr

edgar who suddenly recovered and hit

heathcliff hard on the neck

while heathcliff was getting his breath

back

mr edgar walked out of the other kitchen

door into the garden

now you’ll never be able to come here

again

said catherine to heathcliff

go away quickly

he’ll return with men and guns

heathcliff was sensible enough to take

her advice

he broke down the locked door and

escaped

just as the master and his men returned

catherine who was overexcited

ordered me to go upstairs with her

i hoped she would not discover that i

had told mr edgar about her quarrel with

heathcliff

i’m

wild with anger ellen she said when we

reach the sitting room

all this trouble is because of isabella

tell edgar i’m in danger of becoming

seriously ill

i hope it’s true i want to frighten him

he’s upset me badly

why did he listen to us talking in the

kitchen

heathcliff says wicked things but i know

i can control him

well if i can’t have heathcliff as my

friend if edgar is going to be mean and

jealous

i’ll try to break both their hearts by

breaking my own you must remind edgar

how quick tempered i am and what dr

kenneth said about my health

edgar must let me do what i want

i did not feel sympathetic towards

catherine

and certainly did not want to frighten

my poor master by telling him she was

ill

as i was leaving the room however he

answered

catherine he said

you must tell me one thing

you must choose between me and

heathcliff

which do you intend to have

leave me alone

she cried wildly

i’m ill

can’t you see

i can’t even stand

edgar leave me

she fell

stiff

and pale onto the floor

mr edgar looked very frightened

don’t worry sir

i whispered to him

she told me she would try to make you

afraid by pretending to be ill

unfortunately she heard me

she jumped up

her hair loose and her eyes staring and

rushed to her bedroom

we heard the key turn in the lock

for the next few days she refused to

speak to anyone even me

i took her food up to her room but she

would not eat

mr edgar spent his time in the library

and did not ask about his wife

he hoped i suppose that she would come

and ask him to forgive her

but i knew she was too proud to do that

on the third day she unlocked her door

and called me

she at and drunk eagerly then lay down

again

oh

why don’t i die since no one cares about

me

she muttered

edgar doesn’t love me at all

what is he doing all this time ellen

he’s reading books in the library madam

i answered

reading

books

she cried shocked

and i’m dying up here

my god

does he know how i’ve changed how ill i

am

can’t you tell him i’m seriously ill

ellen

you forget mrs linton that you’ve eaten

tonight

i’m sure you’ll feel better tomorrow

morning

i still wanted to make her realize how

selfish she was being

although i was a little worried by her

pale almost ghostly face

i begin to see that you don’t like me

ellen

how strange

i always thought everybody loved me

now they are all my enemies

isabella and edgar and you

i’ll die

with cold faces around me

i’ve had terrible dreams these past few

nights you know

open the window ellen

i’m so hot

i refused as it was the middle of winter

she was feverish

who is that over there

she asked

staring at her own face in a mirror

opposite her bed

i could not make her understand it was

herself

and i began to be afraid that her

illness was real

stay with me ellen

she cried holding my hand

i’m frightened of that face

i’m frightened of being alone

i wish i were in my bed wuthering

heights

with the wind howling through the trees

do let me feel a breath of air from the

moors

just one breath

i open the window for a moment

then closed it

the cold air seemed to calm her

i wish i were a young girl again

wild and free

out on the moors with heathcliff

open the window again

wider this time why won’t you

because i don’t want you to die of cold

i replied

but it’s my only chance of life she

cried jumping out of bed and going to

the window

i tried to force her back to bed

but her fever made a surprisingly strong

we looked out together into the icy

darkness

there was no moon and no lights were

visible anywhere

but catherine was sure she could see

wuthering heights

look

she said

there’s my old home

and the churchyard near it

i won’t lie there alone heathcliff

i won’t rest until you’re in the grave

with me

i was still holding her back from the

window and wondering what to do next

when mr edgar rented

please help sir i called

mrs linton is ill

catherine’s ill

he gasped

shut the window ellen

catherine why

when he saw his wife’s face

he was so shocked that he stopped

speaking and stared at her in horror

she was almost unconscious and did not

recognize him at first

it’s you is it

edgar linton

she said after a few moments

you don’t come when you’re wanted

and now you come

when you’re not wanted

but whatever you say

nothing can keep me from my home

my place of rest

out there in the open air with a

gravestone at my head

she’s feverish sir

and doesn’t know what she’s saying

i whispered

if she has food and rest she’ll recover

i want no further advice from you ellen

dean

said mr edgar coldly

you knew how ill she was and you didn’t

tell me

i ran downstairs and out of the kitchen

door to fetch the doctor

i thought i heard the sound of horses in

the distance which seemed strange at two

o’clock in the morning

and when i found dr kenneth

he told me someone had seen isabella and

heathcliff meeting secretly in the

garden earlier that evening

that night

none of us slept

we all sat together and waited while the

doctor stayed with his patient

he told us he hoped that catherine would

recover if we kept her very quiet

in the morning we discovered that

isabella’s room was empty

she had run away with heathcliff

when mr edgar heard the news he just

said

she chose to go with him

don’t speak to me of her again

i no longer think of her

as my sister

[Music]

chapter nine

isabella’s story

1784

for two months we heard nothing of

isabella or heathcliff

during that time

catherine was dangerously ill with brain

fever

and dr kenneth warned us that even if

she recovered her brain would never

return to normal

however she did seem to get better

and no one could have been happier than

my master when he saw her sitting up in

bed for the first time

and beginning to take an interest in the

people and things around her

he loved us so much

and took such good care of her that i

really thought she would recover

there was another reason for her to live

she was expecting a baby

and we all hoped she would have a son

who would inherit the linton fortune

then mr edgar received a letter from

isabella

telling him that she and heathcliff were

married

with it was a long letter for me

which said

wuthering heights

dear ellen

i arrived here last night and heard that

catherine is ill

my brother refuses to write to me so you

are the only one i can write to

tell edgar i still love him and

catherine

and want to return to thrushcross grange

but i can’t

the rest of this letter is for you alone

ellen

two questions

how did you manage to get on with the

people in this house

they don’t seem human

and

this interests me very much

what is mr heathcliff

a man

a madman

a devil

when you come to visit me you must

explain to me what sort of creature i’ve

married

and you must come very soon with a

message from edgar

heathcliff brought me here last night

this house is going to be my home he

says

he disappeared as soon as we arrived

so i entered the kitchen alone

what a miserable depressing place it is

now ellen

by the fire stood a dirty child i

realized he must be catherine’s nephew

herton and tried to shake his hand

but he greeted me by swearing at me

so i went into the hall to find somebody

else

when i knocked at another door

it was opened by a tall thin man

with long dirty hair hanging down to his

shoulders

i knew this must be hindley earnshaw

catherine’s brother

and hairton’s father

his eyes and hairtans reminded me of

catherine

what do you want

he asked roughly

my name was isabella linton i replied

now i’m married to mr heathcliff

ah

so that devil has returned

good

he growled

you can imagine ellen how unhappy i felt

in that unpleasant house

i knew that only four miles away was my

real home thrushcross grange

containing the only people i loved in

the

world but those four miles were like an

ocean which i could not cross

don’t tell edgar or catherine this

but i had hoped to find a friend at

wuthering heights

someone to support me against heathcliff

now i realized that no one here would

help me

after a long silence i said

please ask a maid to show me my bedroom

i’m tired after my journey

we have no maids here

he answered

joseph will show you heathcliff’s room

if you like

and

and you’d better lock the bedroom door

tonight

why mr earnshaw i asked

i did not want to lock myself in with

heathcliff

he brought out a gun which had a knife

attached to it look at this

he said

every night i try to open his bedroom

door

up to now he’s locked it

but one night he’ll forget and then i’ll

kill him

why do you hate him so much i asked

because he’s taken everything from me

he shouted angrily

there’s nothing left for herton

but i’m going to get it all back and his

money too and then his blood

then the devil can have his soul

he seemed mad to me ellen

i left him and went to find the old

servant joseph

it seemed that heathcliff’s room was

locked and there were no guest bedrooms

so in the end i slept on a chair in the

child’s room

what a welcome to my new home

i know heathcliff blames edgar for

catherine’s illness

he has warned me he’ll make me suffer

for it

oh i do hate him

i’m so miserable

i’ve been such a fool

don’t tell anyone at thrushcross grange

about this ellen

come quickly

don’t disappoint me

isabella

as soon as i had read this

i asked mr edgar if i could take a

message from him to his sister

you may visit her this afternoon ellen

if you like

tell her i’m not angry

just sorry to have lost her

i can’t imagine she will ever be happy

i shall never visit her or write to her

when i arrived at wuthering heights that

afternoon

i was shocked to see how much worse the

house looked than when i used to live

there

i realized that hindley did not care

what conditions he lived in

and joseph clearly spent more time

praying than cleaning

heathcliff and isabella were both in the

main room

heathcliff looked more like a gentleman

than i had ever seen him

but his wife had not bothered to brush

her hair or change a dress

i had to explain to poor isabella that

mr edgar had refused to write to her

she cried a little when she heard that

then heathcliff asked me question after

question about catherine’s illness

if you really love her i told him

you’ll keep away from her now

she mustn’t be over excited

her health will always be weak

and her loving husband is a very good

nurse to her

her loving husband

repeated heathcliff sconfili

don’t compare my feeling for her with

his

no ellen

before you leave this house

i’ll make you promise to arrange a

meeting for me with catherine i must see

her

i’ll never agree to that

i said

she’s just beginning to recover

she’s almost forgotten you

and now you want to upset her again

ellen

you know as well as i do that she can

never forget me

if she thinks once of edgar linton she

thinks a thousand times of me

he can’t love her as i can

and catherine has a heart as deep as

mine

catherine and edgar are very fond of

each other

said isabella suddenly don’t speak of my

brother like that

your dear brother doesn’t care enough

about you to write to you

replied heathcliff smiling sourly

that’s because he doesn’t know how much

i’ve suffered

she answered quietly

turning away to hide the tears on her

face

sir

i said

it seems to me that miss isabella mrs

heathcliff i should say

is unhappy

you must treat her kindly

try to look after her

let her have a maid for example

i’m not going to be soft with her

he replied with a laugh

she was stupid enough to run away with

me i never pretended to love her

now i think she’s beginning to realize

that i scorn her

she’s an even weaker fool than a brother

but she’s going to be useful to me

that’s why i’m keeping her with me

ellen

he says he married me to have his

revenge on edgar

but i won’t let him carry out his plan

whatever it is

i’ll die

or i’ll see him dead first

you’re getting violent isabella

said

heathcliff go upstairs now

i want to speak to ellen dean in private

go on

and he pushed her roughly out of the

door

don’t you feel pity for her i asked when

we were alone

have you ever felt pity for anybody in

your life

why should i

she’s just like an insect under my foot

the more she cries the more i enjoy

hurting her

now ellen listen

i’ll wait every day and every evening in

the grange garden until i find a chance

to see catherine

if i meet edgar linton or his servants

i’ll shoot them

but don’t you think it’d be better to

avoid a fight

you could tell me when she’ll be alone

then there’ll be no violence

i argued and complained and refused

fifty times

but in the end he forced me to agree

i promised to let him know when edgar

linton was away from home

i suppose it was wrong of me

but i hoped it would be heathcliff’s

last meeting with catherine

[Music]

chapter 10

heathcliff visits catherine for the last

time

[Laughter]

[Music]

you