Wuthering Heights Audiobook Final Chapters Learn English Through Story

[Music]

chapter 10

heathcliff visits catherine for the last

time

heathcliff had given me a letter for

catherine

but i decided not to show it to her

until mr edgar was out of the house

my chance came four days after my visit

to wuthering heights

as it was a sunday

mr edgar and all the servants went to

church

leaving me alone to look after catherine

she was sitting downstairs by an open

window enjoying the spring sunshine

her appearance had changed since her

illness

but there was a strange beauty in her

pale face

she did not read or so anymore

but used to sit there silently staring

into the distance

her eyes seemed fixed on something far

away

something beyond normal sight

i showed her the letter

but she looked confused and could not

seem to understand it

so i had to explain

it’s from mr heath cliff

i said gently

he’s in the garden and wants to see you

what shall i tell

him she said nothing

but bent forward in a chair to listen

we both heard someone coming through the

hall

heathcliff had realized the house was

almost empty and had found an open door

catherine looked eagerly towards the

entrance to the room

he appeared

and in two steps was by her side

for five whole minutes he held her in

his arms and kissed her again and again

it gave him great pain to look at her

face

he could see as i could

that she would never recover

that she was certain to die

oh

catherine

oh my life

how can i bear it he cried

you

and edgar

have broken my heart

said catherine

and you both want me

to pity you

how strong you are heathcliff

you live for years after my death

will you forget me

and be happy with others when i’m in my

grave

it’s

wicked of you to say that catherine

you know your words will burn forever in

my memory after you’ve left me

you know i could never forget you

i don’t want you to suffer more than i

do heathcliff

i only want us to be together

always

heathcliff

turned away

his shoulders shaking

that isn’t my heathcliff

catherine said to me

i’ll always love

my heathcliff

and take him with me

he’s in my soul you see

oh ellen

i do want to escape from this prison

there’s a beautiful world waiting for me

out there

you feel sorry for me now because i’m

ill

well

very soon

i’ll feel sorry for you

because i’ll be beyond you all

heathcliff

turned towards her

his fierce eyes wet

for a moment they looked at each other

and then they were in each other’s arms

again

no one could have separated them

how cruel you’ve been to me catherine

he cried wildly

you loved me

so why did you marry edgar linton

it’s all your fault

i haven’t broken your heart you’ve

broken it

and you’ve broken mine too

do you think i want to live after you

are dead

[Music]

i’ve done wrong

i’m dying for it

sup catherine

it’s your fault to heathcliff

you left me remember

but i forgive you

now forgive me

it’s

hard to forgive

when i look at your sad eyes and feel

your thin hands

kiss me again catherine

i forgive you for making me suffer

but how can i forgive you for dying

catherine

sobbed quietly

hiding her face in his shoulder

and tears rolled down heathcliff’s dark

face

[Music]

suddenly

i noticed through the window the

servants coming back from church

i was afraid mr edgar would find

heathcliff with catherine

my master will be here in a moment i

warned them i must go catherine

said heathcliff

no no

she screamed

don’t go

it’s the last time

edgar won’t hurt us

heathcliff

i’ll die if you go

all right my darling i’ll stay

if he shot me in your arms i’d die happy

at that moment

my master appeared at the door

when he saw heathcliff holding his wife

he went pale with anger

here

take care of her first

said heathcliff putting catherine in her

husband’s arms

then speak to me later if you wish

he walked out of the house

catherine

seemed to be unconscious

and mr edgar was so worried about her

that he forgot about heathcliff for the

moment

she recovered a little

but did not recognize any of us

and was clearly very ill

we put her to bed immediately

and at 12 o’clock that night her

daughter kathy was born

two months early

that’s the young lady you saw wuthering

heights mr lockwood

two hours later

catherine died

without calling for heathcliff

or recognizing edgar

my poor master was in the depths of

despair

i thought it was very unfortunate that

catherine had only given him a daughter

not a son

now the linton fortune would pass to

isabella and her husband after mr

edgar’s death

catherine’s dead body lay peacefully on

her bed

in death she looked more beautiful than

in life

i wondered if she was now

beyond us all as she had said

and hoped that her soul had found a home

with god

in the morning i went to look for

heathcliff

i found him in the grange garden where

he had been waiting for news all night

she’s dead i know

he called to me as i came closer

don’t cry

she doesn’t need your tears

tell me

tell me

how did

he tried to say a name

but could not manage it

how did she die

he said at last

staring fiercely at me

don’t be sorry for me i don’t want your

pity

poor creature i thought

you have a heart

just like other men

but you are too proud to show it

aloud i

she died quietly in her sleep

her life finished in a gentle dream

i hope she wakes his calmly in the other

world

where are you catherine

he cried in despair

don’t leave me here

where i can’t find you

i pray that you will never rest while

i’m alive

you said i killed you

haunt me then

murdered people do haunt their murder as

i believe

come back as a ghost

drive me mad i don’t care

oh god

i can’t bear it

i cannot live without you my soul

he

howled like a wild animal

and hit his forehead several times

against a tree until the wood was

covered in blood

i knew i could no longer help him

so i left him

catherine was buried the following

friday

her brother hindley although invited did

not come

and isabella was not invited

so it was only mr edgar and the servants

who attended the ceremony

to our surprise

she was not buried in the church with

the linton’s

nor with the urn shores

she lies in an open corner of the

churchyard

where she can breathe the air from the

moors

her husband’s grave is next to hers

[Music]

chapter 11

isabella escapes

1784

that friday evening

the wind changed and brought first rain

then snow

next morning the spring flowers were all

hidden under deep snow

mr edgar stayed in his room

i was in the sitting room with the baby

when i was surprised to hear a girl’s

voice behind me

i turned round

and saw it was isabella heathcliff

i was quite shocked by her appearance

her hair was loose and wet with snow and

rain

she wore a light silk dress and thin

shoes

which did not seem at all suitable for a

long walk in the snow

under her ear was a deep wound which was

bleeding

her face was scratched and bruised and

she looked very tired

i could see that she was expecting a

baby

i’ve run

all the way here from wuthering heights

she said

gasping for breath

i couldn’t count how many times i’ve

fallen down

ellen

please ask a maid to find some dry

clothes for me

and then i’ll go on to the village

i’m not staying here

first my dear young lady i told her

you’ll get warm and dry and i’ll put a

bandage on that wound

then we’ll have some tea

she was so exhausted that she let me

help her without protesting

and finally we sat down together near

the fire with our cups of tea

oh alan

she said

i cried bitterly when i heard of

catherine’s death you know

and heathcliff is desperately sad

but i can’t feel sorry for him

this is the last thing of his i’ve got

and she took off a gold wedding ring and

threw it in the fire

i’ll never go back to him

but i can’t stay here in case he comes

to find me

and anyway i don’t want to beg for

edgar’s help or make trouble for him

to escape from heathcliff i must go a

long way away

how could catherine have liked him ellen

i wish he would die and then i could

forget him completely

don’t say that

i protested he’s a human being

there are worse men than him in the

world

he isn’t human she replied

i gave him my heart and he destroyed it

so i can’t feel pity for him

but i must tell you how i managed to

escape

hindley earnshaw should have been at

catherine’s burial yesterday

but he had been drinking so much that he

couldn’t go

last night he and i were sitting

silently in the kitchen at about

midnight

when heathcliff came home

hindley decided to lock the doors so

that heathcliff could not get in

he told me his plan was to murder his

hated guest that night

with the weapon he had shown me

i hate heathcliff too

but i could not agree to murder

so i called out a warning from the

kitchen window

heathcliff swore horribly at me and

broke one of the windows

hindley put his right arm out through

the hole with a gun in it and aimed it

at his enemy

but before he could fire

heathcliff caught hold of the gun and

pulled it away from hindley

the knife cut into hindley’s wrist and

blood poured out

heathcliff jumped into the kitchen

through the window

and started kicking and hitting hindley

who was lying unconscious on the kitchen

floor

i ran off to find joseph

when we came back

heathcliff was putting a bandage on

hindley’s wrist

joseph was shocked at the sight of his

master

and would have gone to the police if

heathcliff hadn’t forced me to describe

what happened

i had to agree that hindley had

certainly attacked heathcliff first

the next day

i decided to have my revenge on

heathcliff

by telling hindley that

that devil had hit and kicked him when

he was unconscious

and i told heathcliff to his face that

he could never have made catherine happy

if she had been his wife

this made him so angry that he threw a

knife at me which cut my neck

and then he rushed towards me swearing

violently

i knew i had to get away quickly

and as i ran out of the kitchen

i saw hindley attack heathcliff

both of them were rolling on the floor

fighting

i came over the moors through the snow

to the grange

at last i’m free

and i shall never

never spend another night at wuthering

heights

after drinking her tea

isabella left the grange

from our village she traveled by coach

to the south

where she made her new home near london

there a few months later

she had a son

she called him linton

heathcliff must have discovered this

from the servants

one day when i saw him in the village he

said

i hear i’ve got a son ellen

whose name’s linton

i suppose isabella wants me to hate him

she can keep him for the moment

but tell edgar linton i’ll have the boy

one day

he’s mine

after catherine’s death

my poor master mr edgar was a change man

he no longer went to church or saw any

friends

he occasionally went for lonely walks on

the moors

and regularly visited his wife’s grave

but fortunately catherine had left him

something of herself

her daughter kathy

this tiny child soon won his heart

it’s strange mr lockwood to compare

hindley and edgar

they both lost their wives and were left

with a child

hindley did not believe in god and

showed no interest in his son hereton

but edgar believed and loved his

daughter kathy deeply

hindley himself died six months after

his sister catherine

we never discovered exactly what

happened

but heathcliff said he had drunk himself

to death

it appeared that heathcliff had won

hindley’s house land and money from him

when playing cards

so he was now the master of wuthering

heights

herton inherited nothing from his father

and could only stay on at wuthering

heights as a servant

working for the man who had been his

father’s enemy

chapter 12

bringing up kathy

[Music]

during the next 12 years

i was happier than i had ever been

before

all my time was spent looking after

little kathy who brought sunshine into

our lives

she was a real beauty with the urn shows

dark eyes and the linton’s fair skin

she wasn’t as proud and quick-tempered

as her mother

but she was used to getting what she

wanted

her father loved us so much that he gave

her everything and never scolded her

until she was 13 she had never been

outside the grange garden alone

she knew nothing of wuthering heights or

heathcliff

she often asked me about the hills in

the distance beyond the moors and wanted

to ride a pony there

i knew the master would not let her

leave the safety of the grange to go so

far

especially as the road to the hills

passed close to wuthering heights

so i always told her she would be able

to go there when she was

older i did not know what she was

planning

mr edgar received a letter from his

sister isabella

she wrote that she was dying of a fever

and asked him to visit her for the first

and last time

she also wanted him to take care of her

son linton after her death

although my master hated travelling

he did not hesitate to do as she

requested

he told me to look after kathy carefully

and left at once

he was away for three weeks

kathy did not cause me any trouble at

first

she spent her days walking her dogs and

riding her pony in the large garden

but one day

she asked if she could stay out the

whole day

and away she went on a little pony with

her two dogs running behind

there was no sign of her at tea time

and i began to be seriously worried

i went outside to look for her

at the gate i found a workman

who had seen her jump the low wall

separating the garden from the road

and then ride on towards the hills and

withering heights

i was very frightened now

she could be lost on the moors

she could have tried to climb the hills

and fallen

i walked across the moors as fast as i

could

and arrived breathless at wuthering

heights

how glad i was to see one of her dogs

lying outside the kitchen door

and not loudly

and zilla let me in

i knew she had been the housekeeper

there since hindley’s death

ah

she said

you’ve comfy a little mistress she’s

here quite safe

the master mr heathcliff isn’t here he

won’t be back for a while

kathy was sitting comfortably in the

kitchen talking eagerly to herton

he was now a big strong young man of 18

who was staring rather stupidly at her

i was delighted to find her again

but i pretended to be angry to punish

her

well miss

you are wicked go in such a long way all

alone

i’ve been all over the mowers looking

for you

your father will be angry

what have i done

she subbed suddenly frightened

father didn’t forbid me to leave the

grange garden

he won’t scold me ellen he’s never

crossed like you

and i’ve been to the hills ellen

this

man

showed me because i didn’t know the

way

i made her put on a hat and prepare to

leave

whose house is this

she asked suddenly

it’s your father’s isn’t it

she added turn into hairton

no

he replied looking down

his face went very red

who’s then

you’re masters

she asked

he swore and turned away

ellen

he didn’t say miss to me

servants should always say miss

shouldn’t they

hurt and frowned and looked very angry

but said nothing

you get my horse

she ordered him

hurry

what the

devil do you mean

i’m not your servant

he growled

you see miss kathy

nice words to be used to a young lady

now come along

let’s fetch the pony and leave

i said

but ellen

she cried

staring horrified at him

how dare he speak to me like that

he must do as i tell him

he’s not your servant miss

said zilla who’d been listening to the

conversation

he’s your cousin

he can’t be my cousin

cried kathy with a scornful laugh

father has gone to fetch my cousin from

london

he’s a gentleman’s son

not a

not a farm worker like him

she pointed at poor hairton

whose clothes were old and dirty

i was very annoyed with her and zilla

now heathcliff would hear about his

son’s arrival which we had hoped to keep

secret from him

and kathy would certainly ask her father

whether she had a cousin at wuthering

heights

on our way home

i explained to her that if her father

discovered she’d visited wuthering

heights

he would perhaps be so angry with me

that he would send me away

she could not bear to think of that

so

she promised to keep her visit a secret

from him

we heard from mr edgar

that his sister had died

and that he was returning soon with his

young nephew

kathy was wild with excitement

she would see her dear father again and

have a cousin of the same age to play

with

but when the coach arrived

jung linton had to be carried into the

house

he was a pale thin boy who looked very

like mr edgar

he seemed so weak that i wondered how

long he would live

i thought he would have no chance of

life if his father heathcliff took him

to live at wuthering heights

in fact

linton only stayed one night with us

later that evening heathcliff’s servant

joseph arrived and asked to speak to the

master

although it was late and mr edgar was

tired after his journey

joseph insisted

so i took him to the masters room

eighth cliff has sent me for his son and

i can’t go back without him

he said

mr edgar was silent for a moment

on his face was an expression of deep

sadness

he had hoped to keep linton with him as

isabella had wished

but he could not refuse the boy’s father

tell mr heathcliff he said calmly

that ellen will take his son to

wuthering heights tomorrow

he is asleep at the moment and i won’t

disturb him

no

said joseph banging the table with his

hand

i must check him back now

not

tonight

answered mr edgar

leave the house now and tell your master

what i said

very well

shouted joseph as he walked out

if he doesn’t arrive early in the

morning eighth glyph will come for him

[Music]

chapter 13

heathcliff’s son at wuthering heights

linton was very surprised to be woken so

early and told that he had another

journey to make before

breakfast as we rode the four miles to

wuthering heights

he kept asking me questions about his

new home

and the father he had never seen

when we arrived

heathcliff herton and joseph all came

out of the house to inspect the child

master

that’s not a boy

said joseph after a while

look at that white skin and fair air

mr edgar sent you his daughter instead

god

what a beautiful creature laughed

heathcliff scornfully

that’s worse than i expected

i helped the trembling child off the

horse and into the house

heathcliff took him roughly by the arm

i hope you’ll be kind to him mr

heathcliff i said

he’s weak and ill

and he’s all the family you’ve got

don’t worry ellen replied heathcliff

with a smile

as isabella’s son

he’ll inherit thrushcross grange one day

and i don’t want him to die before that

he’ll be educated as a gentleman

but i’m bitterly disappointed at having

such a weak crying baby for a son

so poor linton was left in his father’s

care

at first kathy was miserable

because she would not now have anyone to

play with

but she soon forgot him

whenever i met zilla the housekeeper in

the village i used to ask her about

linton

he’s often ill

she told me i’m so selfish

he has to have a fire even in summer

he calls for cakes and hot drinks all

the time

he only ever thinks of

himself mr heathcliff can’t bear being

in the same room as him

several years passed without any more

news of linton

in 1800

kathy reached the age of 16.

we never celebrated her birthday because

it was also the day her mother died

on this particular day

she came downstairs dressed for going

out and suggested a walk on the moors

with me

her father gave permission

it was a lovely spring morning and i was

very happy walking in the sunshine

watching kathy running ahead of me

but we had walked further than i had

realized

and i called to her to come back

she did not seem to hear me

we were on the moors close to wuthering

heights

when i caught sight of two men

talking to her

i recognized heathcliff and herton at

once

i hurried to catch up with her miss

kathy

i said breathlessly we must go home

your father will be getting worried

no he won’t ellen

this gentleman wants me to go to his

house and meet his son

he says we’ve already met but i don’t

remember do you

let’s go ellen

although i protested

she and herton were already halfway to

wuthering heights

heathcliff and i followed behind

it’s very bad of you mr heathcliff i

scolded him

mr edgar will blame me for letting her

go to your house

i wanted to see linton ellen he replied

listen to my plan

it’s really a very generous one

i want the two cousins to fall in love

and marry

you know

kathy won’t inherit anything from her

father

my son linton will inherit all the

linton fortune when edgar dies

if she marries linton she’ll be wealthy

of course if linden dies

then the money comes to me as his only

other relation

i was still angry with heathcliff but it

was too late to stop kathy entering

wuthering heights

she was delighted to rediscover her

cousin linton

who was him warm by the fire

if he is my cousin and you are his

father

she said to heathcliff smiling

then you must be my uncle

why don’t you ever visit us at the

grange

i visited it once or twice too often

before you were born

he said

i must tell you that i quarreled

violently with your father once

he hates me

and if you tell him you want to come

here

he’ll forbid it

well

if i can’t come here

linton can come to visit me at the

grange

suggested kathy happily

it’ll be too far for me

said her cousin weekly

it would kill me to walk four miles

heathcliff looks scormfully at his son

i don’t think my plan will ever succeed

ellen he whispered to me

who would fall in love with a selfish

baby like that

he went to the kitchen door and called

hairton

come and take miss kathy round the farm

kathy was eager to see the animals and

she inheritan went out

as we watched them through the kitchen

window

heathcliff seemed to be thinking aloud

i’ve taken my revenge on his father by

making herton work for me

i treat him badly as they used to do to

me

and he suffers as i used to

he’s intelligent and strong

and handsome

but i’ve taught him to scorn those

qualities

so now

he’s just an uneducated farm worker and

knows nothing of the world

that’s how he’ll always be

[Music]

and my son

he’s stupid and weak and ill

but he’s a gentleman

and he’ll marry kathy

and he’ll be rich

meanwhile

linton had got up from his armchair and

gone out to join kathy and herton

through the open window i could hear the

two younger ones laughing at herton’s

coarse way of speaking

i began to dislike linton rather than

pity him

when we arrived back at the grange

kathy told her father about the visit

he did not want to frighten her and in

my opinion did not explain clearly

enough

why she should never communicate with

linton again

at the time

she seemed to accept her father’s wish

during the next few weeks however

i noticed kathy’s behavior change

she was always writing on little pieces

of paper which she kept in a locked

drawer in her room

and every morning she got up

surprisingly early to go down to the

kitchen

i suspected something

on one day

i decided to break open a drawer

in it i was horrified to find a whole

pile of love letters from linton

the two cousins have been writing to

each other in secret for several weeks

and kathy had used the milkman as a

messenger

i told her at once that i knew her

secret

and made her promise not to send or

receive any more letters we burnt

lynton’s letters together

[Music]

chapter 14

secret visits

1800

the months passed

and soon it was autumn

mr edgar caught a bad cold

which seemed to get worse and worse

he stayed indoors the whole winter

so kathy only had me as a companion on

her walks

she had become very quiet and sad

since her relationship with linton had

ended

and was very worried about her father’s

illness

one day

when we were walking in the grange

garden

i noticed her crying

kathy

what’s the matter love

i asked

oh

ellen

she stopped

butcherlite dewey further dies

and if you die

i’ll be left alone

i hope he and i have years more of life

ahead of us

all you need do is look after your

father and let him see you cheerful

but

i think

he would be really ill if he thought you

loved linton

whose father would like to see mr edgar

dead

i’ll

never never do anything to worry or

annoy father

she promised

i only want him to recover

i love him more than anyone else in the

world

more than myself

just then

we reached the gate

and i saw a gentleman on a horse looking

over it it was heath cliff

miss linton

he called

there’s something i must tell you

i won’t listen

answered kathy

father and ellen both say you’re a

wicked man

but this is about my son linton not me

what a trick you played on him

you wrote him all those love letters

and then i suppose you got tired of it

and stopped

well

you’ve broken poor linton’s heart

i swear he’s dying of love for you and

he’ll be in the grave by next summer

unless you help him

be generous

come and visit him

i’ll be away all next week so your

father won’t be angry if you come

he rode away

although i tried to persuade kathy that

heathcliff could not be telling the

truth

my young mistress was very upset

and determined to discover how linton

was

the next morning we rode to wuthering

heights

we found linton alone

lying on a sofa

he looked feverish and ill

and had a bad cough

will you shut the door

he said crossly as we entered

it’s so cold

no kathy i can’t breathe if you kiss me

i want a drink

kathy poured him a glass of water

and are you glad to see me linton

she asked hopefully

yes i am

he replied

but you should have come before

my father swore at me and said it was my

fault you didn’t come

will you come and visit me again

yes linton

kathy said gently holding his hand

if father agreed

i’d spend half my time with you

i wish you were my brother

then we could spend all our time

together

but my father says you would love me

best if you were my wife

so that would be better

i’ll never love anybody more than father

she replied seriously

sometimes

men hate their wives like your father

he hated your mother my aunt isabella

that’s why she left him

that’s not true

cried the boy

anyway

your mother hated your father and she

loved mine

you’re lying

i hate you

she shouted angrily and gave the sofa a

violent push

he fell back

and started coughing so badly that even

i was frightened

at last he recovered

kathy was crying in a corner

afraid that she had really hurt him

how do you feel now linton

she asked after a while

i’m sorry

i didn’t mean to hurt you

i wish you felt as ill as i do you cruel

thing

and i was better today before you came

his voice was full of pity for himself

we must go

i said

you can see miss cathy that he isn’t

dying of love for you

it’s not your fault that is ill

come along

but i could not stop kathy whispering

something in linton’s ear before we left

the room

on the way home i told her i would not

allow her to visit him again

he’s a selfish child miss cathy and i

don’t think he’ll live till he’s 20.

i’m glad you’re not going to marry him

kathy looks sad

i’m sure he’d recover if i looked after

him

and i don’t think we’d quarrel if we

knew each other better

well miss

if you try to go there again with or

without me

i’ll tell your father

but the next day

i fell ill

and had to stay in bed for three weeks

which was very unusual for me

my little mistress went from her

father’s bedroom to mine and back again

and looked after us both with the

greatest care

but i never wondered what she did in the

evenings when mr edgar had gone to bed

and i no longer needed her

i only discovered the truth on the first

day i was able to get up

in the evening

i asked her to read to me

and was surprised how sleepy she seemed

she went to bed early

i felt rather worried about her health

and went to a room an hour later to see

if she needed anything

her bedroom was empty

i sat there in the dark

waiting for her to return

when she arrived

shaking the snow off her shoes

she was shocked to find me there

i guessed where she had been

but i made her tell me the whole story

every night since i had been ill

she had ridden to wuthering heights and

spent the evening with her cousin

sometimes she was happy with linton when

he was cheerful and less selfish

but most of the time she was miserable

however she insisted that the visit

should continue because linton needed

her and she wanted to see him

although she begged me to say nothing to

her father

i went straight to the master and told

him

he forbade her to visit wuthering

heights again

she had to obey her father

although it made her very sad

well mr lockwood

all this happened only about a year ago

i never thought i would be telling a

stranger this story

but who knows how long you’ll be a

stranger

you’re too young to live alone for long

and no one could see kathy and not lover

anyway

i’ll continue my story

[Music]

chapter 15

a trap

1800

[Music]

a few days after the master had

forbidden cathy to visit linton

he asked my opinion of the boy

tell me honestly ellen

what do you think of his character

well sir

i don’t think he’s wicked like his

father

but you’ll have plenty of time to get to

know him sir

he’s too young to marry yet

mr edgar walked to the window and looked

out

it was a misty february evening

but the churchyard was just visible

i’ve often prayed for death ellen i’ve

been very happy with my little kathy

but i’ve been just as happy

lying through the long june evenings on

her mother’s grave

and looking forward to the moment when i

can join catherine there

i haven’t got much time left ellen

what can i do for cassie before i die

should she marry linton

i wouldn’t mind him being heathcliff’s

son if only he loved her and could be a

good husband to her

god will show us what to do sir

i replied

in the spring

mr edgar was still ill

and he continued to worry about cathy’s

future

one day he wrote to linton

inviting him to visit the grange

linton wrote a long letter back

explaining that his father would not

allow him to do that

he begged his uncle to let him meet

kathy for a walk or a ride on the moors

between the grange and wuthering heights

as they could not meet in either house

mr edgar refused at first

and linton sent him several more letters

i am sure they had all been carefully

checked by heathcliff before they were

posted

finally mr edgar agreed

he hoped that

if kathy married linton who would

inherit the linton fortune

she would at least be able to remain in

her family home

he had no idea that linton was seriously

ill

neither did i

i never imagined that a father could

treat a dying child as cruelly and

wickedly as we later discovered

heathcliff had done

it was a hot sunny day in summer when

kathy and i rode out to meet her cousin

we were both shocked to discover that he

could neither ride nor walk

and was lying on the grass waiting for

us

he looked even paler and weaker than the

last time i had seen him

during our meeting he did not seem

interested in kathy or her news

kathy noticed this immediately

well linton she said after a while

you don’t want to talk to me

so i think i’ll go home

no

no

he cried getting quite excited

not yet

stay at least another half hour

my father will be angry with me if you

leave early

i suppose we can stay a few minutes

longer said kathy

we waited

talking to each other quietly while

linton slept a little

sometimes he cried out in pain

do you think

his health is better now than before

whispered kathy

i’m sorry miss kathy

i think it’s much worse

i answered

kathy called her pony

and the sound will clinton up

if you see my father

he said hesitating

could you tell him i’ve been cheerful

you’ll be here soon

and he looked round in terror

i’ll be here next thursday

cried kathy as she jumped on her pony

come on ellen

in the week that followed mr edgar’s

illness grew worse every day

kathy could not avoid realizing how

serious it was

and sat by his bedside day and night

looking sad and pale

her father’s room had become her whole

world

on thursday i thought a ride in the

fresh air would be good for her

and mr edgar gladly gave her permission

to see linton

he was hoping that she would not be left

alone after his death

i did not want to worry him in his last

moments

so i did not tell him that linton was

also dying

and found linton lying in the same place

as before

he was looking very frightened

i thought you weren’t going to come

he said

why won’t you be honest

cried kathy at once

why have you brought me here again if

you don’t want to see me

my father’s very ill and i should be

with him

tears rolled down linton’s face

he seemed terrified

oh

i can’t bear it

he subbed

cassie

i don’t explain

but if you leave me he’ll kill me

dear cathy

my life is in your hands

kind sweet kathy

perhaps you will agree

and then he won’t hurt me

kathy was no longer impatient

agree to what linton

she asked gently

tell me everything

you wouldn’t do anything to hurt me

would you linton

i’m your best friend

i don’t tell you my father

the boy gasped

just then

heathcliff appeared

he did not look at kathy and linton who

continued talking to each other

but he spoke quietly to me

ellen

how is edgar

is he dying as the villagers say

it’s true the master’s dying

i answered

that boy over there is dying too

i only hope edgar dies before him

if linton dies first

my plan will fail

he shouted angrily to his son

get up linton

and then said politely to cathy

miss cathy

would you help him back to the house

he can’t walk far alone

father has forbidden me to enter your

house

said cathy

well come along linton

i’ll have to take you home then

said heathcliff

no no no

please cathy you must come with me

screamed linton wildly

he held desperately onto her arm

kathy could not refuse the boy who

seemed almost mad with fear

so we all walked the few steps to

wuthering heights

when we had entered the house however

i was horrified to see heathcliff lock

the front door

the key was in his hand

herton

joseph and zilla

are all

out of the house

he said

calmly

so we are quite alone

give me that key

cried kathy angrily

i’m not afraid of you

she took hold of his closed hand and bit

it

he hit her violently several times on

both sides of the head and she fell into

a chair trembling

i rushed at him but he pushed me away

cry as much as you like miss cathy he

said

in a few days i’ll be your father and

i’ll punish you just like that as often

as necessary

when heathcliff went out to look for our

horses

kathy and i hurried round the kitchen

looking for a way to escape

but all the doors and windows were

locked

linton was sitting calmly in a chair

near the fire

happy that he was not being punished

this time

we persuaded him to explain his father’s

plan to us

father is afraid i’ll die soon you see

so he wants us to be married tomorrow

morning

you’ll have to stay here all night kathy

then perhaps he’ll let you go home in

the morning

you

marry this

beautiful healthy young lady i cried you

must be mad and wicked too

you and your father have tricked us into

coming here

and i shook him until he started

coughing

i must go home now

father will be worried already

said kathy

i love father better than you linton

heathcliff returned and sent his son

upstairs to bed

mr heathcliff

beg cathy

father will be miserable if i don’t go

home

please let me go

i promise to marry linton

father would like it and i love him

why do you force me to do something i

want to do

he can’t force you

i cried

i’ll go to the police

to the devil with you ellen

miss kathy i’m delighted that your

father will be miserable

in that case you will certainly stay

here for 24 hours you won’t leave here

until you’ve kept your promise to marry

linton

please send ellen to let father know i’m

safe

sobbed cathy bitterly

poor father

they’ll think we’re lost

your father must have hated you when you

came into the world

i did at least

and he’ll hate you as he leaves it

go on crying

that’s what you’ll be doing when you’re

linton’s wife

he’ll make a cruel selfish husband i

think

heathcliff took us upstairs to zilla’s

room where we spent the night locked in

neither of us could sleep

at seven the following morning he came

to fetch kathy and took her away

from that moment i saw nobody except

herton who brought me food for four

whole days and nights

on the fifth morning

zilla came into the room

she was surprised and pleased to see me

and told me the villagers all thought

kathy and i had got lost on the moors

and died four days ago

i ran out of the room to look for kathy

the big kitchen was full of sunshine and

the door was open

but the only person there was linton

where is she

where is miss cathy

i cried wildly

upstairs in a locked room

he replied calmly eating a piece of

sugar

we won’t let her go yet

father says i shouldn’t be soft with

cathy

we’ve had the wedding ceremony so she’s

my wife now

and must stay with me

i don’t care if she cries or is ill

have you forgotten her kindness to you

last winter when you wrote that you

loved her

and she used to come through wind and

snow to see you

now you believe your father’s lies about

her

and you leave her alone

ill and crying in a strange house

you pity yourself but you won’t pity her

what a heartless selfish boy you are

i can’t stay with her

she cries so much i can’t bear it

i can’t sleep with all that noise

she promised that if i gave her the key

to our room

she’d give me all her nice books and her

pony

but i told her she had nothing to give

they’re all mine

or they’ll belong to me very soon

and then she cried

and took a little gold case from around

her neck

inside were two pictures

one of her mother and one of her father

i wanted to take them both from her but

she wouldn’t let me so i screamed for

help

my father came

and ordered her to give him the pictures

and the case

when she refused he

he hit her on the face and knocked her

down

and broke the gold case under his foot

he took away the picture of her mother

and were you pleased to see miss kathy

hurt

i asked

my father was right to punish her but i

didn’t like seeing her mouth full of

blood

she can’t speak because of the pain

now you’ve made me tired with all this

talking

you won’t find the key to the room go

away

as there seemed to be no chance of

persuading him to help her escape

i decided to go back to the grange as

quickly as possible and rescue her later

what a welcome i received from the

servants at the grange who thought i was

dead

but i did not have time to tell them my

story

i went straight to my master’s room

he was lying in bed

very weak and close to death

i told him how heathcliff had trapped us

and that kathy was probably married to

linton by now

mr edgar realized that his enemy wanted

to get hold of the linton fortune

through his son

he asked me to send for his lawyer to

make arrangements so that kathy would

not lose all her inheritance

i did as he asked

but the lawyer sent a message saying

that he could not come until the next

day

i also sent

four strong men with weapons to

wuthering heights

to demand my young ladies freedom

i was very angry when they returned

without her because heathcliff had sent

them away

but i needn’t have worried

in the middle of the night as i was

taking some water to the master

i heard a knock on the front door

and went to open it it was my little

mistress

ellen

ellen

she subbed

is father still alive

yes i cried and thank god you’re safe

with us again

i managed to make linton help me escape

from the room

now i must see father

i could not bear to be present at their

meeting

i waited outside the bedroom door

but they were both calm

kathy’s despair was as silent as her

father’s happiness

he died in perfect peace mr lockwood

kissing her he whispered

i’m going to join her

and you

dear child

will join us

he did not move or speak again

kathy did not cry

but sat silently by his dead body all

morning

at lunchtime

the lawyer arrived

too late to help kathy

heathcliff had bribed him to stay away

he gave us heathcliff’s orders

all the servants except me

had to leave

kathy

mrs heathcliff now

was only allowed to stay at the grange

until her father was buried

chapter 16

kathy becomes a widow

1800 to 1801

on the evening after the burial

heathcliff came to fetch kathy

why not let us stay here with me

i begged

i’m looking for someone to rent the

grange from me

he answered

you’ll stay on here as housekeeper ellen

but kathy must come to wuthering heights

from now on she’ll have to work for her

food

i shall work

replied kathy

and i’ll look after linton

he’s all i’ve got to love in the world

i’m just sorry for you mr heathcliff

you have nobody to love you

you are as lonely and miserable as the

devil

nobody will cry for you when you die

i’m glad i’m not you

go and get your clothes you wicked girl

he said

we’ll be leaving in a few minutes

when she had gone

he walked across the room to look at the

picture of kathy’s mother catherine

which was hanging on the wall

do you know what i did yesterday ellen

he said

turning quickly away from the picture

i went to the church ad

and asked the man who was digging

edgar’s grave

to open the lid of catherine’s coffin

for me

her face

looked just the same

i could not stop looking at her

when the man closed the lid

i broke open one side of her coffin

the side away from edgar’s grave

and covered it up with earth

and i bribed the man to bury me there

when i die

next to her

and to take the side of my coffin away

too

so that i shall hover in my arms

not

edgar

you were very

wicked mr heathcliff to disturb the dead

i disturbed nobody ellen

and i feel much happier now

she is the one who has disturbed me

for 18 years she has haunted me

you know

i was wild almost mad after she died

for days i prayed for her ghost to

return to me

on the day of her burial

i went to her grave in the evening

there was a bitter wind and snow on the

ground

i wanted so much to have her in my arms

again

so i dug down through the loose earth to

her coffin

and was about to pull the lid off

when i felt

a warm breath on my face

she seemed to be with me

not in the earth

but close to me

i was

so happy that she was with me again

i filled in the grave and ran eagerly

home to the heights

i looked impatiently round for her

i could feel her but i could not see her

and since then

she has played plenty of tricks on me

like that

when i sleep in her bedroom

i can hear her outside the window or

entering the room

or even breathing close to me

but when i open my eyes

i’m always disappointed

slowly slowly she’s killing me with a

ghost of a hope that’s lasted 18 years

he was talking

almost to himself

so i did not answer

when kathy came in

he stood up

ready to go

goodbye ellen

whispered my dear little mistress

come and visit me

as she kissed me

her face felt as cold as ice

oh

no you won’t ellen

said heathcliff

i’ll send for you if i want you

and together

they left the grange

i haven’t seen kathy since then

once

i went to the heights to visit her

but i was not allowed to see her

about six weeks ago

i had a long conversation with zilla the

housekeeper who gave me news of kathy

it appeared that

when she arrived at the heights

she did her best to look after her sick

husband

he was obviously dying although

heathcliff refused to call the doctor

only a few weeks after her arrival

linton died in the night

with only kathy by his bedside

heathcliff inherited all of linton’s and

what had been kathy’s fortune

so kathy is now very poor

she must be very miserable and very

lonely in that dark unpleasant house

heathcliff hates her and joseph and

zilla don’t speak to her because they

think she’s too proud

poor hairton would like to be friendly

with her but she scorns him because he’s

uneducated

i would like to leave my job here

rent a little cottage and ask kathy to

come and live with me

but mr heathcliff will never permit that

of course

if she married again she could leave

that house

but

i can’t arrange that

17

mr lockwood visits wuthering heights

again

1802

after hearing the end of mrs dean’s

story i made my plans for the future

i decided i did not want to spend

another winter at the grange

and told her i would ride to the heights

to inform my landlord

she handed me a letter to give to kathy

heathcliff

when i arrived at the gate herton met me

and took me into the house

kathy was there

preparing vegetables for lunch

she did not bother to greet me

she may be beautiful i thought

but she’s not very polite

i passed by her chair

and cleverly dropped mrs dean’s note in

front of her

so that herton wouldn’t see it

she however just said aloud

what’s that

a letter from the housekeeper at the

grange

i said annoyed with her

she gasped and tried to pick it up

but herton got there first

mr heath cliff will want to look at this

he said

putting it in his pocket

but when kathy pretended to cry

herton could not bear to make her sad

and he threw the letter down on the

table

she eagerly read every word

and asked me several questions about the

people at the grange

mrs teen will want an answer to her

letter

i reminded her

you must tell her

that i have no paper or pens to write

with

i haven’t even any books

she answered sadly

no books

i cried

how can you manage without them in this

lonely place

i always used to read so much

that mr heathcliff decided to take away

my only pleasure

and destroy my books

i’ve looked all over the house for them

joseph only reads the bible

but some of my books are inheritance

room

why did you take them hurtin

just because you enjoy stealing

they can’t be any use to you

i think mr herton wants to learn

i said

hoping to prevent a quarrel between them

no doubt he took them away to study them

yes

replied kathy laughing

i hear him trying to read to himself

sometimes and it’s extremely funny

he makes some terrible

mistakes after a moment’s shocked

silence herton left the room

he returned almost immediately with his

arms full of books

and threw them angrily down at kathy’s

feet

take them

he shouted

i never want to see them again

i won’t have them now

she said

i’ll hate them because they’ll make me

think of you

[Music]

hurting picked up the books

and threw them on the fire

then walked quickly out of the house

mr heathcliff came in as herton went out

he had a restless anxious expression on

his face

mr heathcliff i said

i must tell you i’m leaving for london

next week

for six months

and i shan’t want to rent the grange

anymore after october

so

mr lockwood

you’ve got tired of the moors already

have you

well

have your lunch with hurtin and me

anyway

kathy

take your lunch in the kitchen

with joseph and zilla

i did not enjoy lunch with my two silent

companions

and left the heights straight afterwards

what a pity i thought

that kathy heathcliff and i didn’t fall

in love

as mrs dean would have liked

then i could have taken her away from

this miserable place forever

several months later in september

i was traveling to visit friends in

yorkshire

i found myself near thrash crossgrange

and decided to spend a night there

after all i was still paying rent for it

when i arrived i was surprised to find a

different housekeeper

who told me mrs dean had become

housekeeper at the heights

i wanted to have a walk after traveling

all day

so i left orders for the woman to cook

my supper

and prepare a bedroom for me

and i walked the four miles to wuthering

heights

as i came close to the old house

i noticed that there were flowers in the

garden

and the doors and windows stood open

i could see two people inside

and i stopped for a moment

curious to hear a little of their

conversation

read it again stupid

said a voice as sweet as a silver bell

read it correctly this time

or i’ll pull your hair

you must kiss me if i get it right

answered a deep voice

the man was sitting at a table reading

from a book

his handsome face shone with pleasure

and his eyes often left the book

to look at the small white hand that lay

on his shoulder

the girl stood behind him

bending over to help him

her face

it was fortunate he could not see her

face

or he would never have been able to

concentrate on his studies

i could see it

and i was bitterly sorry that i had

thrown away my chance

of seeing that beauty every day of my

life

did not want to disturb their happiness

so i went round to the back door

where i discovered my old friend ellen

dean

oh mr lockwood welcome back

she cried

are you staying at the grange again

yes mrs dean

just for one night

but tell me

why are you housekeeper here now and not

at the grange

zilla left you see

mr heathcliff wanted me here

i have a little business with him about

the rent

oh

mr heathcliff is dead sir

he died three months ago

i manage all mrs heathcliff’s business

for her

she hasn’t learned to do it herself yet

you see

heathcliff is dead

i repeated surprised

well

tell me how it happened mrs dean

sit down sir

and drink some beer

i’ll gladly tell you

his life ended

very strangely

[Music]

chapter 18

heathcliff’s end

to 1801-1802

i was delighted to come back to the

heights

and hoped i could make kathy’s life more

comfortable

but she was restless and complained of

loneliness

at first she continued to annoy herton

by laughing at him

but after a while she decided she really

wanted him as a friend

she apologized for being rude to him

and offered to teach him everything she

knew

from that moment on the two cousins have

always been together

studying

herton has a lot to learn

and kathy is not the most patient of

teachers

but what they have in common is their

love for each other

you see mr lockwood it was easy enough

to win cathy’s heart

but now

i’m glad you didn’t try

i’ll be the happiest woman in england

when those two marry

heathcliff noticed little of what was

happening around him

and would never have been aware of the

cousin’s feelings if it hadn’t been for

joseph

in the middle of our lunch one day

the old man rushed into the room shaking

with anger

i

have to leave

i wanted to die here

where i’ve been a servant for 60 years

but now she’s taken my garden from me

she’s stolen the boy’s soul master

i can’t bear it

is the fool drunk

as teethcliff

can you explain this herton

i’ve pulled up two or three of his fruit

trees confessed hayton

but i’ll put them back again

it was my fault

added kathy bravely i asked him to do it

we wanted to plant some flowers there

who the devil gave you permission

growl teeth cliff

you should let me have a bit of garden

as you’ve taken all my land

replied kathy sharply

and you’ve taken herton’s land too

he and i are friends now

i’ll tell him about you

the master stood up staring at her

fiercely

out of the room wicked girl he shouted

i’ll kill you if i get near you

if you hit me

hurting will hit you

he won’t obey you anymore

and soon he’ll hate you as much as i do

you’d better leave cathy

whispered hairtan urgently

i won’t quarrel with mr heathcliff

but it was too late

i was sure heathcliff was going to hit

her

he took hold of her

one strong hand in her hair and the

other raised over her head

but when he looked into her face

his anger suddenly disappeared

and he let his arm fall to his side

he sat heavily down in his chair

and put his hand over his eyes for a

moment

we all stared at him

you must

learn not to make me angry

he said

trying to be calm

go away all of you

leave me alone

a little later he went out saying he

would return in the evening

as darkness fell

kathy and herton were busy at their

studies in the kitchen

i was sitting with them

happy to see them helping each other so

well

i feel they’re almost my children mr

lockwood and i’m very proud of them

as the master entered the house he had a

full view of us three

they lifted their eyes to meet his

perhaps you haven’t noticed it

but their eyes are very similar

and they are exactly like those of

catherine earnshaw

mr heathcliff stopped and stared then

looked away

at a sign from me

kathy and herton went quietly out into

the garden

leaving me alone with mr heathcliff

it’s silly isn’t it ellen

he muttered

that i have worked all my life to

destroy these two families

the earned shores and the linton’s

i’ve got their money

and their land

now i can take my final revenge on the

last earnshaw and the last linton

and no longer want to

there’s a strange change coming in my

life

i’m in its shadow

i’m so little interested in daily events

that i even forget to eat and drink

i don’t want to see those two

that’s why i don’t care if they spend

time together

she only makes me angry and he looks so

like catherine

but everything reminds me of catherine

in every cloud in every tree i see her

face

the whole world reminds me that she was

here once and i have lost her

you don’t feel ill sir do you

are you afraid of death

i’m not here ellen

and i’m not afraid to die

but i can’t continue like this

i have to remind myself to breathe

almost to remind my heart to beat

i have a single wish

for something my whole body and heart

and brain have wanted for so long

oh god

it’s a long fight

i wish it were

finished

for some days after that

mr heathcliff avoided meeting us at

meals

he ate less and less

late one night

i heard him leave the house

he did not return until the morning

when he came in

i noticed a change in his expression

there was a strange

wild happiness in his face

although he was pale and trembling

will he have some breakfast sir i asked

no

i’m not hungry he answered

i don’t think you should stay outside at

night sir

you catch a bad cold or a fever

leave me alone ellen he replied

i began to worry about him

he was strong and healthy but a man must

eat in order to live

for the next three days he ate nothing

at every meal the food lay untouched on

the plate in front of him

he did not look at the food or at us

he seemed to be looking at something

quite close to him

something we could not see

his fierce black eyes followed it with

such eager interest that he sometimes

stopped breathing for as much as half a

minute

he did not sleep either

for three days he had spent the night in

catherine earnshaw’s old bedroom and i

could hear him walking up and down and

talking calling

crying all night

one morning

i managed to speak to him and make him

listen to me

mr heathcliff

you must have some food and sleep

look at yourself in the mirror

you look ill and tired

it’s not my fault that i can’t eat or

rest

you wouldn’t tell a drowning man to rest

when he can see the shore

i’m close to what i wanted for 18 years

very close

but my soul’s happiness is killing my

body

it’s a strange kind of happiness master

take my advice and pray to god to

forgive you for what you’ve done wrong

in the past

if you think you’re going to die

thank you ellen

you’ve reminded me of something

it’s the way i want to be buried

my coffin will be carried to the

churchyard in the evening

you and herton will be present nobody

else

and make sure my orders about the two

coffins are obeyed

i want no ceremony or words from the

bible i don’t believe in any of that

he spent the next night and the next day

in catherine’s room

muttering and sobbing all the time

i sent for dr kenneth

but the door was locked so the doctor

could not see him

the following night was very wet

and in the morning as i walked in the

garden

i noticed that the bedroom window was

wide open

he must be very wet if he’s in bed i

thought the bed is so close to the

window

i’ll go and look

i found another key which fitted the

lock and opened the door

mr heathcliff was there in bed

lying on his back

his eyes were staring at me so eagerly

and fiercely

and he seemed to be smiling

his face and clothes were wet from the

rain and he did not move

i realized

he was

dead

i closed the window

i combed his long black hair from his

forehead

i tried to close his eyes

but they would not shut

suddenly

frightens

i call for joseph

the old servant came at once

but refused to touch the body

ah

the devil’s tetanus soul

i warned him that would happen

he cried

you see how wicked he is

smiling at death

but thank god

hurt and earnshaw will have the house

and land now that he should have

inherited from his father

and he went down on his knees to pray

[Music]

hurtin was in fact

the only one who was sad at heathcliff’s

death

he and i were present at the burial

heathcliff was buried next to

catherine’s grave as he had wished

as we were not sure of his age or

anything else about him there is only

one word on his gravestone

heathcliff

the villagers are very frightened of his

ghost

they say he often haunts the churchyard

and the moors

herton and kathy

will be married on new year’s day

and they’ll move to the

grange i’ll be there housekeeper

joseph will take care of wuthering

heights

but most of the rooms here won’t be used

again

you’ll pass the church yard mr lockwood

on your way back to the grange

and you’ll see the three gravestones

close to the moor

catherine’s the middle one is old now

and half buried in plants which have

grown over it

on one side is edgar linton’s

and on the other is heathcliff’s new one

if you stay there a moment

and watch the insects flying in the warm

summer air

and listen to the soft wind

breathing through the grass

you’ll understand

how quietly they rest

the sleepers

in that quiet earth

[Music]

you