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
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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
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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
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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
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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