Грозовой перевал / Wuthering Heights

And so he did. A minute later, Edgar had turned and hurried back into the house. When I knocked on the door half an hour later, to tell Cathy and Edgar that Hindley had come home raging drunk, I saw that their quarrel had brought them closer together. It had broken down the barriers of shyness between them and allowed them to tell each other that they were in love.

The news of Hindley’s return sent Edgar rushing to his horse and Cathy to her room. I ran to take the bullets out of Hindley’s gun and to hide little Hareton – when my master returned from a day’s drinking none of us was safe. Hindley strode into the kitchen, just in time to see me stuffing his son into a closet. Poor Hareton was so terrified of his father’s rages that he would stay quiet and still wherever I put him.

«There, I’ve caught you at it, Nelly,» Hindley shouted. «Don’t you dare keep my own son away from me or I’ll force you to swallow the carving knife. And don’t think I wouldn’t do it, because I’ve just crammed Doctor Kenneth headfirst into Blackhorse marsh.»

Hindley seized the child roughly. «Are you trying to hide from me, Hareton?» he snarled. «And why do you scream at me as if I were a goblin?»

Hareton shrank back in terror, but Hindley snatched him up in his arms.

«What’s the matter with the brat?» he roared. «Why won’t you talk to your father? By heavens, I’ve reared a monster!»

Hareton struggled to get away, screaming and kicking as his father climbed the stairs. I panted after them, crying out that he would kill the child, and I was just at the top of the stairs, when he swung the boy over the banisters.

I was about to reach out and rescue Hareton, when Hindley leaned forward to listen to a noise, forgetting for a moment what he held in his hands.

«Who’s that?» he called, as someone entered the hall below.

Heathcliff had just got in. At that very moment, Hareton struggled to be free, and fell.

We had hardly had time to react before we realized the child was safe. Heathcliff arrived just in time, and he caught the boy in his arms. Then he set Hareton on his feet and looked up to see what had happened.

As soon as Heathcliff saw Hindley leaning over the banisters, he realized what he had done – and his face turned black. He was clearly in agony at the thought that he had lost the chance to take his revenge on Hindley. I raced to comfort little Hareton, pressing him against my heart, while Hindley walked down the stairs more slowly, suddenly sober and shaken.

«It’s your fault Nelly,» Hindley said, roughly. «You should have kept him out of my way. Is he injured at all?»

«Injured!» I cried, angrily. «It’s a miracle he’s not dead. I wonder his mother doesn’t rise from her grave to see how you treat him.»

Hindley reached out to his son, who started screaming again.

«Don’t you dare touch him!» I shouted. «He hates you – we all hate you. What a happy family you’ve created here.»

«And it’s going to get worse than this,» he laughed grimly. «So get out of my sight, all of you, before I hurt you some more.» And with that he seized a bottle of brandy and poured himself a drink.

«It’s a pity he can’t kill himself with drink,» muttered Heathcliff as he left the hall.

I went into the kitchen and sat down by the fire to comfort my little lamb. Heathcliff was nowhere to be seen, so I imagined he was working outside.

I was rocking Hareton on my knee, when Miss Cathy appeared at the door.

«Are you alone, Nelly?» she asked softly.

«Yes,» I said briefly, not yet ready to forgive her for her spitefulness earlier that day

«And where is Heathcliff?»

«At work in the stables, I believe.»

There was a long pause while I watched some drops of water fall from her cheeks onto the stone floor. Then she knelt down beside me.

«Nelly, will you keep a secret?» she asked, with a look that made all my temper melt away

«Is it worth keeping?» I replied, less sulkily.

«Yes, and it worries me so much I must let it out. I want to know what I should do… Today, Edgar Linton asked me to marry him, and I’ve given him an answer. But before I say what it was – please tell me what you think my answer should have been.»

«Really, Miss Cathy. How can I know? But after the scene this afternoon, I think you should refuse him. If Edgar asked you to marry him after that, he must be either stupid or insane.»

«If you talk to me like that, I won’t tell you any more,» she answered peevishly. «I’ve accepted him, Nelly. Now tell me quickly, was I wrong?»

«Well, if you’ve accepted him, what’s the good of asking me what to do? You’ve given him your word and you can’t take it back.»

«But tell me if I should have done it – please!» she cried out.

«Well,» I said slowly. «The most important question is, do you love Mr. Edgar?»

«Anyone would love him, of course I do.»

«But why do you love him, Miss Cathy?»

«Well, because he is handsome and pleasant to be with.»

«Bad reasons,» was my reply.

«And because he’s young and cheerful.»

«Bad again.»