Грозовой перевал / Wuthering Heights

But Catherine had dodged away from me and was skipping around the room, hiding behind the furniture. Hareton was laughing, and Catherine was growing more and more impertinent.

«Well, Miss Catherine,» I cried out in anger, «if you only knew whose house this was you’d be glad enough to leave.»

«It’s your father’s, isn’t it?» she said, turning to Hareton.

«No,» he replied, looking down sulkily.

«Whose then – your master’s?»

He swore and turned away.

«Nelly, who is this boy?» she said, turning to me. «He talked about ‘our house’ so I thought he must be the owner’s son. But if he’s a servant he should call me ‘miss’, shouldn’t he?»

This made Hareton turn as black as a thundercloud.

«Now, go and get my horse,» Catherine said, ordering Hareton around as if he were a stable boy. «What’s the matter with you? Get my horse, I say.»

«You saucy witch, I won’t be your servant!» Hareton growled.

Catherine stared at him in astonishment. «How dare you speak to me like that? Why don’t you do as I tell you!»

«Now, miss,» interrupted Zillah, «you really should treat him better than that. Mr. Hareton is your cousin, and it’s not his job to serve you.»

«He can’t be my cousin!» Catherine cried, with a scornful laugh. «Papa has just gone to London to fetch my cousin and he’s a gentleman’s son, not a farm boy like him!»

I was very angry with Catherine and Zillah. Now Heathcliff would be bound to hear that Linton was coming to live at the Grange, and Catherine would be sure to ask her father about Hareton. On our walk back to the Grange, I explained to Catherine that if her father discovered she had been up at the Heights, he might be so angry with me that he would send me away. The dear girl couldn’t bear to think of that, so she promised to keep quiet about her adventures on the moors.

A few days later, we heard from Mr. Edgar that he was coming home and bringing Linton with him. Catherine was wild with joy at the idea of welcoming her father back, and meeting her ‘real’ cousin. She couldn’t wait to have someone of her own age to play with.

But, when the carriage arrived, Linton stayed huddled in the corner[75] and took no notice of his excited cousin. He was a pale, delicate-looking boy – very much like his uncle at the same age, but with a sickly, peevish expression that Edgar had never had. Even though it was summer, he was wrapped in a warm, fur-lined cloak, and he shrank away from Catherine, whining that he just wanted to go to bed.

Edgar carried Linton into the house and sat him on a chair, where he immediately started to cry again.

«I can’t sit on that chair,» he sobbed. «It’s much too hard.»

«Lie on the sofa, then, and Nelly will bring you some tea,» his uncle answered patiently.

Catherine pulled up a footstool[76] and sat beside her cousin. At first she was silent, trying not to trouble him, but soon she decided to make a pet of him, and started stroking his curls[77] and kissing his cheeks and offering him tea in a saucer, just like a baby. This pleased the feeble boy, who dried his eyes and gave a faint smile.

«This will be good for the boy,» Edgar said cheerfully. «And he’ll soon grow stronger, with another child to keep him company.»

«If only we can keep him with us!» I thought to myself.

Later that evening, old Joseph arrived from Wuthering Heights and asked to speak to my master.

«Heathcliff has sent for his lad» he announced, «and I must bring him back with me tonight.»

Edgar was silent for a moment. He wanted to do his best to protect his sister’s child, but he knew he couldn’t refuse Linton’s father.

«Tell Mr. Heathcliff,» he said, «that his son will come to Wuthering Heights tomorrow. He’s in bed now and I won’t let him go till the morning.»

«No!» shouted Joseph, thumping the table. «I must take him with me now!»

«You won’t take him tonight,» answered Edgar firmly. «Now go and tell your master what I said.» «Very well!» growled Joseph, as he left the room.

«But if you don’t send the lad tomorrow, Heathcliff will come himself and take him home.»

At five o’clock the next morning, I went in to wake young Linton. He was very unhappy at the thought of another journey, but I tried to comfort him by telling him how excited his father was to meet him.

«My father!» he cried in amazement. «Mama never told me I had a father. I’d much rather stay here with Uncle Edgar.»

Eventually, I persuaded him to come with me, and we set off on horseback across the moors. All the way there, Linton kept asking me questions about his father, and I struggled to answer him as truthfully as I dared.

When we arrived at Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff, Joseph and Hareton all came out of the house to stare at Linton.

«Surely,» said Joseph, «that can’t be a boy? Mr. Edgar’s sent you a girl instead!»

Heathcliff gave a scornful laugh. «My God! What a beauty! What a lovely, charming thing! This is even worse than I expected!»