The next summer, Hindley’s son, Hareton, was born. I was working in the fields when a girl came running up from the house, calling to me as she ran,

«Oh such a beautiful boy!» she panted. «The finest lad that ever breathed. But Doctor Kenneth says the mistress won’t last. He says she’s been sick for months. I heard him tell Mr. Hindley that now she’s had the baby, she won’t keep on fighting any more, and he reckons she’ll be dead before the winter. You must come home straightaway, Nelly, to look after the baby. You’re going to be his nurse, and care for him day and night, and soon he’ll be all yours when the mistress is dead!»

«But is she so very ill?» I asked, flinging down my rake.

«I guess she is, although she tries to look cheerful,» replied the girl, «and she talks as though she’ll see her son grow up to be a man. She’s out of her mind with joy because he’s such a beauty!»

 

I hurried home as fast as I could, excited to see the child, although I was sad for Hindley too. He loved only two people in the world – his wife and himself – and I didn’t know how he would live without her.

When I reached Wuthering Heights, Hindley was at the front door, and I asked him how the baby was.

«Nearly ready to run around!» he replied, putting on a cheerful smile.

«And the Mistress?» I dared to ask. «The doctor says she’s…»

«Damn the doctor!» he interrupted. «Frances is quite well – she’ll be perfectly fine by this time next week. But will you please tell her not to talk, so she can recover fast… Doctor Kenneth has left orders that she must be quiet»

I gave this message to his wife, who replied cheerfully, «I hardly say a word, Nelly, but each time I do, he leaves the room crying. Well, I promise I won’t talk again, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t laugh at him.»

Poor soul! Until a week before her death, young Mrs. Earnshaw was so cheerful and brave, and Hindley insisted furiously that her health was improving every day. When Doctor Kenneth warned him that his wife had reached the stage of her illness when his medicines were useless, Hindley replied stubbornly, «I know she doesn’t need them. She’s perfectly well now. She’s had a fever, but that’s all gone.»

Hindley told his wife the same story, and she seemed to believe him. But one night, while she was leaning on his shoulder and saying that she thought she would get up tomorrow, she was seized with a coughing fit – just a very small one. Hindley held her in his arms and she put her arms around his neck. Then her face changed and she was dead.

 

As the serving girl had predicted, I was completely in charge of young Hareton after Mrs. Earnshaw died. Hindley left everything to me, only insisting that he should never have to hear his baby cry. He was desperate with grief for his wife, and spent his days drinking and cursing, blaming God and everyone around him for sending him such a punishment. The servants couldn’t bear this treatment long, and one by one they left the Heights. Very soon, only Joseph and I were left to take care of the house.

Hindley’s bad temper and drunkenness set a terrible example for the children, and his treatment of Heathcliff was enough to turn a saint into a fiend. But the boy put up with it all without complaining, and even seemed to delight in seeing Hindley sink lower and lower. Eventually, everyone stopped calling at the Heights. Miss Cathy’s tutor had long since gone, and the only visitors we had were young Isabella and Edgar Linton. Of course, Edgar was terrified of Hindley, but he would have braved anything for a chance to see Cathy.

 

By the time Miss Cathy was fifteen years old, she was the most beautiful girl for miles around. But she could be wild and headstrong when she didn’t get her way. Heathcliff was equally stubborn, and he had become very rough. For a while he struggled to keep up his studying, but by the time he was sixteen he had given up reading and writing completely. His clothes were always filthy and he had a permanent scowl on his face. When he wasn’t working, Cathy and he were still constant companions, but he had stopped showing any affection for her, and he shrank away with angry suspicion from her hugs and kisses.

One afternoon, I was helping Miss Cathy into her best silk dress, when Heathcliff arrived at the door. Hindley was away and it was raining hard, so Heathcliff had made up his mind to spend the rest of the day with his friend. But when he saw Cathy’s fine dress, his face fell.

«Cathy, are you going out this afternoon?» he asked gruffly.

«No, it’s raining,» was her scornful reply.

«Then why are you wearing that silk dress? Nobody’s coming here, I hope.»

«Not that I know of,» stammered Cathy. «But you should be in the fields now, Heathcliff. It’s an hour past dinner time.»

«I’m not doing any more work today. I’m going to stay with you.»

Cathy frowned and thought for a few minutes. Then she began, «Isabella and Edgar Linton talked about calling this afternoon. As it’s raining they probably won’t come, but if they do, you’ll have to put up with their rudeness to you.»

«Tell Nelly to say you’re busy,» Heathcliff said roughly. «Don’t turn me away for those pitiful friends of yours. Tell them to go, so you can be with me.»

This made Cathy very angry «And why should I always be with you?» she demanded. «What do you ever talk about? You might as well be a baby for anything you say to amuse me!»

Heathcliff turned white. «You never told me before that I talked too little, or that you hated my company, Cathy!»

«It’s no company at all, when people know nothing and say nothing,» she muttered.

Heathcliff stood up suddenly, but before he could reply, they heard the sound of a horse’s hooves outside, and Edgar was at the door.

 

It was hard not to notice the difference between the two young men as one of them came into the room and the other went out. To me, it seemed like exchanging a wild, windswept moor for a beautiful, sunlit valley. And their way of talking was just as different as their looks. Edgar had a soft, gentle-sounding voice, while Heathcliff’s voice was gruff and harsh.

I lingered over my dusting .

«What are you doing there, Nelly?» Cathy snapped.

«My work, miss,» I replied.

Hindley had ordered me not to leave his sister alone with Edgar, but Cathy had other ideas. She stepped behind me and whispered crossly, «Go away, Nelly, we want to be alone!»

«But this is a good chance to get on with my work, while Mr. Hindley is away.»

Cathy was annoyed. Assuming that Edgar couldn’t see her, she pinched me spitefully on the arm.

«Oh, Miss Cathy!» I yelled out in pain. «That was a mean trick! You’ve no right to hurt me like that.»

«I didn’t touch you, you lying creature,» she cried, her fingers tingling to pinch me again.

But I was determined to show Edgar what she was like, so I held out my arm where a bruise was already forming, «What’s this then?» I replied.

Cathy stamped her foot, hesitated for a moment, and then slapped me hard on the cheek, making my eyes fill with water.

«Catherine, love, Catherine!» Edgar said gently, shocked to see how violent she could be.

But Cathy took no notice. «Please leave the room now, Nelly!» she repeated, trembling all over.

 

 

At this point, little Hareton burst into tears, sobbing his complaints about «Wicked Aunt Cathy» and, before he could escape, Cathy had turned on him, and was shaking the poor child until he turned purple. Edgar stepped forward to rescue the boy, and the next minute he was amazed to feel the force of Cathy’s hand on the side of his head.

As soon as he had recovered, Edgar headed straight for the door. His face was very pale and his mouth was quivering noticeably.

«That’s right,» I thought to myself. «Let this be a warning to you to get out fast. It’s good for you to see what she’s really like.»

«Where are you going?» demanded Cathy, quickly moving in front of the door.

Edgar swerved and tried to pass.

«You mustn’t go!» she cried energetically.

«I must and I shall!»

«No,» she insisted, holding onto the door handle, «not yet, Edgar Linton. You mustn’t leave me in such a temper, or I shall be miserable all night, and I refuse to be made miserable by you.»

«Do you think I can stay here, after what you’ve done to me?» he replied. «You’ve made me afraid and ashamed of you, Catherine. I won’t be back again.»

At this, Cathy’s eyes began to fill with tears.

«And you told a deliberate lie!» Edgar continued.

«I did not,» she cried passionately «I did nothing deliberately. Well, go, if that’s what you want – leave me now. And as for me, I’ll cry – I’ll cry myself sick.»

And she dropped down onto her knees and began to sob as though her heart would break.

 

Edgar reached as far as the courtyard before he hesitated. I decided I would try to send him away.

«Miss Cathy is dreadfully stubborn, sir!» I called out. «You’d better go straight home, or she’ll make herself sick just to spite us.»

The soft thing turned back and looked through the window.

«Ah,» I thought, «there’s no saving him now – he’s doomed, and he’s going to fly straight to his fate!»

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.»

«And because he will be rich and I will be the richest woman for miles around, and I will be proud to have such a husband.»

«Worst of all! You realize that he won’t always be handsome and young, and he may not always be rich either.»

«Well he is now, and I can only think of the present.»

«Well then – that settles it. If you’re only thinking of the present, then you should marry Mr. Linton.»

«I don’t want your permission, Nelly. I simply want to know whether you think I am right.»

«Well,» I continued, «what’s the problem? If you love Edgar and he loves you, everything seems easy. Tell me where’s the obstacle there?»

«In my heart!» cried Cathy passionately. «Because, in my heart, I’m convinced that I’m wrong.»

«Well that’s very strange. I don’t understand you at all.»

«But that’s my secret, Nelly! Don’t you see? And, if you don’t make fun of me, I’ll try to explain how I feel…»

 

Cathy’s face grew sadder and her hands began to tremble.

«Nelly,» she said suddenly, after a few minutes’ silence. «Do you ever dream strange dreams?»

«Well, yes, I do – now and then.»

«So do I,» she answered. «I dreamed once I was in heaven, but heaven didn’t seem to be my home and I broke my heart crying to come back to earth again. And the angels were so angry with me that they flung me out on the middle of the moors, and then I woke up, sobbing for joy. And that is why, Nelly, I cannot marry Edgar!

«I’ve no more right to marry Edgar than I have to be in heaven. And if my wicked brother hadn’t brought Heathcliff so low, I would never have thought of it. But Heathcliff is so much beneath me now that it would degrade me to marry him, so he will never know how much I love him. And I don’t love him because he’s handsome, Nelly, but because he’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same, and Edgar’s is as different as a moonbeam from lightning!»

 

Before Cathy had finished talking, I realized that Heathcliff was creeping out of the room. He’d been lying behind the kitchen bench all the time and had heard almost everything we said. He stayed until he heard Cathy say that it would degrade her to marry him, and then he silently left the room.

 

I left Hareton sitting on the bench, and went to the stove to start preparing supper. But Cathy hadn’t finished yet.

«Nelly, do you think Heathcliff ever thinks about love or marriage? Surely he doesn’t know what being in love is?»

«I don’t see why he shouldn’t know as well as you,» I replied. «And if he is in love with you, he’s the most unfortunate creature ever born. Because as soon as you become Mrs. Linton, he’ll lose his love and his only friend. Have you thought about how he’ll cope – how he’ll be completely alone in the world? Because, Miss Cathy…»

«Heathcliff alone?» Cathy interrupted. «But who is going to separate us? No one will do that, as long as I live. Every Linton on the face of the Earth could melt into nothing before I’d agree to give up Heathcliff. He’ll be as important to me when I marry as he has always been, and Edgar must just learn to like him too. And of course Edgar will, when he understands how I feel.

«I can see you think I’m a heartless wretch, Nelly. But if Heathcliff and I were married, we would be beggars. And if I marry Edgar, I can help Heathcliff to rise, and escape from the clutches of my brother.»

«Do you really think you’ll persuade Edgar to help Heathcliff?» I asked. «You won’t find him as easy to bend as you think. This is your worst reason yet for marrying him.»

«It’s not,» she replied, «it’s the best. Everything I do is linked to Heathcliff because it’s impossible for us to be separated. My love for Linton is like the leaves on the trees but my love for Heathcliff is like the rocks on the moors. He is always in my mind – so don’t ever talk of separation again.

She stopped, and buried her face in my dress, but I jerked it away.

«I can’t make any sense of your talk, miss,» I said. «It seems to me you don’t understand what it means to be married, or else you’re a very wicked girl.»

 

That night, there was one of the worst thunderstorms I have ever known. We even feared that the house might be struck down. Heathcliff stayed out all night, and Cathy spent most of the night in the storm, searching desperately for her friend. By morning, she was exhausted, but Heathcliff was nowhere to be seen. He didn’t return that day, or any day after that. It was to be a very long time before we saw him again.

After Heathcliff disappeared, Miss Cathy was very ill. For weeks she lay in a fever, tossing and turning on her bed. Doctor Kenneth visited many times and drained several pints of blood from her, but this only seemed to make her wilder. At times, we were afraid she might throw herself down the stairs or even out of the window! But eventually, the fever grew weaker, and she began to recover slowly.

Old Mrs. Linton came to visit Cathy many times, and as soon as she was strong enough to travel, the kind lady insisted that Cathy should be moved to Thrushcross Grange. To tell the truth, I was relieved to be rid of Cathy for a while – she was a difficult patient and I had young Hareton to care for as well. But poor Mrs. Linton had reason to regret her kindness, because both she and her husband caught the fever from Cathy and died within a few days of each other.

After several months at the Grange, our young lady returned to the Heights, prouder and more passionate than ever. One day, when she provoked me beyond endurance, I dared to blame her for Heathcliff’s disappearance. And after that, she refused to speak to me for months, apart from giving me orders and commands.

The months that followed Miss Cathy’s illness were hard for us all. The doctor told us that she should be given her own way whenever possible, in case one of her terrible rages led to a deadly fit. And Cathy certainly made the most of his warning. She soon became so willful that she refused to be contradicted on anything. But while the rest of us filmed in silence, Edgar Linton was quite unable to see any faults in her. He was madly in love with Cathy, and on the day of their wedding at Gimmerton Church, he sincerely believed he was the happiest man on earth.