VOLUME I
CHAPTER I
1801âI have just returned from a visit to my landlordâthe solitary neighbour that I shall be troubled with. This is certainly a beautiful country! In all England, I do not believe that I could have fixed on a situation so completely removed from the stir of society. A perfect misanthropistâs Heavenâand Mr. Heathcliff and I are such a suitable pair to divide the desolation between us. A capital fellow! He little imagined how my heart warmed towards him when I beheld his black eyes withdraw so suspiciously under their brows, as I rode up, and when his fingers sheltered themselves, with a jealous resolution, still further in his waistcoat, as I announced my name.
âMr. Heathcliff?â I said. A nod was the answer.
âMr. Lockwood, your new tenant, sirâI do myself the honour of calling as soon as possible, after my arrival, to express the hope that I have not inconvenienced you by my perseverance in soliciting the occupation of Thrushcross Grange: I heard, yesterday, you had had some thoughtsââ
âThrushcross Grange is my own, sir,â he interrupted, wincing, âI should not allow any one to inconvenience me, if I could hinder itâwalk in!â
The âwalk inâ was uttered with closed teeth and expressed the sentiment, âGo to the Deuce!â Even the gate over which he leant manifested no sympathising movement to the words; and I think that circumstance determined me to accept the invitation: I felt interested in a man who seemed more exaggeratedly reserved than myself.
When he saw my horseâs breast fairly pushing the barrier, he did pull out his hand to unchain it, and then sullenly preceded me up the causeway, calling, as we entered the court:
âJoseph, take Mr. Lockwoodâs horse; and bring up some wine.â
âHere we have the whole establishment of domestics, I suppose,â was the reflection, suggested by this compound order. âNo wonder the grass grows up between the flags, and cattle are the only hedgecutters.â
Joseph was an elderly, nay, an old man, very old, perhaps, though hale and sinewy.
âThe Lord help us!â he soliloquised in an undertone of peevish displeasure, while relieving me of my horse: looking, meantime, in my face so sourly that I charitably conjectured he must have need of divine aid to digest his dinner, and his pious ejaculation had no reference to my unexpected advent.
Wuthering Heights is the name of Mr. Heathcliffâs dwelling, âWutheringâ being a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather. Pure, bracing ventilation they must have up there, at all times, indeed: one may guess the power of the north wind, blowing over the edge, by the excessive slant of a few, stunted firs at the end of the house; and by a range of gaunt thorns all stretching their limbs one way, as if craving alms of the sun. Happily, the architect had foresight to build it strong: the narrow windows are deeply set in the wall, and the corners defended with large jutting stones.
Before passing the threshold, I paused to admire a quantity of grotesque carving lavished over the front, and especially about the principal door, above which, among a wilderness of crumbling griffins, and shameless little boys, I detected the date â1500,â and the name âHareton Earnshaw.â I would have made a few comments, and requested a short history of the place from the surly owner, but his attitude at the door appeared to demand my speedy entrance, or complete departure, and I had no desire to aggravate his impatience, previous to inspecting the penetralium.
One step brought us into the family sitting-room, without any introductory lobby, or passage: they call it here âthe houseâ preeminently. It includes kitchen and parlour, generally, but I believe at Wuthering Heights the kitchen is forced to retreat altogether into another quarter, at least I distinguished a chatter of tongues, and a clatter of culinary utensils, deep within; and I observed no signs of roasting, boiling, or baking, about the huge fireplace; nor any glitter of copper saucepans and tin cullenders on the walls. One end, indeed, reflected splendidly both light and heat from ranks of immense pewter dishes, interspersed with silver jugs and tankards, towering row after row, in a vast oak dresser, to the very roof. The latter had never been underdrawn; its entire anatomy lay bare to an inquiring eye, except where a frame of wood laden with oatcakes, and clusters of legs of beef, mutton and ham, concealed it. Above the chimney were sundry villainous old guns, and a couple of horse-pistols, and, by way of ornament, three gaudily painted canisters disposed along its ledge. The floor was of smooth, white stone; the chairs, high-backed, primitive structures, painted green: one or two heavy black ones lurking in the shade. In an arch, under the dresser, reposed a huge, liver-coloured bitch pointer surrounded by a swarm of squealing puppies, and other dogs haunted other recesses.
The apartment and furniture would have been nothing extraordinary as belonging to a homely, northern farmer with a stubborn countenance, and stalwart limbs set out to advantage in knee-breeches and gaiters. Such an individual, seated in his armchair, his mug of ale frothing on the round table before him, is to be seen in any circuit of five or six miles among these hills, if you go at the right time, after dinner. But, Mr. Heathcliff forms a singular contrast to his abode and style of living. He is a dark-skinned gipsy in aspect, in dress and manners a gentlemanâthat is, as much a gentleman as many a country squire: rather slovenly, perhaps, yet not looking amiss, with his negligence, because he has an erect and handsome figureâand rather morose. Possibly some people might suspect him of a degree of under-bred prideâI have a sympathetic chord within that tells me it is nothing of the sort; I know, by instinct, his reserve springs from an aversion to showy displays of feelingâto manifestations of mutual kindliness. Heâll love and hate, equally under cover, and esteem it a species of impertinence to be loved or hated againâNo, Iâm running on too fastâI bestow my own attributes over-liberally on him. Mr. Heathcliff may have entirely dissimilar reasons for keeping his hand out of the way, when he meets a would-be acquaintance, to those which actuate me. Let me hope my constitution is almost peculiar: my dear mother used to say I should never have a comfortable home, and only last summer I proved myself perfectly unworthy of one.
While enjoying a month of fine weather at the sea-coast, I was thrown into the company of a most fascinating creature, a real goddess, in my eyes, as long as she took no notice of me. I ânever told my loveâ vocally; still, if looks have language, the merest idiot might have guessed I was over head and ears: she understood me, at last, and looked a returnâthe sweetest of all imaginable looksâand what did I do? I confess it with shameâshrunk icily into myself, like a snail, at every glance retired colder and farther; till, finally, the poor innocent was led to doubt her own senses, and, overwhelmed with confusion at her supposed mistake, persuaded her mamma to decamp.
By this curious turn of disposition I have gained the reputation of deliberate heartlessness, how undeserved, I alone can appreciate.
I took a seat at the end of the hearthstone opposite that towards which my landlord advanced, and filled up an interval of silence by attempting to caress the canine mother, who had left her nursery, and was sneaking wolfishly to the back of my legs, her lip curled up, and her white teeth watering for a snatch.
My caress provoked a long, guttural gnarl.
âYouâd better let the dog alone,â growled Mr. Heathcliff in unison, checking fiercer demonstrations with a punch of his foot. âSheâs not accustomed to be spoiledânot kept for a pet.â
Then, striding to a side door, he shouted again. âJoseph!â
Joseph mumbled indistinctly in the depths of the cellar, but gave no intimation of ascending; so, his master dived down to him, leaving me vis-Ă -vis the ruffianly bitch, and a pair of grim, shaggy sheep dogs, who shared with her a jealous guardianship over all my movements.
Not anxious to come in contact with their fangs, I sat stillâbut, imagining they would scarcely understand tacit insults, I unfortunately indulged in winking and making faces at the trio, and some turn of my physiognomy so irritated madam, that she suddenly broke into a fury, and leapt on my knees. I flung her back, and hastened to interpose the table between us. This proceeding aroused the whole hive. Half-a-dozen four-footed fiends, of various sizes, and ages, issued from hidden dens to the common centre. I felt my heels and coatlaps peculiar subjects of assault; and, parrying off the larger combatants, as effectually as I could, with the poker, I was constrained to demand, aloud, assistance from some of the household in re-establishing peace.
Mr. Heathcliff and his man climbed the cellar steps with vexatious phlegm. I donât think they moved one second faster than usual, though the hearth was an absolute tempest of worrying and yelping.
Happily, an inhabitant of the kitchen made more dispatch; a lusty dame, with tucked-up gown, bare arms, and fire-flushed cheeks, rushed into the midst of us flourishing a frying-pan; and used that weapon, and her tongue, to such purpose, that the storm subsided magically, and she only remained, heaving like a sea after a high wind, when her master entered on the scene.
âWhat the devil is the matter?â he asked, eyeing me in a manner that I could ill endure, after this inhospitable treatment.
âWhat the devil, indeed!â I muttered. âThe herd of possessed swine could have had no worse spirits in them than those animals of yours, sir. You might as well leave a stranger with a brood of tigers!â
âThey wonât meddle with persons who touch nothing,â he remarked, putting the bottle before me, and restoring the displaced table. âThe dogs do right to be vigilant. Take a glass of wine?â
âNo, thank you.â âNot bitten, are you?â
âIf I had been, I would have set my signet on the biter.â Heathcliffâs countenance relaxed into a grin.
âCome, come,â he said, âyou are flurried, Mr. Lockwood. Here, take a little wine. Guests are so exceedingly rare in this house that I and my dogs, I am willing to own, hardly know how to receive them. Your health, sir!â
I bowed and returned the pledge; beginning to perceive that it would be foolish to sit sulking for the misbehaviour of a pack of curs; besides, I felt loath to yield the fellow further amusement, at my expense; since his humour took that turn.
Heâprobably swayed by prudential consideration of the folly of offending a good tenantârelaxed, a little, in the laconic style of chipping off his pronouns, and auxiliary verbs; and introduced, what he supposed would be a subject of interest to me, a discourse on the advantages and disadvantages of my present place of retirement.
I found him very intelligent on the topics we touched; and, before I went home, I was encouraged so far as to volunteer another visit, tomorrow.
He evidently wished no repetition of my intrusion. I shall go, notwithstanding. It is astonishing how sociable I feel myself compared with him.
CHAPTER II
Yesterday afternoon set in misty and cold. I had half a mind to spend it by my study fire, instead of wading through heath and mud to Wuthering Heights.
On coming up from dinner, however, (N.B.âI dine between twelve and one oâclock; the housekeeper, a matronly lady taken as a fixture along with the house, could not, or would not comprehend my request that I might be served at five), on mounting the stairs with this lazy intention, and stepping into the room, I saw a servant-girl on her knees, surrounded by brushes and coal-scuttles, and raising an infernal dust as she extinguished the flames with heaps of cinders. This spectacle drove me back immediately; I took my hat, and, after a four-milesâ walk, arrived at Heathcliffâs garden gate just in time to escape the first feathery flakes of a snow shower.
On that bleak hill-top the earth was hard with a black frost, and the air made me shiver through every limb. Being unable to remove the chain, I jumped over, and, running up the flagged causeway bordered with straggling gooseberry bushes, knocked vainly for admittance, till my knuckles tingled, and the dogs howled.
âWretched inmates!â I ejaculated, mentally, âyou deserve perpetual isolation from your species for your churlish inhospitality. At least, I would not keep my doors barred in the day timeâI donât careâI will get in!â
So resolved, I grasped the latch, and shook it vehemently. Vinegar-faced Joseph projected his head from a round window of the barn.
âWhet are ye for?â he shouted. âTâ maisterâs dahn iâ tâfowld. Goa rahnd by thâ end utâ laith, if yah went tuh spake tull him.â
âIs there nobody inside to open the door?â I hallooed, responsively. âTheyâs nobbut tâ missis; and shooâll nut oppenât an ye mak yer flaysome dins till neeght.â
âWhy? Cannot you tell her who I am, eh, Joseph?â
âNor-ne me! Awâll hae noa hend wiât,â muttered the head, vanishing.
The snow began to drive thickly. I seized the handle to essay another trial; when a young man, without coat, and shouldering a pitchfork, appeared in the yard behind. He hailed me to follow him, and, after marching through a wash-house, and a paved area containing a coal-shed, pump, and pigeon cote, we at length arrived in the large, warm, cheerful apartment, where I was formerly received.
It glowed delightfully in the radiance of an immense fire, compounded of coal, peat, and wood: and near the table, laid for a plentiful evening meal, I was pleased to observe the âmissis,â an individual whose existence I had never previously suspected.
I bowed and waited, thinking she would bid me take a seat. She looked at me, leaning back in her chair, and remained motionless and mute.
âRough weather!â I remarked. âIâm afraid, Mrs. Heathcliff, the door must bear the consequence of your servantsâ leisure attendance: I had hard work to make them hear me!â
She never opened her mouth. I staredâshe stared also. At any rate, she kept her eyes on me, in a cool, regardless manner, exceedingly embarrassing and disagreeable.
âSit down,â said the young man, gruffly. âHeâll be in soon.â
I obeyed; and hemmed, and called the villain Juno, who deigned, at this second interview, to move the extreme tip of her tail, in token of owning my acquaintance. âA beautiful animal!â I commenced again. âDo you intend parting with the little ones, madam?â
âThey are not mine,â said the amiable hostess more repellingly than Heathcliff himself could have replied.
âAh, your favourites are among these!â I continued, turning to an obscure cushion full of something like cats.
âA strange choice of favourites,â she observed scornfully.
Unluckily, it was a heap of dead rabbitsâI hemmed once more, and drew closer to the hearth, repeating my comment on the wildness of the evening. âYou should not have come out,â she said, rising and reaching from the chimney-piece two of the painted canisters.
Her position before was sheltered from the light; now, I had a distinct view of her whole figure and countenance. She was slender, and apparently scarcely past girlhood: an admirable form, and the most exquisite little face that I have ever had the pleasure of beholding: small features, very fair; flaxen ringlets, or rather golden, hanging loose on her delicate neck; and eyesâhad they been agreeable in expression, they would have been irresistibleâfortunately for my susceptible heart, the only sentiment they evinced hovered between scorn and a kind of desperation, singularly unnatural to be detected there.
The canisters were almost out of her reach; I made a motion to aid her; she turned upon me as a miser might turn, if any one attempted to assist him in counting his gold.
âI donât want your help,â she snapped, âI can get them for myself.â âI beg your pardon,â I hastened to reply.
âWere you asked to tea?â she demanded, tying an apron over her neat black frock, and standing with a spoonful of the leaf poised over the pot.
âI shall be glad to have a cup,â I answered. âWere you asked?â she repeated.
âNo,â I said,...