第100章

Regardless of this warning, she captured his closed hand and its contents again.`We will go!' she repeated, exerting her utmost efforts to cause the iron muscles to relax; and finding that her nails made no impression, she applied her teeth pretty sharply.Heathcliff glanced at me a glance that kept me from interfering a moment.Catherine was too intent on his fingers to notice his face.He opened them suddenly, and resigned the object of dispute; but, ere she had well secured it, he seized her with the liberated hand, and, pulling her on his knee, administered with the other a shower of terrific slaps on the side of the head, each sufficient to have fulfilled his threat, had she been able to fall.

At this diabolical violence I rushed on him furiously.`You villain!'

I began to cry, `you villain!' A touch on the chest silenced me: I am stout, and soon put out of breath; and, what with that and the rage, I staggered dizzily back, and felt ready to suffocate, or to burst a blood vessel.

The scene was over in two minutes; Catherine, released, put her two hands to her temples, and looked just as if she were not sure whether her ears were off or on.She trembled like a reed, poor thing, and leant against the table perfectly bewildered.

`I know how to chastise children, you see,' said the scoundrel grimly, as he stooped to repossess himself of the key, which had dropped to the floor.`Go to Linton now, as I told you; and cry at your ease! Ishall be your father, tomorrow--all the father you'll have in a few days--and you shall have plenty of that.You can bear plenty; you're no weakling:

you shall have a daily taste, if I catch such a devil of a temper in your eyes again!'

Cathy ran to me instead of Linton, and knelt down and put her burning cheek on my lap, weeping aloud.Her cousin had shrunk into a corner of the settle, as quiet as a mouse, congratulating himself, I dare say, that the correction had lighted on another than him.Mr Heathcliff, perceiving us all confounded, rose, and expeditiously made the tea himself.The cups and saucers were laid ready.He poured it out, and handed me a cup.

`Wash away your spleen,' he said.`And help your own naughty pet and mine.It is not poisoned, though I prepared it.I'm going out to seek your horses.'

Our first thought, on his departure, was to force an exit somewhere.

We tried the kitchen door, but that was fastened outside: we looked at the windows--they were too narrow for even Cathy's little figure.

`Master into,' I cried, seeing we were regularly imprisoned: `you know what your diabolical father is after, and you shall tell us, or I'll box your ears, as he has done your cousin's.'

`Yes, Linton, you must tell,' said Catherine.`It was for your sake I came; and it will be wickedly ungrateful if you refuse.'

`Give me some tea, I'm thirsty, and then I'll tell you,' he answered.

`Mrs Dean, go away.I don't like you standing over me.Now, Catherine, you are letting your tears fall into my cup.I won't drink that.Give me another.'

Catherine pushed another to him, and wiped her face.I felt disgusted at the little wretch's composure, since he was no longer in terror for himself.The anguish he had exhibited on the moor subsided as soon as ever he entered Wuthering Heights; so I guessed he had been menaced with an awful visitation of wrath if he failed in decoying us there; and, that accomplished, he had no further immediate fears.

`Papa wants us to be married,' he continued, after sipping some of the liquid.`And he knows your papa wouldn't let us marry now; and he's afraid of my dying, if we wait; so we are to be married in the morning, and you are to stay here all night; and if you do as he wishes, you shall return home next day, and take me with you.'

`Take you with her, pitiful changeling?' I exclaimed.`You marry?

Why, the man is mad; or he thinks us fools, every one.And do you imagine that beautiful young lady, that healthy, hearty girl, will tie herself to a little perishing monkey like you! Are you cherishing the notion that anybody , let alone Miss Catherine Linton, would have you for a husband?

You want whipping for bringing us in here at all, with your dastardly puling tricks; and--don't look so silly, now! I've a very good mind to shake you severely, for your contemptible treachery, and your imbecile conceit.'

I did give him a slight shaking; but it brought on the cough, and he took to his ordinary resource of moaning and weeping, and Catherine rebuked me.

`Stay all night? No,' she said, looking slowly round.`Ellen, I'll burn that door down, but I'll get out.'

And she would have commenced the execution of her threat directly, but Linton was up in alarm for his dear self again.He clasped her in his two feeble arms, sobbing:

`Won't you have me, and save me? not let me come to the Grange?

Oh! darling Catherine! you mustn't go and leave me, after all.You must obey my father--you must !'

`I must obey my own,' she replied, `and relieve him from this cruel suspense.The whole night! What would he think? he'll be distressed already.I'll either break or burn a way out of the house.Be quiet! You're in no danger; but if you hinder me--Linton, I love papa better than you!'

The mortal terror he felt of Mr Heathcliff's anger, restored to the boy his coward's eloquence.Catherine was near distraught: still, she persisted that she must go home, and tried entreaty in her turn, persuading him to subdue his selfish agony.While they were thus occupied, our gaoler re-entered.

`Your beasts have trotted off,' he said, `and--now, Linton! snivelling again? What has she been doing to you? Come, come--have done, and get to bed.In a month or two, my lad, you'll be able to pay her back her present tyrannies with a vigorous hand.You're pining for pure love, are you not?

nothing else in the world: and she shall have you! There, to bed! Zillah won't be here tonight; you must undress yourself.Hush! hold your noise!

Once in your own room, I'll not come near you: you needn't fear.By chance you've managed tolerably.I'll look to the rest.'