WE had sad work with little Cathy that day: she rose in high glee,eager to join her cousin, and such passionate tears andlamentations followed the news of his departure that Edgar himselfwas obliged to soothe her, by affirming he should come back soon:he added, however, 'if I can get him'; and there were no hopes ofthat. This promise poorly pacified her; but time was more potent;and though still at intervals she inquired of her father whenLinton would return, before she did see him again his features hadwaxed so dim in her memory that she did not recognise him.

When I chanced to encounter the housekeeper of Wuthering Heights,in paying business visits to Gimmerton, I used to ask how the youngmaster got on; for he lived almost as secluded as Catherineherself, and was never to be seen. I could gather from her that hecontinued in weak health, and was a tiresome inmate. She said Mr.Heathcliff seemed to dislike him ever longer and worse, though hetook some trouble to conceal it: he had an antipathy to the soundof his voice, and could not do at all with his sitting in the sameroom with him many minutes together. There seldom passed much talkbetween them: Linton learnt his lessons and spent his evenings ina small apartment they called the parlour: or else lay in bed allday: for he was constantly getting coughs, and colds, and aches,and pains of some sort.

'And I never know such a fainthearted creature,' added the woman;'nor one so careful of hisseln. He WILL go on, if I leave thewindow open a bit late in the evening. Oh! it's killing, a breathof night air! And he must have a fire in the middle of summer; andJoseph's bacca-pipe is poison; and he must always have sweets anddainties, and always milk, milk for ever - heeding naught how therest of us are pinched in winter; and there he'll sit, wrapped inhis furred cloak in his chair by the fire, with some toast andwater or other slop on the hob to sip at; and if Hareton, for pity,comes to amuse him - Hareton is not bad-natured, though he's rough- they're sure to part, one swearing and the other crying. Ibelieve the master would relish Earnshaw's thrashing him to amummy, if he were not his son; and I'm certain he would be fit toturn him out of doors, if he knew half the nursing he giveshisseln. But then he won't go into danger of temptation: he neverenters the parlour, and should Linton show those ways in the housewhere he is, he sends him up-stairs directly.'

I divined, from this account, that utter lack of sympathy hadrendered young Heathcliff selfish and disagreeable, if he were notso originally; and my interest in him, consequently, decayed:though still I was moved with a sense of grief at his lot, and awish that he had been left with us. Mr. Edgar encouraged me togain information: he thought a great deal about him, I fancy, andwould have run some risk to see him; and he told me once to ask thehousekeeper whether he ever came into the village? She said he hadonly been twice, on horseback, accompanying his father; and bothtimes he pretended to be quite knocked up for three or four daysafterwards. That housekeeper left, if I recollect rightly, twoyears after he came; and another, whom I did not know, was hersuccessor; she lives there still.

Time wore on at the Grange in its former pleasant way till MissCathy reached sixteen. On the anniversary of her birth we nevermanifested any signs of rejoicing, because it was also theanniversary of my late mistress's death. Her father invariablyspent that day alone in the library; and walked, at dusk, as far asGimmerton kirkyard, where he would frequently prolong his staybeyond midnight. Therefore Catherine was thrown on her ownresources for amusement. This twentieth of March was a beautifulspring day, and when her father had retired, my young lady camedown dressed for going out, and said she asked to have a ramble onthe edge of the moor with me: Mr. Linton had given her leave, ifwe went only a short distance and were back within the hour.

'So make haste, Ellen!' she cried. 'I know where I wish to go;where a colony of moor-game are settled: I want to see whetherthey have made their nests yet.'

'That must be a good distance up,' I answered; 'they don't breed onthe edge of the moor.'

'No, it's not,' she said. 'I've gone very near with papa.'

I put on my bonnet and sallied out, thinking nothing more of thematter. She bounded before me, and returned to my side, and wasoff again like a young greyhound; and, at first, I found plenty ofentertainment in listening to the larks singing far and near, andenjoying the sweet, warm sunshine; and watching her, my pet and mydelight, with her golden ringlets flying loose behind, and herbright cheek, as soft and pure in its bloom as a wild rose, and hereyes radiant with cloudless pleasure. She was a happy creature,and an angel, in those days. It's a pity she could not be content.

'Well,' said I, 'where are your moor-game, Miss Cathy? We shouldbe at them: the Grange park-fence is a great way off now.'

'Oh, a little further - only a little further, Ellen,' was heranswer, continually. 'Climb to that hillock, pass that bank, andby the time you reach the other side I shall have raised thebirds.'

But there were so many hillocks and banks to climb and pass, that,at length, I began to be weary, and told her we must halt, andretrace our steps. I shouted to her, as she had outstripped me along way; she either did not hear or did not regard, for she stillsprang on, and I was compelled to follow. Finally, she dived intoa hollow; and before I came in sight of her again, she was twomiles nearer Wuthering Heights than her own home; and I beheld acouple of persons arrest her, one of whom I felt convinced was Mr.Heathcliff himself.

Cathy had been caught in the fact of plundering, or, at least,hunting out the nests of the grouse. The Heights were Heathcliff'sland, and he was reproving the poacher.

'I've neither taken any nor found any,' she said, as I toiled tothem, expanding her hands in corroboration of the statement. 'Ididn't mean to take them; but papa told me there were quantities uphere, and I wished to see the eggs.'

Heathcliff glanced at me with an ill-meaning smile, expressing hisacquaintance with the party, and, consequently, his malevolencetowards it, and demanded who 'papa' was?

'Mr. Linton of Thrushcross Grange,' she replied. 'I thought youdid not know me, or you wouldn't have spoken in that way.'

'You suppose papa is highly esteemed and respected, then?' he said,sarcastically.

'And what are you?' inquired Catherine, gazing curiously on thespeaker. 'That man I've seen before. Is he your son?'

She pointed to Hareton, the other individual, who had gainednothing but increased bulk and strength by the addition of twoyears to his age: he seemed as awkward and rough as ever.

'Miss Cathy,' I interrupted, 'it will be three hours instead of onethat we are out, presently. We really must go back.'

'No, that man is not my son,' answered Heathcliff, pushing measide. 'But I have one, and you have seen him before too; and,though your nurse is in a hurry, I think both you and she would bethe better for a little rest. Will you just turn this nab ofheath, and walk into my house? You'll get home earlier for theease; and you shall receive a kind welcome.'

I whispered Catherine that she mustn't, on any account, accede tothe proposal: it was entirely out of the question.

'Why?' she asked, aloud. 'I'm tired of running, and the ground isdewy: I can't sit here. Let us go, Ellen. Besides, he says Ihave seen his son. He's mistaken, I think; but I guess where helives: at the farmhouse I visited in coming from Penistone' Crags.Don't you?'

'I do. Come, Nelly, hold your tongue - it will he a treat for herto look in on us. Hareton, get forwards with the lass. You shallwalk with me, Nelly.'

'No, she's not going to any such place,' I cried, struggling torelease my arm, which he had seized: but she was almost at thedoor-stones already, scampering round the brow at full speed. Herappointed companion did not pretend to escort her: he shied off bythe road-side, and vanished.

'Mr. Heathcliff, it's very wrong,' I continued: 'you know you meanno good. And there she'll see Linton, and all will be told as soonas ever we return; and I shall have the blame.'

'I want her to see Linton,' he answered; 'he's looking better thesefew days; it's not often he's fit to be seen. And we'll soonpersuade her to keep the visit secret: where is the harm of it?'

'The harm of it is, that her father would hate me if he found Isuffered her to enter your house; and I am convinced you have a baddesign in encouraging her to do so,' I replied.

'My design is as honest as possible. I'll inform you of its wholescope,' he said. 'That the two cousins may fall in love, and getmarried. I'm acting generously to your master: his young chit hasno expectations, and should she second my wishes she'll be providedfor at once as joint successor with Linton.'

'If Linton died,' I answered, 'and his life is quite uncertain,Catherine would be the heir.'

'No, she would not,' he said. 'There is no clause in the will tosecure it so: his property would go to me; but, to preventdisputes, I desire their union, and am resolved to bring it about.'

'And I'm resolved she shall never approach your house with meagain,' I returned, as we reached the gate, where Miss Cathy waitedour coming.

Heathcliff bade me be quiet; and, preceding us up the path,hastened to open the door. My young lady gave him several looks,as if she could not exactly make up her mind what to think of him;but now he smiled when he met her eye, and softened his voice inaddressing her; and I was foolish enough to imagine the memory ofher mother might disarm him from desiring her injury. Linton stoodon the hearth. He had been out walking in the fields, for his capwas on, and he was calling to Joseph to bring him dry shoes. Hehad grown tall of his age, still wanting some months of sixteen.His features were pretty yet, and his eye and complexion brighterthan I remembered them, though with merely temporary lustreborrowed from the salubrious air and genial sun.

'Now, who is that?' asked Mr. Heathcliff, turning to Cathy. 'Canyou tell?'

'Your son?' she said, having doubtfully surveyed, first one andthen the other.

'Yes, yes,' answered he: 'but is this the only time you havebeheld him? Think! Ah! you have a short memory. Linton, don'tyou recall your cousin, that you used to tease us so with wishingto see?'

'What, Linton!' cried Cathy, kindling into joyful surprise at thename. 'Is that little Linton? He's taller than I am! Are youLinton?'

The youth stepped forward, and acknowledged himself: she kissedhim fervently, and they gazed with wonder at the change time hadwrought in the appearance of each. Catherine had reached her fullheight; her figure was both plump and slender, elastic as steel,and her whole aspect sparkling with health and spirits. Linton'slooks and movements were very languid, and his form extremelyslight; but there was a grace in his manner that mitigated thesedefects, and rendered him not unpleasing. After exchangingnumerous marks of fondness with him, his cousin went to Mr.Heathcliff, who lingered by the door, dividing his attentionbetween the objects inside and those that lay without: pretending,that is, to observe the latter, and really noting the former alone.

'And you are my uncle, then!' she cried, reaching up to salute him.'I thought I liked you, though you were cross at first. Why don'tyou visit at the Grange with Linton? To live all these years suchclose neighbours, and never see us, is odd: what have you done sofor?'

'I visited it once or twice too often before you were born,' heanswered. 'There - damn it! If you have any kisses to spare, givethem to Linton: they are thrown away on me.'

'Naughty Ellen!' exclaimed Catherine, flying to attack me next withher lavish caresses. 'Wicked Ellen! to try to hinder me fromentering. But I'll take this walk every morning in future: may I,uncle? and sometimes bring papa. Won't you be glad to see us?'

'Of course,' replied the uncle, with a hardly suppressed grimace,resulting from his deep aversion to both the proposed visitors.'But stay,' he continued, turning towards the young lady. 'Now Ithink of it, I'd better tell you. Mr. Linton has a prejudiceagainst me: we quarrelled at one time of our lives, withunchristian ferocity; and, if you mention coming here to him, he'llput a veto on your visits altogether. Therefore, you must notmention it, unless you be careless of seeing your cousin hereafter:you may come, if you will, but you must not mention it.'

'Why did you quarrel?' asked Catherine, considerably crestfallen.

'He thought me too poor to wed his sister,' answered Heathcliff,'and was grieved that I got her: his pride was hurt, and he'llnever forgive it.'

'That's wrong!' said the young lady: 'some time I'll tell him so.But Linton and I have no share in your quarrel. I'll not comehere, then; he shall come to the Grange.'

'It will be too far for me,' murmured her cousin: 'to walk fourmiles would kill me. No, come here, Miss Catherine, now and then:not every morning, but once or twice a week.'

The father launched towards his son a glance of bitter contempt.

'I am afraid, Nelly, I shall lose my labour,' he muttered to me.'Miss Catherine, as the ninny calls her, will discover his value,and send him to the devil. Now, if it had been Hareton! - Do youknow that, twenty times a day, I covet Hareton, with all hisdegradation? I'd have loved the lad had he been some one else.But I think he's safe from HER love. I'll pit him against thatpaltry creature, unless it bestir itself briskly. We calculate itwill scarcely last till it is eighteen. Oh, confound the vapidthing! He's absorbed in drying his feet, and never looks at her. -Linton!'

'Yes, father,' answered the boy.

'Have you nothing to show your cousin anywhere about, not even arabbit or a weasel's nest? Take her into the garden, before youchange your shoes; and into the stable to see your horse.'

'Wouldn't you rather sit here?' asked Linton, addressing Cathy in atone which expressed reluctance to move again.

'I don't know,' she replied, casting a longing look to the door,and evidently eager to be active.

He kept his seat, and shrank closer to the fire. Heathcliff rose,and went into the kitchen, and from thence to the yard, calling outfor Hareton. Hareton responded, and presently the two re-entered.The young man had been washing himself, as was visible by the glowon his cheeks and his wetted hair.

'Oh, I'll ask YOU, uncle,' cried Miss Cathy, recollecting thehousekeeper's assertion. 'That is not my cousin, is he?'

'Yes,' he, replied, 'your mother's nephew. Don't you like him!'

Catherine looked queer.

'Is he not a handsome lad?' he continued.

The uncivil little thing stood on tiptoe, and whispered a sentencein Heathcliff's ear. He laughed; Hareton darkened: I perceived hewas very sensitive to suspected slights, and had obviously a dimnotion of his inferiority. But his master or guardian chased thefrown by exclaiming -

'You'll be the favourite among us, Hareton! She says you are a -What was it? Well, something very flattering. Here! you go withher round the farm. And behave like a gentleman, mind! Don't useany bad words; and don't stare when the young lady is not lookingat you, and be ready to hide your face when she is; and, when youspeak, say your words slowly, and keep your hands out of yourpockets. Be off, and entertain her as nicely as you can.'

He watched the couple walking past the window. Earnshaw had hiscountenance completely averted from his companion. He seemedstudying the familiar landscape with a stranger's and an artist'sinterest. Catherine took a sly look at him, expressing smalladmiration. She then turned her attention to seeking out objectsof amusement for herself, and tripped merrily on, lilting a tune tosupply the lack of conversation.

'I've tied his tongue,' observed Heathcliff. 'He'll not venture asingle syllable all the time! Nelly, you recollect meat his age -nay, some years younger. Did I ever look so stupid: so"gaumless," as Joseph calls it?'

'Worse,' I replied, 'because more sullen with it.'

'I've a pleasure in him,' he continued, reflecting aloud. 'He hassatisfied my expectations. If he were a born fool I should notenjoy it half so much. But he's no fool; and I can sympathise withall his feelings, having felt them myself. I know what he suffersnow, for instance, exactly: it is merely a beginning of what heshall suffer, though. And he'll never be able to emerge from hisbathos of coarseness and ignorance. I've got him faster than hisscoundrel of a father secured me, and lower; for he takes a pridein his brutishness. I've taught him to scorn everything extra-animal as silly and weak. Don't you think Hindley would be proudof his son, if he could see him? almost as proud as I am of mine.But there's this difference; one is gold put to the use of paving-stones, and the other is tin polished to ape a service of silver.MINE has nothing valuable about it; yet I shall have the merit ofmaking it go as far as such poor stuff can go. HIS had first-ratequalities, and they are lost: rendered worse than unavailing. Ihave nothing to regret; he would have more than any but I are awareof. And the best of it is, Hareton is damnably fond of me! You'llown that I've outmatched Hindley there. If the dead villain couldrise from his grave to abuse me for his offspring's wrongs, Ishould have the fun of seeing the said offspring fight him backagain, indignant that he should dare to rail at the one friend hehas in the world!'

Heathcliff chuckled a fiendish laugh at the idea. I made no reply,because I saw that he expected none. Meantime, our youngcompanion, who sat too removed from us to hear what was said, beganto evince symptoms of uneasiness, probably repenting that he haddenied himself the treat of Catherine's society for fear of alittle fatigue. His father remarked the restless glances wanderingto the window, and the hand irresolutely extended towards his cap.

'Get up, you idle boy!' he exclaimed, with assumed heartiness.

'Away after them! they are just at the corner, by the stand ofhives.'

Linton gathered his energies, and left the hearth. The lattice wasopen, and, as he stepped out, I heard Cathy inquiring of herunsociable attendant what was that inscription over the door?Hareton stared up, and scratched his head like a true clown.

'It's some damnable writing,' he answered. 'I cannot read it.'

'Can't read it?' cried Catherine; 'I can read it: it's English.But I want to know why it is there.'

Linton giggled: the first appearance of mirth he had exhibited.

'He does not know his letters,' he said to his cousin. 'Could youbelieve in the existence of such a colossal dunce?'

'Is he all as he should be?' asked Miss Cathy, seriously; 'or is hesimple: not right? I've questioned him twice now, and each timehe looked so stupid I think he does not understand me. I canhardly understand him, I'm sure!'

Linton repeated his laugh, and glanced at Hareton tauntingly; whocertainly did not seem quite clear of comprehension at that moment.

'There's nothing the matter but laziness; is there, Earnshaw?' hesaid. 'My cousin fancies you are an idiot. There you experiencethe consequence of scorning "book-larning," as you would say. Haveyou noticed, Catherine, his frightful Yorkshire pronunciation?'

'Why, where the devil is the use on't?' growled Hareton, more readyin answering his daily companion. He was about to enlarge further,but the two youngsters broke into a noisy fit of merriment: mygiddy miss being delighted to discover that she might turn hisstrange talk to matter of amusement.

'Where is the use of the devil in that sentence?' tittered Linton.'Papa told you not to say any bad words, and you can't open yourmouth without one. Do try to behave like a gentleman, now do!'

'If thou weren't more a lass than a lad, I'd fell thee this minute,I would; pitiful lath of a crater!' retorted the angry boor,retreating, while his face burnt with mingled rage andmortification! for he was conscious of being insulted, andembarrassed how to resent it.

Mr. Heathcliff having overheard the conversation, as well as I,smiled when he saw him go; but immediately afterwards cast a lookof singular aversion on the flippant pair, who remained chatteringin the door-way: the boy finding animation enough while discussingHareton's faults and deficiencies, and relating anecdotes of hisgoings on; and the girl relishing his pert and spiteful sayings,without considering the ill-nature they evinced. I began todislike, more than to compassionate Linton, and to excuse hisfather in some measure for holding him cheap.

We stayed till afternoon: I could not tear Miss Cathy away sooner;but happily my master had not quitted his apartment, and remainedignorant of our prolonged absence. As we walked home, I would fainhave enlightened my charge on the characters of the people we hadquitted: but she got it into her head that I was prejudicedagainst them.

'Aha!' she cried, 'you take papa's side, Ellen: you are partial Iknow; or else you wouldn't have cheated me so many years into thenotion that Linton lived a long way from here. I'm reallyextremely angry; only I'm so pleased I can't show it! But you musthold your tongue about MY uncle; he's my uncle, remember; and I'llscold papa for quarrelling with him.'

And so she ran on, till I relinquished the endeavour to convinceher of her mistake. She did not mention the visit that night,because she did not see Mr. Linton. Next day it all came out,sadly to my chagrin; and still I was not altogether sorry: Ithought the burden of directing and warning would be moreefficiently borne by him than me. But he was too timid in givingsatisfactory reasons for his wish that she should shun connectionwith the household of the Heights, and Catherine liked good reasonsfor every restraint that harassed her petted will.

'Papa!' she exclaimed, after the morning's salutations, 'guess whomI saw yesterday, in my walk on the moors. Ah, papa, you started!you've not done right, have you, now? I saw - but listen, and youshall hear how I found you out; and Ellen, who is in league withyou, and yet pretended to pity me so, when I kept hoping, and wasalways disappointed about Linton's coming back!'

She gave a faithful account of her excursion and its consequences;and my master, though he cast more than one reproachful look at me,said nothing till she had concluded. Then he drew her to him, andasked if she knew why he had concealed Linton's near neighbourhoodfrom her? Could she think it was to deny her a pleasure that shemight harmlessly enjoy?

'It was because you disliked Mr. Heathcliff,' she answered.

'Then you believe I care more for my own feelings than yours,Cathy?' he said. 'No, it was not because I disliked Mr.Heathcliff, but because Mr. Heathcliff dislikes me; and is a mostdiabolical man, delighting to wrong and ruin those he hates, ifthey give him the slightest opportunity. I knew that you could notkeep up an acquaintance with your cousin without being brought intocontact with him; and I knew he would detest you on my account; sofor your own good, and nothing else, I took precautions that youshould not see Linton again. I meant to explain this some time asyou grew older, and I'm sorry I delayed it.'

'But Mr. Heathcliff was quite cordial, papa,' observed Catherine,not at all convinced; 'and he didn't object to our seeing eachother: he said I might come to his house when I pleased; only Imust not tell you, because you had quarrelled with him, and wouldnot forgive him for marrying aunt Isabella. And you won't. YOUare the one to be blamed: he is willing to let us be friends, atleast; Linton and I; and you are not.'

My master, perceiving that she would not take his word for heruncle-in-law's evil disposition, gave a hasty sketch of his conductto Isabella, and the manner in which Wuthering Heights became hisproperty. He could not bear to discourse long upon the topic; forthough he spoke little of it, he still felt the same horror anddetestation of his ancient enemy that had occupied his heart eversince Mrs. Linton's death. 'She might have been living yet, if ithad not been for him!' was his constant bitter reflection; and, inhis eyes, Heathcliff seemed a murderer. Miss Cathy - conversantwith no bad deeds except her own slight acts of disobedience,injustice, and passion, arising from hot temper andthoughtlessness, and repented of on the day they were committed -was amazed at the blackness of spirit that could brood on and coverrevenge for years, and deliberately prosecute its plans without avisitation of remorse. She appeared so deeply impressed andshocked at this new view of human nature - excluded from all herstudies and all her ideas till now - that Mr. Edgar deemed itunnecessary to pursue the subject. He merely added: 'You willknow hereafter, darling, why I wish you to avoid his house andfamily; now return to your old employments and amusements, andthink no more about them.'

Catherine kissed her father, and sat down quietly to her lessonsfor a couple of hours, according to custom; then she accompaniedhim into the grounds, and the whole day passed as usual: but inthe evening, when she had retired to her room, and I went to helpher to undress, I found her crying, on her knees by the bedside.

'Oh, fie, silly child!' I exclaimed. 'If you had any real griefsyou'd be ashamed to waste a tear on this little contrariety. Younever had one shadow of substantial sorrow, Miss Catherine.Suppose, for a minute, that master and I were dead, and you were byyourself in the world: how would you feel, then? Compare thepresent occasion with such an affliction as that, and be thankfulfor the friends you have, instead of coveting more.'

'I'm not crying for myself, Ellen,' she answered, 'it's for him.He expected to see me again to-morrow, and there he'll be sodisappointed: and he'll wait for me, and I sha'n't come!'

'Nonsense!' said I, 'do you imagine he has thought as much of youas you have of him? Hasn't he Hareton for a companion? Not one ina hundred would weep at losing a relation they had just seen twice,for two afternoons. Linton will conjecture how it is, and troublehimself no further about you.'

'But may I not write a note to tell him why I cannot come?' sheasked, rising to her feet. 'And just send those books I promisedto lend him? His books are not as nice as mine, and he wanted tohave them extremely, when I told him how interesting they were.May I not, Ellen?'

'No, indeed! no, indeed!' replied I with decision. 'Then he wouldwrite to you, and there'd never be an end of it. No, MissCatherine, the acquaintance must be dropped entirely: so papaexpects, and I shall see that it is done.'

'But how can one little note - ?' she recommenced, putting on animploring countenance.

'Silence!' I interrupted. 'We'll not begin with your little notes.Get into bed.'

She threw at me a very naughty look, so naughty that I would notkiss her good-night at first: I covered her up, and shut her door,in great displeasure; but, repenting half-way, I returned softly,and lo! there was Miss standing at the table with a bit of blankpaper before her and a pencil in her hand, which she guiltilyslipped out of sight on my entrance.

'You'll get nobody to take that, Catherine,' I said, 'if you writeit; and at present I shall put out your candle.'

I set the extinguisher on the flame, receiving as I did so a slapon my hand and a petulant 'cross thing!' I then quitted her again,and she drew the bolt in one of her worst, most peevish humours.The letter was finished and forwarded to its destination by a milk-fetcher who came from the village; but that I didn't learn tillsome time afterwards. Weeks passed on, and Cathy recovered hertemper; though she grew wondrous fond of stealing off to corners byherself and often, if I came near her suddenly while reading, shewould start and bend over the book, evidently desirous to hide it;and I detected edges of loose paper sticking out beyond the leaves.She also got a trick of coming down early in the morning andlingering about the kitchen, as if she were expecting the arrivalof something; and she had a small drawer in a cabinet in thelibrary, which she would trifle over for hours, and whose key shetook special care to remove when she left it.

One day, as she inspected this drawer, I observed that theplaythings and trinkets which recently formed its contents weretransmuted into bits of folded paper. My curiosity and suspicionswere roused; I determined to take a peep at her mysterioustreasures; so, at night, as soon as she and my master were safeupstairs, I searched, and readily found among my house keys onethat would fit the lock. Having opened, I emptied the wholecontents into my apron, and took them with me to examine at leisurein my own chamber. Though I could not but suspect, I was stillsurprised to discover that they were a mass of correspondence -daily almost, it must have been - from Linton Heathcliff: answersto documents forwarded by her. The earlier dated were embarrassedand short; gradually, however, they expanded into copious love-letters, foolish, as the age of the writer rendered natural, yetwith touches here and there which I thought were borrowed from amore experienced source. Some of them struck me as singularly oddcompounds of ardour and flatness; commencing in strong feeling, andconcluding in the affected, wordy style that a schoolboy might useto a fancied, incorporeal sweetheart. Whether they satisfied CathyI don't know; but they appeared very worthless trash to me. Afterturning over as many as I thought proper, I tied them in ahandkerchief and set them aside, relocking the vacant drawer.

Following her habit, my young lady descended early, and visited thekitchen: I watched her go to the door, on the arrival of a certainlittle boy; and, while the dairymaid filled his can, she tuckedsomething into his jacket pocket, and plucked something out. Iwent round by the garden, and laid wait for the messenger; whofought valorously to defend his trust, and we spilt the milkbetween us; but I succeeded in abstracting the epistle; and,threatening serious consequences if he did not look sharp home, Iremained under the wall and perused Miss Cathy's affectionatecomposition. It was more simple and more eloquent than hercousin's: very pretty and very silly. I shook my head, and wentmeditating into the house. The day being wet, she could not divertherself with rambling about the park; so, at the conclusion of hermorning studies, she resorted to the solace of the drawer. Herfather sat reading at the table; and I, on purpose, had sought abit of work in some unripped fringes of the window-curtain, keepingmy eye steadily fixed on her proceedings. Never did any birdflying back to a plundered nest, which it had left brimful ofchirping young ones, express more complete despair, in itsanguished cries and flutterings, than she by her single 'Oh!' andthe change that transfigured her late happy countenance. Mr.Linton looked up.

'What is the matter, love? Have you hurt yourself?' he said.

His tone and look assured her HE had not been the discoverer of thehoard.

'No, papa!' she gasped. 'Ellen! Ellen! come up-stairs - I'm sick!'

I obeyed her summons, and accompanied her out.

'Oh, Ellen! you have got them,' she commenced immediately, droppingon her knees, when we were enclosed alone. 'Oh, give them to me,and I'll never, never do so again! Don't tell papa. You have nottold papa, Ellen? say you have not? I've been exceedingly naughty,but I won't do it any more!'

With a grave severity in my manner I bade her stand up.

'So,' I exclaimed, 'Miss Catherine, you are tolerably far on, itseems: you may well be ashamed of them! A fine bundle of trashyou study in your leisure hours, to be sure: why, it's good enoughto be printed! And what do you suppose the master will think whenI display it before him? I hav'n't shown it yet, but you needn'timagine I shall keep your ridiculous secrets. For shame! and youmust have led the way in writing such absurdities: he would nothave thought of beginning, I'm certain.'

'I didn't! I didn't!' sobbed Cathy, fit to break her heart. 'Ididn't once think of loving him till - '

'LOVING!' cried I, as scornfully as I could utter the word.'LOVING! Did anybody ever hear the like! I might just as welltalk of loving the miller who comes once a year to buy our corn.Pretty loving, indeed! and both times together you have seen Lintonhardly four hours in your life! Now here is the babyish trash.I'm going with it to the library; and we'll see what your fathersays to such LOVING.'

She sprang at her precious epistles, but I hold them above my head;and then she poured out further frantic entreaties that I wouldburn them - do anything rather than show them. And being reallyfully as much inclined to laugh as scold - for I esteemed it allgirlish vanity - I at length relented in a measure, and asked, -'If I consent to burn them, will you promise faithfully neither tosend nor receive a letter again, nor a book (for I perceive youhave sent him books), nor locks of hair, nor rings, norplaythings?'

'We don't send playthings,' cried Catherine, her pride overcomingher shame.

'Nor anything at all, then, my lady?' I said. 'Unless you will,here I go.'

'I promise, Ellen!' she cried, catching my dress. 'Oh, put them inthe fire, do, do!'

But when I proceeded to open a place with the poker the sacrificewas too painful to be borne. She earnestly supplicated that Iwould spare her one or two.

'One or two, Ellen, to keep for Linton's sake!'

I unknotted the handkerchief, and commenced dropping them in froman angle, and the flame curled up the chimney.

'I will have one, you cruel wretch!' she screamed, darting her handinto the fire, and drawing forth some half-consumed fragments, atthe expense of her fingers.

'Very well - and I will have some to exhibit to papa!' I answered,shaking back the rest into the bundle, and turning anew to thedoor.

She emptied her blackened pieces into the flames, and motioned meto finish the immolation. It was done; I stirred up the ashes, andinterred them under a shovelful of coals; and she mutely, and witha sense of intense injury, retired to her private apartment. Idescended to tell my master that the young lady's qualm of sicknesswas almost gone, but I judged it best for her to lie down a while.She wouldn't dine; but she reappeared at tea, pale, and red aboutthe eyes, and marvellously subdued in outward aspect. Next morningI answered the letter by a slip of paper, inscribed, 'MasterHeathcliff is requested to send no more notes to Miss Linton, asshe will not receive them.' And, henceforth, the little boy camewith vacant pockets.