"Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte, Chapters 6–9

I did remark, to be sure, that mounting the stairs made her breathe very quick, that the least sudden noise set her all in a quiver, and that she coughed troublesomely sometimes: but I knew nothing of what these symptoms portended, and had no impulse to sympathize with her.

She expressed pleasure, too, at finding a sister among her new acquaintance, and she prattled to Catherine and kissed her and ran about with her, and gave her quantities of presents, at the beginning.

Her affection tired very soon, however, and when she grew peevish, Hindley became tyrannical.

Her affection tired very soon, however, and when she grew peevish, Hindley became tyrannical.

A few words from her, evincing a dislike to Heathcliff, were enough to rouse in him all his old hatred of the boy.

But it was one of their chief amusements to run away to the moors in the morning and remain there all day, and the after-punishment grew a mere thing to laugh at.

I vociferated curses enough to annihilate any fiend in Christendom; and I got a stone and thrust it between his jaws, and tried with all my might to cram it down his throat.

You shall go to the gallows for this--Mr. Linton, sir, don't lay by your gun.'

Where will their insolence stop?

He pulled me under the chandelier, and Mrs. Linton placed her spectacles on her nose and raised her hands in horror.

'What culpable carelessness in her brother!' exclaimed Mr. Linton, turning from me to Catherine.

"I recommenced cursing--don't be angry, Nelly--and so Robert was ordered to take me off.

Mrs. Linton took off the gray cloak of the dairymaid which we had borrowed for our excursion, shaking her head and expostulating with her, I suppose.

I removed the habit, and there shone forth beneath, a grand plaid silk frock, white trousers, and burnished shoes; and, while her eyes sparkled joyfully when the dogs came bounding up to welcome her, she dare hardly touch them lest they should fawn upon her splendid garments.

Therefore, not to mention his clothes, which had seen three months' service in mire and dust, and his thick uncombed hair, the surface of his face and hands was dismally beclouded.

"Heathcliff, you may come forward," cried Mr. Hindley, enjoying his discomfiture, and gratified to see what a forbidding young blackguard he would be compelled to present himself.

He managed to continue work till nine o'clock, and then marched dumb and dour to his chamber.

He ventured this remark without any intention to insult; but Heathcliff's violent nature was not prepared to endure the appearance of impertinence from one whom he seemed to hate, even then, as a rival.

He seized a tureen of hot apple sauce--the first thing that came under his gripe--and dashed it full against the speaker's face and neck, who instantly commenced a lament that brought Isabella and Catherine hurrying to the place.

The little party recovered its equanimity at sight of the fragrant feast.

I did not call her unfeeling long, for I perceived she was in purgatory throughout the day, and wearying to find an opportunity of getting by herself, or paying a visit to Heathcliff, who had been locked up by the master, as I discovered, on endeavouring to introduce to him a private mess of victuals.

Her entreaties were vain, and I was appointed to supply the deficiency.

I'm annoyed how I should dream of chattering on at such a rate, and your gruel cold, and you nodding for bed!

I prognosticate for myself an obstinate cold, at least."

Excepting a few provincialisms of slight consequence, you have no marks of the manners which I am habituated to consider as peculiar to your class.

When Kenneth warned him that his medicines were useless at that stage of the malady, and he needn't put him to further expense by attending her, he retorted

He neither wept nor prayed; he cursed and defied--execrated God and man, and gave himself up to reckless dissipation.

In the place where she heard Heathcliff termed a "vulgar young ruffian," and "worse than a brute," she took care not to act like him; but at home she had small inclination to practise politeness that would only be laughed at, and restrain an unruly nature when it would bring her neither credit nor praise.

She was not artful, never played the coquette, and had evidently an objection to her two friends meeting at all; for when Heathcliff expressed contempt of Linton in his presence, she could not half coincide as she did in his absence; and when Linton evinced disgust and antipathy to Heathcliff, she dared not treat his sentiments with indifference, as if depreciation of her playmate were of scarcely any consequence to her.

She was not artful, never played the coquette, and had evidently an objection to her two friends meeting at all; for when Heathcliff expressed contempt of Linton in his presence, she could not half coincide as she did in his absence; and when Linton evinced disgust and antipathy to Heathcliff, she dared not treat his sentiments with indifference, as if depreciation of her playmate were of scarcely any consequence to her.

That sounds ill-natured, but she was so proud it became really impossible to pity her distresses, till she should be chastened into more humility.

He struggled long to keep up an equality with Catherine in her studies, and yielded with poignant though silent regret; but he yielded completely, and there was no prevailing on him to take a step in the way of moving upward, when he found he must necessarily sink beneath his former level.

He acquired a slouching gait and ignoble look; his naturally reserved disposition was exaggerated into an almost idiotic excess of unsociable moroseness, and he took a grim pleasure, apparently, in exciting the aversion rather than the esteem of his few acquaintance.

"I'm sorry for it, Miss Catherine," was my response; and I proceeded assiduously with my occupation.

He held the knife in his hand, and pushed its point between my teeth; but, for my part, I was never much afraid of his vagaries.

I'll teach thee to impose on a good-hearted, deluded father.

It expressed, plainer than words could do, the intensest anguish at having made himself the instrument of thwarting his own revenge.

Hindley descended more leisurely, sobered and abashed.

On the contrary I shall have great pleasure in sending it to perdition to punish its Maker," exclaimed the blasphemer.

He drank the spirits and impatiently bade us go, terminating his command with a sequel of horrid imprecations too bad to repeat or remember.

Mr. Kenneth says he would wager his mare that he'll outlive any man on this side Gimmerton, and go to the grave a hoary sinner, unless some happy chance out of the common course befall him."

Her lips were half asunder, as if she meant to speak, and she drew a breath; but it escaped in a sigh instead of a sentence.

"Nelly, will you keep a secret for me?" she pursued, kneeling down by me and lifting her winsome eyes to my face with that sort of look which turns off bad temper even when one has all the right in the world to indulge it.

She kept wandering to and fro, from the gate to the door, in a state of agitation which permitted no repose, and at length took up a permanent situation on one side of the wall, near the road, where, heedless of my expostulations and the growling thunder, and the great drops that began to plash around her, she remained, calling at intervals, and then listening, and then crying outright.

We thought a bolt had fallen in the middle of us, and Joseph swung on to his knees, beseeching the Lord to remember the patriarchs Noah and Lot, and, as in former times, spare the righteous, though He smote the ungodly.

We thought a bolt had fallen in the middle of us, and Joseph swung on to his knees, beseeching the Lord to remember the patriarchs Noah and Lot, and, as in former times, spare the righteous, though He smote the ungodly.

"What ails you, Cathy?" he was saying when I entered; "you look as dismal as a drowned whelp.

The former offered me munificent wages; the latter ordered me to pack up.