Wuthering Heights

in words, and recoiled with angry suspicion from her girlish caresses, as if conscious there could be no gratification in lavishing such marks of affection on him. On the before-named occasion he came into the house to announce his intention of doing nothing, while I was assisting Miss Cathy to arrange her dress – she had not reckoned on his taking it into his head to be idle, and imagining she would have the whole place to herself, she managed, by some means, to inform Mr. Edgar of her brother's absence, and was then preparing to receive him.
    »Cathy, are you busy, this afternoon?« asked Heathcliff. »Are you going anywhere?«
    »No, it is raining,« she answered.
    »Why have you that silk frock on, then?« he said. »Nobody coming here, I hope?«
    »Not that I know of;« stammered Miss, »but you should be in the field now, Heathcliff. It is an hour past dinner time; I thought you were gone.«
    »Hindley does not often free us from his accursed presence;« observed the boy, »I'll not work any more to-day, I'll stay with you.«
    »O, but Joseph will tell;« she suggested, »you'd better go!«
    »Joseph is loading lime on the farther side of Pennistow Crag, it will take him till dark, and he'll never know.«
    So saying he lounged to the fire, and sat down. Catherine reflected an instant, with knitted brows – she found it needful to smooth the way for an intrusion.
    »Isabella, and Edgar Linton talked of calling this afternoon;« she said at the conclusion of a minute's silence. »As it rains, I hardly expect them; but, they may come, and if they do, you run the risk of being scolded for no good.«
    »Order Ellen to say you are engaged, Cathy,« he persisted, »Don't turn me out for those pitiful, silly friends of yours! I'm on the point, sometimes, of complaining that they – but I'll not –«
    »That they what?« cried Catherine, gazing at him with a troubled countenance. »Oh Nelly!« she added petulantly jerking her head away from my hands, »you've combed my hair quite out of curl! That's enough, let me alone. What are you on the point of complaining about, Heathcliff?«
    »Nothing – only look at the almanack, on that wall,« he pointed to a framed sheet hanging near the window, and continued;
    »The crosses are for the evenings you have spent with the Lintons, the dots for those spent with me – Do you see, I've marked every day?«
    »Yes – very foolish; as if I took notice!« replied Catherine in a peevish tone. »And where is the sense of that?«
    »To show that I
do
take notice,« said Heathcliff.
    »And should I always be sitting with you?« she demanded, growing more irritated. »What good do I get – What do you talk about? You might be dumb or a baby for anything you say to amuse me, or for anything you do, either!«
    »You never told me before that I talked too little, or that you disliked my company, Cathy!« exclaimed Heathcliff, in much agitation.
    »It is no company at all, when people know nothing and say nothing,« she muttered.
    Her companion rose up, but he hadn't time to express his feelings further, for a horse's feet were heard on the flags, and, having knocked gently, young Linton entered, his face brilliant with delight at the unexpected summons he had received.
    Doubtless Catherine marked the difference between her friends as one came in, and the other went out. The contrast resembled what you see in exchanging a bleak, hilly, coal country, for a beautiful fertile valley; and his voice, and greeting were as opposite as his aspect – He had a sweet, low manner of speaking, and pronounced his words as you do, that's less gruff than we talk here and softer.
    »I'm not come too soon, am I?« he said, casting a look at me. I had begun to wipe the plate, and tidy some drawers at the far end in the dresser.
    »No,« answered Catherine. »What are you doing there, Nelly?«
    »My work, Miss,« I replied. (Mr. Hindley had given me directions to make a third party in any private visits Linton chose to pay.)
    She stepped behind me and whispered crossly, »Take yourself and your dusters off! when company are in the house, servants don't commence scouring and cleaning in the room where they are!«
    »It's a good opportunity, now that master is away,« I answered aloud, »he hates me to be fidgeting over these things in his presence – I'm sure Mr. Edgar will excuse me.«
    »I hate you to be fidgeting in
my
presence,« exclaimed the young lady imperiously, not allowing her guest time to