Wuthering Heights

truth at once. »My master bid me tell his sister that she must not expect either a letter or a visit from him at present. He sends his love, ma'am, and his wishes for your happiness, and his pardon for the grief you have occasioned; but he thinks that after this time, his household, and the household here, should drop intercommunication; as nothing good could come of keeping it up.«
    Mrs. Heathcliff's lip quivered slightly, and she returned to her seat in the window. Her husband took his stand on the hearthstone, near me, and began to put questions concerning Catherine.
    I told him as much as I thought proper of her illness, and he extorted from me, by cross-examination, most of the facts connected with its origin.
    I blamed her, as she deserved, for bringing it all on herself; and ended by hoping that he would follow Mr. Linton's example, and avoid future interference with his family, for good or evil.
    »Mrs. Linton is now just recovering,« I said, »she'll never be like she was, but her life is spared, and if you really have a regard for her, you'll shun crossing her way again. Nay, you'll move out of this country entirely; and that you may not regret it, I'll inform you Catherine Linton is as different now, from your old friend Catherine Earnshaw, as that young lady is different from me! Her appearance is changed greatly, her character much more so; and the person, who is compelled, of necessity, to be her companion, will only sustain his affection hereafter, by the remembrance of what she once was, by common humanity, and a sense of duty!«
    »That is quite possible,« remarked Heathcliff, forcing himself to seem calm, »quite possible that your master should have nothing but common humanity, and a sense of duty to fall back upon. But do you imagine that I shall leave Catherine to his
duty
and
humanity?
and can you compare my feelings respecting Catherine, to his? Before you leave this house, I must exact a promise from you, that you'll get me an interview with her – consent, or refuse, I
will
see her! What do you say?«
    »I say, Mr. Heathcliff,« I replied, »you must not – you never shall through my means. Another encounter between you and the master, would kill her altogether!«
    »With your aid, that may be avoided;« he continued, »and should there be danger of such an event – should he be the cause of adding a single trouble more to her existence – Why, I think, I shall be justified in going to extremes! I wish you had sincerity enough to tell me whether Catherine would suffer greatly from his loss. The fear that she would restrains me: and there you see the distinction between our feelings – Had he been in my place, and I in his, though I hated him with a hatred that turned my life to gall, I never would have raised a hand against him. You may look incredulous, if you please! I never would have banished him from her society, as long as she desired his. The moment her regard ceased, I would have torn his heart out, and drunk his blood! But, till then, if you don't believe me, you don't know me – till then, I would have died by inches before I touched a single hair of his head!«
    »And yet,« I interrupted, »you have no scruples in completely ruining all hopes of her perfect restoration, by thrusting yourself in to her remembrance, now, when she has nearly forgotten you, and involving her in a new tumult of discord, and distress.«
    »You suppose she has nearly forgotten me?« he said. »Oh! Nelly you know she has not! You know as well as I do, that for every thought she spends on Linton, she spends a thousand on me! At a most miserable period of my life, I had a notion of the kind, it haunted me on my return to the neighbourhood, last summer, but only her own assurance, could make me admit the horrible idea again. And then, Linton would be nothing, nor Hindley, nor all the dreams that ever I dreamt. Two words would comprehend my future –
death
and
hell –
existence, after losing her, would be hell.
    Yet I was a fool to fancy for a moment that she valued Edgar Linton's attachment more than mine – If he loved with all the powers of his puny being, he couldn't love as much in eighty years, as I could in a day. And Catherine has a heart as deep as I have; the sea could be as readily contained in that horse-trough, as her whole affection be monopolized by him – Tush! He is scarcely a degree dearer to her than her dog, or her horse – It is not in him to be loved like me, how can she