# ■ 16 Cathy becomes a widow

1800—1 On the evening after the burial，Heathcliff came to fetch Cathy．

‘Why not let her stay here with me？’I begged．

‘I'm looking for someone to rent the Grange from me，’he answered．‘You'll stay on here as housekeeper，Ellen，but Cathy must come to Wuthering Heights．From now on she'll have to work for her food．’

‘I shall work，'replied Cathy．‘And I'll look after Linton．He's all I've got to love in the world．I'm just sorry for you，Mr Heathcliff．You have nobody to love you！You are as lonely and miserable as the devil！Nobody will cry for you when you die！I'm glad I'm not you！’

‘Go and get your clothes，you wicked girl，’he said．‘We'll be leaving in a few minutes．’When she had gone，he walked across the room to look at the picture of Cathy's mother，Catherine，which was hanging on the wall．

‘Do you know what I did yesterday，Ellen？’he said，turning quickly away from the picture．‘I went to the churchyard，and asked the man who was digging Edgar's grave to open the lid of Catherine's coffin for me．Her face looked just the same！I could not stop looking at her．When the man closed the lid，I broke open one side of her coffin，the side away from Edgar's grave，and covered it up with earth．And I bribed the man to bury me there when I die，next to her，and to take the side of my coffin away too，so that I shall have her in my arms，not Edgar！’

‘You were very wicked，Mr Heathcliff，to disturb the dead！’

‘I disturbed nobody，Ellen，and I feel much happier now．She is the one who has disturbed me．For eighteen years she has haunted me．You know I was wild，almost mad，after she died．For days I prayed for her ghost to return to me．On the day of her burial，I went to her grave in the evening．There was a bitter wind，and snow on the ground．I wanted so much to have her in my arms again！So I dug down through the loose earth to her coffin，and was about to pull the lid off，when I felt a warm breath on my face．She seemed to be with me，not in the earth，but close to me．I was so happy that she was with me again！I filled in the grave，and ran eagerly home to the Heights．I looked impatiently round for her．I could feel her but I could not see her！And since then，she has played plenty of tricks on me like that．When I sleep in her bedroom，I can hear her outside the window，or entering the room，or even breathing close to me，but when I open my eyes，I'm always disappointed．Slowly，slowly，she's killing me，with the ghost of a hope that's lasted eighteen years！’

He was talking almost to himself，so I did not answer．When Cathy came in，he stood up，ready to go．

‘Goodbye，Ellen！’whispered my dear little mistress．‘Come and visit me！’As she kissed me，her face felt as cold as ice．

‘Oh，no you won't，Ellen！'said Heathcliff．‘I'll send for you if I want you！’and together they left the Grange．

I haven't seen Cathy since then．Once I went to the Heights to visit her，but I was not allowed to see her．About six weeks ago I had a long conversation with Zillah，the housekeeper，who gave me news of Cathy．It appeared that，when she ar rived at the Heights，she did her best to look after her sick husband．He was obviously dying，although Heathcliff refused to call the doctor．Only a few weeks after her arrival，Linton died in the night，with only Cathy by his bedside．Heathcliff inherited all of Linton's，and what had been Cathy's，fortune，so Cathy is now very poor．

She must be very miserable，and very lonely，in that dark，unpleasant house．Heathcliff hates her，and Joseph and Zillah don't speak to her，because they think she's too proud．Poor Hareton would like to be friendly with her，but she scorns him because he's uneducated．I would like to leave my job here，rent a little cottage and ask Cathy to come and live with me，but Mr Heathcliff will never permit that．Of course，if she married again，she could leave that house，but I can't arrange that．

■ 16 凱茜成了寡婦

1880—1881年

葬禮後的當天晚上，希斯克利夫來領凱茜。

“你就不能讓凱茜和我在一起嗎？”我乞求道。

“我在找人來租我的畫眉山莊，”他回答，“你住在這兒做管家，艾倫，但凱茜必須來呼嘯山莊。從現在起她要幹活才有飯吃。”

“我會幹活的，”凱茜回答。“我來照顧林頓，他是這世上我唯一需要去愛的人。我只是為你感到難過，希斯克利夫先生。沒有人愛你！你就像個鬼一樣孤獨痛苦！你死的時候沒人會為你掉眼淚！我慶幸我不是你！”

“去取你的衣服，你這個混賬丫頭，”他說。“我們幾分鐘後就走。”她出去後，他走到房間的另一頭，看著掛在牆上凱茜母親凱瑟琳的畫像。

“你知道昨天我幹了什麼，艾倫？”他很快把視線從畫像上轉回來說道，“我去了教堂墓地，讓給艾加掘墓的人替我打開了凱瑟琳的棺材蓋。她的面容看上去跟以前完全一樣！我禁不住地盯著她看。那人蓋上棺材後，我把她棺材不靠艾加墓的一面砸開了，然後用土埋上。我還收買了那個人，等我死後把我埋在那兒，埋在她旁邊，我也要把我棺材的一面去掉，這樣我就可以摟著她了，艾加不能！”

“你真惡毒，希斯克利夫先生，去驚動死去的人！”

“我誰也沒驚動，艾倫，我現在感覺高興多了。她才是驚動了我的人。18年來她在索我的命。你知道，她死後我變得粗野，幾乎發了瘋。好幾天我都在祈求她的鬼魂能回到我身邊。在她下葬的那天，我晚上去了她的墓前。當時悽風陣陣，地上積著雪。我太想再把她抱在懷裡啦！所以我挖開蓋在她棺材上疏鬆的泥土，正想掀開蓋子，突然覺得我的臉上有一股溫暖的氣息。她好像就在我身邊，不在泥土裡，而在緊靠著我。她又和我在一起了，我欣喜不已！我覆蓋好墳墓，急衝衝地跑回呼嘯山莊家裡。我焦急地四下裡找她。我能感覺到她，但看不見她！打那以後她如法炮製地屢次捉弄我。我睡在她房間的時候，我能聽到她在窗外，或進了屋，或就在我身邊呼吸，可當我一睜開眼，我總是失望。慢慢地、慢慢地，她用持續了18年之久的幽靈般飄渺的希望試圖弄死我！”

他幾乎是在自言自語，所以我也沒有回答。凱茜進來了，他站起來，準備走。

“再見，艾倫！”我親愛的小女主人小聲說。“來看我！”她親我的時候，我覺得她臉上冰涼。

“噢，你不能，艾倫！”希斯克利夫說。“如果我需要你，我會派人來叫你的！”他們一起離開了畫眉山莊。

此後我就沒有見過凱茜。有一次我去呼嘯山莊看她，但沒讓我見她。大概六個星期以前我和女管家齊拉長談了一次，她跟我講了凱茜的消息。看來在凱茜到呼嘯山莊後一直盡心盡力照顧她生病的丈夫。很明顯他快要死了，儘管如此，希斯克利夫還是不讓找大夫。在她到呼嘯山莊僅幾個星期之後，林頓在夜裡死了，當時只有凱茜陪在他床邊。希斯克利夫繼承了林頓的（原本是凱茜的）所有財產，所以現在凱茜一貧如洗。

在那棟陰暗、壓抑的宅子裡，她一定過得很痛苦、很孤獨。希斯克利夫恨她，約瑟夫和齊拉也因為覺得她孤傲而不跟她說話。可憐的哈里頓想對她友善一點，可她又看不起他沒教養。我願意辭了這兒的工作，租上一間小農舍讓凱茜來和我一起住，但希斯克利夫決不會答應的。當然，要是她再嫁人的話她就能離開那宅子，可要我安排我又無能為力。