# ■ 13 Heathcliff's son at Wuthering Heights

1797 Linton was very surprised to be woken so early，and told that he had another journey to make，before break fast．As we rode the four miles to Wuthering Heights，he kept asking me questions abut his new home，and the father he had never seen．When we arrived，Heathcliff，Hareton，and Joseph all came out of the house to inspect the child．

‘Master，that's not a boy，'said Joseph after a while. ‘Look at that white skin and fair hair！Mr Edgar's sent you his daughter instead！’ ‘God！What a beautiful creature！’laughed Heathcliff scornfully．‘That's worse than I expected！’

I helped the trembling child off the horse and into the house．Heathcliff took him roughly by the arm．

‘I hope you'll be kind to him，Mr Heathcliff，’I said．‘He's weak，and ill．And he's all the family you've go！’

‘Don't worry，’Ellen，'replied Heathcliff with a smile．‘As Isabella's son he'll inherit Thrushcross Grange one day，and I don't want him to die before that He'll be educated as a gentleman．But I'm bitterly disappointed at having such a weak，crying baby for a son！’

So poor Linton was left in his father's care．At first Cathy was miserable，because she would not now have anyone to play with，but she soon forgot him．Whenever I met Zillah，the housekeeper，in the village，I used to ask her abut Linton． ‘He's often ill，'she told me．‘And so selfish！He has to have a fire even in summer！He calls for cakes and hot drinks all the time．He only ever thinks of himself．Mr Heathcliff can't bear being in the same room as him！’

Several years passed without any more news of Linton．In 1800 Cathy reached the age of sixteen．We never celebrated her birthday，because it was also the day her mother died．On this particular day she came downstairs，dressed for going out，and suggested a walk on the moors with me．Her father gave permission．

It was a lovely spring morning，and I was very happy walking in the sunshine，watching Cathy running ahead of me．But we had walked further than I had realized，and I called to her to come back．She did not seem to hear me． We were on the moors，close to Wuthering Heights，when I caught sight of two men talking to her．I recognized Heathcliff and Hareton at once．I hurried to catch up with her． ‘Miss Cathy，’I said breathlessly，‘we must go home． Your father will be getting worried． ‘No，he won't，Ellen．This gentleman wants me to go to his house and meet his son．He says we've already met，but I don't remember，do you？Let's go，Ellen！’

Although I protested，she and Hareton were already halfway to Wuthering Heights．Heathcliff and I followed behind． ‘It's very bad of you，Mr Heathcliff，’I scolded him．‘Mr Edgar will blame me for letting her go to your house．’ ‘I want her to see Linton，Ellke， he re…led．‘Listen to my plan．It's really a very generous one．I want the two cousins to fall in love and marry．You know Cathy won't inherit anything from her father．My son Linton will inherit all the Linton fortune when Edgar dies．If she marries Linton， she'll be wealthy．Of course，if Linton dies，then the money comes to me，as his only other relation．’

I was still angry with Heathcliff，but it was too late to stop Cathy entering Wuthering Heights．She was delighted to rediscover her cousin Linton，who was keeping warm by the fire． ‘If he is my cousin，and you are his father，'she said to Heathcliff，smiling，‘then you must be my uncle！Why don't you ever visit us at the Grange？’ ‘I visited it once or twice too often before you were born，’ he said．‘I must tell you that I quarrelled violently with your father once．He hates me，and if you tell him you want to come here，he'll forbid it．’

‘Well， if I can't come here， Linton can come to visit me at the Grange， suggested Cathy happily．

‘It'll be too far for me，’ said her cousin weakly．‘It would kill me to walk four miles．’

Heathcliff looked scornfully at his son．

‘I don't think my plan will ever succeed， Ellen！’he whispered to me．‘Who would fall in love with a selfish baby 138like that？’ He went to the kitchen door and called，‘Hareton！Come and take Miss Cathy round the farm.’Cathy was eager to see the animals， and she and Hareton went out．

As we watched them through the kitchen window，Heathcliff seemed to be thinking aloud．

‘I've taken my revenge on his father， by making Hareton work for me． I treat him badly， as they used to do to me， and he suffers， as I used to． He's intelligent， and strong， and handsome， but I've taught him to scorn those qualities.So now he's just an uneducated farm worker，and knows nothing of the world．That's how he'll always be．And my son？He's stupid，and weak，and ill．But he's gentleman，and he'll mar- ry Cathy，and he'll be rich！’

Meanwhile Linton had got up from his armchair and gone out to join Cathy and Hareton．Through the open window I could hear the two younger ones laughing at Hareton's coarse way of speaking．I began to disliker Linton rather than pity him．

When we arrived back at the Grange，Cathy told her fathter about the visit．He did not want to frighten her，and，in my opinion，did not explain clearly enough why she should never communicate with Linton again．At the time she seemed to accept her father's wish．

During the next few weeks，however，I noticed Cathy's behaviour change．She was always writing on little pieces of paper，which she kept in a locked drawer in her room，and every morning she got up surprisingly early to go down to the kitchen．I suspected something，and day I decided to break open her drawer．In it I was horrified to find a whole pile of love letters from Linton．The two cousins had been writing to each other in secret for several weeks，and Cathy had used the milkman as a messenger．I told her at once that I knew her secret，and made her promise not to send or receive any more letters．We burnt Linton's letters together．

■ 13 希斯克利夫的兒子在呼嘯山莊

1797年

林頓很奇怪自己為什麼那麼早就被叫醒，而且還要接著走，連早餐都沒吃。在我們騎馬去呼嘯山莊的四英里路途中，他一直在問我有關他的新家和他那從未見過面的父親的事。我們一到，希斯克利夫、哈里頓和約瑟夫都走出房子來審視這孩子。

“主人，那不是個男孩子，”過了一會兒約瑟夫說。“看那白皙的皮膚和淺淺的頭髮！艾加先生把他的女兒給你送來充數！”

“上帝！多漂亮的小傢伙！”希斯克利夫輕蔑地笑起來。“比我預想的還不如！”

我把戰戰驚驚的孩子扶下馬，陪他進了房子。希斯克利夫粗野地抓著他的胳膊。

“我希望你對他好一點，希斯克利夫先生，”我說。“他體弱多病，況且他也是你唯一的家人！”

“別擔心，艾倫，”希斯克利夫笑著答道，“他是伊莎貝拉的兒子，總有一天會把畫眉山莊繼承下來，在此之前我可不希望他死。他會被調教成個紳士。但要這麼個弱不禁風、哭哭啼啼的孩子作兒子，讓我大失所望！”

這樣可憐的林頓就被留下來由他父親照顧。開始凱茜很難過，因為這樣一來她沒有人陪她玩了，但不久她就把他忘了。無論什麼時候我在村子裡碰到女管家齊拉，我就向她打聽林頓的情況。

“他常生病，”她告訴我。“還特別自私！夏天他都得要點上爐火！他一刻不停地要點心和熱茶。他只想著自己。希斯克利夫先生跟他在一個房間里根本呆不下去！”

又是幾年過去了，沒再聽到林頓的消息。1880年凱茜滿16歲了。我們從未慶祝過她的生日，因為她母親也是那一天去世的。就在這個不尋常的日子她一身出門的裝束走下樓來，提議和我到荒原上去走走。她父親同意了。

那是個可愛的春天的上午，走在陽光下，看著凱茜在前面蹦蹦跳跳，我心情很愉快。但在我不經意之間，我們已走出了很遠，我喊她回來。她好像沒聽見我的話。我們在荒原上，離呼嘯山莊不遠，這時我看見有兩個男人在跟她說話。當時我就認出是希斯克利夫和哈里頓。我趕緊追上她。

“凱茜小姐，”我喘著粗氣說道，“我們得回家了。你父親會開始擔心了。”

“不，他不會，艾倫。這位先生想讓我到他家去見見他兒子。他說我們曾見過面，可我不記得了，你記得嗎？我們去吧，艾倫！”

儘管我不同意，可她和哈里頓已經走到去呼嘯山莊的半路上了。希斯克利夫和我在後面跟著。

“你沒安好心，希斯克利夫先生，”我指責他。“艾加先生會怪我讓她去你家的。”

“我想讓她見見林頓，艾倫，”他答道。“聽聽我的打算。這的確是個很大度的計劃。我想讓這兩個表姐弟相愛結婚。你清楚凱茜繼承不到他父親的任何東西。我兒子林頓在艾加死後會繼承林頓家所有家產。如果她嫁給林頓，她就會很富有。當然，如果林頓死了，財產就歸我了，因為我是他唯一的家人。”

我還在生著希斯克利夫的氣，但已經來不及制止凱茜進呼嘯山莊去了。她很高興又見到表弟林頓，他正在爐火旁取暖。

“他是我表弟，而你是他父親，”她微笑著對希斯克利夫說，“那你肯定就是我姑父啦！你為什麼從不到畫眉山莊去看我們？”

“我在你出世之前多去了那兒一兩次，”他說。“我必須告訴你有一次我同你父親吵得很凶。他恨我，要是你告訴他你要到這兒來，他會堅決不許的。”

“那好，要是我不能來這兒，林頓可以去畫眉山莊去看我，”凱茜滿心歡喜地出主意道。

“對我來說太遠了，”她的表弟細聲細氣地說。“走四英里我會累死的。”

希斯克利夫輕蔑地看著自己的兒子。

“我想我的計劃是不可能成功了，艾倫！”他小聲對我說。“誰會愛上像他那麼個自私的小東西？”他走到廚房門口叫道，“哈里頓！來帶凱茜小姐到農莊看看。”凱茜很想看看牲畜，於是她同哈里頓出去了。

我們從廚房的窗戶看著他們，希斯克利夫好像是在自言自語。

“讓哈里頓替我幹活，我已經報復了他父親。我對他百般虐待，他們以前對我也是那樣；他很痛苦，我以前也一樣。他聰明、健壯、英俊，但我教他看不起這些優點。所以他如今成了個沒教養的幹農活的，對這個世界一無所知。他將來永遠就是這個樣子啦。而我的兒子呢？他愚蠢、孱弱多病。可他是個紳士，他會娶凱茜，還會很富有！”

這時林頓從躺椅中站起來，出去找凱茜和哈里頓。我由開著的窗戶聽到那兩個年紀較小的年輕人正在奚落哈里頓的說話口音粗俗。我開始有些不喜歡林頓，不那麼同情他了。

我們回到畫眉山莊後，凱茜把去呼嘯山莊的事告訴了父親。在我看來，他可能是不想嚇著她，沒有跟她解釋清楚她為什麼不能再和林頓交往。當時她似乎是接受了父親的告誡。

可在過後的幾個星期裡，我注意到凱茜的舉動有些異樣。她老是在小紙條上寫字，把紙條鎖在她房間的抽屜裡，每天早晨起床出奇地早，然後下到廚房。我懷疑她在搞什麼鬼，於是一天我決定橇開她的抽屜。我震驚地發現裡面是一大撂林頓寫來的情書。這兩個表姐弟偷偷地相互通信已有好幾個星期了，凱茜是讓送牛奶的替他們捎信。我馬上告訴她我知道了她的祕密，逼著她答應不再寫信和收信。我們一起把林頓的信燒了。