第3章

Yesterday afternoon set in misty and cold. I had half a mind to spend it by my study fire, instead of wading through heath and mud to Wuthering Heights. On coming up from dinner, however, (N.B.—I dine between twelve and one o'clock; the housekeeper, a matronly lady, taken as a fixture along with the house, could not, or would not, comprehend my request that I might be served at five)—on mounting the stairs with this lazy intention, and stepping into the room, I saw a servantgirl on her knees surrounded by brushes and coal-scuttles, and raising an infernal dust as she extinguished the flames with heaps of cinders. This spectacle drove me back immediately; I took my hat, and, after a four-miles’walk, arrived at Heathcliff's gardengate just in time to escape the first feathery flakes of a snowshower.

On that bleak hilltop the earth was hard with a black frost, and the air made me shiver through every limb. Being unable to remove the chain, I jumped over, and, running up the flagged causeway bordered with straggling gooseberrybushes, knocked vainly for admittance, till my knuckles tingled and the dogs howled.

‘Wretched inmates!’I ejaculated, mentally,‘you deserve perpetual isolation from your species for your churlish inhospitality. At least, I would not keep my doors barred in the daytime. I don't care—I will get in!’So resolved, I grasped the latch and shook it vehemently. Vinegar-faced Joseph projected his head from a round window of the barn.

‘What are ye for?’he shouted.‘T’maister's down i 't' fowld. Go round by th 'end o 't' laith,if ye went to spake to him.’

‘Is there nobody inside to open the door?’I hallooed, responsively.

‘There's nobbut t'missis; and shoo'll not oppen't an ye mak'yer flaysome dins till neeght.’

‘Why? Cannot you tell her whom I am, eh, Joseph?’

‘Nor-ne me! I'll hae no hend wi't,’muttered the head, vanishing.

The snow began to drive thickly. I seized the handle to essay another trial; when a young man without coat, and shouldering a pitchfork, appeared in the yard behind. He hailed me to follow him, and, after marching through a wash-house, and a paved area containing a coalshed, pump, and pigeon-cot, we at length arrived in the huge, warm, cheerful apartment where I was formerly received. It glowed delightfully in the radiance of an immense fire, compounded of coal, peat, and wood; and near the table, laid for a plentiful evening meal, I was pleased to observe the‘missis,’an individual whose existence I had never previously suspected. I bowed and waited, thinking she would bid me take a seat. She looked at me, leaning back in her chair, and remained motionless and mute.

‘Rough weather!’I remarked.‘I'm afraid, Mrs. Heathcliff, the door must bear the consequence of your servants’leisure attendance: I had hard work to make them hear me.’

She never opened her mouth. I stared-she stared also: at any rate, she kept her eyes on me in a cool, regardless manner, exceedingly embarrassing and disagreeable.

‘Sit down,’said the young man, gruffly.‘He'll be in soon.’

I obeyed; and hemmed, and called the villain Juno, who deigned, at this second interview, to move the extreme tip of her tail, in token of owning my acquaintance.

‘A beautiful animal!’I commenced again.‘Do you intend parting with the little ones, madam?’

‘They are not mine,’said the amiable hostess, more repellingly than Heathcliff himself could have replied.

‘Ah, your favourites are among these?’I continued, turning to an obscure cushion full of something like cats.

‘A strange choice of favourites!’she observed scornfully.

Unluckily, it was a heap of dead rabbits. I hemmed once more, and drew closer to the hearth, repeating my comment on the wildness of the evening.

‘You should not have come out,’she said, rising and reaching from the chimney-piece two of the painted canisters.

Her position before was sheltered from the light; now, I had a distinct view of her whole figure and countenance. She was slender, and apparently scarcely past girlhood: an admirable form, and the most exquisite little face that I have ever had the pleasure of beholding; small features, very fair; flaxen ringlets, or rather golden, hanging loose on her delicate neck; and eyes, had they been agreeable in expression, that would have been irresistible: fortunately for my susceptible heart, the only sentiment they evinced hovered between scorn and a kind of desperation, singularly unnatural to be detected there. The canisters were almost out of her reach; I made a motion to aid her; she turned upon me as a miser might turn if any one attempted to assist him in counting his gold.

‘I don't want your help,’she snapped;‘I can get them for myself.’

‘I beg your pardon!’I hastened to reply.

‘Were you asked to tea?’she demanded, tying an apron over her neat black frock, and standing with a spoonful of the leaf poised over the pot.

‘I shall be glad to have a cup,’I answered.

‘Were you asked?’she repeated.

‘No,’I said, half smiling.‘You are the proper person to ask me.’

She flung the tea back, spoon and all, and resumed her chair in a pet; her forehead corrugated, and her red under-lip pushed out, like a child's ready to cry.

Meanwhile, the young man had slung on to his person a decidedly shabby upper garment, and, erecting himself before the blaze, looked down on me from the corner of his eyes, for all the world as if there were some mortal feud unavenged between us. I began to doubt whether he were a servant or not: his dress and speech were both rude, entirely devoid of the superiority observable in Mr. and Mrs. Heathcliff; his thick brown curls were rough and uncultivated, his whiskers encroached bearishly over his cheeks, and his hands were embrowned like those of a common labourer: still his bearing was free, almost haughty, and he showed none of a domestic's assiduity in attending on the lady of the house. In the absence of clear proofs of his condition, I deemed it best to abstain from noticing his curious conduct; and, five minutes afterwards, the entrance of Heathcliff relieved me, in some measure, from my uncomfortable state.

‘You see, sir, I am come, according to promise!’I exclaimed, assuming the cheerful;‘and I fear I shall be weather-bound for half an hour, if you can afford me shelter during that space.’

‘Half an hour?’he said, shaking the white flakes from his clothes;‘I wonder you should select the thick of a snow-storm to ramble about in. Do you know that you run a risk of being lost in the marshes? People familiar with these moors often miss their road on such evenings;and I can tell you there is no chance of a change at present.’

‘Perhaps I can get a guide among your lads, and he might stay at the Grange till morning-could you spare me one?’

‘No, I could not.’

‘Oh, indeed! Well, then, I must trust to my own sagacity.’

‘Umph!’

‘Are you going to mak’the tea?’demanded he of the shabby coat, shifting his ferocious gaze from me to the young lady.

‘Is he to have any?’she asked, appealing to Heathcliff.

‘Get it ready, will you?’was the answer, uttered so savagely that I started. The tone in which the words were said revealed a genuine bad nature. I no longer felt inclined to call Heathcliff a capital fellow. When the preparations were finished, he invited me with—‘Now, sir, bring forward your chair.’And we all, including the rustic youth, drew round the table: an austere silence prevailing while we discussed our meal.

I thought, if I had caused the cloud, it was my duty to make an effort to dispel it. They could not every day sit so grim and taciturn; and it was impossible, however ill-tempered they might be, that the universal scowl they wore was their every-day countenance.

‘It is strange,’I began, in the interval of swallowing one cup of tea and receiving another-‘it is strange how custom can mould our tastes and ideas: many could not imagine the existence of happiness in a life of such complete exile from the world as you spend, Mr. Heathcliff; yet, I'll venture to say, that, surrounded by your family, and with your amiable lady as the presiding genius over your home and heart-’

‘My amiable lady!’he interrupted, with an almost diabolical sneer on his face.‘Where is she-my amiable lady?’

‘Mrs. Heathcliff, your wife, I mean.’

‘Well, yes-oh, you would intimate that her spirit has taken the post of ministering angel, and guards the fortunes of Wuthering Heights, even when her body is gone. Is that it?’

Perceiving myself in a blunder, I attempted to correct it. I might have seen there was too great a disparity between the ages of the parties to make it likely that they were man and wife. One was about forty: a period of mental vigour at which men seldom cherish the delusion of being married for love by girls: that dream is reserved for the solace of our declining years. The other did not look seventeen.

Then it flashed upon me—‘The clown at my elbow, who is drinking his tea out of a basin and eating his bread with unwashed hands, may be her husband: Heathcliff junior, of course. Here is the consequence of being buried alive: she has thrown herself away upon that boor from sheer ignorance that better individuals existed! A sad pity—I must beware how I cause her to regret her choice.’The last reflection may seem conceited; it was not. My neighbour struck me as bordering on repulsive; I knew, through experience, that I was tolerably attractive.

‘Mrs. Heathcliff is my daughter-in-law,’said Heathcliff, corroborating my surmise. He turned, as he spoke, a peculiar look in her direction: a look of hatred; unless he has a most perverse set of facial muscles that will not, like those of other people, interpret the language of his soul.

‘Ah, certainly—I see now: you are the favoured possessor of the beneficent fairy,’I remarked, turning to my neighbour.

This was worse than before: the youth grew crimson, and clenched his fist, with every appearance of a meditated assault. But he seemed to recollect himself presently, and smothered the storm in a brutal curse, muttered on my behalf: which, however, I took care not to notice.

‘Unhappy in your conjectures, sir,’observed my host;‘we neither of us have the privilege of owning your good fairy; her mate is dead. I said she was my daughter-in-law: therefore, she must have married my son.’

‘And this young man is-’

‘Not my son, assuredly.’

Heathcliff smiled again, as if it were rather too bold a jest to attribute the paternity of that bear to him.

‘My name is Hareton Earnshaw,’growled the other;‘and I'd counsel you to respect it!’

‘I've shown no disrespect,’was my reply, laughing internally at the dignity with which he announced himself.

He fixed his eye on me longer than I cared to return the stare, for fear I might be tempted either to box his ears or render my hilarity audible. I began to feel unmistakably out of place in that pleasant family circle. The dismal spiritual atmosphere overcame, and more than neutralised, the glowing physical comforts round me; and I resolved to be cautious how I ventured under those rafters a third time.

The business of eating being concluded, and no one uttering a word of sociable conversation, I approached a window to examine the weather. A sorrowful sight I saw: dark night coming down prematurely, and sky and hills mingled in one bitter whirl of wind and suffocating snow.

‘I don't think it possible for me to get home now without a guide,’I could not help exclaiming.‘The roads will be buried already; and, if they were bare, I could scarcely distinguish a foot in advance.’

‘Hareton, drive those dozen sheep into the barn porch. They'll be covered if left in the fold all night: and put a plank before them,’said Heathcliff.

‘How must I do?’I continued, with rising irritation.

There was no reply to my question; and on looking round I saw only Joseph bringing in a pail of porridge for the dogs, and Mrs. Heathcliff leaning over the fire, diverting herself with burning a bundle of matches which had fallen from the chimney-piece as she restored the teacanister to its place. The former, when he had deposited his burden, took a critical survey of the room, and in cracked tones grated out-‘Aw wonder how yah can faishion to stand thear i’idleness un war, when all on 'ems goan out! Bud yah're a nowt, and it's no use talking-yah'll niver mend o'yer ill ways, but goa raight to t’divil, like yer mother afore ye!’

I imagined, for a moment, that this piece of eloquence was addressed to me; and, sufficiently enraged, stepped towards the aged rascal with an intention of kicking him out of the door. Mrs. Heathcliff, however, checked me by her answer.

‘You scandalous old hypocrite!’she replied.‘Are you not afraid of being carried away bodily, whenever you mention the devil's name? I warn you to refrain from provoking me, or I'll ask your abduction as a special favour! Stop! look here, Joseph,’she continued, taking a long, dark book from a shelf;‘I'll show you how far I've progressed in the Black Art: I shall soon be competent to make a clear house of it. The red cow didn't die by chance; and your rheumatism can hardly be reckoned among providential visitations!’

‘Oh, wicked, wicked!’gasped the elder;‘may the Lord deliver us from evil!’

‘No, reprobate! you are a castaway-be off, or I'll hurt you seriously! I'll have you all modelled in wax and clay! and the first who passes the limits I fix shall-I'll not say what he shall be done to-but, you'll see! Go, I'm looking at you!’

The little witch put a mock malignity into her beautiful eyes, and Joseph, trembling with sincere horror, hurried out, praying, and ejaculating‘wicked’as he went. I thought her conduct must be prompted by a species of dreary fun; and, now that we were alone, I endeavoured to interest her in my distress.

‘Mrs. Heathcliff,’I said earnestly,‘you must excuse me for troubling you. I presume,because, with that face, I'm sure you cannot help being good-hearted. Do point out some landmarks by which I may know my way home: I have no more idea how to get there than you would have how to get to London!’

‘Take the road you came,’she answered, ensconcing herself in a chair, with a candle, and the long book open before her.‘It is brief advice, but as sound as I can give.’

‘Then, if you hear of me being discovered dead in a bog or a pit full of snow, your conscience won't whisper that it is partly your fault?’

‘How so? I cannot escort you. They wouldn't let me go to the end of the garden wall.’

‘You! I should be sorry to ask you to cross the threshold, for my convenience, on such a night,’I cried.‘I want you to tell me my way, not to show it: or else to persuade Mr. Heathcliff to give me a guide.’

‘Who? There is himself, Earnshaw, Zillah, Joseph and I. Which would you have?’

‘Are there no boys at the farm?’

‘No; those are all.’

‘Then, it follows that I am compelled to stay.’

‘That you may settle with your host. I have nothing to do with it.’

‘I hope it will be a lesson to you to make no more rash journeys on these hills,’cried Heathcliff's stern voice from the kitchen entrance.‘As to staying here, I don't keep accommodations for visitors: you must share a bed with Hareton or Joseph, if you do.’

‘I can sleep on a chair in this room,’I replied.

‘No, no! A stranger is a stranger, be he rich or poor: it will not suit me to permit any one the range of the place while I am off guard!’said the unmannerly wretch.

With this insult my patience was at an end. I uttered an expression of disgust, and pushed past him into the yard, running against Earnshaw in my haste. It was so dark that I could not see the means of exit; and, as I wandered round, I heard another specimen of their civil behaviour amongst each other. At first the young man appeared about to befriend me.

‘I'll go with him as far as the park,’he said.

‘You'll go with him to hell!’exclaimed his master, or whatever relation he bore.‘And who is to look after the horses, eh?’

‘A man's life is of more consequence than one evening's neglect of the horses: somebody must go,’murmured Mrs. Heathcliff, more kindly than I expected.

‘Not at your command!’retorted Hareton.‘If you set store on him, you'd better be quiet.’

‘Then I hope his ghost will haunt you; and I hope Mr. Heathcliff will never get another tenant till the Grange is a ruin,’she answered, sharply.

‘Hearken, hearken, shoo's cursing on 'em!’muttered Joseph, towards whom I had been steering.

He sat within earshot, milking the cows by the light of a lantern, which I seized unceremoniously, and, calling out that I would send it back on the morrow, rushed to the nearest postern.

‘Maister, maister, he's staling t’lanthern!’shouted the ancient, pursuing my retreat.‘Hey, Gnasher! Hey, dog! Hey Wolf, holld him, holld him!’

On opening the little door, two hairy monsters flew at my throat, bearing me down, and extinguishing the light; while a mingled guffaw from Heathcliff and Hareton put the copestone on my rage and humiliation. Fortunately, the beasts seemed more bent on stretching their paws, and yawning, and flourishing their tails, than devouring me alive; but they would suffer no resurrection, and I was forced to lie till their malignant masters pleased to deliver me: then,hatless and trembling with wrath, I ordered the miscreants to let me out-on their peril to keep me one minute longer-with several incoherent threats of retaliation that, in their indefinite depth of virulency, smacked of King Lear.

The vehemence of my agitation brought on a copious bleeding at the nose, and still Heathcliff laughed, and still I scolded. I don't know what would have concluded the scene, had there not been one person at hand rather more rational than myself, and more benevolent than my entertainer. This was Zillah, the stout housewife; who at length issued forth to inquire into the nature of the uproar. She thought that some of them had been laying violent hands on me; and, not daring to attack her master, she turned her vocal artillery against the younger scoundrel.

‘Well, Mr. Earnshaw,’she cried,‘I wonder what you'll have agait next? Are we going to murder folk on our very door-stones? I see this house will never do for me-look at t’poor lad, he's fair choking! Wisht, wisht; you mun'n't go on so. Come in, and I'll cure that: there now, hold ye still.’

With these words she suddenly splashed a pint of icy water down my neck, and pulled me into the kitchen. Mr. Heathcliff followed, his accidental merriment expiring quickly in his habitual moroseness.

I was sick exceedingly, and dizzy, and faint; and thus compelled perforce to accept lodgings under his roof. He told Zillah to give me a glass of brandy, and then passed on to the inner room; while she condoled with me on my sorry predicament, and having obeyed his orders, whereby I was somewhat revived, ushered me to bed.

昨天下午寒冷有雾。我坐在书房壁炉边，三心二意地过了一个下午，没有费力去穿过石南树丛和泥泞前往呼啸山庄。但是，吃过午饭（注意——我十二点钟到一点钟之间吃饭；我租房时那位随同一起受雇的女管家无法理解，也不愿去理解我五点钟开饭的要求），我带着这个懒惰的想法爬上楼梯，走进餐厅时，只见一个女佣跪在一堆刷子和煤斗之间，正用一堆堆炉渣封火，一堆堆炉渣扬起了一片能呛死人的烟尘。这个景象马上又把我逼了回去。我拿起帽子，步行四英里，来到了希斯克利夫的花园门口，刚好躲过了这第一场漫天飞雪。

在那个荒凉的山顶上，地面因严霜而冻得硬梆梆的，寒气使我浑身哆嗦。我解不开门链，就跳了过去，然后顺着两边长有稀稀拉拉醋栗丛的石板铺道跑去敲门，敲得我指关节生疼，群狗狂吠，也没有人开门。

“这家人真可恼！”我心里突然嚷道，“你们这样粗俗无礼，就应该永远与世隔绝。至少，我不会白天就闩住门。我才不管呢——我要进去！”于是，我下定决心，抓住门栓，一阵猛晃。一脸尖酸乖戾的约瑟夫从谷仓的圆窗里探出头来。

“你干嘛？”他大声喊道，“东家在下面的羊圈里。你想跟他说话，就绕到房子那头去。”

“屋里没有人开门吗？”我也应声喊道。

“屋里只有太太。你就是嚷嚷到夜里，她也不会开门的。”

“为什么？喂，约瑟夫，你就不能告诉她，我是谁吗？”

“别烦我！我才不管呢！”他咕哝了一句，就不见了踪影。

雪越下越大了。我抓住门柄，想再试一次；这时，一个没有穿外套、扛着草耙的年轻人出现在了后院里。他招呼我跟着他走，经过一间洗衣房和一片有煤棚、水泵和鸽笼铺得平展的区域，最后我们来到了那个宽大、温暖、舒适的房间，他们先前就是在这里接待我的。混合着煤块、泥煤和劈柴的炉火烧得很旺，熊熊火光照得整个屋子都亮堂堂的；我在摆着丰盛晚饭的餐桌边高兴地见到了那位“太太”，以前从来没有察觉到这样一个人的存在。我鞠躬，等待，心想她会请我坐下来。她瞧了我一眼，又靠回了椅背，坐在那里，一声不吭。

“天气真糟啊！”我说，“希斯克利夫太太，你的仆人优哉游哉，我怕那扇门可要遭罪喽。我用了好大劲儿，才使他们听到。”

她始终没有开口。我目不转睛——她也目不转睛。至少，她以一种毫不在意的冷漠神情盯着我，让人极其尴尬和不快。

“坐下吧，”那个年轻人粗声说道，“他马上就到。”

我应声坐下，清了清嗓子，喊了朱诺那条恶狗一声。第二次相见，它总算赏脸，摇了摇尾巴尖，表示认识我了。

“这狗真漂亮！”我又开口说道，“你想卖掉这些小狗吗？”

“这些狗不是我的。”模样出色的女主人说，比希斯克利夫本人回答时口气更冲。

“啊，你最喜欢的是在这些狗当中吗？”我接着说道，转向放在暗处的一个坐垫，上面好像卧满了猫。

“选这些东西才怪呢！”她不屑一顾地说。

偏巧，那是一堆死兔子。我又清了清嗓子，向壁炉移近了些，再次评论起了今晚的糟糕天气。

“你就不应该出来！”说着，她站起身，伸手去拿壁炉架上的两只描漆茶罐。

她先前坐的地方被遮住了光线；现在，我清晰地看到了她的脸庞和整个身体。只见她身材苗条，妙龄期显然还没有过去，身段姣好，小脸蛋精美极了，我从来不曾见过；五官小巧，非常秀气；淡黄色或金黄色的长卷发散垂在玉颈上面；还有那双眼睛，如果神情愉悦的话，肯定就会让人难以抗拒。我是一个容易动情的人；幸运的是，她的眼睛流露出的仅仅是轻蔑绝望的情绪，在她的眼睛里看到这种神情，真是匪夷所思。茶叶罐高得她几乎够不着；我举手示意帮她；她转向我，就像守财奴碰到有人想帮他数金子似的。

“我不要你帮，”她厉声说道，“我自己够得着。”

“请你原谅！”我赶忙答道。

“是请你来喝茶的吗？”她问，只见她一条围裙系在整洁的黑衣服上，站在那里，手握一匙茶叶，悬在茶壶上面。

“我很高兴能喝上一杯。”我答道。

“是请你来的吗？”她又问。

“不是，”我似笑非笑地说，“你请我正合适。”

她把那匙茶叶连同茶匙扔了回去，一气之下坐回了椅子，额头蹙起，红红的下嘴唇突出，活像要哭的孩子。

其间，那个年轻人早已向自己的身上披了一件明显破旧的上衣，然后站在炉火前，斜睨着我，好像我们之间有什么深仇大恨一般。我开始怀疑他是不是一个仆人；他的穿着和言谈都很粗俗，完全没有希斯克利夫两口身上体现出来的那种优越气势；浓密的棕色鬈发没有梳理，乱蓬蓬的；脸颊上像熊一样长满了腮须；两手呈褐色，酷似普通劳动者的手。尽管如此，但他举止随便，近乎傲慢，没有露出一点家仆服侍女主人的殷勤。因为缺乏对他的情况的明证，所以我认为最好不去注意他的古怪行为。五分钟过后，希斯克利夫的到来，多少使我从尴尬境地中解脱了出来。

“先生，你瞧，我如约而至！”我显得兴高采烈，大声说道，“我恐怕自己会被这天气困上半小时，担心这期间你能不能让我避避风雪。”

“半小时？”说着，他抖落衣服上的一片片白雪，“我纳闷，你怎么会挑这种暴雪天出来闲逛。你知道你是在冒着迷路掉进沼泽的危险吗？熟悉这一带荒野的人，这样的夜晚也常常迷路；我可以告诉你，眼下是不可能变天的。”

“也许我可以从你的仆人中找一个向导，他可以在田庄呆到第二天早上——你能给我派一位吗？”

“不，我不能。”

“噢，真是的！那好吧，我必须靠自己的聪明才智了。”

“哼！”

“你是准备沏茶吗？”他一边问那个破旧衣服的人，一边将恶狠狠的目光从我的身上移向了那位年轻女士。

“他也喝吗？”她反问希斯克利夫。

“去备茶，好吗？”这就是答复，说得如此蛮横，把我吓了一跳。他说这些话的口气露出了一种真正的性恶。我再也不想把希斯克利夫称为大好人了。茶泡好之后，他邀请我说：“好了，先生，把你的椅子向前移一下。”于是，我们所有人——包括那个粗俗的年轻人——都围拢到了桌边。当谈到吃饭时，我们都神情严肃，一声不吭。

我想，如果是我招来了这片乌云，我就有责任努力驱散它。他们不可能每天都这样冷酷沉默地坐在那里；无论脾气有多坏，他们都不可能整天愁容满面。

“奇怪，”喝完一杯茶后，续茶时，我开口说道——“真奇怪，风俗居然能影响我们的情趣和观念。希斯克利夫先生，许多人难以想象，你这样完全离群索居的生活居然也有幸福快乐；不过，我敢说，有你的家人围着你，还有和蔼可亲的太太作为天使守护你的家园和心灵——”

“和蔼可亲的太太！”他脸上露出近乎恶魔般的狞笑打断说，“她在哪里——和蔼可亲的太太？”

“我是说，希斯克利夫太太——你的妻子。”

“啊，是的——噢，你是要暗示，即使她尸骨不存，她的鬼魂也已经承担起了救死扶伤的天使的职责，守护呼啸山庄的产业。是这样吗？”

我认识到自己犯了大错，就试图加以纠正。我本可以看出来，这两个人年龄差距太大了，不可能是夫妻。一个四十来岁，正是精力旺盛的时期，男人到了这个时期，很少会抱着女孩为爱情嫁给自己的幻想，那种梦想是留给风烛残年的人聊以安慰的。另一个人，看上去还不到十七岁。

随后，这让我立刻心领神会——“我旁边这个用水罐喝茶、手也不洗就吃面包的粗人说不定是她的丈夫，自然是小希斯克利夫了。这就是自我葬送的后果：她完全是因为不知道世界上还有更好的男人，就嫁给了那个粗人！可悲又可怜——我必须当心，不要让她因为我而对自己的选择后悔。”这最后一个想法似乎有些自负；事实并非如此。在我看来，旁边这个人让人厌恶；凭借经验，我知道自己还算有魅力。

“希斯克利夫太太是我的儿媳妇。”希斯克利夫说，确证了我的猜测。他一边说，一边神情奇特地转向她，是一种憎恨的神情；除非他的面部肌肉长得极其反常，不像别人的那样能体现心灵的语言。

“啊，当然——我现在明白了：这位慈善仙女是属于你的啊！”我转向邻座说道。

这比先前更糟：这个年轻人满脸通红，攥紧拳头，露出了一副想动手打架的姿势。不过，他好像马上又镇定下来，粗鲁地骂了一声，忍住了，没有雷霆大怒了。那骂声是冲我来的，我却故意装作没有听见。

“先生，不巧你没有说中，”东家说，“我们俩谁都没有福分拥有你这位好心的仙女；她的对象死了。我说过，她是我的儿媳妇：所以，她一定是嫁给了我的儿子。”

“那么，这个年轻人是——”

“肯定不是我的儿子。”

希斯克利夫又微微一笑，好像把那个粗人认作他的儿子是荒唐的笑话。

“我的名字叫哈里顿·恩肖，”另一个人粗声说道，“我劝你放尊重点儿！”

“我没有表示任何不敬啊！”我这样回答说，他自报家门时高人一等的劲儿让我心里发笑。

他一直盯着我，盯得我都不敢回视他，唯恐自己忍不住扇他耳光或笑出声来。我开始感觉自己与这个快乐的家庭明显格格不入。这种沉闷的精神氛围不仅压倒了，而且大大中和了我周围光彩夺目、生活舒适的物质条件；我下定决心，如果我敢第三次走进这座房子，我就一定要谨慎行事。

吃完饭后，谁也没有说一句客套话。我走近窗边查看天气。我看到的是一片凄惨的景象：黑夜提前降临了，天空和群山被凛冽的旋风和令人窒息的大雪混在了一起。

“我想，现在没有人带路，我可能回不了家了，”我禁不住大声嚷道，“路都已被盖住了；即便没有盖住，我也连一步远的地方都看不清楚。”

“哈里顿，把那十几只羊赶进谷仓门廊。它们要是整夜留在羊圈里，就会被雪埋住。拿一块木板挡在它们的前面，”希斯克利夫说。

“我该怎么办？”我越来越恼火，接着说道。

没有人回答我的问题；我环顾四周，只见约瑟夫给那些狗提来了一桶粥，希斯克利夫太太俯身烤火，燃着一包火柴自得其乐，这包火柴是她刚才把茶罐放回原处时从壁炉架上掉下来的。约瑟夫放下粥桶之后，用挑剔的目光扫视了一下屋里，接着用嘶哑的声音刺耳地喊道——“真奇怪，大家都出去了，你怎么还闲站在那里！不过，你就是一个废人，说也没有用——你从来改不了自己的坏毛病，只有见鬼去吧，就像以前你的妈妈一样！”

一时间，我还以为这番话是冲我说的，就大为恼怒，向这个老混蛋走去，想把他踢出门外。然而，希斯克利夫太太的回答拦住了我。

“你这个搬弄是非、装模作样的老家伙，”她答道，“你每次提到魔鬼的名字，也不怕魔鬼把你亲手抓住？我警告你不要招惹我，否则我就让鬼特别关照把你抓去。站住！听着，约瑟夫，”她一边接着说，一边从书架上拿着一本厚黑书，“我要让你瞧瞧我的巫术进展到了什么地步。我马上就会把家里清除干净。那头红母牛不是偶尔死去的；你的风湿病还不能算是上天的惩罚！”

“噢，恶毒，真恶毒！”老家伙气喘吁吁地说，“愿上帝把我们从邪恶中拯救出来！”

“不，无耻之徒！你是一个被上帝抛弃的人——滚吧，否则我就狠狠地伤害你！我要用蜡和泥把你们统统捏成模型！谁先越过那些界限，我就会收拾——我不说他会倒什么霉——可是，你会看到的！走啊，我在看着你呢！”

小女巫瞪着那双漂亮的眼睛，装出一副恶狠狠的样子；约瑟夫真的吓坏了，浑身哆嗦着匆匆跑了出去，一边跑一边祷告，脱口说着“恶毒”。我想，她这样做，一定是觉得无聊寻开心的；那么，既然剩下我们俩了，我就想尽力让她关心一下我的苦恼。

“希斯克利夫太太，”我诚恳地说，“你一定要原谅我来打搅你。我之所以敢这样说，是因为凭你这张脸，我就确信你肯定能有好心肠。请指出一些路标，我可以由此知道回家的路。我真不知道该怎么到家，就像你不知道怎么到达伦敦一样！”

“走你来时的路，”她安坐在椅子上回答说，面前点着一支蜡烛，那本厚书摊开放在那里，“尽管这是简短的建议，但这是我能给出的最可靠的建议。”

“那么，要是你听说我被人发现死在沼泽或雪坑里，难道你的良心就不会悄声说也有你的一部分过错吗？”

“怎么会呢？我又不能送你。他们不让我走到园墙尽头。”

“你送我？这样的一个夜晚，为了我的方便，请你迈过门槛，我也会难受的，”我大声说道，“我是想让你给我指指路，不是让你带路，否则就说服希斯克利夫先生给我派一个向导。”

“派谁呢？这里有他本人、恩肖、齐拉、约瑟夫和我。你想让哪个去呢？”

“农场没有男仆了吗？”

“没有，就这几个人。”

“那就是说，我只好留下来了。”

“你可以跟东家商谈。这不关我的事儿。”

“我希望这对你是一个教训，以后不要在这山里乱跑了，”厨房门口传来了希斯克利夫严厉的叫嚷声，“要说留在这里，我可没有准备客房。你要是留的话，就必须跟哈里顿或约瑟夫合睡一张床。”

“我可以睡在这间屋里的椅子上。”我答道。

“不，不！无论穷富，生人就是生人，我不允许任何人呆在我防范不到的任何地方！”这个没有礼貌的坏蛋说。

我受到这种侮辱，忍无可忍，反感地骂了一句，一把推开了他，走进了院子，情急之下，跟恩肖撞了个满怀。外面一片漆黑，我看不清出路，正在四处乱转时，又听到了他们相互间文明举止的又一范例。起先，那个年轻人似乎对我还算友好。

“我陪他去庄园那边吧。”他说。

“你陪他下地狱去吧！”他的东家（或者不管他是什么人）大声叫道，“那谁又去照看马呢？”

“一个人的生命要比一晚上没有人照看马重要：必须得有一个人去。”希斯克利夫太太咕哝道，要比我料想的善良。

“不要你命令！”哈里顿反驳道，“你要是重视他，那就最好安静。”

“那我就希望他的鬼魂缠住你；我希望希斯克利夫先生再也找不到一个房客，直到田庄毁灭。”她尖刻地回应道。

“听，听啊，她在诅咒他们！”约瑟夫咕哝道，这时我一直在朝他那边走去。

他坐在可以听到声音的地方，借着一盏马灯的光亮正在给那些奶牛挤奶。我唐突地一把抢过马灯，一边大声喊着我明天把它送回来，一边奔向距离最近的侧门。

“东家，东家，他把马灯偷跑了！”老家伙一边大叫，一边追我，“嘿，咬人的！嘿，狗！嘿，狼，截住他！截住他！”

侧门一打开，两条毛茸茸的巨兽就向我的喉部飞扑而来，把我扑倒在地，灯也灭了；此时，希斯克利夫和哈里顿哈哈大笑，这使我愤怒和羞辱到了极点。幸运的是，这两条畜生好像更喜欢伸爪、张嘴和摇尾，不喜欢活吃了我；然而，它们又不准我再起来，所以我只好躺在地上，直到它们可恶的东家乐意放了我。这时，帽子没了，我气得浑身哆嗦，命令这些恶人放我出去——再留我一分钟，他们就要倒大霉——我语无伦次地说了好几句扬言要报仇的话，咬牙切齿，恶声恶气，有点儿像李尔王。

怒火中烧，使我流了好多鼻血，希斯克利夫还在大笑，我也还在责骂。要不是旁边有个人比我理智，比款待我的人慈善，我不知道这件事该如何收场。这个人就是齐拉，就是那个身体健壮的女管家；她终于走上前，询问喧闹是怎么回事。她还以为他们有人一直对我动粗；她不敢攻击东家，就向那个年轻点的坏蛋开起火来。

“好啊，恩肖先生，”她嚷道，“我不知道你下面还会干什么？我们要在自己的家门口杀人吗？我看我再也不能在这个家呆下去了——看看那个可怜的小伙子，他快要憋死了！嘘，嘘！你不能再那样下去了。进来，我给治一下。好了，你不要动。”

说完这些话，她突然把一桶冰冷的水顺着我的脖子浇了下来，然后把我拉进了厨房。希斯克利夫先生跟在后面，他偶尔的快乐很快就消失在了惯常的郁闷之中。

我难受极了，头晕目眩，软弱无力，因此不得不在他的家里借宿。希斯克利夫吩咐齐拉给我倒一杯白兰地，随后就径直进了里屋；齐拉对我的可怜困境表示慰问，并遵照东家的吩咐，给我喝了一杯白兰地；等我稍微恢复之后，她就领我上床就寝。