`Oh, indeed; you're tired of being banished from the world, are you?' he said. `But if you be coming to plead off paying for a place you won't occupy, your journey is useless: I never relent in exacting my due from anyone.'

`I'm coming to plead off nothing about it,' I exclaimed, considerably irritated. `Should you wish it, I'll settle with you now,' and I drew my notebook from my pocket.

`No, no,' he replied coolly; `you'll leave sufficient behind to cover your debts, if you fail to return: I'm not in such a hurry. Sit down and take your dinner with us; a guest that is safe from repeating his visit can generally be made welcome. Catherine, bring the things in: where are you?'

Catherine reappeared, bearing a tray of knives and forks.

`You may get your dinner with Joseph,' muttered Heathcliff aside, `and remain in the kitchen till he is gone.'

She obeyed his directions very punctually: perhaps she had no temptation to transgress. Living among clowns and misanthropists, she probably cannot appreciate a better class of people when she meets them.

With Mr Heathcliff, grim and saturnine, on the one hand, and Hareton, absolutely dumb, on the other, I made a somewhat cheerless meal, and bid adieu early. I would have departed by the back way, to get a last glimpse of Catherine and annoy old Joseph; but Hareton received orders to lead up my horse, and my host himself escorted me to the door, so I could not fulfil my wish.

`How dreary life gets over in that house!' l reflected, while riding down the road. `What a realization of something more romantic than a fairy tale it would have been for Mrs Linton Heathcliff, had she and I struck up an attachment, as her good nurse desired, and migrated together into the stirring atmosphere of the town!'

昨天晴朗，恬静而寒冷。我照我原来的打算到山庄去了：我的管家求我代她捎个短信给她的小姐，我没有拒绝，因为这个可尊敬的女人并不觉得她的请求有什么奇怪。前门开着，可是像我上次拜访一样，那专为提防外人的栅门是拴住的：我敲了门，把恩萧从花圃中引出来了；他解开了门链，我走进去。这个家伙作为一个乡下人是够漂亮的。这次我特别注意他，可是显然他却一点也不会利用他的优点。

我问希刺克厉夫先生是否在家？他回答说，不在；但他在吃饭时会在家的。那时是十一点钟了，我就宣称我打算进去等他；他听了就立刻丢下他的工具，陪我进去，并不是代表主人，而是执行看家狗的职务而已。

我们一同进去；凯瑟琳在那儿，正在预备蔬菜为午饭时吃，这样她也算是在出力了；她比我第一次见她时显得更阴郁些也更没精神。她简直没抬眼睛看我，像以前一样的不顾一般形式的礼貌，始终没稍微点下头来回答我的鞠躬和问候早安。

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