he blame of his disappearance on her: where indeed it belonged, as she well knew. From that period, for several months, she ceased to hold any communication with me, save in the relation of a mere servant. Joseph fell under a ban also: he would speak his mind, and lecture her all the same as if she were a little girl; and she esteemed herself a woman, and our mistress, and thought that her recent illness gave her a claim to be treated with consideration. Then the doctor had said that she would not bear crossing much; she ought to have her own way; and it was nothing less than murder in her eyes for anyone to presume to stand up and contradict her. From Mr Earnshaw and his companions she kept aloof; and tutored by Kenneth, and serious threats of a fit that often attended her rages, her brother allowed her whatever she pleased to demand, and generally avoided aggravating her fiery temper. He was rather too indulgent in humouring her caprices; not from affection, but from pride: he wished earnestly to see her bring honour to the family by an alliance with the Lintons, and as long as she let.him alone she might trample us like slaves, for aught he cared! Edgar Linton, as multitudes have been before and will be after him, was infatuated; and believed himself th,e happiest man alive on the day he led her to Gimmerton Chapel, three years subsequent to his father's death.

Much against my inclination, I was persuaded to leave Wuthering Heights and accompany her here. Little Hareton was nearly five years old, and I had just begun to teach him his letters. We made a sad parting; but Catherine's tears were more powerful than ours. When I refused to go, and when she found her entreaties did not move me, she went lamenting to her husband and brother. The former offered me munificent wages; the latter ordered me to pack up: he wanted no women in the house, he said, now that there was no mistress; and as to Hareton, the curate should take him in hand, by and by. And so I had but one choice left: to do as I was ordered. I told the master he got rid of all decent people only to run to ruin a little faster; I kissed Hareton goodbye; and since then he has been a stranger: and it's very queer to think it, but I've no doubt he has completely forgotten all about Ellen Dean, and that he was ever more than all the world to her, and she to him!

At this point of the housekeeper's story, she chanced to glance towards the timepiece over the chimney; and was in amazement on seeing the minute hand measure half past one. She would not hear of staying a second longer: in truth, I felt rather disposed to defer the sequel of her narrative, myself. And now that she is vanished to her rest, and I have meditated for another hour or two, I shall summon courage to go, also, in spite of aching laziness of head and limbs.

他进来了，叫喊着不堪入耳的咒骂的话，刚好看见我正把他的儿子往厨房碗橱里藏。哈里顿对于碰上他那野兽般的喜爱或疯人般的狂怒，都有一种恐怖之感，这是因为在前一种情况下他有被挤死或吻死的机会，而在另一种情况下他又有被丢在火里或撞在墙上的机会。他的惊恐倒使我可以随意地把他放在任何地方，这可怜的东西总是不声不响。

“哪，我到底发现啦！”辛德雷大叫，抓着我脖子上的皮，像拖只狗似地往后拖。“天地良心，你们一定发了誓要谋害那个孩子！现在我知道他怎么总不在我的跟前了。可是，魔鬼帮助我，我要让你吞下这把切肉刀，耐莉！你不用笑，因为我刚刚把肯尼兹头朝下闷到黑马沼地里，两个一个都一样——我要杀掉你们几个，我不杀就不安心！”

“可我不喜欢切肉刀，辛德雷先生，”我回答，“这刀刚切过熏青鱼。要是你愿意的话，我情愿被枪杀。”

“你还是遭天杀吧，”他说，“而且你将来也非遭不可。在英格兰没有一条法律能禁止一个人把他的家弄得像样，可我的家却乱七八糟！——张开你的嘴！”

他握住刀子，把刀尖向我的牙齿缝里戳。而我可从来不太怕他的奇想。我唾一下，肯定说味道很讨厌——我无论如何不要吞下去。

“啊！”他放开了我，说道，“我看出那个可恶的小流氓不是哈里顿——我请你原谅，耐儿——要是他的话，他就应该活剥皮，因为他不跑来欢迎我，而且还尖声大叫，倒好像我是个妖怪。不孝的崽子，过来！你欺骗一个好心肠的、上当的父亲，我要教训教训你。现在

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