第26章

`Order Ellen to say you are engaged, Cathy,' he persisted; `don't turn me out for those pitiful, silly friends of yours! I'm on the point, sometimes, of complaining that they--but I'll not---'

`That they what?' cried Catherine, gazing at him with a troubled countenance.`Oh, Nelly!' she added petulantly, jerking her head away from my hands, `you've combed my hair quite out of curl! That's enough; let me alone.What are you on the point of complaining about, Heathcliff?'

`Nothing--only look at the almanac on that wall;' he pointed to a framed sheet hanging near the window, and continued--`The crosses are for the evenings you have spent with the Lintons, the dots for those spent with me.Do you see? I've marked every day.'

`Yes--very foolish: as if I took notice!' replied Catherine in a peevish tone.`And where is the sense of that?'

`To show that I do take notice,' said Heathcliff.

`And should I always be sitting with you?' she demanded, growing more irritated.`What good do I get? What do you talk about? You might be dumb, or a baby, for anything you say to amuse me, or for anything you do, either!'

`You never told me before that I talked too little, or that you disliked my company, Cathy!' exclaimed Heathcliff, in much agitation.

`It's no company at all, when people know nothing and say nothing,'

she muttered.

Her companion rose up, but he hadn't time to express his feelings further, for a horse's feet were heard on the flags, and having knocked gently, young Linton entered, his face brilliant with delight at the unexpected summons he had received.Doubtless Catherine marked the difference between her friends, as one came in and the other went out.The contrast resembled what you see in exchanging a bleak, hilly, coal country for a beautiful fertile valley; and his voice and greeting were as opposite as his aspect.

He had a sweet, low manner of speaking, and pronounced his words as you do: that's less gruff than we talk here, and softer.

`I'm not come too soon, am I?' he said, casting a look at me:

I had begun to wipe the plate, and tidy some drawers at the far end in the dresser.

`No,' answered Catherine.`What are you doing there, Nelly?'

`My work, miss,' I replied.(Mr Hindley had given me directions to make a third parry in any private visits Linton chose to pay.)She stepped behind me and whispered crossly, `Take yourself and your dusters off; when company are in the house, servants don't commence scouring and cleaning in the room where they are!'

`It's a good opportunity, now that the master is away,' I answered aloud: `he hates me to be fidgeting over these things in his presence.

I'm sure Mr Edgar will excuse me.'

`I hate you to be fidgeting in my presence,' exclaimed the young lady imperiously, not allowing her guest time to speak: she had failed to recover her equanimity since the little dispute with Heathcliff.

`I'm sorry for it, Miss Catherine,' was my response; and I proceeded assiduously with my occupation.

She, supposing Edgar could not see her, snatched the cloth from my hand, and pinched me, with a prolonged wrench, very spitefully on the arm.I've said I did not love her, and rather relished mortifying her vanity now and then: besides, she hurt me extremely; so I started up from my knees, and screamed out, `Oh, miss, that's a nasty trick! You have no right to nip me, and I'm not going to bear it.'

`I didn't touch you, you lying creature!' cried she, her fingers tingling to repeat the act, and her ears red with rage.She never had power to conceal her passion, it always set her whole complexion in a blaze.