[00:01.07] Wuthering Heights,
[00:02.84] Chapter 1.
[00:03.98] I visit Wuthering Heights.
[00:08.91] Late one afternoon, I rode over the Moors to Wuthering Heights.
[00:13.75] It was not a good idea to have made this ride, for the weather turned cold, and it began to snow.
[00:21.89] When I reached the yard, I found it empty, except for one old man, who poked his head out of a window of the barn.
[00:30.28] What do you want?
[00:32.30] He asked in a surly voice.
[00:35.59] Master's down in the fold, seeing to the animals.
[00:42.16] The snow by now was driving harder into my face and coating my jacket and breeches in white.
[00:48.68] I shivered in every limb.
[00:54.46] Is there no one in the house who can let me in?
[00:57.88] I asked.
[01:00.75] There's only the misses, the old man answered, and you can knock until nightfall before she'd open the door to you.
[01:10.25] He withdrew his head.
[01:13.15] As I stood wondering what to do next, a tall, handsome man came striding through the yard.
[01:21.74] Mr. Heathcliff, I cried.
[01:24.87] I'm Mr. Lockwood, your new tenant of Thrushcross Grange.
[01:29.61] Perhaps this was not the best of times to pay you a visit.
[01:35.04] There is no perhaps about it, Mr. Lockwood, he said.
[01:39.94] Only a fool would have left his house on such a day.
[01:45.43] Without giving me time to reply, though in truth, I was struck speechless by the rudeness of his remark, he turned and bellowed, Joseph.
[01:56.26] The face of the bad tempered old man appeared once more at the window.
[02:02.06] Take Mr. Lockwood's horse, said Heathcliff, and bring us some wine.
[02:09.44] He strode in the direction of the house and I followed.
[02:13.63] Flinging open the door, he ushered me into the living room, and then left by another door.
[02:21.99] What a room it was.
[02:25.54] A great fire burned at one end, the flames reflected in row upon row of silver dishes that stood on a huge oak dresser.
[02:37.23] In an arch under the dresser, lay a pointer bitch with a litter of puppies.
[02:44.87] Seated before the fire was a young woman scarcely older than a child, I thought, and with the prettiest face I had ever seen.
[02:56.57] A young man crouched on a low stool close by.
[03:01.32] Neither spoke to me.
[03:03.99] A fine animal, madam, I said, thinking to break the silence and pointing to the dog.
[03:10.38] Are you going to keep any of the young ones?
[03:17.05] They are not mine.
[03:19.94] The young woman answered shortly.
[03:24.40] Ah, your favorites are amongst these, said I, pointing to a chair that held what I thought to be a cushion full of cats, but which turned out to be the bodies of dead rabbits.
[03:36.97] A strange choice, she said, her voice cold and filled with scorn.
[03:44.64] The young man sniggered.
[03:47.88] I shot them this morning, he said.
[03:53.47] At this, I felt more foolish than ever and held my tongue.
[04:00.31] After staring at me for some seconds, the young woman rose and, standing on tiptoe, reached up to take hold of a canister which stood on the chimney shelf.
[04:13.54] Were you asked to tea?
[04:16.33] She demanded.
[04:20.09] I should be glad of a cup, I answered.
[04:23.75] Were you asked?
[04:27.71] She repeated.
[04:31.50] Well, no, I said.
[04:36.65] My words caused her to put the canister back in its place and to fling herself back into her chair.
[04:45.49] Heathcliff came into the room at this moment, followed by Joseph, who carried a tray with wine glasses.
[04:54.67] You must forgive us, Mr. Lockwood, he said.
[05:00.02] We get so few visitors at Wuthering Heights that we no longer know how to treat them.
[05:08.51] My visit was not made at the best of times, I murmured.
[05:13.50] I am new to this part of the country and did not know how bad the weather could turn, and so quickly.
[05:22.36] I glanced towards the window as I spoke.
[05:26.49] Already the snow lay inches thick on the sills.
[05:32.50] Now, I fear that I must put you to more trouble and ask that you lend me one of your lads to show me the way back.
[05:39.77] He could sleep at the Grange until morning.
[05:44.20] I can't do that, said Heathcliff.
[05:48.60] I need all my lads.
[05:54.54] Then I must trust to my own judgment, I said, and make my way as best I can.
[06:03.94] I drank my wine in one gulp and rose from my chair.
[06:08.71] I was angry at myself for making this untimely visit, and for suffering so meekly the rude manner in which I had been treated.
[06:20.08] Sit down, sir, said Heathcliff.
[06:24.72] You shall stay the night as my guest.
[06:30.70] The tone of his voice was anything but welcoming, but there was little I could do except sit down again as he suggested.
[06:39.13] A meal was brought to the table by a stout, red cheeked smiling servant.
[06:46.51] She at least raised my spirits a little, and it was she, who when the meal was ended, showed me to the room which was to be mine for the night.
[07:00.11] Here, sir, she said, flinging open a door.
[07:05.20] Mr. Heathcliff says you are to sleep in here.
[07:11.90] What a smell of decay met our nostrils.
[07:18.48] The servant, Zilla, glanced at me and took a step inside.
[07:26.67] The light of her candle showed us nothing but a bed and a pine chest, and some rotting curtains that hung at the windows.
[07:38.25] Come, sir, she whispered, and led me across the landing to another chamber.
[07:47.54] This was a much better room.
[07:51.92] I noticed that it had a curious window seat, which could be closed by a pair of shutters like doors, thus hiding the occupant from anyone who entered.
[08:04.69] I thanked Zilla and promised that I would be as quiet as I could.
[08:11.20] Then, finding that the window seat was more comfortable than the bed, I placed my candle on the little shelf inside, and stretched myself full length upon the bench.
[08:24.41] As I did so, my eye was caught by the name Catherine scratched over and over again in the paint.
[08:34.48] Catherine Earnshaw, I read.
[08:37.97] Catherine Linton, Catherine Heathcliff.
[08:45.17] Who was she?
[08:47.65] I wondered drowsily.
[08:52.38] But tired though I was, the howling of the wind outside made it impossible to sleep.
[09:01.59] Seeing a pile of old books stacked in a corner of the shelf, I took one up and opened it.
[09:09.49] It had been used, I found, as a kind of diary.
[09:15.11] The blank end pages and some of the margins were covered in writing.
[09:21.95] Catherine Earnshaw, her book, was the title given in a childish scroll.
[09:31.06] An awful Sunday, read one entry.
[09:35.38] I wish that father were here.
[09:38.62] Hindley has acted with such cruelty.
[09:45.55] Heathcliff and I are going to revolt.
[09:53.25] All day, it has rained hard, read another entry.
[09:58.43] We could not go to church, so Joseph took it upon himself to preach to us, which he did for two long, boring hours.
[10:11.17] The third entry of the diary read, how little did I dream that Hindley could make me cry so.
[10:21.50] Poor Heathcliff.
[10:25.30] Hindley says that he's a vagabond and won't let him sit with us or eat with us anymore.
[10:33.66] He says that I mustn't play with him and threatens to turn him out of the house if I do.
[10:42.26] I wondered for a while, who was the Catherine who had written the diary, and who was Hindley, and what had they to do with Joseph and Heathcliff.
[10:54.47] Then the wind died down for a time and ceased its wailing, and at last, I fell asleep.
[11:03.87] I did not sleep long.
[11:07.47] I was awakened by the sound of something tapping at the window pane.
[11:15.39] Peering through the glass, I saw that the snow was still falling, the flakes whirling in the wind.
[11:24.97] As I tried to see further, the tapping came again, more loudly and more urgently than ever.
[11:34.21] It's the branch of a tree, I told myself, and I must try to remove it, else there'll be no further rest for me tonight.
[11:45.98] I tried to open the window.
[11:48.62] The glass broke and I reached through it.
[11:53.10] To my horror, my fingers were grasped by a little ice cold hand.
[11:59.46] I tried to withdraw my arm, but the cold fingers clung to me and a voice sobbed, "Let me in!
[12:08.24] Let me in!"
[12:13.73] Who are you?
[12:15.58] I asked, now so frozen with terror that I no longer tried to move.
[12:24.02] Catherine Linton, replied the voice.
[12:30.41] I lost my way on the mall.
[12:34.21] I'm come home.
[12:38.36] As the voice spoke, I thought I saw the face of a girl at the window.
[12:45.07] It's 20 years, she sobbed.
[12:49.49] I've been a waif for 20 years.
[12:55.70] Begone, I shouted.
[12:59.70] Whatever you are, spirit, demon, ghost!
[13:09.17] My cry was answered by Heathcliff, who flung open the chamber door.
[13:15.29] Who put you in here?
[13:17.43] He demanded.
[13:19.42] I've a good mind to turn them out of the house.
[13:25.99] Your servant, Zilla, I said, and I shouldn't care if you did turn her out.
[13:33.52] I suppose that she wanted to get proof that the place is haunted.
[13:42.16] You may tell her from me that it is.
[13:48.87] Lie down and finish your sleep, said Heathcliff, and don't repeat that horrid yell.
[13:56.87] Nothing could excuse it, unless you were having your throat cut.
[14:02.71] If that little fiend had got in at the window, she would probably have strangled me, I returned.
[14:13.22] For a moment he was silent, then, get out, he said.
[14:20.77] His voice was quieter, but its tone frightened me.
[14:29.07] Gladly, I replied.
[14:31.89] I won't stay another moment in this house.
[14:35.55] I'll walk about the yard until day.
[14:40.41] Do as you please, he said shortly, closing the door on me.
[14:48.46] I paused for a moment on the landing and heard him speak, his voice this time filled with sorrow.
[14:56.94] Come in, come in.
[15:00.94] Kathy, do come, my heart's darling, hear me this time.
[15:10.52] I made my way to the living room, where the remains of the fire still glowed under a covering of white ash.
[15:21.64] At first light, I went into the yard and down to the gate, and was about to strike out across the mall, when I was stopped by a call from the door of the house.
[15:36.22] It was the young man whom I had met in the afternoon.
[15:42.55] He told me that his name was Heton Earnshaw, and that he would show me the way to Thrushcross Grange.
[15:53.18] It was as well that he did, for the entire countryside was now one mass of white, billowing snow.
[16:07.74] We spoke little during our journey, although there was much I longed to ask him.
[16:14.57] He left me at the gates of the Grange, and I staggered up the drive, and went to my study, feeling as weak as a kitten.