[00:00.28] Chapter seven.
[00:03.27] A crisis.
[00:06.82] One day, I became so worried about what might be happening at the farm, that I put on my bonnet and shawl, and made my way to Wuthering Heights as fast as I could.
[00:17.41] There I found Hareton, my Hareton, gazing steadily at me through the bars of the gate.
[00:25.58] God bless you, darling, I cried.
[00:29.42] It's Nelly, your old nurse.
[00:35.65] At once, he backed away and picked up a large flinty stone.
[00:44.73] I've come to see your father, Hareton, I said.
[00:48.93] Disappointed that he did not know me, but telling myself that I had been away from him for 10 months, a long time in the life of a small child.
[01:00.63] Hareton raised his hand and threw his stone, at the same time uttering the most dreadful swear words and oaths.
[01:11.77] This really upset me, sir, and I took an orange from my basket and held it out to him through the bars of the gate.
[01:21.53] Tell me who has taught you those fine words, I said.
[01:26.02] Tell me and you shall have it.
[01:30.79] Heathcliff, came the answer.
[01:35.66] Heathcliff taught me.
[01:39.37] A small brown hand shot out to grasp the fruit, but I held it back.
[01:44.67] And do you like Heathcliff?
[01:47.91] I asked.
[01:50.12] Oh, yes, said Hareton, better than anyone.
[01:57.59] I knew then that there was nothing I could do at Wuthering Heights to make things any better.
[02:04.92] I gave Hareton the orange and made my way back to the Grange.
[02:12.52] Soon after this, Heathcliff came by when Isabella was feeding her pigeons in the courtyard.
[02:20.13] I saw them from the kitchen window.
[02:24.23] He went to her, said something that caused her to become flustered, and then drew her into his arms and kissed her.
[02:35.02] Traitor, I exclaimed.
[02:40.89] Who is, Nelly?
[02:43.46] Asked Cathy, who had come into the kitchen without my knowing.
[02:49.41] Your worthless friend, I told her.
[02:53.79] Ah, he's seen us and is coming in.
[02:57.63] I wonder if he'll have a good excuse for kissing Miss Isabella when he has given every sign of hating her.
[03:07.19] He entered then, and Cathy turned on him.
[03:12.24] What do you mean by embracing Isabella?
[03:16.83] she demanded.
[03:21.55] What is it to you?
[03:23.76] he replied.
[03:26.27] I have a right to kiss her if she chooses, and you've no right to object.
[03:35.09] Don't scowl at me, said Kathy.
[03:38.78] If you like Isabella, then you shall marry her.
[03:44.04] Tell the truth, Heathcliff.
[03:48.91] Do you love her?
[03:52.34] If you don't, then leave her be.
[03:56.23] You shan't play any games of revenge here.
[04:03.98] I would as soon marry a monkey, muttered Heathcliff, at which my mistress gave a cry of triumph.
[04:13.61] There, she said, I knew it.
[04:17.69] But I would do it, he said, if it furthered my plans.
[04:29.59] I left the kitchen at this, and went in search of my master.
[04:35.43] I repeated to him what I had heard pass between Cathy and Heathcliff, and what I had seen pass between Heathcliff and Miss Isabella.
[04:47.38] This is disgraceful, cried Linton.
[04:53.10] That she should insist in keeping such a brute as a friend.
[05:02.14] Call two men from the hall, Nelly.
[05:05.47] Catherine shall stay no longer with this fiend.
[05:12.20] He went down to the kitchen, and I and two man servants followed.
[05:19.70] I have put up with you for long enough, my master told Heathcliff.
[05:26.60] In future, stay away from my wife and from my sister.
[05:31.79] I give you three minutes to leave.
[05:35.69] After that, I shall throw you out.
[05:44.53] Heathcliff listened to this speech with both amusement and amazement.
[05:51.88] Kathy, he said, this lamb of yours threatens like a bull.
[05:59.18] It is in danger of splitting its skull against my knuckles.
[06:04.59] Linton, I'm heartily sorry that you're not worth knocking down.
[06:15.49] My master signaled me to fetch the men who waited in the passage outside.
[06:20.34] He had no intention of tackling Heathcliff himself.
[06:25.93] But Kathy saw the signal, and guessed what was meant by it.
[06:31.63] As I turned to call, she pulled me back, slammed the door shut and locked it.
[06:40.57] Play fair, she said to Linton.
[06:44.63] If you haven't the courage to throw him out yourself, then apologize.
[06:55.66] Edgar made to take the door key from her, but she lept back.
[07:00.17] No, I'll swallow it before you shall get it, she said.
[07:05.79] I tried to turn Isabella against Heathcliff by warning her of his true nature, and I forced the confession from Heathcliff that he does not love Isabella.
[07:20.42] Edgar, I was defending you and yours, and this is how I am rewarded?
[07:31.82] Once more, my master tried to take the key from her, and this time she flung it to the back of the fire.
[07:41.94] Edgar grew pale and trembled, and sank down into a chair, covering his face with his hands.
[07:55.52] Oh, this would have earned you a nighthood in the old days, cried Kathy.
[08:02.37] Bear up, Edgar.
[08:05.89] Heathcliff would as soon lift a finger against you as a king would march an army against a mouse.
[08:15.80] I wish you joy of the milk blooded coward, Kathy, said Heathcliff.
[08:22.45] And this is the shivering thing you preferred to me.
[08:27.84] Is he weeping?
[08:30.84] Or is he going to faint from fear?
[08:38.27] He approached the chair where my master sat, and gave it a push with his foot.
[08:46.94] It was not a wise move, for my master sprang up and struck him in the throat.
[08:55.65] It was a blow that would have felled a lesser man, and for a moment, Heathcliff fought for breath.
[09:03.81] While he choked, Linton made his way through the back door and out into the yard.
[09:12.79] There, cried Kathy.
[09:15.40] Now you'll never be able to come here.
[09:20.05] Go now, for he'll be back with men and pistols.
[09:28.32] Leave?
[09:30.40] With that blow burning in my gullet?
[09:35.64] swore Heathcliff.
[09:37.66] No, I'll crush his ribs like a rotten hazelnut.
[09:45.16] He's not coming, said I, looking from the window.
[09:50.05] But two coachmen and the gardener are approaching, both with heavy clubs.
[09:59.40] Do you want to be thrown out of the house by the likes of them?
[10:06.72] Heathcliff took up the poker at this, smashed the lock on the door and made his escape as the men came into the kitchen.
[10:20.03] Kathy was upset by all this, and asked me to accompany her to the living room.
[10:27.57] I am almost mad, Nelly, she said.
[10:31.92] A thousand blacksmith's hammers are beating in my head.
[10:37.91] Tell Isabella to keep away from me.
[10:41.90] This is all her fault.
[10:46.77] And say to Edgar that I am in danger of becoming seriously ill.
[10:54.99] If Heathcliff must make horrid vengeful plans, and if I can no longer have him for a friend on account of Edgar's jealousy, then I'll break both their hearts by breaking my own.
[11:10.59] She was quite capable of it, sir.
[11:13.64] From being a child, she had a will of iron.
[11:20.58] My master came into the room just then, so I went into the next room, leaving the door ajar.
[11:31.24] I've come neither to make up our quarrel, Catherine, nor to go on with it, he said.
[11:38.54] I have come for an answer.
[11:43.83] You must choose.
[11:48.38] Is it to be Heathcliff or me?
[11:54.29] I need an answer.
[11:59.67] And I need to be left alone, said my mistress.
[12:05.96] She rang the bell until it broke, for I didn't hurry to her side.
[12:12.14] She was enough to try the patience of a saint with such senseless wicked rages.
[12:23.08] She had thrown herself down on the sofa, and there she lay, dashing her head against it and grinding her teeth.
[12:33.69] After a while, she stretched out, as white and as stiff as though dead.
[12:42.50] My master stood gazing at her in fear.
[12:49.68] There is nothing in the world the matter, I whispered to him.
[12:57.64] But she has blood on her lips, he said with a shudder.
[13:03.61] Never mind, I answered tartly, and I told him how she had deliberately planned to have this insane fit.
[13:17.33] Foolishly, I spoke too loud, and she heard me and darted up, her hair flying over her shoulders, her eyes flashing, and the muscles of her neck standing out.
[13:33.26] I thought she would strike me, but she only glared at me and then rushed upstairs to her room.
[13:42.30] My master told me to follow her.
[13:46.54] I did, but she had locked the door against me.
[13:54.70] The next morning, the door was still locked and she refused breakfast.
[14:02.65] The same thing happened at tea and at dinner, and all through the following day.
[14:11.95] My master kept to the library and didn't ask me about her.
[14:18.32] But he did see Isabella, and made her promise that she would never speak to Heathcliff again.
[14:30.08] If the promise was broken, he said, he would no longer think of her as his sister.