Cathy stayed at Thrushcross Grange five weeks: till Christmas.
By that time her ankle was
thoroughly cured, and her manners much improved. The mistress
visited her often in the interval,
and commenced her plan of reform by trying to raise her self-respect
with fine clothes and
flattery, which she took readily; so that, instead of a wild, hatless
little savage jumping into
the house, and rushing to squeeze us all breathless, there alighted from
a handsome black pony a
very dignified person, with brown ringlets falling from the cover of a
feathered beaver, and a
long cloth habit, which she was obliged to hold up with both hands that
she might sail in.
Hindley lifted her from her horse, exclaiming delightedly, Why, Cathy,
you are quite a beauty!
I should scarcely have known you: you look like a lady now. Isabella
Linton is not to be compared
with her, is she, Frances?'
Isabella has not her natural advantages,' replied his wife: but she must
mind and not grow wild
again here. Ellen, help Miss Catherine off with her things--stay, dear, you
will disarrange your
curls--let me untie your hat.'
I removed the habit, and there shone forth, beneath a grand plaid silk
frock, white trousers,
and burnished shoes; and, while her eyes sparkled joyfully when the dogs
came bounding up to
welcome her, she dare hardly touch them lest they should fawn upon her
splendid garments. She
kissed me gently: I was all flour making the Christmas cake, and it would
not have done to give
me a hug; and, then, she looked round for Heathcliff. Mr and Mrs Earnshaw
watched anxiously their
meeting; thinking it would enable them to judge, in some measure, what
grounds they had for
hoping to succeed in separating the two friends.
Heathcliff was hard to discover, at first. If he were careless, and uncared
for, before
Catherine'sabsence, he had been ten times more so, since. Nobody but I even
did him the kindness
to call him a dirty boy, and bid him wash himself, once a week; and children
of his age seldom
have a natural pleasure in soap and water. Therefore, not to mention his
clothes, which had seen
three months' service in mire and dust, and his thick uncombed hair, the
surfer of his face and
hands was dismally beclouded. He might well skulk behind the settle, on
beholding such a bright,
graceful damsel enter the house, instead of a rough-headed counterpart
of himself, as he
expected. Is Heathcliff not here?' she demanded, pulling off her gloves,
and displaying fingers
wonderfully whitened with doing nothing and staying indoors.
Heathcliff, you may come forward,' cried Mr Hindley, enjoying his
discomfiture, and gratified
to see what a forbidding young blackguard he would be compelled to
present himself. You may come
and wish Miss Catherine welcome, like the other servants.'
Cathy, catching a glimpse of her friend in his concealment, flew to
embrace him; she bestowed
seven or eight kisses on his cheek within the second, and then
stopped, and drawing back, burst
into a laugh, exclaiming, Why, how very black and cross you look!
and how--how funny and grim!
But that's because I'm used to Edgar and Isabella Linton. Well,
Heathcliff, have you forgotten me?'
She had some reason to put the question, for shame and pride
threw double gloom over his
countenance, and kept him immovable.
Shake hands, Heathcliff,' said Mr Earnshaw, condescendingly;
once in a way, that is permitted.'