第5章

What vain weathercocks we are! I, who had determined to hold myself independent of all social intercourse, and thanked my stars that, at length, I had lighted on a spot where it was next to impracticable—I, weak wretch, after maintaining till dusk a struggle with low spirits and solitude, was finally compelled to strike my colours; and under pretence of gaining information concerning the necessities of my establishment, I desired Mrs. Dean, when she brought in supper, to sit down while I ate it; hoping sincerely she would prove a regular gossip, and either rouse me to animation or lull me to sleep by her talk.

‘You have lived here a considerable time,’I commenced;‘did you not say sixteen years?’

‘Eighteen, sir: I came when the mistress was married, to wait on her; after she died, the master retained me for his housekeeper.’

‘Indeed.’

There ensued a pause. She was not a gossip, I feared; unless about her own affairs, and those could hardly interest me. However, having studied for an interval, with a fist on either knee, and a cloud of meditation over her ruddy countenance, she ejaculated—‘Ah, times are greatly changed since then!’

‘Yes,’I remarked,‘you've seen a good many alterations, I suppose?’

‘I have: and troubles too,’she said.

‘Oh, I'll turn the talk on my landlord's family!’I thought to myself.‘A good subject to start!And that pretty girl-widow, I should like to know her history: whether she be a native of the country, or, as is more probable, an exotic that the surly indigenae will not recognise for kin.’With this intention I asked Mrs. Dean why Heathcliff let Thrushcross Grange, and preferred living in a situation and residence so much inferior.‘Is he not rich enough to keep the estate in good order?’I inquired.

‘Rich, sir!’she returned.‘He has nobody knows what money, and every year it increases. Yes, yes, he's rich enough to live in a finer house than this: but he's very near-close-handed;and, if he had meant to flit to Thrushcross Grange, as soon as he heard of a good tenant he could not have borne to miss the chance of getting a few hundreds more. It is strange people should be so greedy, when they are alone in the world!’

‘He had a son, it seems?’

‘Yes, he had one-he is dead.’

‘And that young lady, Mrs. Heathcliff, is his widow?’

‘Yes.’

‘Where did she come from originally?’

‘Why, sir, she is my late master's daughter: Catherine Linton was her maiden name. I nursed her, poor thing! I did wish Mr. Heathcliff would remove here, and then we might have been together again.’

‘What! Catherine Linton?’I exclaimed, astonished. But a minute's reflection convinced me it was not my ghostly Catherine.‘Then,’I continued,‘my predecessor's name was Linton?’

‘It was.’

‘And who is that Earnshaw: Hareton Earnshaw, who lives with Mr. Heathcliff? Are they relations?’

‘No; he is the late Mrs. Linton's nephew.’

‘The young lady's cousin, then?’

‘Yes; and her husband was her cousin also: one on the mother's, the other on the father's side: Heathcliff married Mr. Linton's sister.’

‘I see the house at Wuthering Heights has“Earnshaw”carved over the front door. Are they an old family?’

‘Very old, sir; and Hareton is the last of them, as our Miss Cathy is of us—I mean, of the Lintons. Have you been to Wuthering Heights? I beg pardon for asking; but I should like to hear how she is!’

‘Mrs. Heathcliff? she looked very well, and very handsome; yet, I think, not very happy.’

‘Oh dear, I don't wonder! And how did you like the master?’

‘A rough fellow, rather, Mrs. Dean. Is not that his character?

‘Rough as a saw-edge, and hard as whinstone! The less you meddle with him the better.’

‘He must have had some ups and downs in life to make him such a churl. Do you know anything of his history?’

‘It's a cuckoo's, sir—I know all about it: except where he was born, and who were his parents, and how he got his money at first. And Hareton has been cast out like an unfledged dunnock! The unfortunate lad is the only one in all this parish that does not guess how he has been cheated.’

‘Well, Mrs. Dean, it will be a charitable deed to tell me something of my neighbours: I feel I shall not rest if I go to bed; so be good enough to sit and chat an hour.’

‘Oh, certainly, sir! I'll just fetch a little sewing, and then I'll sit as long as you please. But you've caught cold: I saw you shivering, and you must have some gruel to drive it out.’

The worthy woman bustled off, and I crouched nearer the fire; my head felt hot, and the rest of me chill: moreover, I was excited, almost to a pitch of foolishness, through my nerves and brain. This caused me to feel, not uncomfortable, but rather fearful (as I am still) of serious effects from the incidents of to-day and yesterday. She returned presently, bringing a smoking basin and a basket of work; and, having placed the former on the hob, drew in her seat, evidently pleased to find me so companionable.

Before I came to live here, she commenced-waiting no farther invitation to her story-I was almost always at Wuthering Heights; because my mother had nursed Mr. Hindley Earnshaw, that was Hareton's father, and I got used to playing with the children: I ran errands too, and helped to make hay, and hung about the farm ready for anything that anybody would set me to. One fine summer morning-it was the beginning of harvest, I remember-Mr. Earnshaw, the old master, came down-stairs, dressed for a journey; and, after he had told Joseph what was to be done during the day, he turned to Hindley, and Cathy, and me-for I sat eating my porridge with them-and he said, speaking to his son,‘Now, my bonny man, I'm going to Liverpool to-day, what shall I bring you? You may choose what you like: only let it be little, for I shall walk there and back: sixty miles each way, that is a long spell!’Hindley named a fiddle, and then he asked Miss Cathy; she was hardly six years old, but she could ride any horse in the stable, and she chose a whip. He did not forget me; for he had a kind heart, though he was rather severe sometimes. He promised to bring me a pocketful of apples and pears, and then he kissed his children, said good-bye, and set off.

It seemed a long while to us all-the three days of his absence-and often did little Cathy ask when he would be home. Mrs. Earnshaw expected him by supper-time on the third evening, and she put the meal off hour after hour; there were no signs of his coming, however, and at last the children got tired of running down to the gate to look. Then it grew dark; she would have had them to bed, but they begged sadly to be allowed to stay up; and, just about eleven o'clock, the door-latch was raised quietly, and in stepped the master. He threw himself into a chair, laughing and groaning, and bid them all stand off, for he was nearly killed-he would not have such another walk for the three kingdoms.

‘And at the end of it to be flighted to death!’he said, opening his great-coat, which he held bundled up in his arms.‘See here, wife! I was never so beaten with anything in my life: but you must e'en take it as a gift of God; though it's as dark almost as if it came from the devil.'

We crowded round, and over Miss Cathy's head I had a peep at a dirty, ragged, blackhaired child; big enough both to walk and talk: indeed, its face looked older than Catherine's;yet when it was set on its feet, it only stared round, and repeated over and over again some gibberish that nobody could understand. I was frightened, and Mrs. Earnshaw was ready to fling it out of doors: she did fly up, asking how he could fashion to bring that gipsy brat into the house, when they had their own bairns to feed and fend for? What he meant to do with it, and whether he were mad? The master tried to explain the matter; but he was really half dead with fatigue, and all that I could make out, amongst her scolding, was a tale of his seeing it starving, and houseless, and as good as dumb, in the streets of Liverpool, where he picked it up and inquired for its owner. Not a soul knew to whom it belonged, he said; and his money and time being both limited, he thought it better to take it home with him at once, than run into vain expenses there: because he was determined he would not leave it as he found it. Well, the conclusion was, that my mistress grumbled herself calm; and Mr. Earnshaw told me to wash it, and give it clean things, and let it sleep with the children.

Hindley and Cathy contented themselves with looking and listening till peace was restored:then, both began searching their father's pockets for the presents he had promised them. The former was a boy of fourteen, but when he drew out what had been a fiddle, crushed to morsels in the great-coat, he blubbered aloud; and Cathy, when she learned the master had lost her whip in attending on the stranger, showed her humour by grinning and spitting at the stupid little thing; earning for her pains a sound blow from her father, to teach her cleaner manners. They entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or even in their room; and I had no more sense, so I put it on the landing of the stairs, hoping it might be gone on the morrow. By chance, or else attracted by hearing his voice, it crept to Mr. Earnshaw's door, and there he found it on quitting his chamber. Inquiries were made as to how it got there; I was obliged to confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity was sent out of the house.

This was Heathcliff's first introduction to the family. On coming back a few days afterwards (for I did not consider my banishment perpetual), I found they had christened him‘Heathcliff':it was the name of a son who died in childhood, and it has served him ever since, both for Christian and surname. Miss Cathy and he were now very thick; but Hindley hated him: and to say the truth I did the same; and we plagued and went on with him shamefully: for I wasn't reasonable enough to feel my injustice, and the mistress never put in a word on his behalf when she saw him wronged.

He seemed a sullen, patient child; hardened, perhaps, to ill-treatment: he would stand Hindley's blows without winking or shedding a tear, and my pinches moved him only to draw in a breath and open his eyes, as if he had hurt himself by accident, and nobody was to blame. This endurance made old Earnshaw furious, when he discovered his son persecuting the poor fatherless child, as he called him. He took to Heathcliff strangely, believing all he said (for that matter, he said precious little, and generally the truth), and petting him up far above Cathy, who was too mischievous and wayward for a favourite.

So, from the very beginning, he bred bad feeling in the house; and at Mrs. Earnshaw's death, which happened in less than two years after, the young master had learned to regard his father as an oppressor rather than a friend, and Heathcliff as a usurper of his parent's affections and his privileges; and he grew bitter with brooding over these injuries. I sympathised a while; but when the children fell ill of the measles, and I had to tend them, and take on me the cares of a woman at once, I changed my idea. Heathcliff was dangerously sick; and while he lay at the worst he would have me constantly by his pillow: I suppose he felt I did a good deal for him, and he hadn't wit to guess that I was compelled to do it. However, I will say this, he was the quietest child that ever nurse watched over. The difference between him and the others forced me to be less partial. Cathy and her brother harassed me terribly: he was as uncomplaining as a lamb; though hardness, not gentleness, made him give little trouble.

He got through, and the doctor affirmed it was in a great measure owing to me, and praised me for my care. I was vain of his commendations, and softened towards the being by whose means I earned them, and thus Hindley lost his last ally: still I couldn't dote on Heathcliff, and I wondered often what my master saw to admire so much in the sullen boy; who never, to my recollection, repaid his indulgence by any sign of gratitude. He was not insolent to his benefactor, he was simply insensible; though knowing perfectly the hold he had on his heart, and conscious he had only to speak and all the house would be obliged to bend to his wishes. As an instance, I remember Mr. Earnshaw once bought a couple of colts at the parish fair, and gave the lads each one. Heathcliff took the handsomest, but it soon fell lame, and when he discovered it, he said to Hindley-

‘You must exchange horses with me: I don't like mine; and if you won't I shall tell your father of the three thrashings you've given me this week, and show him my arm, which is black to the shoulder.’Hindley put out his tongue, and cuffed him over the ears.‘You'd better do it at once,’he persisted, escaping to the porch (they were in the stable):‘you will have to: and if I speak of these blows, you'll get them again with interest.’‘Off, dog!’cried Hindley, threatening him with an iron weight used for weighing potatoes and hay.‘Throw it,’he replied, standing still,‘and then I'll tell how you boasted that you would turn me out of doors as soon as he died, and see whether he will not turn you out directly.’Hindley threw it, hitting him on the breast, and down he fell, but staggered up immediately, breathless and white; and, had not I prevented it, he would have gone just so to the master, and got full revenge by letting his condition plead for him, intimating who had caused it.‘Take my colt, Gipsy, then!’said young Earnshaw.‘And I pray that he may break your neck: take him, and be damned, you beggarly interloper! and wheedle my father out of all he has: only afterwards show him what you are, imp of Satan.—And take that, I hope he'll kick out your brains!’

Heathcliff had gone to loose the beast, and shift it to his own stall; he was passing behind it, when Hindley finished his speech by knocking him under its feet, and without stopping to examine whether his hopes were fulfilled, ran away as fast as he could. I was surprised to witness how coolly the child gathered himself up, and went on with his intention; exchanging saddles and all, and then sitting down on a bundle of hay to overcome the qualm which the violent blow occasioned, before he entered the house. I persuaded him easily to let me lay the blame of his bruises on the horse: he minded little what tale was told since he had what he wanted. He complained so seldom, indeed, of such stirs as these, that I really thought him not vindictive: I was deceived completely, as you will hear.

我们是多么徒然的风标啊！我本来下定决心避开所有的社交，感谢自己福星高照，最后来到了一个几乎无法通行的地方——我这个软弱的可怜虫一直跟消沉和孤独斗争到了黄昏，最后不得不认输；当迪安太太把晚饭端进来时，我假装打听自己的住处有什么必需品，想请她坐下来陪我用餐，真诚希望她是一个地道的碎嘴子，要么让她的话激起我的兴趣，要么催我入睡。

“你已经在这里住了很久吧，”我开口说道，“你不是说有十六年了吗？”

“十八年了，先生。女主人出嫁时，我就来服侍她了；她去世后，东家就留我当了他的管家。”

“真的呀。”

接着停顿了一会儿。我担心她不是一个碎嘴子，除非谈论她自己的事儿，而那些事儿我又不感兴趣。然而，她沉思了片刻，双手握成拳状放在膝盖上，红润的脸颊上浮起了一片愁云，突然说道——“啊，从那时起，世道大变了啊！”

“是的，”我说，“我猜想，你已经见过许许多多变化了吧？”

“我见过，也见过许多烦恼。”她说。

“噢，我要把这个话题转向房东的家庭上！”我暗自想道，“是一个开场的好话题！还有那个漂亮的小寡妇，我想了解她的身世：她是本地人，或者更可能是外地人，乖戾的本地人都不愿跟她亲近。”我带着这个想法问迪安太太，为什么希斯克利夫出租画眉田庄，喜欢住在位置和住宅都差得多的地方。“难道是他不够富裕，维持不了正常家业吗？”我问。

“富裕，先生！”她回答说，“谁也不知道他有多少钱，而且每年都有进项。他富得可以住在比这还要好的房子里：可是，他非常小气——抠门；况且，就是他想移居画眉田庄，一听说来了一位好房客，他也不可能会错过这多赚几百的机会。孤孤单单生活在这世界上的人还这么贪财，真是奇怪！”

“他好像有过一个儿子吧？”

“有，他有过一个——已经死了。”

“那位少妇——希斯克利夫太太，是他的遗孀？”

“是。”

“她最初从哪里来？”

“啊，先生，她是我原来东家的女儿啊：凯瑟琳·林顿是她的娘家姓。我照看她长大，可怜的人儿！我真希望希斯克利夫先生搬来这里住，这样我们就又能在一起了。”

“什么？凯瑟琳·林顿！”我感到惊讶，大声叫道。但是，沉思一分钟之后，我笃信这并不是闹我的鬼魂——凯瑟琳。“这么说，”我接着说道，“我以前的房东姓林顿吗？”

“正是。”

“那个恩肖又是谁？就是跟希斯克利夫先生同住的哈里顿·恩肖。他们是亲戚吗？”

“不是，他是过世的林顿太太的侄子。”

“这么说，就是那位少妇的表亲？”

“是的，她的丈夫也就是她的表亲：一个是母亲的内侄，一个是父亲的外甥；希斯克利夫娶了林顿的妹妹。”

“我看到呼啸山庄住宅正门上方刻着‘恩肖’。他们这家有年头了吧？”

“很有年头了，先生；哈里顿是他们的最后一个，就像我们的凯茜小姐一样——我是说，林顿家的。你已经到过呼啸山庄了吗？请原谅我这样问，我可想听听她怎么样呢！”

“希斯克利夫太太吗？她气色很好，也很端庄；可是，我想，她并不开心。”

“哎呀，我不奇怪！你觉得这位东家怎么样？”

“是一个相当粗暴的家伙，迪安太太。难道这不是他的性格吗？”

“像锯齿一样粗糙，像玄武岩一样坚硬！你越少跟他来往越好。”

“他一定是人生有些沉浮才这样粗暴的吧。你了解他的家世吗？”

“他就是杜鹃鸟生的，先生——除了他出生在哪里、父母是谁，以及他是怎么发财起家之外，我全都知道。哈里顿像一只羽毛未丰的篱鸟一样被赶了出去！在这整个教区，只有这个可怜的小伙子还不知道自己是怎么受骗的。”

“啊，迪安太太，你就行行好，跟我说说邻居们的事儿吧。我觉得就是上床，我也睡不着；所以，行行好，坐下来聊一个小时吧。”

“噢，当然可以，先生！我这就去拿点儿针线活，然后你想让我坐多久，我就坐多久。不过，你已经着凉了。我看到你浑身哆嗦，你一定要喝些稀粥，把寒气逼出去。”

这个可敬的女人匆匆离去。我凑近炉边蹲下来，感觉脑袋发热，身体其他地方发冷。此外，神经和大脑一激动，我简直达到了愚钝的地步。这并没有使我感觉不舒服，而是让我有些害怕（我现在还害怕），害怕今天和昨天的事儿产生严重的后果。她很快就回来了，带来了一盆热气腾腾的稀粥和一只针线筐；她把粥放在铁架上，向前拉了拉椅子，发现我这样友善，显然非常高兴。

还没等我再邀请，她就开始讲起了自己的故事。我来这里住之前，差不多总是住在呼啸山庄，因为我的母亲曾经照看过欣德利·恩肖先生，也就是哈里顿的父亲。我习惯跟那些孩子们一起玩。我也跑跑腿，帮忙晒晒草，在农场上溜达溜达，谁让我干什么，我就随时准备干什么。一个晴朗的夏日清晨——我还记得，那是开始收割的时节——老东家恩肖先生走下楼来，一副出远门的打扮；他向约瑟夫交代了一天要干的活之后，就转向欣德利、凯茜和我——我正跟他们坐在一起喝粥——只听他对儿子说道：“喂，我的好小子，我今天打算去利物浦，给你带点儿什么？你喜欢什么就选什么，只是要选小东西，因为我要徒步往返：单程六十英里，那可要走很长一段时间！”欣德利说要一把小提琴，接着他又问凯茜小姐；她还不到六岁，而马厩里却没有她骑不了的马，她就选了一根马鞭。他没有忘记我，尽管他有时有些严厉，但他心肠好。他答应给我带一袋苹果和梨子，然后亲吻了孩子们，说了声再见，就出发了。

他一去就是三天——对我们大家来说好像时间漫长——小凯茜常常问他什么时候能到家。第三天晚上，恩肖太太盼望他能在晚饭前回来，就把晚饭推迟了一个又一个小时，却没有看到他归来的踪影。后来，连孩子们都懒得跑去大门口张望了。再后来，天就黑了；她本想打发他们睡觉，但孩子们苦苦哀求让他们一起等着；大约十一点钟时，门闩轻轻地拉起，东家走了进来。他连哼带笑地倒在一把椅子上，还吩咐他们都闪开些，因为他累得要死——就是把英伦三岛都送给他，他也不愿再走一趟了。

“到头来还要被臭骂一顿！”说着，他打开包裹在怀里的大氅，“听我说，太太！我这一辈子还从来没有被搞得这样筋疲力尽过呢。尽管他黑乎乎的，简直像是从魔鬼那里来似的，但你一定要把他看成是上帝的礼物。”

我们围拢上来，越过凯茜小姐的脑袋，我窥见一个衣衫褴褛脏兮兮的黑发小孩。这个孩子够大了，该会说话走路了，看上去他的脸蛋比凯瑟琳的还成熟。然而，他一着地，只是环顾四周，嘴里叽里咕噜说着谁也听不懂的话。我吓得要命，恩肖太太一定会把他扔出门外。她果真勃然大怒，质问他们还要抚养自己的孩子，他怎么能想出带那个野孩子回家来呢？他想干什么，他是不是疯了？东家想设法解释这件事，但他的确累得半死，从太太的训斥声里，我只能听出个大概，说是他在利物浦的街上看到小家伙快要饿死了，无家可归，像哑巴似的，他就带上这个孩子四处打听孩子的父母亲。希斯克利夫说，没有人知道这个孩子的来历；他的钱和时间都有限，想想与其在那里白费周折，还不如把孩子先带回家来，他心意已决，既然碰上了，他就不能撒手不管。那么，最后我的女主人埋怨够了，就平静了下来；恩肖先生吩咐我给他洗澡，穿上干净衣服，让这个孩子跟孩子们一起睡觉。

欣德利和凯茜满足于又看又听，等恢复平静后，两人开始翻看父亲的口袋，寻找他许诺给他们的礼物。欣德利是一个十四岁的男孩，而当拽出早已在大氅里压成碎片、不成样子的小提琴时，他放声大哭；而凯茜听到东家只顾照料这个陌生人而丢失了她的鞭子时，就赌气向那个小蠢货呲牙咧嘴啐了一口，却招来了父亲的一记响亮的耳光，教训她放规矩些。他们完全不愿他同睡一张床，即使睡在他们的屋里也不行；我也不大理智，就把小家伙放在楼梯平台上，希望他第二天会消失得无影无踪。凑巧的是，或者是听到东家的话音，他循声而去，朝恩肖先生的房门爬了过去，恩肖先生一出卧室，就在那里发现了他。东家追问孩子是怎么到那里的；我只得招认，因为胆小和无情，我受到惩罚，被赶出了宅子。

这就是希斯克利夫初来乍到这家时的情形。几天后，我回来了（因为我认为自己不是被永远赶了出来），发现他们已经给他取名叫“希斯克利夫”：那是他们的一个夭折儿子的名字，从此就用来叫他了，既当名又当姓。凯茜小姐现在跟他非常亲热，但欣德利恨他。说实话，我也恨他。于是，我们一起不知廉耻地折磨他、作践他，因为我不够理智，感觉不到自己的不讲道义；女主人见他受委屈，也从不替他说话。

看来他是一个闷闷不乐、能够忍耐的孩子，也许是受尽虐待而变得冷酷麻木：他受到欣德利的拳打脚踢，连眼都不眨、泪都不流；而我又掐又拧，也只能让他痛得吸气瞠目，就像是他不小心伤到了自己，谁也怪不得似的。老肖恩召唤他时，发现了自己的儿子正在欺负这个没有父亲的孩子，他忍辱受屈的样子让老肖恩火冒三丈。老肖恩对待希斯克利夫就是不同寻常，他说什么就信什么（这是因为希斯克利夫话虽金贵，但一般都是实话），对他爱抚有加，远胜于凯茜，凯茜过于淘气任性，难以得宠。

所以，从一开始，希斯克利夫就在这个宅子里引起了反感；还不到两年，肖恩太太去世时，少爷就已经习惯把父亲看成是压迫者，而不是朋友，认为希斯克利夫篡夺了他父亲的慈爱和他的特权；而且越琢磨这些伤害，他越充满仇恨。我同情过一阵子，但孩子们出麻疹生了病，我不得不既照看他们，又同时担负女仆的职责，这时我就改变了主意。希斯克利夫病危卧床不起时，常常让我守在他的枕边。我想他是觉得我给他帮不少忙，而他怎么也猜不到我是迫不得已才那样做的。然而，我要说，他是最安分的孩子，哪个保姆也不曾经照看过。他和其他两个孩子不一样，这使我不再那样偏心眼。凯茜和她的哥哥烦死我了；他却像羔羊似的毫无怨言，尽管他是出于倔强，而不是温柔，才使他不给人添什么麻烦。

他挺了过来，医生肯定说那多亏了我，称赞我照顾得好。我对他的赞扬颇为得意，就对那个帮我赢得这种赞扬的孩子心肠软了起来。因此，欣德利失去了最后一个盟友。不过，我还是无法喜欢希斯克利夫。我常常纳闷，东家究竟在这个闷闷不乐的小子身上看到了什么，对他如此赞赏；在我的记忆里，他从来没有因受宠而有任何感激之情，尽管他完全清楚自己在东家心中的地位，清楚他只要开口，整座宅子都会违心地顺从他的心愿。比如，我还记得有一次恩肖先生从教区市集上买了两匹小马，这两个孩子各得了一匹。希斯克利夫挑了那匹最漂亮的，但马不久便瘸了；他发现后，就对欣德利说——

“你必须跟我换马：我不喜欢我的马；你要是不换，我就告诉你的父亲这个星期你鞭打了我三次，让他瞧瞧我的胳膊，都淤青到肩膀上了。”欣德利吐了吐舌头，扇了他几耳光。“你最好马上就去，”他一边坚持，一边朝门廊逃去（他们原来在马厩里），“你必须得换：要是我提到这几次殴打，你就会连本带利挨回去。”“滚开，狗！”欣德利一边大叫，一边用一个称土豆和干草的秤砣吓唬他。“扔吧，”他站着不动回答说，“那我就会告发说，你是怎么夸下海口，等他一死，你就会把我赶出门，看看他会不会立即把你赶出去。”欣德利扔了出去，秤砣砸在了他的胸口，他倒了下去，却又马上踉跄而起，气喘吁吁，脸色苍白；要是我不加阻拦，他一定会这样去找东家，亮出伤势，宣布肇事者，就能彻底报仇雪恨。“那就把我的马牵走吧，野种！”小恩肖说，“我恳求它摔断你的脖子：牵走吧，该死的，你这个闯进我家的叫花子！把我父亲的东西都骗走吧：只是以后你会让他看出你是什么人的，小魔鬼。——牵走吧，我希望它会把你的脑浆踢出来！”

希斯克利夫已经过去解开了缰绳，把它牵到了他的马厩；他刚要绕过马后面，这时欣德利讲完了他那一通话，将他一把推倒在马蹄下，顾不上查看是不是正如他愿，就一溜烟地跑掉了。我吃惊地看到这个孩子镇定自若地爬起来，继续忙自己的事儿，更换鞍具等等，接着在一堆干草上坐下来，压住那重重一击引起的恶心眩晕后，才进屋。我轻而易举地说服他，让我把瘀伤归咎于那匹马。既然他得到了自己想要的地方，就不大在乎别人撒什么谎了。他确实很少抱怨这种风波，所以我竟信以为真，认为他无心报复：我被彻底蒙蔽了，你听下去就是了。