Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights 

by Emily Bronte

CHAPTER I

1801. - I have just returned from a visit to my landlord - the 

solitary neighbour that I shall be troubled with. This is 

certainly a beautiful country! In all England, I do not believe 

that I could have fixed on a situation so completely removed from 

the stir of society. A perfect misanthropist's heaven: and Mr. 

Heathcliff and I are such a suitable pair to divide the desolation 

between us. A capital fellow! He little imagined how my heart 

warmed towards him when I beheld his black eyes withdraw so 

suspiciously under their brows, as I rode up, and when his fingers 

sheltered themselves, with a jealous resolution, still further in 

his waistcoat, as I announced my name.

'Mr. Heathcliff?' I said.

A nod was the answer.

'Mr. Lockwood, your new tenant, sir. I do myself the honour of 

calling as soon as possible after my arrival, to express the hope 

that I have not inconvenienced you by my perseverance in soliciting 

the occupation of Thrushcross Grange: I heard yesterday you had 

had some thoughts - '

'Thrushcross Grange is my own, sir,' he interrupted, wincing. 'I 

should not allow any one to inconvenience me, if I could hinder it 

- walk in!'

The 'walk in' was uttered with closed teeth, and expressed the 

sentiment, 'Go to the Deuce:' even the gate over which he leant 

manifested no sympathising movement to the words; and I think that 

circumstance determined me to accept the invitation: I felt 

interested in a man who seemed more exaggeratedly reserved than 

myself.

When he saw my horse's breast fairly pushing the barrier, he did 

put out his hand to unchain it, and then sullenly preceded me up 

the causeway, calling, as we entered the court, - 'Joseph, take Mr. 

Lockwood's horse; and bring up some wine.'

'Here we have the whole establishment of domestics, I suppose,' was 

the reflection suggested by this compound order. 'No wonder the 

grass grows up between the flags, and cattle are the only hedge- 

cutters.'

Joseph was an elderly, nay, an old man: very old, perhaps, though 

hale and sinewy. 'The Lord help us!' he soliloquised in an 

undertone of peevish displeasure, while relieving me of my horse: 

looking, meantime, in my face so sourly that I charitably 

conjectured he must have need of divine aid to digest his dinner, 

and his pious ejaculation had no reference to my unexpected advent.

Wuthering Heights is the name of Mr. Heathcliff's dwelling. 

'Wuthering' being a significant provincial adjective, descriptive 

of the atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy 

weather. Pure, bracing ventilation they must have up there at all 

times, indeed: one may guess the power of the north wind blowing 

over the edge, by the excessive slant of a few stunted firs at the 

end of the house; and by a range of gaunt thorns all stretching 

their limbs one way, as if craving alms of the sun. Happily, the 

architect had foresight to build it strong: the narrow windows are 

deeply set in the wall, and the corners defended with large jutting 

stones.

Before passing the threshold, I paused to admire a quantity of 

grotesque carving lavished over the front, and especially about the 

principal door; above which, among a wilderness of crumbling 

griffins and shameless little boys, I detected the date '1500,' and 

the name 'Hareton Earnshaw.' I would have made a few comments, and 

requested a short history of the place from the surly owner; but 

his attitude at the door appeared to demand my speedy entrance, or 

complete departure, and I had no desire to aggravate his impatience 

previous to inspecting the penetralium.

One stop brought us into the family sitting-room, without any 

introductory lobby or passage: they call it here 'the house' pre- 

eminently. It includes kitchen and parlour, generally; but I 

believe at Wuthering Heights the kitchen is forced to retreat 

altogether into another quarter: at least I distinguished a 

chatter of tongues, and a clatter of culinary utensils, deep 

within; and I observed no signs of roasting, boiling, or baking, 

about the huge fireplace; nor any glitter of copper saucepans and 

tin cullenders on the walls. One end, indeed, reflected splendidly 

both light and heat from ranks of immense pewter dishes, 

interspersed with silver jugs and tankards, towering row after row, 

on a vast oak dresser, to the very roof. The latter had never been 

under-drawn: its entire anatomy lay bare to an inquiring eye,