# Wuthering Heights (Full Audiobook) by Emily Brontë - Chapter 30

An episode of [Wuthering Heights (Full Audiobook) by Emily Brontë](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1770106711), 18 Sep 2024, 17 min.

Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/62054655/wutheringheights_30_bronte_64kb.mp3



## Transcript

[0:00] Speaker 1: Chapter thirty of Wuthering Heights. This LibriVox recording is in
[0:05] Speaker 1: the public domain. Recording by Ruth Golding. Wuthering Heights by
[0:10] Speaker 1: Emily Bronte, Chapter thirty. I have paid a visit to
[0:16] Speaker 1: the Heights, but I have not seen her since she left.
[0:20] Speaker 1: Joseph held the door in his hand when I called
[0:23] Speaker 1: to ask after her, and wouldn't let me pass. Is
[0:27] Speaker 1: said missus Linton was thrang and the Master was not in.
[0:33] Speaker 1: Zillah has told me something of the way they go on.
[0:36] Speaker 1: Otherwise I should hardly know who was dead and who living.
[0:40] Speaker 1: She thinks Catherine haughty and does not like her. I
[0:44] Speaker 1: can guess by her talk. My young lady asked some
[0:49] Speaker 1: aid of her when she first came, but mister Heathcliff
[0:52] Speaker 1: told her to follow her own business and let his
[0:55] Speaker 1: daughter in law look after herself, and Zillah willingly acquiesced.
[1:00] Speaker 1: Being a narrow minded, selfish woman. Catherine evinced a child's
[1:05] Speaker 1: annoyance at this neglect, repaid it with contempt, and thus
[1:11] Speaker 1: enlisted my informant among her enemies as securely as if
[1:15] Speaker 1: she had done her some great wrong. I had a
[1:19] Speaker 1: long talk with Zillah about six weeks ago, a little
[1:23] Speaker 1: before you came. One day when we four gathered on
[1:26] Speaker 1: the moor, and this is what she told me. The
[1:31] Speaker 1: first thing Missus Linton did, she said, on her arrival
[1:35] Speaker 1: at the Heights, was to run upstairs without even wishing
[1:38] Speaker 1: good evening to me and Joseph. She shut herself into
[1:42] Speaker 1: Linton's room and remained till morning. Then, while the Master
[1:47] Speaker 1: and Earnshaw were at breakfast, she entered the house and
[1:50] Speaker 1: asked all in a quiver if the doctor might be
[1:53] Speaker 1: sent for her. Cousin was very ill, we know that,
[1:58] Speaker 1: answered Heathcliff. But his life is not worth a farthing,
[2:01] Speaker 1: and I won't spend a farthing on him. But I
[2:05] Speaker 1: cannot tell how to do, she said, And if nobody
[2:09] Speaker 1: will help me, he'll die. Walk out of the room,
[2:13] Speaker 1: cried the Master, and let me never hear a word
[2:16] Speaker 1: more about him. None ere care what becomes of him
[2:20] Speaker 1: if you do at the nurse, if you do not
[2:23] Speaker 1: lock him up and leave him. Then she began to
[2:27] Speaker 1: bother me, and I said I'd had enough plague with
[2:30] Speaker 1: the tiresome thing. We each had our tasks, and hers
[2:34] Speaker 1: was to wait on Linton. Mister Heathcliff bid me leave
[2:38] Speaker 1: that labor to her. How they managed together, I can't tell.
[2:44] Speaker 1: I fancy you. Fretted a great deal and moaned is
[2:47] Speaker 1: Sell night and day, and she had precious little rest.
[2:52] Speaker 1: One could guess by her white face and heavy eyes.
[2:56] Speaker 1: She sometimes came into the kitchen all wildered like and
[3:00] Speaker 1: looked as if she would fain beg assistance. But I
[3:03] Speaker 1: was not going to disobey the master. I never dared
[3:06] Speaker 1: disobey him, Missus Dean. And though I thought it wrong
[3:10] Speaker 1: that Kenneth should not be sent for it was no
[3:13] Speaker 1: concern of mine either to advise or complain, and I
[3:17] Speaker 1: always refused to meddle. Once or twice after we'd gone
[3:22] Speaker 1: to bed, I've happened to open my door again and
[3:25] Speaker 1: seen her sitting crying on the stairs top. And then
[3:28] Speaker 1: I've shut myself in quick for fear of being moved
[3:31] Speaker 1: to interfere. I did pitier than I'm sure. Still, I
[3:36] Speaker 1: didn't wish to lose my place, you know. At last,
[3:41] Speaker 1: one night she came boldly into my chamber and frightened
[3:45] Speaker 1: me out of my wits by saying, tell mister Heathcliff
[3:49] Speaker 1: that his son is dying. I'm sure he is this time,
[3:54] Speaker 1: get up instantly and tell him. Having uttered this speech,
[3:59] Speaker 1: she vanished again. I lay a quarter of an hour,
[4:03] Speaker 1: listening and trembling. Nothing stirred. The house was quiet. She's mistaken,
[4:10] Speaker 1: I said to myself. He's got over it. I needn't
[4:14] Speaker 1: disturb them, and I began to doze. But my sleep
[4:18] Speaker 1: was marred a second time by a sharp ringing of
[4:21] Speaker 1: the bell, the only bell we have put up on
[4:24] Speaker 1: purpose for Linton. And the Master called to me to
[4:28] Speaker 1: see what was the matter and inform them that he
[4:31] Speaker 1: wouldn't have that noise repeated. I delivered Catherine's message. He
[4:37] Speaker 1: cursed to himself, and in a few minutes came out
[4:40] Speaker 1: with a lighted candle and proceeded to their room. I followed.
[4:45] Speaker 1: Missus Heathcliff was seated by the bedside with her hands
[4:49] Speaker 1: folded on her knees. Her father in law went up,
[4:53] Speaker 1: held the light to Linton's face, looked at him, and
[4:58] Speaker 1: touched him. Afterward, he turned to her, now, Catherine, he said,
[5:05] Speaker 1: how do you feel? She was dumb. How do you feel, Catherine?
[5:11] Speaker 1: He repeated, He's safe and I'm free. She answered, I
[5:19] Speaker 1: should feel well, but she continued with a bitterness. She
[5:24] Speaker 1: couldn't conceal you have left me so long to struggle
[5:29] Speaker 1: against death alone that I feel and see only death.
[5:35] Speaker 1: I feel like death, and she looked like it too.
[5:41] Speaker 1: I gave her a little wine. Hayton and Joseph had
[5:44] Speaker 1: been wakened by the ringing and the sound of feet
[5:47] Speaker 1: and heard our talk from outside. Now entered. Joseph was fain,
[5:53] Speaker 1: I believe of the lad's removal. Hareton seemed thought bothered,
[5:58] Speaker 1: though he was more taken and not with staring at
[6:01] Speaker 1: Catherine and thinking of Linton. But the Master bid n't
[6:05] Speaker 1: get off to bed again. We didn't want his help.
[6:09] Speaker 1: He afterwards made Joseph remove the body to his chamber
[6:13] Speaker 1: and told me to return to mine and missus Heathcliff
[6:17] Speaker 1: remained by herself. In the morning, he sent me to
[6:21] Speaker 1: tell her she must come down to breakfast. She had
[6:25] Speaker 1: undressed and appeared going to sleep, and said she was ill,
[6:29] Speaker 1: at which I hardly wanted. I informed mister Heathcliff, and
[6:33] Speaker 1: he replied, well, let her be till after the funeral
[6:38] Speaker 1: and go up now and then to get her what
[6:40] Speaker 1: is needful, and as soon as she seems better tell me.
[6:45] Speaker 1: Cathy stayed upstairs a fortnight, according to Zilla, who visited
[6:50] Speaker 1: her twice a day and would have been rather more friendly,
[6:53] Speaker 1: But her attempts at increasing kindness were proudly and promptly repelled.
[7:00] Speaker 1: Heathcliff went up once to show her Linton's will, he
[7:04] Speaker 1: had bequeathed the whole of his and what had been
[7:08] Speaker 1: her moveable property to his father. The poor creature was
[7:13] Speaker 1: threatened or coaxed into that act during her week's absence
[7:17] Speaker 1: when his uncle died. The lands, being a miner, he
[7:22] Speaker 1: could not meddle with. However, mister Heathcliff has claimed and
[7:26] Speaker 1: kept them in his wife's right and his also. I
[7:30] Speaker 1: suppose leagally at any rate, Catherine, destitute of cash and friends,
[7:37] Speaker 1: cannot disturb his possession. Nobody said Zillah ever approached her door,
[7:45] Speaker 1: except that once, but I and nobody asked anything about her.
[7:51] Speaker 1: The first occasion of her coming down into the house
[7:53] Speaker 1: was on a Sunday afternoon. She had cried out when
[7:57] Speaker 1: I carried up a dinner, that she couldn't bear any
[7:59] Speaker 1: law younger being in the cold, And I told her
[8:03] Speaker 1: the Master was going to thrustcross Grange and earn sure,
[8:06] Speaker 1: and I needn't hinder her from descending, So as soon
[8:10] Speaker 1: as she heard Heathcliff's horse trot off, she made her appearance.
[8:14] Speaker 1: Donned in black, and her yellow curls combed back behind
[8:19] Speaker 1: her ears as plain as a Quaker, she couldn't comb
[8:22] Speaker 1: them out. Joseph and I generally go to Chapel on Sundays.
[8:29] Speaker 1: The kirk you know has no minister, now, explained missus Dean,
[8:34] Speaker 1: and they call the Methodists or Baptist place. I can't
[8:38] Speaker 1: say which it is. At Gimmerton at Chapel Joseph had gone,
[8:44] Speaker 1: she continued, but I thought it proper to bide at home.
[8:48] Speaker 1: Young folks are always the better for an elder's overlooking,
[8:52] Speaker 1: and Hareton, with all his bashfulness, isn't a model of
[8:56] Speaker 1: nice behavior. I'll let him know that his cousin would
[9:00] Speaker 1: very likely sit with us, and she had been always
[9:03] Speaker 1: used to see the sabbath respected. So he had as
[9:06] Speaker 1: good leave as guns and bits of indoor work alone
[9:09] Speaker 1: while she stayed. He colored up at the news and
[9:13] Speaker 1: cast his eyes over his hands and clothes. The train,
[9:17] Speaker 1: oil and gunpowder were shoved out of sight. In a minute.
[9:21] Speaker 1: I saw him meant to give her his company, and
[9:23] Speaker 1: I guessed by his way he wanted to be presentable, so,
[9:28] Speaker 1: laughing as I durst not laugh when the master is by,
[9:32] Speaker 1: I offered to help him if he would, and joked.
[9:35] Speaker 1: At his confusion, he grew sullen and began to swear.
[9:41] Speaker 1: Now Missus dean Zillah went on, seeing me not pleased
[9:46] Speaker 1: by her manner. You happen to think you're young lady,
[9:50] Speaker 1: too fine for mister Hareton, and happen you're right, But
[9:54] Speaker 1: I own I should love well to bring her pride
[9:57] Speaker 1: a peg lower. And what will all her learning and
[10:00] Speaker 1: her daintiness do for her? Now she's as poor as
[10:04] Speaker 1: you or I poorer. I'll be bound your saying, and
[10:08] Speaker 1: I'm doing my little all that road. Herton allowed Zillah
[10:13] Speaker 1: to give him her aid, and she flattered him into
[10:16] Speaker 1: a good humor. So when Catherine came half forgetting her
[10:21] Speaker 1: former insults, he tried to make himself agreeable. By the
[10:24] Speaker 1: housekeeper's account, Missus walked in, she said, as chill as
[10:32] Speaker 1: an icicle and as high as a princess. I got
[10:36] Speaker 1: up and offered her my seat in the arm chair. No,
[10:39] Speaker 1: she turned up her nose at my civility. Earnshaw rose too,
[10:44] Speaker 1: and bid her come to the settle and sit close
[10:46] Speaker 1: by the fire. He was sure she was starved. I've
[10:51] Speaker 1: been starved a month and more, she answered, resting on
[10:57] Speaker 1: the word as scornful as she could, And she got
[11:00] Speaker 1: a chair for herself and placed it at a distance
[11:03] Speaker 1: from both of us. Having sat till she was warm,
[11:07] Speaker 1: she began to look round and discovered a number of
[11:10] Speaker 1: books on the dresser. She was instantly upon her feet again,
[11:15] Speaker 1: stretching to reach them, but they were too high up.
[11:18] Speaker 1: Her cousin, after watching her endeavors a while, at last,
[11:22] Speaker 1: summoned courage to help her. She held her frock and
[11:25] Speaker 1: he filled it with the first that came to hand.
[11:29] Speaker 1: That was a great advance for the lad. She didn't
[11:33] Speaker 1: thank him. Still, he felt gratified that she had accepted
[11:36] Speaker 1: his assistance, and ventured to stand behind as she examined them,
[11:41] Speaker 1: and even to stoop and point out what struck his
[11:44] Speaker 1: fancy in certain old pictures which they contained. Nor was
[11:48] Speaker 1: he daunted by the saucy style in which she jerked
[11:51] Speaker 1: the page from his finger. He contented himself with going
[11:55] Speaker 1: a bit farther back and looking at her instead of
[11:58] Speaker 1: the book. She continued reading, or seeking for something to read.
[12:05] Speaker 1: His attention became by degrees quite centered in the study
[12:09] Speaker 1: of her thick, silky curls her face. He couldn't see,
[12:13] Speaker 1: and she couldn't see him, and perhaps not quite awake
[12:18] Speaker 1: to what he did, but attracted like a child to
[12:21] Speaker 1: a candle. At last he proceeded from staring to touching.
[12:27] Speaker 1: He put out his hand and stroked one curl as
[12:30] Speaker 1: gently as if it were a bird. He might have
[12:34] Speaker 1: stuck a knife into her neck. She started round in
[12:37] Speaker 1: such a taking get away this moment. How dare you
[12:42] Speaker 1: touch me? Why are you stopping there? She cried, in
[12:46] Speaker 1: a tone of disgust. I can't endure you. I'll go
[12:50] Speaker 1: upstairs again if you come near me. Mister Hareton recoiled,
[12:56] Speaker 1: looking as foolish as he could do. He sat in
[13:00] Speaker 1: a settle, very quiet, and she continued turning over her
[13:04] Speaker 1: volumes another half hour. Finally Earnshaw crossed over and whispered
[13:10] Speaker 1: to me, will you ask her to read to Uscilla.
[13:14] Speaker 1: I'm stalled of doing now, and I do like I
[13:18] Speaker 1: could like to hear her. Do not say I wanted it,
[13:22] Speaker 1: but ask of yourself. Mister Hareton wishes you would read
[13:27] Speaker 1: to us, ma'am I said immediately it take it very kindly.
[13:32] Speaker 1: It'd be much obliged. She frowned, and, looking up, answered
[13:38] Speaker 1: mister Hareton, and the whole set of you will be
[13:40] Speaker 1: good enough to understand that I reject any pretense at
[13:44] Speaker 1: kindness you have the hypocrisy to offer. I despise you,
[13:48] Speaker 1: and will have nothing to say to any of you.
[13:51] Speaker 1: When I would have given my life for one kind word,
[13:54] Speaker 1: even to see one of your faces. You all kept off,
[13:58] Speaker 1: But I won't complain to you. I'm driven down here
[14:02] Speaker 1: by the cold, not either to amuse you or enjoy
[14:05] Speaker 1: your society. What could I have done? Began Earnshaw. How
[14:11] Speaker 1: was I to blame? Oh you are an exception, answered
[14:16] Speaker 1: missus Heathcliff. I never missed such a concern as you,
[14:22] Speaker 1: but I offered more than once and asked, he said,
[14:25] Speaker 1: kindling up at her pertness, I asked mister Heathcliff to
[14:29] Speaker 1: let me wake, for you be silent. I'll go out
[14:33] Speaker 1: of doors or anywhere rather than have your disagreeable voice
[14:36] Speaker 1: in my ear, said my lady. Hereton muttered she might
[14:42] Speaker 1: go to hell for him, and, on slinging his gun,
[14:45] Speaker 1: restrained himself from his Sunday occupations no longer. He talked
[14:50] Speaker 1: now freely enough, and she presently saw fit a retreat
[14:54] Speaker 1: to her solitude. But the frost had set in, and
[14:58] Speaker 1: in spite of her pride, she was forced to condescend
[15:01] Speaker 1: to our company more and more. However, I took care
[15:06] Speaker 1: there should be no further scorning at my good nature
[15:10] Speaker 1: ever since I've been as stiff as herself. And she
[15:13] Speaker 1: has no lover or like her among us, and she
[15:16] Speaker 1: does not deserve one. For let them say the least
[15:19] Speaker 1: word to her, and she'll curl back without respect of anyone.
[15:24] Speaker 1: She'll snap at the Master himself, and as good as
[15:27] Speaker 1: dares him to thrash her. And the more hurt she gets,
[15:31] Speaker 1: the more venomous she grows. At first, on hearing this
[15:37] Speaker 1: account from Zillah, I determined to leave my situation, take
[15:42] Speaker 1: a cottage, and get Catherine to come and live with me.
[15:46] Speaker 1: But mister Heathcliff would as soon permit that as he
[15:49] Speaker 1: would set up Hareton in an independent house. And I
[15:53] Speaker 1: can see no remedy at present unless she could marry again,
[15:58] Speaker 1: and that scheme it does not come within my province
[16:01] Speaker 1: to arrange. Thus ended Missus Dean's story Notwithstanding the doctor's prophecy,
[16:10] Speaker 1: I am rapidly recovering strength, and though it be only
[16:14] Speaker 1: the second week in January, I propose getting out on
[16:17] Speaker 1: horseback in a day or two and riding over to
[16:20] Speaker 1: Wuthering Heights to inform my landlord that I shall spend
[16:23] Speaker 1: the next six months in London, and if he likes,
[16:26] Speaker 1: he may look out for another tenant to take the place.
[16:29] Speaker 1: After October, I would not pass another winter here for
[16:33] Speaker 1: much end of Chapter thirty recording by Ruth Golding

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