Wuthering Heights Chapter 01 - Wordscape.mp3

[00:00.630]Wuthering heights
[00:03.518]Chapter 1
[00:05.816]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!
[00:20.051]In all England, I do not believe that I could have fixed on a situation so completely removed from the stir of society.
[00:29.452]A perfect misanthropist's heaven: and Mr Heathcliff and I are such a suitable pair to divide the desolation between us.
[00:40.567]A capital fellow!
[00:43.881]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,
[00:54.861]and when his fingers sheltered themselves, with a jealous resolution, still farther in his waistcoat, as I announced my name.
[01:04.781]`Mr Heathcliff!' I said.
[01:09.006]A nod was the answer.
[01:11.907]`Mr Lockwood, your new tenant, sir.
[01:15.925]I do myself the honour of calling as soon as possible after my arrival,
[01:21.046]to express the hope that I have not inconvenienced you by my perseverance in soliciting the occupation of Thrushcross Grange:
[01:30.516]I heard yesterday you had had some thoughts--'
[01:34.253]`Thrushcross Grange is my own, sir,' he interrupted, wincing. `I should not allow anyone to inconvenience me, if I could hinder it--walk in!'
[01:46.411]The `walk in' was uttered with closed teeth, and expressed the sentiment,
[01:53.472]`Go to the deuce': even the gate over which he leant manifested no sympathizing movement to the words;
[02:01.131]and I think that circumstance determined me to accept the invitation: I felt interested in a man who seemed more exaggeratedly reserved than myself.
[02:13.874]When he saw my horse's breast fairly pushing the barrier, he did put out his hand to unchain it,
[02:21.628]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.'
[02:32.392]`Here we have the whole establishment of domestics, I suppose,' was the reflection suggested by this compound order.
[02:41.989]`No wonder the grass grows up between the flags, and cattle are the only hedge-cutters.
[02:48.017]Joseph was an elderly, nay, an old man: very old, perhaps, though hale and sinewy.
[02:56.520]`The Lord help us!' he soliloquized in an undertone of peevish displeasure, while relieving me of my horse:
[03:04.954]looking, meantime, in my face so sourly that I charitably conjectured he must have need of divine aid to digest his dinner,
[03:14.116]and his pious bullshit had no reference to my unexpected advent.
[03:19.250]Wuthering Heights is the name of Mr Heathcliff's dwelling.
[03:25.392]`Wuthering' being a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather.
[03:35.739]Pure, bracing ventilation they must have up there at all times, indeed;
[03:42.295]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;
[03:51.468]and by a range of gaunt thorns all stretching their limbs one way, as if craving alms of the sun.
[04:00.036]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.
[04:11.689]Before passing the threshold, I paused to admire a quantity of grotesque carving lavished over the front, and especially about the principal door;
[04:23.079]above which, among a wilderness of crumbling griffins and shameless little boys, I detected the date `1500', and the name `Hareton Earnshaw'.
[04:33.878]I would have made a few comments, and requested a short history of the place from the surly owner;
[04:40.544]but his attitude at the door appeared to demand my speedy entrance, or complete departure,
[04:47.456]and I had no desire to aggravate his impatience previous to inspecting the penetralium.
[04:53.941]One step brought us into the family sitting-room, without any introductory lobby or passage: they call it here `the house' preeminently.
[05:04.948]It includes kitchen and parlour, generally; but I believe at Wuthering Heights the kitchen is forced to retreat altogether into another quarter:
[05:16.518]at least I distinguished a chatter of tongues, and a clatter of culinary utensils, deep within;
[05:21.646]and I observed no signs of roasting, boiling, or baking, about the huge fireplace;
[05:29.220]nor any glitter of copper saucepans and tin cullenders on the walls.
[05:33.819]One end, indeed, reflected splendidly both light and heat from ranks of immense pewter dishes, interspersed with silver jugs and tankards,
[05:45.098]towering row after row, on a vast oak dresser, to the very roof.
[05:50.301]The latter had never been underdrawn: its entire anatomy lay bare to an inquiring eye,
[05:58.034]except where a frame of wood laden with oatcakes and clusters of legs of beef, mutton, and ham, concealed it.
[06:06.410]Above the chimney were sundry villainous ; old guns, and a couple of horse-pistols:
[06:13.550]and, by way of ornament, three gaudily painted canisters disposed along its ledge.
[06:19.282]The floor was of smooth, white stone; the chairs, high-backed, primitive structures, painted green:
[06:28.453]one or two heavy black ones lurking in the shade.
[06:32.515]In an arch under the dresser, reposed a huge, liver-coloured bitch pointer,
[06:39.161]surrounded by a swarm of squealing puppies; and other dogs haunted other recesses.
[06:46.064]The apartment and furniture would have been nothing extraordinary as belonging to a homely, northern farmer,
[06:54.139]with a stubborn countenance, and stalwart limbs set out to advantage in knee breeches and gaiters.
[07:00.564]Such an individual seated in his armchair, his mug of ale frothing on the round table before him,
[07:08.488]is to be seen in any circuit of five or six miles among these hills,
[07:12.578]if you go at the right time after dinner.
[07:15.375]But Mr Heathcliff forms a singular contrast to his abode and style of living.
[07:22.265]He is a dark-skinned gipsy in aspect, in dress and manners a gentleman:
[07:29.608]that is, as much a gentleman as many a country squire: rather slovenly, perhaps, yet not looking amiss with his negligence,
[07:38.955]because he has an erect and handsome figure; and rather morose.
[07:45.531]Possibly, some people might suspect him of a degree of under-bred pride;
[07:51.560]I have a sympathetic chord within that tells me it is nothing of the sort:
[07:57.455]I know, by instinct, his reserve springs from an aversion to showy displays of feeling--to manifestations of mutual kindliness.
[08:08.479]He'll love and hate equally under cover, and esteem it a species of impertinence to be loved or hated again.
[08:17.332]No, I'm running on too fast: I bestow my own attributes over liberally on him.
[08:24.956]Mr Heathcliff may have entirely dissimilar reasons for keeping his hand out of the way
[08:31.544]when he meets a would-be acquaintance, to those which actuate me.
[08:36.706]Let me hope my constitution is almost peculiar: my dear mother used to say I should never have a comfortable home;
[08:44.879]and only last summer I proved myself perfectly unworthy of one.
[08:51.079]While enjoying a month of fine weather at the sea coast, I was thrown into the company of a most fascinating creature:
[08:59.780]a real goddess in my eyes, as long as she took no notice of me.
[09:05.454]I `never told my love' vocally; still, if looks have language, the merest idiot might have guessed I was over head and ears:
[09:17.111]she understood me at last, and looked a return--the sweetest of all imaginable looks.
[09:26.174]And what did I do?
[09:28.810]I confess it with shame--shrunk icily into myself, like a snail;
[09:35.473]at every glance retired colder and further; till finally the poor innocent was led to doubt her own senses,
[09:44.735]and, overwhelmed with confusion at her supposed mistake, persuaded her mamma to decamp.
[09:51.503]By this curious turn of disposition I have gained the reputation of deliberate heartlessness; how undeserved, I alone can appreciate.
[10:02.316]I took a seat at the end of the hearthstone opposite that towards which my landlord advanced,
[10:09.953]and filled up an interval of silence by attempting to caress the canine mother, who had left her nursery,
[10:17.583]and was sneaking wolfishly to the back of my legs, her lip curled up,
[10:22.419]and her white teeth watering for a snatch. My caress provoked a long, guttural gnarl.
[10:31.287]`You'd better let the dog alone,' growled Mr Heathcliff in unison, checking fiercer demonstrations with a punch of his foot.
[10:40.805]`She's not accustomed to be spoiled--not kept for a pet.' Then, striding to a side door, he shouted again, `Joseph!'
[10:51.514]Joseph mumbled indistinctly in the depths of the cellar, but gave no intimation of ascending;
[10:58.987]so his master dived down to him,
[11:01.987]leaving me vis-à-vis the ruffianly bitch and a pair of grim-looking bitchy sheep-dogs, who shared with her a jealous guardianship over all my movements.
[11:12.405]Not anxious to come in contact with their fangs, I sat still;
[11:18.140]but, imagining they would scarcely understand tacit insults,
[11:23.752]I unfortunately indulged in winking and making faces at the trio,
[11:28.002]and some turn of my physiognomy so irritated madam, that she suddenly broke into a fury and leapt on my knees.
[11:37.484]I flung her back, and hastened to interpose the table between us.
[11:42.318]This proceeding roused the whole hive: half a dozen four-footed fiends, of various sizes and ages, issued from hidden dens to the common centre.
[11:54.357]I felt my heels and coat-laps peculiar su**ects of assault; and parrying off the larger combatants as effectually as I could with the poker,
[12:05.125]I was constrained to demand, aloud, assistance from some of the household in re-establishing peace.
[12:12.439]Mr Heathcliff and his man climbed the cellar steps with vexatious phlegm:
[12:19.317]I don't think they moved one second faster than usual, though the hearth was an absolute tempest of worrying and yelping.
[12:27.361]Happily, an inhabitant of the kitchen made more dispatch: a lusty dame, with tucked-up gown, bare arms,
[12:36.161]and fire-flushed cheeks, rushed into the midst of us flourishing a frying-pan: and used that weapon, and her tongue, to such purpose,
[12:44.748]that the storm subsided magically, and she only remained, heaving like a sea after a high wind, when her master entered on the scene.
[12:54.115]`What the devil is the matter?' he asked, eyeing me in a manner that I could ill endure after this inhospitable treatment.
[13:03.424]`What the devil, indeed!' I muttered.
[13:07.348]`The herd of possessed swine could have had no worse spirits in them than those animals of yours, sir.
[13:13.173]You might as well leave a stranger with a brood of tigers!'
[13:16.441]`They won't meddle with persons who touch nothing,' he remarked, putting the bottle before me,
[13:22.941]and restoring the displaced table. `The dogs do right to be vigilant. Take a glass of wine?'
[13:30.239]`No, thank you.'
[13:32.329]`Not bitten, are you?'
[13:36.114]`If I had been, I would have set my signet on the biter.'
[13:39.078]Heathcliff's countenance relaxed into a grin.
[13:42.614]`Come, come,' he said, `you are flurried, Mr Lockwood. Here, take a little wine.
[13:49.826]Guests are so exceedingly rare in this house that I and my dogs, I am willing to own, hardly know how to receive them. Your health, sir!'
[14:00.253]I bowed and returned the pledge;
[14:06.279]beginning to perceive that it would be foolish to sit sulking for the misbehaviour of a pack of curs:
[14:11.155]besides, I felt loath to yield the fellow further amusement at my expense;
[14:17.249]since the humour took that turn.
[14:21.221]He--probably swayed by prudential consideration of the folly of offending a good tenant--
[14:26.923]relaxed a little in the laconic style of chipping off his pronouns and auxiliary verbs,
[14:33.079]and introduced what he supposed would be a su**ect of interest to me--a discourse on the advantages and disadvantages of my present place of retirement.
[14:43.688]I found him very intelligent on the topics we touched;
[14:47.625]and before I went home, I was encouraged so far as to volunteer another visit tomorrow.
[14:54.141]He evidently wished no repetition of my intrusion. I shall go, notwithstanding. It is astonishing how sociable I feel myself compared with him.
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