`Oh!' exclaimed Catherine, too enraged to continue.`And she loved mine!' added he.
`You little liar! I hate you now,' she panted, and her face grew red with passion.
`She did! she did!' sang Linton, sinking into the recess of his chair, and leaning back his head to enjoy the agitation of the other disputant, who stood behind.
`Hush, Master Heathcliff!' I said; `that's your father's tale, too, I suppose.'
`It isn't: you hold your tongue!' he answered.`She did, she did, Catherine! she did, she did!'
Cathy, beside herself, gave the chair a violent push, and caused him to fall against one arm.He was immediately seized by a suffocating cough that soon ended his triumph.It lasted so long that it frightened even me.As to his cousin, she wept, with all her might; aghast at the mischief she had done: though she said nothing.I held him till the fit exhausted itself.Then he thrust me away, and leant his head down silently.
Catherine quelled her lamentations also, took a seat opposite, and looked solemnly into the fire.
`How do you feel now, Master Heathcliff?' I inquired, after waiting ten minutes.
`I wish she felt as I do,' he replied: `spiteful, cruel thing! Hareton never touches me: he never struck me in his life.And Iwas better today: and there--` his voice died in a whimper.
`I didn't strike you!' muttered Cathy, chewing her lip to prevent another burst of emotion.
He sighed and moaned like one under great suffering, and kept it up for a quarter of an hour; on purpose to distress his cousin apparently, for whenever he caught a stifled sob from her he put renewed pain and pathos into the inflections of his voice.
`I'm sorry I hurt you, Linton,' she said at length, racked beyond endurance.`But I couldn't have been hurt by that little push, and I had no idea that you could, either: you're not much, are you, Linton?
Don't let me go home thinking I've done you harm.Answer! speak to me.'
`I can't speak to you,' he murmured; `you've hurt me so, that I shall lie awake all night choking with this cough.If you had it you'd know what it was; but you'll be comfortably asleep while I'm in agony, and nobody near me.I wonder how you would like to pass those fearful nights!' And he began to wail aloud, for very pity of himself.
`Since you are in the habit of passing dreadful nights,' I said, `it won't be miss who spoils your ease: you'd be the same had she never come.However, she shall not disturb you again; and perhaps you'll get quieter when we leave you.
`Must I go?' asked Catherine dolefully, bending over him.`Do you want me to go, Linton?'
`You can't alter what you've done,' he replied pettishly, shrinking from her, `unless you alter it for the worse by teasing me into a fever.'
`Well, then, I must go?' she repeated.
`Let me alone, at least,' said he; `I can't bear your talking.'
She lingered, and resisted my persuasions to departure a tiresome while; but as he neither looked up nor spoke, she finally made a movement to the door and I followed.We were recalled by a scream.Linton had slid from his seat on to the hearthstone, and lay writhing in the mere perverseness of an indulged plague of a child, determined to be as grievous and harassing as it can.I thoroughly gauged his disposition from his behaviour, and saw at once it would be folly to attempt humouring him.Not so my companion:
she ran back in terror, knelt down, and cried, and soothed, and entreated, till he grew quiet from lack of breath: by no means from compunction at distressing her.
`I shall lift him on the settle,' I said, `and he may roll about as he pleases: we can't stop to watch him.I hope you are satisfied, Miss Cathy, that you are not the person to benefit him; and that his condition of health is not occasioned by attachment to you.Now, then, there he is! Come away: as soon as he knows there is nobody by to care for his nonsense, he'll be glad to lie still.'
She placed a cushion under his head, and offered him some water;he rejected the latter, and tossed uneasily on the former, as if it were a stone or a block of wood.She tried to put it more comfortably.
`I can't do with that,' he said; `it's not high enough.'
Catherine brought another to lay above it.
`That's too high,' murmured the provoking thing.
`How must I arrange it, then?' she asked despairingly.
He twined himself up to her, as she half knelt by the settle, and converted her shoulder into a support.
`No, that won't do,' I said.`You'll be content with the cushion, Master Heathcliff.Miss has wasted too much time on you already: we cannot remain five minutes longer.'
`Yes, yes, we can!' replied Cathy.`He's good and patient now.
He's beginning to think I shall have far greater misery than he will tonight, if I believe he is the worse for my visit; and then I dare not come again.
Tell the truth about it, Linton; for I mustn't come, if I have hurt you.'
