She was about to dart off again; but Edgar arrested her.
'YOU bid him step up,' he said, addressing me; 'and, Catherine, try
to be glad, without being absurd. The whole household need not
witness the sight of your welcoming a runaway servant as a
brother.'
I descended, and found Heathcliff waiting under the porch,
evidently anticipating an invitation to enter. He followed my
guidance without waste of words, and I ushered him into the
presence of the master and mistress, whose flushed cheeks betrayed
signs of warm talking. But the lady's glowed with another feeling
when her friend appeared at the door: she sprang forward, took
both his hands, and led him to Linton; and then she seized Linton's
reluctant fingers and crushed them into his. Now, fully revealed
by the fire and candlelight, I was amazed, more than ever, to
behold the transformation of Heathcliff. He had grown a tall,
athletic, well-formed man; beside whom my master seemed quite
slender and youth-like. His upright carriage suggested the idea of
his having been in the army. His countenance was much older in
expression and decision of feature than Mr. Linton's; it looked
intelligent, and retained no marks of former degradation. A half-
civilised ferocity lurked yet in the depressed brows and eyes full
of black fire, but it was subdued; and his manner was even
dignified: quite divested of roughness, though stern for grace.
My master's surprise equalled or exceeded mine: he remained for a
minute at a loss how to address the ploughboy, as he had called
him. Heathcliff dropped his slight hand, and stood looking at him
coolly till he chose to speak.
|