I protested against playing that treacherous part in my employers house: and, besides, I urged the cruelty and selfishness of his destroying Mrs
“Take care, Ellen!” answered Isabella, her eyes sparkling irefully; there was no misdoubting by their expression the full success of her partners endeavours to make himself detested. “Dont suitable link put faith in a single word he speaks. Hes a lying fiend! a monster, and not a human being! Only, Ellen, promise youll not mention a syllable of his infamous conversation to my brother or Catherine. Whatever he may pretend, he wishes to provoke Edgar to desperation: he says he has married me on purpose to obtain power over him; and he shant obtain it-Ill die first! I just hope, I pray, that he may forget his diabolical prudence and kill me! ”
“There-that will do for the present!” said Heathcliff. “If you are called upon in a court of law, youll remember her language, Nelly! And take a good look at that countenance: shes near the point which would suit me. No; youre not fit to be your own guardian, Isabella, now; and I, being your legal protector, must retain you in my custody, however distasteful the obligation may be. Go upstairs; I have something to say to Ellen Dean in private. Thats not the way: upstairs, I tell you! Why, this is the road upstairs, child!”
He seized, and thrust her from the room; and returned muttering-“I have no pity! I have no pity! The more the worms writhe, the more I yearn to crush out their entrails! It is a moral teething; and I grind with greater energy in proportion to the increase of pain.”
“Do you understand what the word pity means?” I said, hastening to resume my bonnet. “Did you ever feel a touch of it in your life?”
The single pleasure I can imagine is to die, or to see him dead!
“Put that down!” he interrupted, perceiving my intention to depart. “You are not going yete here now, Nelly: I must either persuade or compel you to aid me in fulfilling my determination to see Catherine, and that without delay. I swear that I meditate no harm: I dont desire to cause any disturbance, or to exasperate or insult Mr. Linton; I only wish to hear from herself how she is, and why she has been ill; and to ask if anything that I could do would be of use to her. Last night I was in the Grange garden six hours, and Ill return there to-night; and every night Ill haunt the place, and every day, till I find an opportunity of entering. If Edgar Linton meets me, I shall not hesitate to knock him down, and give him enough to insure his quiescence while I stay. If his servants oppose me, I shall threaten them off with these pistols. But wouldnt it be better to prevent my coming in contact with them, or their master? And you could do it so easily. Id warn you when I came, and then you might let me in unobserved, as soon as she was alone, and watch till I departed, your conscience quite calm: you would be hindering mischief.”
Lintons tranquillity for his satisfaction. “The commonest occurrence startles her painfully,” I said. “Shes all nerves, and she couldnt bear the surprise, Im positive. Dont persist, sir! or else I shall be obliged to inform my master of your designs; and hell take measures to secure his house and its inmates from any such unwarrantable intrusions!”