12 Cont. Wuthering Heights - Abridged By Stephanie Poppins

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë is a gothic novel that follows the antihero, Heathcliff, as he gets revenge on the people who kept him away from his love, Cathy Earnshaw. After over a decade, he finally succeeds in his revenge and gains Thrushcross Grange, the family home of Cathy's husband.

In this episode, we come to understand it's not the depth of Edgar's love that's less than Heathcliff's, it is its nature—his love is nurturing and passive, as opposed to wild and unruly.

Transcript

Hello. Welcome to Sleep Stories with Steph, Your go-to romantic podcast that guarantees you a calm and entertaining transition into a great night's sleep. Come with me as we immerse ourselves in a romantic journey to a time long since forgotten. Emily Bronte was born in Yorkshire in 1818 and along with her brother and sisters Anne and Charlotte wrote from childhood onwards. Wuthering Heights is the story she is best remembered for. But before we begin let's take a moment to focus on where we are now. Take a deep breath in through your nose and let it out with a long sigh. That's it. Now close your eyes and feel yourself sink deeper into the support beneath you. It is time to relax and fully let go. There is nothing you need to be doing now and nowhere you need to go. Happy listening. Chapter 12 continued. I heard the rattle of the door handle and Mr Linton entered, Continued Nellie. He'd only then come from the library and in passing through the lobby he'd noticed our talkings and been attracted by curiosity or fear to examine what it signified at that late hour. Oh sir, I cried checking the exclamation risen to his lips at the sight of Kathy and the bleak atmosphere of her chamber. My poor mistress is ill and she quite masters me. I can't manage her at all. Pray come and persuade her to go to bed. Forget your anger sir for she's hard to guide in any way but her own. Catherine ill said Mr Linton hastening to us. Shut the window Ellen. Catherine. Why? He was silent. The haggardness of Kathy's appearance smoked him speechless and he could only glance from her to me in horrified astonishment. She's been fretting here, I continued and eating scarcely anything and never complaining. She would admit none of us till this evening so we couldn't inform you of her state as we're not aware of it ourselves. I felt I uttered my explanations awkwardly and the master frowned. Ellen Dean he said sternly. You shall account more clearly for keeping me ignorant of this. Then he took his wife in his arms and looked at her with anguish. At first she gave him no glance of recognition. He was invisible to her abstracted gaze. The delirium was not fixed however having weaned her eyes from contemplating the outer darkness by degrees she centered her attention on him and discovered who it was that held her. Oh you come are you Edgelinton? She said with angry animation. You are one of those things that are ever found when least wanted and when you're wanted never. I suppose we shall have plenty of lamentations now. I see we shall but they can't keep me from my narrow home out yonder. My resting place where I'm bound before spring is over. Where I'm bound before spring is over. There it is not among the Linton's mind under the chapel roof but in the open air with a headstone and you may please yourself whether you go to them or you come to me. Catherine what have you done? Commenced the master. Am I nothing to you anymore? Do you love that wretch Heathcliff? Hush cried Mrs Linton. Hush this moment. You mention that name and I end the matter instantly by spring from the window. What you touch a present you may have but my soul will be on that hilltop before you lay your hands on me again. I don't want you Edgar. I'm past wanting you. Return to your books. I'm glad you possess a consolation of all you had in me is gone. Her mind wanders sir I interposed. She's been talking nonsense the whole evening but let her have her quiet and proper attendance and she'll rally. Hereafter we must be cautious how we vex her. I desire no further advice from you answered Mr Linton. You knew your mistress's nature and you encouraged me to harass her and not to give me one hint of how she's been these three days. It was heartless. Months of sickness could not cause such a change. I began to defend myself thinking it was too bad to be blamed for another's wicked waywardness. I knew Mrs Linton's nature to be headstrong and domineering cried I but I didn't know you wished to foster her fierce temper. I didn't know that to humor her I should wink at Mr Heathcliff. I perform the duty of a faithful servant in telling you and I've got a faithful servant's wages. Well you'll teach me to be careful next time. Next time you may gather intelligence for yourself. The next time you bring a tale to me you shall quit my service Ellen Dean. Edgar replied. You'd rather hear nothing about it I suppose then Mr Linton said I. Heathcliff has your permission to come a-courting to miss and to drop in at every opportunity your absence offers on purpose to poison the mistress against you. Confused as Catherine was her wits were alerted to ply in our conversation. Oh Nellie has played traitor she exclaimed passionately. Nellie is my hidden enemy you witch so you do seek elf-bots to hurt us. Let me go and I'll make her rue I'll make her howl at recantation. A maniac's fury kindled under Cathy's brows. She struggled desperately to disengage herself from Mr Linton's arms and I felt no inclination to tarry the event. Resolving to seek medical aid on my own responsibility I quitted the chamber. Then passing the garden to reach the road at a place where a bridle hook is driven into the wall I saw something white moved irregularly evidently by another agent than the wind. Notwithstanding my hurry I stayed to examine it best ever after I should have the conviction impressed on my imagination it was a creature of another world. My surprise and perplexity were great on discovering by touch more than vision Miss Isabella's Springer Fanny suspended by a handkerchief and nearly at its last gasp. I quickly released the animal and lifted it into the garden. I'd seen it follow its mistress upstairs when she went to bed and wondered much how it could have got out there and what mischievous person had treated so badly. While I'm tying the knot around the hook it seemed to me I repeatedly caught the beat of horse's feet galloping at some distance but there were such a number of things to occupy my reflections I hardly gave the circumstance a thought though it was a great sound in that place at two o'clock in the morning. Mr Kenneth was fortunately just issuing from his house to see a patient in the village as I came up the street. My account of Catherine Linton's malady induced him to accompany me back immediately. He was a plain rough man and he made no scruple to speak his doubts of her surviving his second attack unless she were more submissive to his directions than she'd shown herself before. Nearly Dean said he I can't help fancying there's an extra cause for this. What has there been to do at the Grange? We've odd reports up there a stout hearty lass like Catherine does not fall ill for a trifle and that sort of people should not fall ill either. It's hard work bringing them through fevers and such things. How did it begin? Their master will inform you I answered but you're acquainted with the Earnshaw's violence dispositions and Mrs Linton caps them all. I may say this it commenced in a quarrel she was struck during a tempest of passion with a kind of fit that's her account at least for she flew off in the height of it and locked herself upstairs. Afterwards she refused to eat and now she Afterwards she refused to eat and now she alternately raves and remains in a half dream knowing those about her but having her mind filled with all sorts of strange ideas and illusions. Mr Linton will be sorry observed Mr Kenneth interrogatively. Sorry? I said he'll break his heart should anything happen don't alarm him with more than necessary. Well I told him to beware said my companion and he must bide the consequences of neglecting my warning. Has he been intimate with Mr Heathcliff lately? Heathcliff frequently visits at the Grange answered I though more on the strength of the mistress having known him when a boy and because the master likes his company. At present he's discharged from the trouble of calling owing to some presumptuous aspirations after Miss Linton which he manifested. I hardly think he'll be taking in again and does Miss Linton turn a cold shoulder on him was the doctor's next question. I'm not in her confidence returned I reluctant to continue the subject. No she's a shy one he remarked shaking his head she keeps her own counsel but she's a little fool. I have it from good authority last night she and Heathcliff were walking in the plantation at the back of your house above two hours and he pressed her not to go in again but just mount his horse and away with him. My informant says she could only put him off but pledging a word of honor to be prepared on their first meeting after that. When it was to be he didn't hear but you urged Mr Linton to look sharp. This news filled me with fresh tears. I outstripped Mr Kenneth and ran most of the way back. The little dog was yelping in the garden yet I spared a minute to open the gate for it but instead of going to the house door it coursed up and down snuffing the grass and would have escaped to the road had I not seized it and conveyed it in with me. On ascending to Isabella's room my suspicions were confirmed it was empty. Had I been a few hours sooner Mrs Linton's illness might have arrested her rash step but what could be done now? There was a bare possibility of overtaking them if I pursued instantly. I could not pursue them however and I dared not rouse the family and fill the place with confusion. Still less unfold the business to my master absorbed as he was in his present calamity and having no heart to spare for a second grief. I saw nothing for it but to hold my tongue and suffer matters to take their course and Kenneth being arrived I went with a badly composed countenance to announce him. Catherine lay in a troubled sleep. Her husband had succeeded in soothing the excessive frenzy he now hung over her pillow watching every shade and change of her painfully expressive features. The doctor on examining the case for himself spoke hopefully to him of its having been a favourable termination if we could only preserve around her perfect and constant tranquillity. To me he signified the threatening danger was not so much death as permanent alienation of intellect. I did not close my eyes that night nor did Mr Linton indeed. We never went to bed and the servants were up all long before the usual hour moving through the house with stealthy tread and exchanging whispers as they encountered each other in their vocations. Everyone was active but Miss Isabella and they began to remark how sound she slept. Her brother too had asked if she'd risen and seemed impatient for her presence and hurt she showed so little anxiety for her sister-in-law. I trembled lest he should send me to call her but I was spared the pain of being the first proclaimant of her flight. One of the maids a thoughtless girl who'd been up on an early errand to Gimmerton came panting upstairs open mouthed and dashed into the chamber crying oh dear oh dear what mum we have next master master our young lady hold your noise cried I hastily enraged at her clamorous manner speak lower Mary what is the matter said Mr Linton what ails your young lady she's gone she's gone your Neathcliffe's run off with her gasped the girl that is not true exclaimed Linton rising in agitation it cannot be how has the idea entered your head Ellen Dean go and seek her it's incredible it cannot be as he spoke Mr Linton took the servant to the door then repeated his demand to know her reasons for such an assertion why I met on the road a young lad that fetches milk here she stammered and he asked whether we weren't in trouble at the Grange I thought he meant for the mistress's illness so I answered yes and he says there's someone gone after him I guess I stared he saw I knew nothing about it and he told how a gentleman a lady had stopped to have a shoe fitted at a blacksmith's shop two miles out of Gimmerton not very long after midnight and how the blacksmith's lass had got up to spy who they were and she knew the most directly she noticed the man Heathcliff it was she felt certain nobody could mistake him he put his sovereign in her father's hand for payment the lady had a cloak about her face but having desired a cup of water while she drank it fell back and he saw her very plain Heathcliff held both bridles as they rode on and they set their faces from the village and went as fast as the rough roads would let them the lass said nothing to her father but she told it all over Gimmerton this morning I ran and peeped continued Nellie for form's sake into Isabella's room confirming when I returned the servant's statement Mr Linden had resumed his seat by the bed on my re-entrance raised his eyes read the meaning of my blank aspect and dropped them without giving an order or uttering a word are we to try any measures for overtaking and bringing her back I inquired how should we do she went of her own accord answered Mr Linden she had a right to go if she pleased trouble me no more about my sister hereafter she's my sister only in name not because I disowned her but because she has disowned me and that was all he said on the subject he did not make a single inquiry further or mention her in any way except directing me to send what property she had in the house to her fresh home wherever it was when I knew it you

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Wow. Heavy business continued!
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