7 Wuthering Heights Read And 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, Catherine spends five weeks at Thrushcross Grange, where Mrs. Linton teaches her to become a refined young lady.

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 Seven Kathy stayed at Thrushcross Grange five weeks until Christmas.

By that time her ankle was thoroughly cured and her manners much improved.

The mistress visited her often in the interval and commenced her plan of reform by trying to raise her self-respect with fine clothes and flattery which she took readily.

So that instead of a wild,

Hatless little savage jumping into the house and rushing to squeeze us all breathless,

They're lighted from a handsome black pony,

A very dignified person,

With brown ringlets falling from the cover of a feathered beaver and a long cloth habit which she was obliged to hold up with both hands that she might sail in.

Hindley lifted her from the horse exclaiming delightedly,

Why,

Kathy,

You're quite a beauty.

I should scarcely have known you.

You look like a lady now.

Isabella Linton is not to be compared with her,

Is she,

Francis?

Isabella has not her natural advantages,

Replied his wife,

But she must mind and not grow wild again here.

Ellen helped Miss Katherine off with her things.

Stay dear,

You will disarrange your curls.

Let me untie your hat.

This was addressed to me,

Said Mrs Dean,

So I removed the habit and there shone forth beneath a grand plaid silk frock,

White trousers and burnished shoes,

And while her eyes sparkled joyfully when the dogs came bounding up to welcome her,

She dared hardly touch them lest they should fawn upon her splendid garments.

She kissed me gently.

I was all flower-making the Christmas cake.

It would not have done to give me a hug.

Then she looked around for Heathcliff.

Mr and Mrs Earnshaw watched anxiously their meeting,

Thinking it would enable them to judge in some measure what grounds they had for hoping to succeed in separating the two.

Heathcliff was hard to discover at first.

If he were careless and uncareful before Katherine's absence,

He'd been ten times more so since.

Nobody but I even did him the kindness to call him a dirty boy and bid him wash himself once a week,

And children of his age seldom have a natural pleasure in soap and water.

Therefore,

Not to mention his clothes,

Which had seen three months' service in mire and dust,

And his thick uncombed hair,

The surface of his face and hands was dismally beclouded.

He might well skonk behind the settle on beholding such a bright graceful damsel instead of a rough-headed counterpart as himself,

But Kathy seemed not to mind.

Is Heathcliff not here?

She demanded,

Pulling off her gloves,

Displaying fingers wonderfully whitened,

Doing nothing and staying indoors.

Heathcliff,

You may come forward,

Cried Mr Hindley,

Enjoying his discomfiture,

And gratified to see what a forbidding young blackguard he would be compelled to present himself.

You may come and wish Miss Katherine welcome like the other servants,

He said.

Kathy,

Catching a glimpse of her friend in his concealment,

Flew to embrace him and then stopped drawing back and burst into a laugh.

Why,

How very black and cross you look,

She said,

And how funny and grim.

Have you forgotten me,

Heathcliff?

She had some reason to put the question for shame and pride through double gloom over his countenance and kept him immovable.

Shake hands,

Heathcliff,

Said Mr Earnshaw condescendingly,

Once in a way that's permitted.

I shall not,

Says Heathcliff,

Finding his tongue at last.

I shall not stand to be laughed at.

I'll not bear it.

He would have broken from the circle,

But Miss Kathy seized him again.

I did not mean to laugh at you,

She said.

I couldn't hinder myself.

Heathcliff,

Shake hands at least.

What are you sulky for?

I just said that you looked odd.

If you wash your face and brush your hair,

It'd be all right,

But you're so dirty,

Said she.

Then she gazed concernedly at the dusky fingers in her own and at her dress,

Which she figured again no embellishment from his contact with his.

You needn't have touched me,

He answered,

Following her eye and snatching away his hand.

I shall be as dirty as I please,

And I like to be dirty,

And I will be dirty.

And with that,

Heathcliff dashed headforemost out of the room.

After playing ladies' maid to the newcomer and putting my cakes in the oven and making the house and kitchen cheerful,

Continued Mrs Dean,

I prepared to sit down and amuse myself by singing carols all alone.

Regardless of Joseph's affirmations that he considered the merry tunes,

I chose as next door to songs.

He'd retired to private prayer in his chamber,

And Mr and Mrs Earnshaw were engaging Mrs's attention by gay trifles bought for her,

Present to the little Lingtons as an acknowledgement of their kindness.

They'd invited them to spend the morrow at Wuthering Heights,

And the invitation had been accepted.

On one condition,

Mrs Linton begged her darlings must be kept carefully apart from that naughty,

Swearing boy.

Under these circumstances,

I remained solitary.

I smelt the rich scent of the heating spices and admired the shining kitchen utensils,

The polished clock decked in holly,

The silver mugs arranged on a tray ready to be filled with mulled ale,

And above all the speckless purity of my particular care,

The scowled and well-swept floor.

I gave due inward applause to every object,

Then I remembered how old Earnshaw used to come in when all was tidied,

And slip a shilling into my hand as a Christmas box,

And from that I went on to think of his fondness for Heathcliff,

And his dread lest he should suffer neglect after death had removed him.

That naturally led me to consider the poor lad's situation now,

And from singing I changed my mind to crying.

It struck me soon,

However,

There being more sense in endeavouring to repair some of his roles than shedding tears over them,

So I got up and walked into the court to seek him.

He wasn't far.

I found him smoothing the glossy coat of the new pony in the stable and feeding the other beasts.

Make haste,

Heathcliff,

I said.

The kitchen's so comfortable and Joseph's upstairs.

Make haste and let me dress you smart before Miss Cathy comes out,

Then you can sit together.

You can have the whole half to yourselves and a long chat until bedtime.

He proceeded with his task and never even turned his head.

Are you coming?

I continued.

There's a little cake for each of you,

Nearly enough,

And you'll need half an hour's donning.

Then I waited five minutes more,

But getting no answer I left him.

That night Catherine supped with her brother and sister-in-law.

Joseph and I joined in an unsociable meal,

Seasoned with reproofs on one side and sauciness on the other.

His cake and cheese remained on the table all night for the fairies.

He managed to continue work till nine o'clock,

Then marched dumb and dour to his chamber.

Cathy sat up late,

Having a world of things to order for the reception of her new friends.

She came in once to speak to the old one,

But he was gone and she only asked to say what was the matter with him.

Then she went back again.

In the morning Heathcliff rose early.

As it was a holiday,

He carried his ill humour out onto the malls,

Not reappearing till the family were departed for church.

Fasting and reflection seemed to have brought him to a better spirit though,

And he hung about me for a while.

Then,

Having screwed up his courage,

He exclaimed abruptly,

Nelly,

Make me decent,

I'm going to be good.

Make me decent,

I'm going to be good.

High time Heathcliff,

I said,

You have grieved Catherine,

She's sorry she ever came home,

I dare say.

It looks as if you envied her because she's more thought of than you.

The notion of envying Catherine was of course incomprehensible to Heathcliff,

But the notion of grieving her he understood clearly enough.

Did she say I was grieved,

He inquired looking very serious.

She cried when I told her you were off again this morning,

Said Mrs.

Dean.

Well,

I cried last night,

He returned,

And I had more reason to cry than she.

Yes,

You had the reason of going to bed with a proud heart and an empty stomach.

Proud people breed sad sorrows themselves,

Mrs.

Dean replied,

But if you be ashamed for your touchiness,

You must ask hard mind when she comes in,

You must go up and offer to kiss her and say,

Well,

Only you know best what to say.

And now,

Though I've got dinner to get ready,

I'll still time to arrange you so that Edgar Linton shall look quite a doll beside you.

You are younger,

And yet I'll be bound you're taller and twice as broad across the shoulders as him.

You can knock him down in a twinkling,

Don't you feel you could?

At this,

Heathcliff's face brightened in a moment,

And then it was overcast again,

And he sighed.

But Nellie,

If I knocked him down 20 times,

That wouldn't make him less handsome,

Or me more so.

I wish I had light hair and fair skin and was dressed and behaved as well,

And have a chance of being as rich as he'll be.

And cry for Mama at every turn,

Said Mrs.

Dean,

And trembled if a country lad heaved his fist against you and sat at home all day for a shower of rain.

Oh,

Heathcliff,

You're showing a poor spirit.

Come to the glass and I'll let you see what you should wish.

Wish and learn to smooth away the surly wrinkles on your face.

Instead,

Raise your eyelids frankly and change the fiends to confident,

Innocent angels,

Suspecting and doubting nothing.

In other words,

I must wish for Edgar Linton's great blue eyes and even forehead,

Said Heathcliff.

I do,

And that won't help me to them.

A good heart will help you to a bonny face,

My lad,

Said Mrs.

Dean.

If you were regular black and a bad one will turn the bonniest into something worse and ugly.

And now we're done washing and combing and sulking,

Tell me whether you don't think yourself rather handsome.

I'll tell you I do.

You're fit for a prince in disguise.

Who knows but your father was Emperor of China and your mother an Indian queen,

Each of them able to buy up with one week's income,

Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange together.

And you were captured by wicked sailors and brought to England.

Were I in your place,

I'd frame high notions of my birth and the thoughts of what I should give would give me courage to support the oppressions of a little farmer.

And so Mrs.

Dean chatted on and Heathcliff gradually lost his young frown and began to look quite pleasant.

Then all at once their conversation was interrupted by a rumbling sound moving up the road and entering the court.

Heathcliff ran to the window and Mrs.

Dean to the door,

Just in time to behold the two Lintons descend from the family carriage,

Smothered in cloaks and furs and the Earnshaw's dismount from their horses.

They often rode to church in winter.

Catherine took a hand of each of the children and brought them into the house and set them before the fire,

Which quickly put colour into their white faces.

Mrs.

Dean urged Heathcliff to hasten and show his amiable humour and he willingly obeyed.

But ill luck would have it that as he opened the door leading from the kitchen on one side,

Hindley opened it on the other.

They met and the master,

Irritated at seeing him clean and cheerful,

Or perhaps eager to keep his promise to Mrs.

Linton,

Shoved him back with a sudden thrust and angrily bade Joseph keep the fellow out of the room,

Send him into the garret till dinner's over.

He'd be cramming his fingers in the tarts and stealing the fruit if left alone with them a minute.

"'Me,

Sir,

' protested Mrs.

Green.

"'He'll touch nothing,

Not he,

And I suppose he must have his share of the dainties as well as we.

' "'Shall have the share of my hand,

' said Hindley,

If I catch him downstairs till dark.

Be gone,

You vagabond!

You're attempting the coxcomb,

Are you?

Wait till I get hold of those elegant locks,

See if I won't pull them a bit longer.

' "'They're long enough already,

' observed Master Linton,

Peeping from the doorway.

"'I wonder they don't make his head ache.

It's like a colt's mane over his eyes.

' Heathcliff listened,

But his violent nature was not prepared to endure the appearance of impertinence from one who he seemed to hate even then as a rival.

He seized a tureen of hot apple sauce and dashed it full against the speaker's face and neck,

Who instantly commenced a lament that brought Isabella and Catherine hurrying.

Mr.

Earnshaw snatched up the culprit directly and conveyed him to his chamber,

Where doubtless he administered a rough remedy to cool the fit of passion,

For Heathcliff appeared red and breathless.

Mrs.

Dean picked up the dishcloth and rather spitefully scrubbed Edgar's nose and mouth,

Affirming it served him right for meddling.

Then his sister began weeping to go home,

And Cathy stood by confounded,

Blushing for awe.

"'You should not have spoken to him,

' she expostulated with Master Linton.

"'He was in a bad temper,

And now you spoilt your visit,

And he'll be flogged.

"'I hate Heathcliff to be flogged.

I can't eat my dinner now.

Why did you speak to him,

Edgar?

' "'I didn't,

' sobbed the youth,

Escaping from Mrs.

Dean's hands and finishing the remainder of the purification with his cambrick pocket-handkerchief.

"'I promised Mama I wouldn't say one word to him,

And I didn't.

' "'Well,

Don't cry,

' replied Catherine contemptuously.

"'You're not killed.

Don't make more mischief.

My brother's coming.

Be quiet.

"'And you,

Hush,

Isabella.

Anybody hurt you?

' "'Bring their children to your seats,

' cried Hindley,

Bustling in.

"'That brute of a lad's warmed me nicely.

Next time,

Master Edgar,

Take the law into your own fists.

It'll give you an appetite.

' The little party recovered its equanimity at sight of the fragrant feast.

Mr.

Earnshaw carved bountiful platefuls,

And the mistress made them merry with lively talks.

Mrs.

Dean waited behind her chair and was pained to behold Catherine,

With dry eyes and an indifferent air,

Commenced cutting up the wing of a goose before her.

She thought her an unfeeling child that could quite easily dismiss her old playmate's troubles.

Then,

As she lifted a mouthful to her lips,

She set it down again,

Her cheeks flushed,

And the tears gushed over them.

Her fork slipped to the floor,

And hastily she dived under the cloth to conceal her emotion.

The rest of the day she was in purgatory,

And wearing to find an opportunity of getting by herself,

Or paying a visit to Heathcliff,

Who had been locked up.

In the evening they had a dance.

Cathy begged,

Heathcliff might be liberated then,

But it was not to be.

Then,

After the usual carols had been sung,

They were set to songs and lees.

Mrs.

Earnshaw loved the music,

And Catherine loved it too,

But she said it sounded sweetest at the top of the steps,

And she went up in the dark.

Then she mounted to the garret where Heathcliff was confined and called him.

He suddenly declined answering for a while,

But she persevered.

And finally she persuaded him to hold communion with her through the boards.

They stayed there for some time.

Cathy came down,

Heathcliff with her,

And she insisted Mrs.

Dean would take them into the kitchen,

As the prisoner had never broken his fast till yesterday's dinner.

Heathcliff was offered a good quantity of things,

But he was sick and could eat little.

Any attempts to entertain him were thrown away.

He lent his two elbows on his knees and his chin on his hands,

And he remained wrapped in dumb meditation.

I'm trying to settle how I should pay Hindy back,

He answered at last.

I don't care how long I wait,

If I can only do it.

I hope he'll not die before I do.

For shame,

Heathcliff,

Said Mrs.

Dean.

It's for God to punish wicked people,

We should learn to forgive them,

Heathcliff replied.

No,

God won't have the satisfaction I shall.

I only wish I knew the best way.

Let me alone,

Mrs.

Dean.

Plan it out all right,

But when I'm thinking of that,

Don't feel any pain.

It was a while until Mrs.

Dean finished her story.

You've done just right to tell the story leisurely,

I said.

That is the method I like,

Mrs.

Dean,

And you must finish it in the same style.

I'm interested in every character you've mentioned,

More or less.

But the clock's on the stroke of eleven,

Sir,

Said she.

I'm not accustomed to go to bed in the long hours,

Said I.

One or two is early enough for a person One or two is early enough for a person who lies till ten.

You shouldn't lie till ten.

There's the very prime of the morning gone long before that time.

A person who's not done one half his day's work by ten o'clock funds a chance of leaving the other half undone.

Nevertheless,

Mrs.

Dean,

I persisted,

Resume your chair,

Because tomorrow I intend lightening the night till afternoon.

I hope not,

Sir.

Well,

You must allow me to leave for some three years.

No,

I'll allow nothing of the sort,

Said I.

Are you acquainted with a mood of mind in which if you were seated alone and the cat licking its kitten on the rug before you,

You would watch the operation so intently that the neglect of one ear would put you seriously out of temper?

A terribly lazy mood,

I should say,

Said Mrs.

Dean.

On the contrary,

Said I,

A tiresomely active one.

Now continue.

And so she did.

But instead of leaping on three years,

She was content to pass to the next summer,

The summer of 1778,

Nearly twenty-three years ago.

Reviews

Oh children. Thank goodness for helpful kindness of elders guiding them. A very good chapter. Thank you so💕🌹🌻