18 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.
This Episode:

Nelly chases after Cathy and soon finds her at Wuthering Heights. Cathy refuses to leave when Nelly tells her to, however—she wants to stay with Hareton. Cathy's interest in Hareton turn to contempt, though, when she learns from Nelly that Hareton isn't the son of the master of Wuthering Heights. Cathy starts to order Hareton around, who much to her surprise and indignation curses back at her.

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 18 continued.

Listening all the while to me admonishing Kathy,

Continued Nellie,

Hayton stood with his hands in his pockets too awkward to speak as if he did not relish my intrusion.

I picked up Kathy's hat and approached to reinstate it but perceiving that the people of the house all took her part Kathy commenced capering around the room and on my giving chase she ran like a mouse over and under behind the furniture rendering it ridiculous for me to pursue her.

Hayton and the woman laughed and she joined them and waxed most impertinent until I cried in great irritation.

Well Miss Kathy if you were aware whose house this is you'd be glad enough to get out of it.

It's your father's isn't it she said turning to Hayton.

No he replied looking down and blushing bashfully.

He could not stand a steady gaze from her eyes though they were just his own.

Who's then your master's she asked.

Hayton coloured deeply with a different feeling muttering an oath and turning away.

Who is his master continued the tiresome girl appealing to me.

He talked about our house and our folk.

I thought he'd been the owner's son and he never said miss.

He should have said miss shouldn't he Nellie if he's a servant.

Hayton grew black as a thunder cloud at this childish speech.

I silently shook my questioner and at last succeeded in equipping her for departure.

Now get my horse she said addressing her unknown kinsman as she would one of the stable boys at the Grange and you may come with me.

I want to see where the goblin hunter rises in the marsh and to hear about the fairies as you call them but make haste.

What's the matter Hayton?

Get my horse I say.

I'll see thee damn before I be thy servant growled the lad.

You'll see me what asked Catherine in surprise.

Damn thou saucy witch he replied.

There miss Caffey you see you've got into pretty company I interposed.

Nice words to be used to a young lady Hayton.

Don't begin to dispute with him Caffey.

Come let us seek for many ourselves and be gone.

But Ellen cried she staring fixed in astonishment.

How dare he speak to me so?

Mustn't he be made to do as I ask?

You wicked creature she turned to him.

I shall tell papa you said.

Hayton did not appear to feel this threat so the tears sprung into Caffey's eyes with indignation.

You bring the pony she exclaimed staring at the woman and let my dog free this moment.

Softly miss answered the addressed you'll lose nothing by being civil though Mr Hayton there be not the master's son he's your cousin and I was never hired to serve you.

Hey my cousin cried Caffey with a scornful laugh.

Yes indeed responded her reprover.

Oh Ellen don't let them say such things little Caffey pursued in great trouble.

Papa has gone to fetch my cousin from London.

My cousin's a gentleman's son that's my.

She stopped and wept outright upset at the bare notion of a relationship with such a clown.

Harsh I whispered people can have many cousins and of all sorts miss Caffey without being any of the worse for it.

Only they needn't keep their company if they be disagreeable and bad.

He's not he's not my cousin Ellen she went on gathering fresh grief from recollection and flinging herself into my arms for refuge from the idea.

I was much vexed at her and the servant for their mutual revelations having no doubt of Linton's approaching arrival communicated by the former and being reported to by Mr Heathcliff.

I felt as confident that Catherine's first thought on her father's return would be to seek an explanation of the latter's assertion concerning her rude bred kindred.

Hayton meanwhile recovering from his disgust at being taken for a servant seen moved by little Caffey's distress and having fetched the pony round to the back door he took a fine crooked leather terrier welt from the kennel and putting it into her hand bid her a whist for he meant nowt.

Pausing in her lamentations little Caffey surveyed him with a glance of awe and horror then burst forth anew.

I could scarcely refrain from smiling at this antipathy to the poor fellow who was a well-made athletic youth good-looking in features and stout and healthy but attired in garments befitting his daily occupations of working on the farm and lounging among the moors after rabbits and game.

Still I thought I could detect in his physiognomy a mind owning better qualities than his father ever possessed.

Good things lost amid a wilderness of weeds to be sure whose rankness far overtop their neglected growth yet notwithstanding evidence of a wealthy soil that might yield luxuriant crops under other unfavourable circumstances.

Mr Heathcliff I believe had not treated him physically ill thanks to Hairton's fearless nature which offered no temptation to that course of oppression.

It had none of the timid susceptibility that would have given zest to ill treatment in Heathcliff's judgment.

Heathcliff appeared to have bent his malevolence on making Hairton a brute.

He had never been taught to read or write never rebuked for any bad habit which didn't annoy his keeper never lent a single step towards virtue or guarded by a single precept against vice and from what I heard Joseph contributed much to his deterioration by a narrow-minded partiality which prompted him to flatter and pet him as a boy because he was head of the old family and as he'd been in the habit of accusing Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff when children of putting the master past his patience and compelling him to seek solace and drink by what he termed their off-led ways so at present he laid the whole burden of Hairton's faults on the shoulder of Heathcliff.

If Hairton swore he wouldn't correct him nor however culpably he behaved it gave Joseph satisfaction apparently to watch him go to the worst lengths.

He allowed the lad was ruined that his soul was abandoned to perdition but then he reflected Heathcliff must answer for it.

Hairton's blood will be required at his hands and there lay immense consolation in that thought.

I don't pretend to be intimately acquainted with the mode of living customary in those days at Wuthering Heights.

I only speak from hearsay for I saw little.

The villagers affirmed Mr Heathcliff was near and a cruel hard landlord to his tenants but the house inside had regained an ancient aspect of comfort under female management and the scenes of riot common in Hindley's time were not now enacted within its walls.

The master was too gloomy to seek companionship with any people they said good or bad.

This however is not making progress with my story.

Miss Kathy rejected the peace offering of the terrier and demanded her own dogs Charlie and Phoenix.

They came limping and hanging their heads and we set back for home sadly out of sorts every one of us.

I could not dream for my little lady how she spent the day except that as I supposed the goal of her pilgrimage was Penistone Crags and she arrived without a venture to the gate of the farm house where Hairton happened to issue forth attended by some canine followers who attacked her train.

They had a small battle before their owners could separate them and that formed an introduction.

Catherine told Hairton who she was and where she was going and asked him to show her the way beguiling him to accompany her.

He opened the mysteries of the fairy cave and 20 other queer little places but being in disgrace I was not favoured with a description of the interesting objects Kathy saw.

I could gather however her guide had been a favourite until she hurt his feelings by addressing him as a servant and Heathcliff's housekeeper hurt hers by calling him her cousin.

Then the language he'd helped her rankled in her heart.

She who was always love and darling and queen and angel with everybody at the grange was insulted so shockingly by a stranger.

She did not comprehend it and hard work I had to obtain a promise that she would not lay the grievance before her father.

I explained how Mr Linton objected to the whole household at the heights and how sorry he'd be to find out she'd been there but I insisted most on the fact that if little Kathy ever revealed my negligence of his orders he would perhaps be so angry I should have to leave.

Kathy couldn't bear that prospect so she pledged her word and kept it for my sake.

After all unlike her mother she was a very sweet little girl.

Reviews

Your doing a great job Stephanie, ŵ all these terrific classic stories. Thankyou for your dedication & terrific storytelling. 👏🏼 Cheers 🤗🐈‍⬛ 🐆 🪷🦘