23 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. In this Episode: Linton and Cathy come together again

Keywords: sleep bedtime story tales relax Stephanie Poppins English voice authentic classic literature

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.

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 23 The rainy night had ushered in a misty morning,

Half frost and half drizzle,

And temporary books crossed our path gurgling from the uplands.

Nellie continued.

My feet were thoroughly wetted,

I was cross and low,

Exactly the humour suited for the making of most of these disagreeable things.

Me and Kathy entered the farmhouse by the kitchen way to ascertain whether Mr Heathcliff was really absent because I put slight faith in his own affirmation.

Joseph sat alone beside a roaring fire,

A quart of ale on the table near him,

Fristling with large pieces of toasted oat cake and his black short pipe in his mouth.

Katherine rang to the hearth to warm herself.

I asked if the master was in.

My question remained so long unanswered I thought the old man had grown deaf and I repeated it even louder.

Nay,

He snarled,

Or rather screamed through his nose,

You may go back where you come from.

Joseph cried a peevish voice simultaneously with me from the inner room.

How often am I to call you?

There are only a few red ashes now,

Joseph,

Come this moment.

Vigorous puffs and a resolute stare into the grate declared Joseph had no ear for this appeal.

The housekeeper and Herton were invisible,

One gone on an errand and the other at his work probably.

We knew it was Linton calling and we entered.

Kathy flew straight to him.

Is that you Miss Linton?

He said,

Raising his head from the arm of the great chair in which he reclined.

Don't kiss me,

It takes my breath.

Dear me,

Papa said you would call,

Continued he after recovering a little from Katherine's embrace while she stood by looking very contrite.

Will you shut the door if you please?

You left it open and those detestable creatures won't bring coals to the fire,

It's so cold.

I stirred up the cinders and fetched a scuttle for myself.

The invalid complained of being covered with ashes but he had a tiresome cough and looked feverish and ill,

So I did not rebuke his temper.

Well Linton,

Murmured Katherine when his corrugated brow relaxed,

Are you glad to see me?

Can I do you any good?

Why didn't you come before?

He asked.

You should have come instead of writing,

It tired me dreadfully writing those long letters.

I'd far rather have talked to you.

Now I can neither bear to talk nor anything else.

I wonder where Zilla is?

Will you step into the kitchen and see?

I'd received no thanks for my other service and being unwilling to run to and fro at his behest,

I replied,

Nobody's out there but Joseph.

I want to drink,

He exclaimed fretfully turning away.

Zilla's constantly gadding off to Gimmerton since Papa went,

It's miserable and I am obliged to come down here.

They resolve never to hear me upstairs.

Is your father attentive to you?

I asked,

Perceiving Katherine to be checked in her friendly advances.

Attentive?

He makes them a little more attentive at least,

Linton cried,

Though wretched.

Do you know that brute Hairton laughs at me?

I hate him,

Indeed I hate them all,

They're odious beings.

Kathy began searching for some water.

She lighted on a pitcher in the dresser,

Filled a tumbler and brought it.

He bid her add a spoonful of wine from a bottle on the table and having swallowed a small portion,

Linton appeared more tranquil and he said she was very kind.

And are you glad to see me?

Asked she,

Reiterating her former question and pleased to detect the faint dawn of a smile.

Yes I am,

Said Linton,

It's something new to hear a voice like yours.

But I've been vexed because you wouldn't come and Papa swore it was owing to me.

He called me a pitiful shuffling worthless thing and said you despise me.

And if he'd have been in my place he would be more the master of the Grange than your father by this time.

But you don't despise me do you miss?

I wish you would say Katherine or Kathy,

Interrupted my young lady.

Despise you?

No,

Next to Papa and Ellen I love you better than anybody living.

I don't love Mr Heathcliff though and I dare not come when he returns.

Will he stay away many days?

Not many,

Answered Linton,

But he goes on to the moors frequently since the shooting season commenced and you might spend an hour or two with me in his absence.

Do say you will,

I think I should not be peevish with you and you'd not provoke me and you'd always be ready to help me Kathy wouldn't you?

Yes,

Said Katherine,

Stroking his long soft hair.

If I could only get Papa's consent I'd spend half my time with you pretty Linton.

I wish you were my brother.

And then you would like me as well as your father,

Observed he more cheerfully.

But Papa said you would love me better than him and all the world if you were my wife so I'd rather you were that.

No,

I shall never love anybody better than Papa,

Little Kathy returned gravely and people hate their wives sometimes but not their sisters and brothers and if you were the latter you would live with us and Papa would be as fond of you as he is of me.

Linton denied that people ever hated their wives but Kathy affirmed they did and in her wisdom instanced his own father's aversion to her art.

I endeavored to stop her thoughtless tongue.

I couldn't succeed till everything she knew was out.

Master Heathcliff,

Much irritated,

Asserted her relation was false.

Papa told me and Papa does not tell falsehoods,

Kathy answered pertly.

My Papa scorns yours,

Cried Linton.

He calls him a sneaking fool.

Yours is a wicked man,

Retorted Katherine and you're very naughty to dare to repeat what he says.

He must be wicked to have made Aunt Isabel leave him as she did.

She didn't leave him,

Said the boy.

You shan't contradict me.

She did,

Cried little Kathy.

Well,

I'll tell you something,

Said Linton.

Your mother hated your father now then.

Oh,

Exclaimed Katherine,

Too enraged to continue.

And she loved mine,

Added he.

You little liar,

I hate you now,

Kathy panted and her face grew red with passion.

She did,

She did,

Sang Linton,

Sinking into the recess of his chair and leaning back his head to enjoy the agitation of the other disputant who stood behind.

Hush,

Master Heathcliff,

I said.

That's your father's tale too,

I suppose.

It isn't.

You hold your tongue,

He answered.

She did,

She did,

Katherine,

She did.

Kathy was now beside herself and gave the chair a violent push and caused little Linton to fall against one arm.

He was immediately seized by a suffocating cough that soon ended his triumph.

It lasted so long it frightened even me,

And as to his cousin,

She wept with all her might,

Aghast at the mischief she'd done,

Although she said nothing.

I held the lad till the fit exhausted itself,

Then he thrust me away and leaned his head down silently.

How do you feel now,

Master Heathcliff?

I inquired after waiting ten minutes.

I wish she felt as I do,

He replied,

Spiteful,

Cruel thing.

Hairton never touches me,

He's never struck me in his life,

And I was better today,

And there,

His voice died in a whimper.

I didn't strike you,

Muttered Kathy,

Chewing her lip to prevent another burst of emotion.

Then Linton sighed and moaned like one under great suffering and kept it up for a quarter of an hour on purpose to distress his cousin apparently,

For whenever he caught a stifled sob from her,

He put renewed pain and pathos into the inflections of his voice.

I'm sorry I hurt you,

Linton,

Kathy said at last,

Rapped beyond endurance,

But I couldn't have been hurt by that little push,

And I had no idea you could either.

You're not much,

Are you,

Linton,

Don't let me go home thinking I've done you harm,

Please speak to me.

I can't speak to you,

He murmured,

You've hurt me so that I shall lie awake all night coughing with his cough.

If you had it,

You'd know what it was,

But you'll be comfortably asleep when I'm in agony and nobody hears me.

Then he began to wail aloud for very pity of himself.

Since you're in the habit of passing dreadful nights,

I said,

It won't be Miss who spoils your ease,

You'd be the same as she never come.

However,

She'll not disturb you again and perhaps you'll get quieter when we leave.

Must I go,

Asked Katharine dolefully,

Do you want me to go,

Linton?

You can't alter what you've done,

He replied,

Pettishly,

Unless you alter it for the worse by teasing me into a fever.

Well,

Then I must go,

She repeated.

Let me alone at least,

Said he,

I can't bear your talking.

She lingered and resisted my persuasions to departure a tyson while,

But as he neither looked up or spoke,

She finally made a movement to the door and I followed.

We were quickly recalled by a scream.

Linton had slid from his seat onto the hearthstone and lay writhing in the mere perverseness of an indulged plague of a child,

Determined to be as grievous and harassing as it can.

I thoroughly gauged his disposition from this behaviour and saw at once it would be folly to attempt humour in him.

Not so,

Kathy,

She ran back in terror,

She knelt down and cried and soothed and entreated till he grew quiet from lack of breath,

By no means from compunction at distressing her.

You've made yourself ill by crying and being in a passion,

I didn't do it all,

Said little Kathy,

However,

We'll be friends now and you would wish to see me sometimes really?

I told you I did,

He replied impatiently,

Now sit on the settle and let me lean on your knee.

That's as my ma used to do,

Whole afternoons together,

Sit quite still Kathy and don't talk,

But you may sing a song if you can sing or you may say a nice long interesting ballad,

One of those you promised to teach me,

Or a story,

I'd rather have a ballad though,

Begin.

Katherine repeated the longest she could remember and the employment pleased both mightily.

Linton would have another and another after that,

Notwithstanding my strenuous objections and so they went on until the clock struck 12,

Then we heard Hairton in the court returning for his dinner.

And tomorrow,

Will you be here tomorrow?

Asked Linton.

No,

I answered,

Nor next day neither,

But Kathy however gave a different response evidently for his forehead cleared as she stooped and whispered in his ear,

You won't go out tomorrow miss,

I commenced when we were out of the house,

You're not dreaming of it are you?

But Kathy just smiled so I said,

I'll take good care,

I'll have that lock mended and you can escape by no way else.

Reviews

Young master heathcliff… what a mess! What a tortured tale. Appreciate it though!🙏🏼❤️