pitiless, wolfish man. I never say to him, "Let this or that enemy
alone, because it would be ungenerous or cruel to harm them;" I say, "Let
them alone, because _I_ should hate them to be wronged:" and he'd crush
you like a sparrow's egg, Isabella, if he found you a troublesome charge.
I know he couldn't love a Linton; and yet he'd be quite capable of
marrying your fortune and expectations: avarice is growing with him a
besetting sin. There's my picture: and I'm his friend--so much so, that
had he thought seriously to catch you, I should, perhaps, have held my
tongue, and let you fall into his trap.'

Miss Linton regarded her sister-in-law with indignation.

'For shame! for shame!' she repeated, angrily. 'You are worse than
twenty foes, you poisonous friend!'

'Ah! you won't believe me, then?' said Catherine. 'You think I speak
from wicked selfishness?'

'I'm certain you do,' retorted Isabella; 'and I shudder at you!'

'Good!' cried the other. 'Try for yourself, if that be your spirit: I
have done, and yield the argument to your saucy insolence.'--

'And I must suffer for her egotism!' she sobbed, as Mrs. Linton left the
room. 'All, all is against me: she has blighted my single consolation.
But she uttered falsehoods, didn't she? Mr. Heathcliff is not a fiend:
he has an honourable soul, and a true one, or how could he remember her?'

'Banish him from your thoughts, Miss,' I said. 'He's a bird of bad omen:
no mate for you. Mrs. Linton spoke strongly, and yet I can't contradict
her. She is better acquainted with his heart than I, or any one besides;
and she never would represent him as worse than he is. Honest people
don't hide their deeds. How has he been living? how has he got rich? why
is he staying at Wuthering Heights, the house of a man whom he abhors?
They say Mr. Earnshaw is worse and worse since he came. They sit up all
night together continually, and Hindley has been borrowing money on his
land, and does nothing but play and drink: I heard only a week ago--it
was Joseph who told me--I met him at Gimmerton: "Nelly," he said, "we's
hae a crowner's 'quest enow, at ahr folks'. One on 'em 's a'most getten
his finger cut off wi' hauding t' other fro' stickin' hisseln loike a
cawlf. That's maister, yeah knaw, 'at 's soa up o' going tuh t' grand
'sizes. He's noan feared o' t' bench o' judges, norther Paul, nur Peter,
nur John, nur Matthew, nor noan on 'em, not he! He fair likes--he langs
to set