ne.

'I believe you think me a fiend,' he said, with his dismal laugh:
'something too horrible to live under a decent roof.' Then turning to
Catherine, who was there, and who drew behind me at his approach, he
added, half sneeringly,--'Will _you_ come, chuck? I'll not hurt you. No!
to you I've made myself worse than the devil. Well, there is _one_ who
won't shrink from my company! By God! she's relentless. Oh, damn it!
It's unutterably too much for flesh and blood to bear--even mine.'

He solicited the society of no one more. At dusk he went into his
chamber. Through the whole night, and far into the morning, we heard him
groaning and murmuring to himself. Hareton was anxious to enter; but I
bid him fetch Mr. Kenneth, and he should go in and see him. When he
came, and I requested admittance and tried to open the door, I found it
locked; and Heathcliff bid us be damned. He was better, and would be
left alone; so the doctor went away.

The following evening was very wet: indeed, it poured down till day-dawn;
and, as I took my morning walk round the house, I observed the master's
window swinging open, and the rain driving straight in. He cannot be in
bed, I thought: those showers would drench him through. He must either
be up or out. But I'll make no more ado, I'll go boldly and look.'

Having succeeded in obtaining entrance with another key, I ran to unclose
the panels, for the chamber was vacant; quickly pushing them aside, I
peeped in. Mr. Heathcliff was there--laid on his back. His eyes met
mine so keen and fierce, I started; and then he seemed to smile. I could
not think him dead: but his face and throat were washed with rain; the
bed-clothes dripped, and he was perfectly still. The lattice, flapping
to and fro, had grazed one hand that rested on the sill; no blood
trickled from the broken skin, and when I put my fingers to it, I could
doubt no more: he was dead and stark!

I hasped the window; I combed his black long hair from his forehead; I
tried to close his eyes: to extinguish, if possible, that frightful,
life-like gaze of exultation before any one else beheld it. They would
not shut: they seemed to sneer at my attempts; and his parted lips and
sharp white teeth sneered too! Taken with another fit of cowardice, I
cried out for Joseph. Joseph shuffled up and made a noise, but
resolutely refused to meddle with him.

'Th' divil's harried off his soul,' he cried, 'and he may hev' his
carcass