The little witch put a mock malignity into her beautiful eyes, and Joseph, trembling with sincere horror, hurried out praying and ejaculating `wicked' as he went. I thought her conduct must be prompted by a species of dreary fun; and, now that we were alone, I endeavoured to interest her in my distress.

`Mrs Heathcliff,' I said earnestly, `you must excuse me for troubling you. I presume, because, with that face, I'm sure you cannot help being good-hearted. Do point out some landmarks by which I may know my way home: I have no more idea how to get there than you would have how to get to London!'

`Take the road you came,' she answered, ensconcing herself in a chair, with a candle, and the long book open before her. `It is brief advice, but as sound as I can give.'

`Then, if you hear of me being discovered dead in a bog or a pit full of snow, your conscience won't whisper that it is partly your fault?'

`How so? I cannot escort you. They wouldn't let me go to the end of the garden wall.'

`You! I should be sorry to ask you to cross the threshold, for my convenience, on such a night,' I cried. `I want you to tell me my way, net to show it; or else to persuade Mr Heathcliff to give me a guide.'

`Who? There is himself, Earnshaw, Zillah, Joseph, and I. Which would you have?'

`Are there no boys at the farm?'

`No, those are all.'

`Then, it follows that I am compelled to stay.'

`That you may settle with your host. I have nothing to do with it.'

`I hope it will be a lesson to you to make no more rash journeys on these hills,' cried Heathcliff's stern voice from the kitchen entrance. `As to staying here, I don't keep accommodations for visitors: you must share a bed with Hareton or Joseph, if you do.'

`I can sleep on a chair in this room,' I replied.

`No, no! A stranger is a stranger, be he rich or poor: it will not suit me to permit anyone the range of the place while I am off guard!' said the unmannerly wretch.

With this insult, my patience was at an end. I uttered an expression of disgust, and pushed past him into the yard, running against Earnshaw in my haste. It was so dark that I could not see the means of exit; and, as I wandered round, I heard another specimen of their civil behaviour amongst each other. At first the young man appeared about to befriend me.

`I'll go with him as far as the park,' he said.

`You'll go with him to hell!' exclaimed his master, or whatever relation he bore. `And who is to look after the horses, eh?'

A man's life is of more consequence than one evening's neglect of the horses: somebody must go, murmured Mrs Heathcliff, more kindly than I expected.

`Not at your command!' retorted Hareton. `If you set store on him, you'd better be quiet.'

`Then I hope his ghost will haunt you; and I hope Mr Heathcliff will never get another tenant till the Grange is a ruin!' she answered sharply.

`Hearken, hearken, shoo's cursing on 'em!' muttered Joseph, towards whom I had been steering.