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`Whose then--your master's?' she asked. He coloured deeper, with a different feeling, muttered an oath, and turned away. `Who is his master?' continued the tiresome girl, appealing to me. `He talked about ``our house'', and ``our folk''. I thought he had been the owner's son. And he never said, Miss; he should have done, shouldn't he, if he's a servant?' Hareton 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 fairishes, as you call them: but make haste! What's the matter? Get my horse, I say. `I'll see thee damned before I be thy servant!' growled the lad. `You'll see me what?' asked Catherine in surprise. `Damned--thou saucy witch!' he replied. `There, Miss Cathy! you see you have got into pretty company, I interposed. `Nice words to be used to a young lady! Pray don't begin to dispute with him. Come, let us seek for Minny ourselves, and begone.' `But, Ellen,' cried she, staring, fixed in astonishment, `how dare he speak so to me? Mustn't he be made to do as I ask him? You wicked creature, I shall tell papa what you said.--Now, then!' Hareton did not appear to feel this threat; so the tears sprang into her eyes with indignation. `You bring the pony,' she exclaimed, turning to the woman, `and let my dog free this moment!' `Softly, miss,' answered the addressed: `you'll lose nothing by being civil. Though Mr Hareton, there, be not the master's son, he's your cousin; and I was never hired to serve you.' `He my cousin!' cried Cathy, with a scornful laugh. `Yes, indeed,' responded her reprover. `Oh, Ellen! don't let them say such things,' she pursued, in great trouble. `Papa is gone to fetch my cousin from London: my cousin is a gentleman's son. That my'--she stopped, and wept outright; upset at the bare notion of relationship with such a clown. `Hush, hush!' I whispered, `people can have many cousins, and of all sorts, Miss Cathy, without being any 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 reflection, 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, being reported to Mr Heathcliff; and feeling 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. Hareton, recovering from his disgust at being taken for a servant, seemed moved by her distress; and, having fetched the pony round to the door, he took, to propitiate her, a fine crooked- legged terrier whelp from the kennel, and putting it into her hand bid her wisht! for he meant nought. Pausing in her lamentations, she 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 overtopped their neglected growth; yet, notwithstanding, evidence of a wealthy soil, that might yield luxuriant crops under other and favourable |
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