Wuthering Heights Chapter 24

After being sick for three weeks, Nelly was finally able to leave her room, and she spent her first evening up in the library with Cathy. Cathy seemed very anxious to get Nelly to bed, and kept looking at her watch, finally retiring early to bed. On the third night, Nelly went to check on Cathy, and found she was gone. Nelly watched out the window and saw one of the stable boys leading Cathy and her pony. They acted quietly, and Cathy sneaked in a window. She was surprised to see Nelly in her room, who had guessed that Cathy was coming from the Heights.

Cathy had been faithfully visiting Linton by giving the stable boy books in exchange for his secret services. On her first visit Linton was cheerful, but they had one small quarrel, about the best way to spend a summer day. Linton wanted to relax in the moors; Catherine wanted to rock in a tree overlooking them:

"He wanted all to lie in an ecstasy of peace; I wanted all to sparkly, and dance in a glorious jubilee. I said his heaven would be only half alive; and he said mine would be drunk: I said I should fall asleep in his; and he said he could not breathe in mine..." Chapter 24, pg. 225

The two gave up fighting and started to play, but Linton got annoyed when Cathy kept beating him at all the games. The next evening, Cathy encountered Hareton, who wanted to show her what he had learned. He could read his name above the door, but he didn't yet know numbers, and Cathy teased him. Linton was ill, and Hareton yelled at them to get out of his sight. The two left the room, but Linton soon trembled with anger, demanding to be let back inside. All of his cries made him cough blood, and Cathy ran for help. Hareton felt bad, but denied it was his fault. Angry, Cathy hit him with her whip, deciding not to visit tomorrow.

Topic Tracking: Violence 16

On the third day she went back to Wuthering Heights. Linton was in a bad mood, and blamed Cathy for putting Hareton into such a rage. She left, but could not stay away for more than a day. Cathy suggested this should be her last visit, but Linton asked that it not be. He claimed that his ill health and his poor self-confidence kept him in this bad mood; he would love to be as sweet as she. Cathy believed and forgave him, although she thought sadly: "He'll never let his friends be at ease, and he'll never be at ease himself!" Chapter 24, pg. 233 Future visits were very unpleasant, due to Linton's selfish and complaining nature. Cathy was very patient with Linton, even defending him to his father.

At the end of her story, Cathy begged Nelly not to tell father. Mr. Linton overheard Nelly thinking the matter over aloud, and forbid any more visits. Her father told her that Linton could visit the Grange, but that her visits to the Heights were not to continue.