VOLUME ONE

1801.-I have just returned from a visit to my landlord-the solitary neighbour that I shall be troubled with. This is certainly a beautiful country! In all England, I do not believe that I could have fixed on a situation so completely removed from the stir of society. A perfect misanthropist's heaven: and Mr. Heathcliff and I are such a suitable pair to divide the desolation between us. A capital fellow! He little imagined how my heart warmed towards him when I beheld his black eyes withdraw so suspiciously under their brows, as I rode up, and when his fingers sheltered themselves, with a jealous resolution, still further in his waistcoat, as I announced my name.

‘Mr. Heathcliff?’I said.

A nod was the answer.

‘Mr. Lockwood, your new tenant, sir. I do myself the honour of calling as soon as possible after my arrival, to express the hope that I have not inconvenienced you by my perseverance in soliciting the occupation of Thrushcross Grange: I heard yesterday you had had some thoughts-’

‘Thrushcross Grange is my own, sir,’he interrupted, wincing.‘I should not allow any one to inconvenience me, if I could hinder it-walk in!’

The‘walk in’was uttered with closed teeth, and expressed the sentiment,‘Go to the Deuce:’even the gate over which he leant manifested no sympathising movement to the words; and I think that circumstance determined me to accept the invitation: I felt interested in a man who seemed more exaggeratedly reserved than myself.

When he saw my horse's breast fairly pushing the barrier, he did put out his hand to unchain it, and then sullenly preceded me up the causeway, calling, as we entered the court, —‘Joseph, take Mr. Lockwood's horse; and bring up some wine.’

‘Here we have the whole establishment of domestics, I suppose,’was the reflection suggested by this compound order.‘No wonder the grass grows up between the flags, and cattle are the only hedge-cutters.’

Joseph was an elderly, nay, an old man: very old, perhaps, though hale and sinewy.‘The Lord help us!’he soliloquised in an undertone of peevish displeasure, while relieving me of my horse: looking, meantime, in my face so sourly that I charitably conjectured he must have need of divine aid to digest his dinner, and his pious ejaculation had no reference to my unexpected advent.

Wuthering Heights is the name of Mr. Heathcliff's dwelling.‘Wuthering’being a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather. Pure, bracing ventilation they must have up there at all times, indeed: one may guess the power of the north wind blowing over the edge, by the excessive slant of a few stunted firs at the end of the house; and by a range of gaunt thorns all stretching their limbs one way, as if craving alms of the sun. Happily, the architect had foresight to build it strong: the narrow windows are deeply set in the wall, and the corners defended with large jutting stones.

Before passing the threshold, I paused to admire a quantity of grotesque carving lavished over the front, and especially about the principal door; above which, among a wilderness of crumbling griffins and shameless little boys, I detected the date‘1500', and the name‘Hareton Earnshaw'. I would have made a few comments, and requested a short history of the place from the surly owner; but his attitude at the door appeared to demand my speedy entrance, or complete departure, and I had no desire to aggravate his impatience previous to inspecting the penetralium.

One stop brought us into the family sitting-room, without any introductory lobby or passage:they call it here‘the house’preeminently. It includes kitchen and parlour, generally; but I believe at Wuthering Heights the kitchen is forced to retreat altogether into another quarter: at least I distinguished a chatter of tongues, and a clatter of culinary utensils, deep within; and I observed no signs of roasting, boiling, or baking, about the huge fireplace; nor any glitter of copper saucepans and tin cullenders on the walls. One end, indeed, reflected splendidly both light and heat from ranks of immense pewter dishes, interspersed with silver jugs and tankards, towering row after row, on a vast oak dresser, to the very roof. The latter had never been underdrawn: its entire anatomy lay bare to an inquiring eye, except where a frame of wood laden with oatcakes and clusters of legs of beef, mutton, and ham, concealed it. Above the chimney were sundry villainous old guns, and a couple of horse-pistols: and, by way of ornament, three gaudily-painted canisters disposed along its ledge. The floor was of smooth, white stone; the chairs, high-backed, primitive structures, painted green: one or two heavy black ones lurking in the shade. In an arch under the dresser reposed a huge, liver-coloured bitch pointer, surrounded by a swarm of squealing puppies; and other dogs haunted other recesses.

The apartment and furniture would have been nothing extraordinary as belonging to a homely, northern farmer, with a stubborn countenance, and stalwart limbs set out to advantage in knee-breeches and gaiters. Such an individual seated in his arm-chair, his mug of ale frothing on the round table before him, is to be seen in any circuit of five or six miles among these hills, if you go at the right time after dinner. But Mr. Heathcliff forms a singular contrast to his abode and style of living. He is a dark-skinned gipsy in aspect, in dress and manners a gentleman: that is, as much a gentleman as many a country squire: rather slovenly, perhaps, yet not looking amiss with his negligence, because he has an erect and handsome figure; and rather morose. Possibly, some people might suspect him of a degree of under-bred pride; I have a sympathetic chord within that tells me it is nothing of the sort: I know, by instinct, his reserve springs from an aversion to showy displays of feeling-to manifestations of mutual kindliness. He'll love and hate equally under cover, and esteem it a species of impertinence to be loved or hated again. No, I'm running on too fast: I bestow my own attributes over-liberally on him. Mr. Heathcliff may have entirely dissimilar reasons for keeping his hand out of the way when he meets a would-be acquaintance, to those which actuate me. Let me hope my constitution is almost peculiar: my dear mother used to say I should never have a comfortable home; and only last summer I proved myself perfectly unworthy of one.

While enjoying a month of fine weather at the sea-coast, I was thrown into the company of a most fascinating creature: a real goddess in my eyes, as long as she took no notice of me. I‘never told my love’vocally; still, if looks have language, the merest idiot might have guessed I was over head and ears: she understood me at last, and looked a return-the sweetest of all imaginable looks. And what did I do? I confess it with shame-shrunk icily into myself, like a snail; at every glance retired colder and farther; till finally the poor innocent was led to doubt her own senses, and, overwhelmed with confusion at her supposed mistake, persuaded her mamma to decamp. By this curious turn of disposition I have gained the reputation of deliberate heartlessness; how undeserved, I alone can appreciate.

I took a seat at the end of the hearthstone opposite that towards which my landlord advanced, and filled up an interval of silence by attempting to caress the canine mother, who had left her nursery, and was sneaking wolfishly to the back of my legs, her lip curled up, and her white teeth watering for a snatch. My caress provoked a long, guttural gnarl.

‘You'd better let the dog alone,’growled Mr. Heathcliff in unison, checking fiercer demonstrations with a punch of his foot.‘She's not accustomed to be spoiled-not kept for a pet.’Then, striding to a side door, he shouted again,‘Joseph!’

Joseph mumbled indistinctly in the depths of the cellar, but gave no intimation of ascending;so his master dived down to him, leaving me vis-à-vis the ruffianly bitch and a pair of grim shaggy sheep-dogs, who shared with her a jealous guardianship over all my movements. Not anxious to come in contact with their fangs, I sat still; but, imagining they would scarcely understand tacit insults, I unfortunately indulged in winking and making faces at the trio, and some turn of my physiognomy so irritated madam, that she suddenly broke into a fury and leapt on my knees. I flung her back, and hastened to interpose the table between us. This proceeding aroused the whole hive: half-a-dozen four-footed fiends, of various sizes and ages, issued from hidden dens to the common centre. I felt my heels and coat-laps peculiar subjects of assault; and parrying off the larger combatants as effectually as I could with the poker, I was constrained to demand, aloud, assistance from some of the household in re-establishing peace.

Mr. Heathcliff and his man climbed the cellar steps with vexatious phlegm: I don't think they moved one second faster than usual, though the hearth was an absolute tempest of worrying and yelping. Happily, an inhabitant of the kitchen made more despatch: a lusty dame, with tucked-up gown, bare arms, and fire-flushed cheeks, rushed into the midst of us flourishing a frying-pan: and used that weapon, and her tongue, to such purpose, that the storm subsided magically, and she only remained, heaving like a sea after a high wind, when her master entered on the scene.

‘What the devil is the matter?’he asked, eyeing me in a manner that I could ill endure, after this inhospitable treatment.

‘What the devil, indeed!’I muttered.‘The herd of possessed swine could have had no worse spirits in them than those animals of yours, sir. You might as well leave a stranger with a brood of tigers!’

‘They won't meddle with persons who touch nothing,’he remarked, putting the bottle before me, and restoring the displaced table.‘The dogs do right to be vigilant. Take a glass of wine?’

‘No, thank you.’

‘Not bitten, are you?’

‘If I had been, I would have set my signet on the biter.’Heathcliff's countenance relaxed into a grin.

‘Come, come,’he said,‘you are flurried, Mr. Lockwood. Here, take a little wine. Guests are so exceedingly rare in this house that I and my dogs, I am willing to own, hardly know how to receive them. Your health, sir?’

I bowed and returned the pledge; beginning to perceive that it would be foolish to sit sulking for the misbehaviour of a pack of curs; besides, I felt loth to yield the fellow further amusement at my expense; since his humour took that turn. He-probably swayed by prudential consideration of the folly of offending a good tenant-relaxed a little in the laconic style of chipping off his pronouns and auxiliary verbs, and introduced what he supposed would be a subject of interest to me, -a discourse on the advantages and disadvantages of my present place of retirement. I found him very intelligent on the topics we touched; and before I went home, I was encouraged so far as to volunteer another visit tomorrow. He evidently wished no repetition of my intrusion. I shall go, notwithstanding. It is astonishing how sociable I feel myself compared with him.

第一卷

1801年。——我拜訪過房東剛剛回來，房東就是那個讓人費心相處的孤獨鄰居。這的確是一個美麗的鄉野！在整個英格蘭，我相信，我再也找不到這樣一個完全遠離塵囂的地方了。這是遁世歸隱者的完美天堂，而由我和希斯克利夫共享這個荒涼景象正好湊成了一對。多好的一個人啊！我騎馬走上前去，只見他的黑眼睛疑云重重，縮攏在眉毛下面；當我自報家門時，他還是把手指更深地插入背心口袋，露出了一副決心提防的神情，這時他完全沒有想到我對他多么有好感。

“是希斯克利夫先生嗎？”我問。

點頭算是應答。

“先生，我是洛克伍德先生，是你的新房客。一到這里，我就非常榮幸地盡快前來拜訪，希望自己一再堅持要求租賃畫眉田莊，沒有給你帶來什么不便。我昨天聽說你有過一些想法——”

“先生，畫眉田莊是我自己的，”他皺眉打斷說，“只要能阻止，我就不允許任何人給我帶來不便——進來吧！”

“進來吧”是咬著牙發出的，表達的是“見鬼去吧”的情緒。就連他靠著的那扇柵欄門，也對他的話無動于衷。我想，正是這個情況，使我決定接受他的邀請。我對一個好像遠比我拘謹的人產生了興趣。

看到我的馬前胸就要抵住柵欄時，他伸手解開了門鏈，然后沉著臉領我走上石板鋪道。當我們走進院子時，他大聲喊道——“約瑟夫，把洛克伍德先生的馬牽走，然后送些酒來。”

“我想，我們整個這里只有一個仆人。”聽到這個雙重命令，我暗自想道：“怪不得石板之間都長起了草，樹籬只有靠牛來修剪嘍。”

盡管約瑟夫精神矍鑠，身體結實，但上了年紀，不，成了老頭，說不定都老得掉牙了。“求主幫幫我們！”他接過我的馬時，怏怏不快地低聲自言自語，同時乖僻地盯著我的臉；我善意地猜想，他必須借助神力才能消化自己的晚飯，而他突然虔誠的自言自語跟我的意外到來沒有任何關系。

呼嘯山莊是希斯克利夫先生寓所的名稱。“呼嘯”是一個耐人尋味、具有地方特色的形容詞，用來描述寓所的位置在風暴天氣里大氣喧囂的情景。的確，這里始終流通著純凈清爽的空氣。只要看看房子那頭幾棵矮小冷杉格外傾斜的長勢，看看那排細長的荊棘叢均向一側伸展枝條的樣子，好像在渴望太陽的施舍，人們就能猜想到北風刮過房檐的威力了。幸運的是，建筑師有先見之明，把房子蓋得堅固，那些狹窄的窗戶深深地嵌入了墻里，墻角也都用突出的大石塊加以防護。

跨過門檻之前，我駐足欣賞房子正面一些雕刻繁復、風格奇異的浮雕，尤其是正門周圍的浮雕，在一頭頭支離破碎的怪獸和一個個不知害臊的小男孩雕像之間，辨認出了“1500”這個日期和“哈里頓·恩肖”這個名字。我本該評論幾句，向這個乖戾的莊主請教一下這個地方的簡史，但他站在門口的姿勢似乎是要求我要么趕快進來，要么干脆走開，所以我不想在查看內室之前就惹他更不耐煩。

我們一步跨進了家庭起居室，中間沒有門廊和過道。他們堂而皇之地把這里稱為“堂屋”。堂屋一般包括廚房和客廳，但在呼嘯山莊，我相信，廚房完全被擠到了另一個區域：至少，我聽出里面傳來了嘰嘰喳喳的說話聲和廚具叮叮當當的磕碰聲；我看不到大壁爐那里有烤肉、做飯或烤面包的任何跡象，也看不到墻壁上有銅鍋和錫漏鍋的任何閃光。的確，起居室一端反射出了一片輝煌的光和熱，只見一個巨大的橡木櫥柜上面擺著一排排碩大的白镴碟子，這些白镴碟子像寶塔似的一摞摞堆到了天花板頂，其間點綴著幾只銀壺和大酒杯。屋頂從來沒有裝過天花板，整個結構光禿禿的，一覽無余，只有一個地方被擺滿燕麥餅、牛腿、羊腿和火腿的木架遮住了。壁爐上方掛著各式各樣蹩腳的老槍和兩支馬槍；另外，為了裝飾，順著爐臺邊還擺放著三只描畫俗麗的茶葉罐。地板由平滑的白石鋪成；椅子呈高背狀，結構古樸，漆成綠色，一兩把黑椅子擺在暗處。櫥柜底下的拱門里臥著一條體型碩大的深赤褐色母獵犬，母獵犬身邊圍著一群汪汪尖叫的小狗；還有幾條狗臥在另一些暗角里。

房子和家具屬于一個樸實的北方農民，沒有什么離奇之處；他相貌剛毅，四肢健壯，穿上長到膝蓋的短褲和長筒橡膠靴，會更有神采。如果飯后時間合適，在這群山間隨意走上五六英里，你就會看到這樣一個人，只見他坐在扶手椅上，一大杯冒著泡沫的濃啤酒放在他面前的圓桌上。但是，希斯克利夫先生跟他的住所和生活方式形成了奇特對比。他在相貌上像是一個黑皮膚的吉普賽人，在衣著和舉止上又像是一位紳士，也就是說，更像是許多鄉紳那樣的紳士，也許有些邋遢，但他的不修邊幅看上去并沒有什么問題，因為他身材挺拔、模樣英俊，就是有些悶悶不樂。有人也許懷疑他因缺乏教養而有些傲慢；我有一種心靈上的共鳴——這種共鳴告訴我，絕不是那樣；出于本能，我知道他的拘謹源自他對矯揉造作的厭惡，厭惡人們相互表示親熱。無論愛恨，他都秘而不宣，并把受到別人的愛恨看成是一種魯莽之舉。不，我滔滔不絕說得太快了：我過于慷慨把自己的特征都加在了他的身上。像我一樣，希斯克利夫遇到愿意相識的人，就會把手藏起來，但原因跟我全然不同。但愿我的氣質有些特別。我敬愛的母親過去經常說我絕不會有一個舒適的家；直到今年夏天，我才發現自己完全不配有那樣一個家。

當時，我在風和日麗的海濱度過了一個月，偶爾結識了一個極其迷人的女孩。她還沒有注意到我時，在我的眼里就是一位真正的女神了。我“從來沒有訴說過自己的愛情”；然而，如果眉目可以傳情的話，即使最愚蠢的傻瓜也會猜出我神魂顛倒。她終于明白了我的心思，向我回送了一個人們可以想象的最甜美的秋波。那我做了什么呢？我羞愧地承認這一點——就是像蝸牛一樣冷冰冰地縮了回去；她每看我一眼，我就越冷漠，縮得越遠；直到最后，那個可憐的天真女孩懷疑起自己的神智，以為她自己搞錯了，迷惑不解，不知所措，說服她的媽媽一走了之。由于這個古怪的舉動，因此我得到了無情無義的名聲。真冤枉，只有我才能領會到。

我在壁爐一端的椅子上坐下來，房東走向對面的椅子。我試圖去愛撫那條母狗，以填補這段沉默的間隙。這條母狗離開一窩狗崽，餓狼般偷偷地溜到了我的腿肚后面，嘴唇齜起，白牙流涎，想撲過來咬一口。我的愛撫激起它的喉嚨里發出了一聲長嗥。

“你最好別摸這條狗，”希斯克利夫先生也跟著低吼一聲，踢了它一腳，制止它更兇猛的示威，“它不習慣受寵——不是當寵物養的。”隨后，他大步走到一個側門，又大聲喊道：“約瑟夫！”

約瑟夫在酒窖深處含糊不清地咕噥著，但沒有絲毫要上來的意思；于是，東家就沖下去找他，留下我面對著那條兇惡的母狗和一對令人生畏的毛茸茸的牧羊犬。那對牧羊犬和那條母狗一起虎視眈眈地監視我的一舉一動。我不想跟犬牙們打交道，就坐在那里一動不動；然而，倒霉的是，我想它們幾乎不會明白無聲的冒犯，就沖這三條狗擠眉弄眼做鬼臉。我的某個變臉惹毛了母狗。它突然狂怒，躍上我的膝蓋。我把它甩了回去，趕快拉過桌子，擋在了我們中間。這一舉動招來了群攻：六條體型不一、大小各異的四腳惡魔都從藏身處竄出來，向我這個共同的敵人撲來。我感到自己的腳后跟和外套衣襟都成了它們攻擊的特有目標；我一邊用撥火棍盡可能地躲閃那幾個體型較大的斗獸，一邊被迫大聲求救，求這家人重建和平秩序。

希斯克利夫和他的仆人邁著慢騰騰的腳步爬上酒窖臺階，這讓人惱火：我想，盡管壁爐這里撕咬犬吠亂成了一鍋粥，但他們走得并不比平常快一秒鐘。幸虧，廚房里有人來得快：是一個身體健壯的女人，她長袍挽起，赤裸胳膊，滿面通紅，揮舞著一只煎鍋沖到了我們當中：她運用武器和舌頭，立竿見影，風波奇跡般平息了。當她的東家趕到現場時，只有她還在大口喘息著，就像大風掠過的大海一樣波濤洶涌。

“這到底是怎么回事？”他盯著我問道。受到這樣冷遇之后，我再也受不了那樣的目光。

“真是的，到底是怎么回事！”我咕噥道，“先生，就是一群著魔的豬都沒有你這群畜生兇惡。你還不如把一個陌生人丟給一群老虎呢！”

“人們不摸它們，它們是不會亂動的，”說著，他把酒瓶放在我的面前，并把移位的桌子放回了原位，“保持警惕，狗做得對。來一杯葡萄酒？”

“不，謝謝你。”

“你沒有被咬著吧？”

“要是被咬的話，我就會在咬我的狗身上留下印記。”希斯克利夫的面容放松，咧嘴笑了起來。

“好了，好了，”他說，“你受驚了，洛克伍德先生。給，來點兒酒。這房子里極少有客人來，所以我愿意承認，我和我的這些狗都不大知道如何待客。祝你健康，先生！”

我鞠躬，也舉杯回敬，祝他健康。我開始意識到，為一群惡狗的粗魯行為而坐在那里悶悶不樂，將是愚蠢之舉；再說，我不愿讓這個家伙再來取笑我，因為他把情緒轉向了取笑。他可能是經過審慎考慮，認為得罪一個好房客是愚蠢之舉，態度就發生了動搖。他省掉代名詞和助動詞的簡潔風格有點兒放松，還主動提起了他認為我會感興趣的話題，詳細談起了我現在隱居地方的有利條件和不利條件。我發現，無論我們談什么話題，他都很機智；回家之前，我受到了鼓舞，居然主動提出明天再來拜訪。他顯然不愿我再來打擾。不過，我還是要去。我覺得，跟他相比，我是多么愛好交際。這真令人吃驚。