To obviate the danger of this threat being fulfilled, Mr Linton commissioned me to take the boy home early, on Catherine's pony; and, said he: `As we shall now have no influence over his destiny, good or bad, you must say nothing of where he is gone, to my daughter: she cannot associate with him hereafter, and it is better for her to remain in ignorance of his proximity; lest she should be restless, and anxious to visit the Heights. Merely tell her his father sent for him suddenly, and he has been obliged to leave us.'
Linton was very reluctant to be roused from his bed at five o'clock, and astonished to be informed that he must prepare for further travelling; but I softened off the matter by stating that he was going to spend some time with his father, Mr Heathcliff, who wished to see him so much, he did not like to defer the pleasure till he should recover from his late journey.
`My father!' he cried, in strange perplexity. `Mamma never told me I had a father. Where does he live? I'd rather stay with uncle.'
`He lives a little distance from the Grange,' I replied; `just beyond those hills: not so far, but you may walk over here when you get hearty. And you should be glad to go home, and to see him. You must try to love him, as you did your mother, and then he will love you.'
`But why have I not heard of him before?' asked Linton. `Why didn't mamma and he live together, as other people do?'
`He had business to keep him in the north,' I answered, `and your mother's health required her to reside in the south.'
`And why didn't mamma speak to me about him?' persevered the child. `She often talked of uncle, and I learnt to love him long ago. How am I to love papa? I don't know him.'
`Oh, all children love their parents,' I said. `Your mother, perhaps, thought you would want to be with him if she mentioned him often to you. Let us make haste. An early ride on such a beautiful morning is much preferable to an hour's more sleep.
`Is she to go with us,' he demanded: `the little girl I saw yesterday?' replied I.
`Is uncle?' he continued.
`No, I shall be your companion there,' I said.
Linton sank back on his pillow and fell into a brown study.
`I won't go without uncle,' he cried at length: `I can't tell where you mean to take me.'
I attempted to persuade him of the naughtiness of showing reluctance to meet his father; still he obstinately resisted any progress towards dressing, and I had to call for my master's assistance in coaxing him out of bed. The poor thing was finally got off, with several delusive assurances that his absence should be short; that Mr Edgar and Cathy would visit him, and other promises, equally ill-founded, which I invented and reiterated at intervals throughout the way. The pure heather-scented air, and the bright sunshine, and the gentle canter of Minny, relieved his despondency after a while. He began to put questions concerning his new home, and its inhabitants, with greater interest and liveliness.
`Is Wuthering Heights as pleasant a place as Thrushcross Grange?' he inquired, turning to take a last glance into the valley, whence a light mist mounted and formed a fleecy cloud on the skirts of the blue.
`It is not so buried in trees,' I replied, `and it is not quite so large, but you can see the country beautifully all round; and the air is healthier for you--fresher and dryer. You will, perhaps, think the building old and dark at first; though it is a respectable house: the next best in the neighbourhood. And you will have such nice rambles on the moors. Hareton Earnshaw--that is Miss Cathy's other cousin, and so yours in a manner--will show you all the sweetest spots; and you can bring a book in fine weather, and make a green hollow your study; and, now and then, your uncle may join you in a walk: he does, frequently, walk out on the hills.'
`And what is my father like?' he asked. `Is he as young and handsome as uncle?'
`He's as young,' said I; `but he has black hair and eyes, and looks sterner; and he is taller and bigger altogether. He'll not seem to you so gentle and kind at first, perhaps, because it is not his way: still, mind you, be frank and cordial with him; and naturally he'll be fonder of you than any uncle, for you are his own.'
`Black hair and eyes!' mused Linton. `I can't fancy him. Then I am not like him, am I?'
`Not much,' I answered: not a morsel, I thought, surveying with regret the white complexion and slim frame of my companion, and his large languid eyes--his mother's eyes, save that, unless a morbid touchiness kindled them a moment, they had not a vestige of her sparkling spirit.
`How strange that he should never come to see mamma and me!' he murmured. `Has he ever seen me? If he have, I must have been a baby. I remember not a single thing about him!'
`Why, Master Linton,' said I, `three hundred miles is a great distance; and ten years seem very different in length to a grown-up person compared with what they do to you. It is probable Mr Heathcliff proposed going from summer to summer, but never found a convenient opportunity; and now it is too late. Don't trouble him with questions on the subject: it will disturb him, for no good.'
The boy was fully occupied with his own cogitations for the remainder of the ride, till we halted before the farmhouse garden gate. I watched to catch his impressions in his countenance. He surveyed the carved front and low-browed lattices, the straggling gooseberry bushes and crooked firs, with solemn intentness, and then shook his head: his private feelings entirely disapproved of the exterior of his new abode. But he had sense to postpone complaining: there might be compensation within. Before he dismounted, I went and opened the door. It was half past six; the family had just finished breakfast; the servant was clearing and wiping down the table. Joseph stood by his master's chair telling some tale concerning a lame horse; and Hareton was preparing for the hay field.
為了避免這威嚇實現(xiàn)的危險，林惇先生派我早早地送這孩子回家，讓他騎著凱瑟琳的小馬去。他說，——“既然我們現(xiàn)在不能對于他的命運有所影響，無論是好或壞，你就千萬別對我女兒說他去哪里了，今后她不能同他有什么聯(lián)系，別讓她知道他就在鄰近；不然她就安不下心來，急著去呼嘯山莊。你就告訴她說他的父親忽然差人來接他，他就只好離開我們走了。”
五點鐘時，好容易才把林惇從床上喚起來，一聽說他還得準備再上路，大吃一驚；但是我告訴他得跟他的父親希刺克厲夫先生住些時候，并說他父親多么想看他，不愿再延遲這種見面的快樂，都等不及他恢復(fù)旅途的疲勞，這樣才把事情緩和下來。
“我的父奈”他叫起來，莫名其妙地納悶著。“媽媽從來沒有告訴過我說我有一個父親。他住在哪兒？我情愿跟舅舅住在一起?！?“他住在離山莊不遠的地方，”我回答，“就在那些小山那邊，不算怎么遠，等你身體好些，你可以散步到這兒來。你應(yīng)該歡歡喜喜地回家去見他。你一定得試著愛他，像對母親一樣，那么他也就會愛你了?！?“可是為什么我以前沒聽說過他呢？”林惇問道?！盀槭裁磱寢尣桓≡谝黄穑駝e人家一樣？”
“他有事情得留在北方。”我回答，“而你母親的健康情況需要她住在南方?！?“可為什么媽媽沒跟我說起他來呢？”這孩子固執(zhí)地問下去。“她常常談起舅舅，我老早就知道愛他了。我怎么去愛爸爸呢？我不認識他?！?“啊，所有的孩子們都愛他們的父母?！蔽艺f，“也許你母親以為她要是常跟你提起他，你或者會想跟他住在一起哩。我們趕快去吧。在這樣美麗的早晨，早早騎馬出去比多睡一個鐘頭可好多了。”
“昨天我看見的那個小姑娘是不是跟我們一同去？”他問。
“現(xiàn)在不去?！蔽一卮?。
“舅舅呢？”他又問。
“不去，我要陪你去那兒的?！蔽艺f。
林惇又倒在他的枕頭上，沉思起來。
“沒有舅舅我就不去?！彼K于叫喊起來了，“我鬧不清你到底打算把我?guī)У侥膬喝ァ！?我企圖說服他，說他如果表現(xiàn)出不愿意見他父親，那是沒規(guī)矩的行為；他仍然執(zhí)拗地反抗我，不許我給他穿衣服，我只好叫主人來幫忙哄他起床。我許下了好多渺茫的保證，說他去不多久一定能回來的，說埃德加先生和凱蒂會去看他的，還有其他的諾言，毫無根據(jù)，都是我一時瞎編出來的，而且一路上我還時不時地重復(fù)著這些諾言。終于，這可憐的小東西出發(fā)了。過了一會，那純潔的、帶著青草香味的空氣，那燦爛的陽光，以及敏妮的輕輕的緩步使他的沮喪神氣緩和下來了。他開始帶著較大的興趣盤問他的新家的情形，家里住些什么人。
“呼嘯山莊是不是一個跟畫眉田莊一樣好玩的地方？”他問，同時轉(zhuǎn)過頭向山谷中望了最后一眼，從那里有一片輕霧升起，在藍色天空的邊緣上形成了一朵白云。
“它不是像這樣隱在樹蔭里?！蔽一卮?，“而且也沒這么大，但是你四面可以看得到美麗的鄉(xiāng)村景色；那空氣對你的健康也比較適宜——比較新鮮干燥。也許你起初會覺得那所房子又舊又黑；雖然那是一所很漂亮的房子，在這附近是數(shù)一數(shù)二的了。而且你還可以在曠野里好好地溜達溜達。哈里頓·恩蕭——就是，凱蒂小姐另一個表哥，也就是你的表哥，——他會帶你到一切最可愛的地點看看；好天氣時，你還可以帶本書，把綠色的山谷當作你的書房，而且，有時候，你舅舅還可以和你一塊散步，他是常常出來在山中散步的?！?“我父親什么樣？”他問?！八遣皇歉司艘粯拥哪贻p漂亮？”
“他也是那么年輕，”我說，“可是他有黑頭發(fā)和黑眼睛，而且看上去比較嚴厲些，也高大一些。也許一開始你覺得他不怎么和氣仁慈，因為這不是他的作風(fēng)；可是，你得記住，還是要跟他坦白和親切；他就會很自然地比任何舅舅還要更喜歡你，因為你是他自己的孩子啊?！?“黑頭發(fā)，黑眼睛”林惇沉思著。“我想象不出來。那么我長得不像他啦，是嗎？”
“不太像，”我回答，同時心里想著：一點也不像，抱憾地望望我的同伴的白皙的容貌和纖瘦的骨骼，還有他那大而無神的眼睛——他母親的眼睛，只是，有一種病態(tài)的焦躁會偶然地點亮這對眼睛，它們一點也沒有她那種閃爍神采的痕跡。
“他從來沒有去看過媽媽和我，這多奇怪！”他咕嚕著。
“他看見過我沒有？要是他看見過，那一定還在我是嬰孩的時候。關(guān)于他，我一件事也記不得了！”
“啊，林惇少爺?！蔽艺f，“三百英里是很長的距離；而十年對于一個成年人和對于你卻是不一樣長短的。沒準希刺克厲夫年年夏天打算去，可是從來沒有找到適當?shù)臋C會；現(xiàn)在又太晚了。關(guān)于這件事不要老問他使他心煩吧：那會使他不安的，沒有一點好處?！?這孩子后來一路上就只顧想他自己的心思，直到我停在住宅花園的大門前。我細看他臉上現(xiàn)出什么印象。他一本正經(jīng)地仔細觀看著那刻花的正面房屋與矮檐的格子窗，那蔓生的醋栗叢和彎曲的樅樹，然后搖搖頭；他自己完全不喜歡他這新居的外表。但是他還懂得先不忙抱怨：也許里面好些，還可以彌補一下。在他下馬之前，我走去開門。那時正是六點半；全家剛用過早餐；仆人正在收拾和擦桌子。約瑟夫站在他主人的椅子旁邊，正在講著關(guān)于一匹跛馬的事；哈里頓正預(yù)備到干草地里去。