believe he is the worse for my visit: and then I dare not come again. Tell the truth about it, Linton; for I musn’t come, if I have hurt you.”
“You must come, to cure me,” he answered. “You ought to come, because you have hurt me: you know you have extremely! I was not as ill when you entered as I am at present—was I?”
“But you’ve made yourself ill by crying and being in a passion.—I didn’t do it all,” said his cousin. “However, we’ll be friends now. And you want me: you would wish to see me sometimes, really?”
“I told you I did,” he replied impatiently.
“Sit on the settle and let me lean on your knee. That’s as mamma used to do, whole afternoons together. Sit quite still and don’t talk: but you may sing a song, if you can sing; or you may say a nice long interesting ballad—one of those you promised to teach me; or a story. I’d rather have a ballad, though: begin.”
Catherine repeated the longest she could remember. The employment pleased both mightily. Linton would have another, and after that another, notwithstanding my strenuous objections; and so they went on until the clock struck twelve, and we heard Hareton in the court, returning for his dinner.
“And tomorrow, Catherine, will you be here tomorrow?” asked young Heathcliff, holding her frock as she rose reluctantly.
“No,” I answered, “nor next day neither.”
She, however, gave a different response evidently, for his forehead cleared as she stooped and whispered in his ear.
“You won’t go tomorrow, recollect, Miss!” I commenced, when we were out of the house. “You are not dreaming of it, are you?”