05-03-呼啸山庄 [50]
you brought me here again，if you don't want to see me？My father's very ill and I should be with him．’
Tears rolled down Linton's face．He seemed terrified．
‘Oh，I can't bear it！’he sobbed．‘Cathy，I daren't explain！But if you leave me，he'll kill me！Dear Cathy，my life is in your hands！Kind，sweet Cathy，perhaps you will agree，and then he won't hurt me！’
Cathy was no longer impatient．‘Agree to what，Linton？'she asked gently．‘Tell me everything！You wouldn't do anything to hurt me，would you，Linton？I'm your best friend．’
‘I daren't tell you！My father—'the boy gasped．Just then Heathcliff appeared．He did not look at Cathy and Linton，who continued talking to each other，but he spoke quietly to me．
‘Ellen，how is Edgar？Is he dying，as the villagers say？’
‘It's true，the master is dying，’I answered．
‘That boy over there is dying too．I only hope Edgar dies before him．If Linton dies first，my plan will fail．’He shouted angrily to his son，‘Get up，Linton！’and then said politely to Cathy，‘Miss Cathy，would you help him back to the house．He can't walk far alone．’
‘Father has forbidden me to enter your house，'said Cathy．
‘Well，come along，Linton．I'll have to take you home then，'said Heathcliff．
‘No！No！No！Please，Cathy！You must come with me！'screamed Linton wildly．He held desperately on to her arm．
Cathy could not refuse the boy，who seemed almost mad with fear．So we all walked the few steps to Wuthering Heights．When we had entered the house，however，I was horrified to see Heathcliff lock the front door．The key was in his hand．
‘Hareton，Joseph and Zillah are all out of the house，’he said calmly，‘so we are quite alone．’
‘Give me that key！’cried Cathy angrily．‘I'm not afraid of you！’She took hold of his closed hand and bit it．He hit her violently several times，on both sides of the head，and she fell into a chair，trembling．I rushed at him，but he pushed me away．
‘Cry as much as you like，Miss Cathy，’he said．‘In a few days I'll be your father，and I'll punish you just like that，as often as necessary！’
When Heathcliff went out to look for our horses，Cathy and I hurried round the kitchen looking for a way to escape．But all the doors and windows were locked．Linton was sitting calmly in a chair near the fire，happy that he was not being punished this time．We persuaded him to explain his father's plan to us．
‘Father is afraid I'll die soon，you see，so he wants us to be married tomorrow morning．You'll have to stay here all night，Cathy．Then perhaps he'll let you go home in the morning．’
‘You marry this beautiful，healthy young lady？’I cried．‘You must be mad！And wicked too！You and your father have tricked us into coming here！’And I shook him until he started coughing．
‘I must go home now．Father will be worried already，'said Cathy．‘I love Father better than you，Linton！’
Heathcliff returned and sent his son upstairs to bed．
‘Mr Heathcliff，’begged Cathy，‘Father will be miserable if I don't go home．Please let me go．I promise to marry Linton．Father would like it，and I love him．Why do you force me to do something I want to do？’
‘He can't force you！’I cried．‘I'll go to the police！’
‘To the devil with you，Ellen！Miss Cathy，I'm delighted that your father will be miserable．In that case you will certainly stay here for twenty-four hours．You won't leave here until you've kept your promise to marry Linton．’
‘Please send Ellen to let Father know I'm safe！'sobbed Cathy bitterly．‘Poor Father！He'll think we're lost！’
‘Your father must have hated you when you came into the world（I did，at least），and he'll hate you as he leaves it．Go
Tears rolled down Linton's face．He seemed terrified．
‘Oh，I can't bear it！’he sobbed．‘Cathy，I daren't explain！But if you leave me，he'll kill me！Dear Cathy，my life is in your hands！Kind，sweet Cathy，perhaps you will agree，and then he won't hurt me！’
Cathy was no longer impatient．‘Agree to what，Linton？'she asked gently．‘Tell me everything！You wouldn't do anything to hurt me，would you，Linton？I'm your best friend．’
‘I daren't tell you！My father—'the boy gasped．Just then Heathcliff appeared．He did not look at Cathy and Linton，who continued talking to each other，but he spoke quietly to me．
‘Ellen，how is Edgar？Is he dying，as the villagers say？’
‘It's true，the master is dying，’I answered．
‘That boy over there is dying too．I only hope Edgar dies before him．If Linton dies first，my plan will fail．’He shouted angrily to his son，‘Get up，Linton！’and then said politely to Cathy，‘Miss Cathy，would you help him back to the house．He can't walk far alone．’
‘Father has forbidden me to enter your house，'said Cathy．
‘Well，come along，Linton．I'll have to take you home then，'said Heathcliff．
‘No！No！No！Please，Cathy！You must come with me！'screamed Linton wildly．He held desperately on to her arm．
Cathy could not refuse the boy，who seemed almost mad with fear．So we all walked the few steps to Wuthering Heights．When we had entered the house，however，I was horrified to see Heathcliff lock the front door．The key was in his hand．
‘Hareton，Joseph and Zillah are all out of the house，’he said calmly，‘so we are quite alone．’
‘Give me that key！’cried Cathy angrily．‘I'm not afraid of you！’She took hold of his closed hand and bit it．He hit her violently several times，on both sides of the head，and she fell into a chair，trembling．I rushed at him，but he pushed me away．
‘Cry as much as you like，Miss Cathy，’he said．‘In a few days I'll be your father，and I'll punish you just like that，as often as necessary！’
When Heathcliff went out to look for our horses，Cathy and I hurried round the kitchen looking for a way to escape．But all the doors and windows were locked．Linton was sitting calmly in a chair near the fire，happy that he was not being punished this time．We persuaded him to explain his father's plan to us．
‘Father is afraid I'll die soon，you see，so he wants us to be married tomorrow morning．You'll have to stay here all night，Cathy．Then perhaps he'll let you go home in the morning．’
‘You marry this beautiful，healthy young lady？’I cried．‘You must be mad！And wicked too！You and your father have tricked us into coming here！’And I shook him until he started coughing．
‘I must go home now．Father will be worried already，'said Cathy．‘I love Father better than you，Linton！’
Heathcliff returned and sent his son upstairs to bed．
‘Mr Heathcliff，’begged Cathy，‘Father will be miserable if I don't go home．Please let me go．I promise to marry Linton．Father would like it，and I love him．Why do you force me to do something I want to do？’
‘He can't force you！’I cried．‘I'll go to the police！’
‘To the devil with you，Ellen！Miss Cathy，I'm delighted that your father will be miserable．In that case you will certainly stay here for twenty-four hours．You won't leave here until you've kept your promise to marry Linton．’
‘Please send Ellen to let Father know I'm safe！'sobbed Cathy bitterly．‘Poor Father！He'll think we're lost！’
‘Your father must have hated you when you came into the world（I did，at least），and he'll hate you as he leaves it．Go