24 Wuthering Heights - Abridged By Stephanie Poppins

Hello.

Welcome to Sleep Stories with Steph,

Your go-to romantic podcast that guarantees you a calm and entertaining transition into a great night's sleep.

Come with me as we immerse ourselves in a romantic journey to a time long since forgotten.

Emily Bronte was born in Yorkshire in 1818 and along with her brother and sisters Anne and Charlotte wrote from childhood onwards.

Wuthering Heights is the story she is best remembered for.

But before we begin let's take a moment to focus on where we are now.

Take a deep breath in through your nose and let it out with a long sigh.

Now close your eyes and feel yourself sink deeper into the support beneath you.

It is time to relax and fully let go.

There is nothing you need to be doing now and nowhere you need to go.

Happy listening.

Chapter 24 At the close of three weeks,

Said Ellen,

I was able to quit my chamber and move about the house and on the first occasion of my sitting up in the evening I asked Katherine to read to me because my eyes were weak.

We were in the library,

The master having gone to bed.

She consented rather unwillingly I fancied and imagining my sort of books did not suit her I bid her please herself in the choice of what she perused.

She selected one of her own favourites and got full steadily about an hour then came frequent questions.

Ellen are you not tired and you better lie down now you'll be keeping up so long.

No dear I'm not tired.

I returned continually.

Perceiving me immovable she essayed another method of showing her disrelish for her occupation.

It changed to yawning then stretching and Ellen I'm tired.

Give over then and talk I answered.

That was worse.

She fretted and sighed and looked at her watch too late and finally went to her room completely overdone with sleep judging by her peevish heavy look and the constant rubbing she inflicted on her eyes.

The following night she seemed more impatient still and on the third from recovering my company she complained of a headache and left me.

I thought her conduct odd and having remained alone a long while I resolved on going and inquiring whether she were better and asking her to come and lie on the sofa instead of upstairs in the dark.

No Catherine could I discover upstairs and none below.

The servants affirmed they'd not seen her.

I listened in at Mr Edgar's door and awe his silence.

I returned to her apartment extinguished my candle and seated myself in the window.

The moon shone bright a sprinkling of snow covered the ground and I reflected she might possibly have taken it into her head to walk about the garden for refreshment.

I did detect a figure creeping along the inner fence of the park but it was not my young mistress.

On its emerging into the light I recognized one of the grooms.

He stood a considerable period viewing the carriage road through the grounds then started off at a brisk pace as if he detected something and reappeared presently leading Mrs Polly and there she was just dismounted and walking by its side.

The man took his charge stealthily across the grass towards the stable.

Cathy entered by the casement window of the drawing room and glided noisily up to where I awaited her.

She pulled the door gently too slipped off her snowy shoes untied her hat and was proceeding unconscious of my espionage to lay aside her mantle when I suddenly rose and revealed myself.

The surprise petrified her an instant she uttered an inarticulate exclamation and stood fixed.

My dear Miss Catherine I began too vividly impressed by her recent kindness to break into a scold.

Where have you been riding out at this hour and why should you try to deceive me by telling a tale?

Where have you been?

Speak.

At the bottom of the park she stammered.

I didn't tell a tale.

And nowhere else I demanded.

No was a muttered reply.

Oh Catherine I cried sorrowfully you know you've been doing wrong or you wouldn't have been driven to uttering an untruth.

That does grieve me I'd rather be three months ill than hear you frame a deliberate lie.

She sprang forward and bursting into tears threw her arms around my neck.

Well Ellen I'm so afraid of you being angry.

She said promise not to be angry and you shall know the very truth.

I hate to hide it.

We sat down in the window seat.

I assured her I would not scold whatever a secret might be and I guessed it of course.

So she commenced.

I've been to bothering heights Ellen and I've never missed going a day since you fell ill except thrice before and twice after you left your room.

I gave Michael books and pictures to prepare Minnie every evening and told her to put them back in the stable.

You mustn't scold him either mind.

I was at the heights by half past six and gently stayed till half past eight and then galloped home.

It was not to amuse myself I went.

I was often wretched all the time.

Now and then I was happy.

Once a week perhaps.

At first I expected there'd be sad work persuading you to let me keep my word to Linton for I'd engaged to call again next day when we quitted him.

But as you stayed upstairs on the morrow I escaped that trouble.

Whilst Michael was refastening the lock of the park door in the afternoon I got possession of the key and told him how my cousin wished me to visit him because he was sick.

I told him he couldn't come to the Grange and how Papa would object to my going to him.

Then I negotiated with Michael about the pony.

He is fond of reading and he thinks of leaving soon to get married so he offered if I would lend him books out of the library to do what I wished.

But I preferred giving him my own and that satisfied him better.

On my second visit Linton seemed in lively spirits and Cilla their housekeeper made us a clean room and a good fire and told us that as Joseph was out at prayer meeting and Hayton out with his dogs robbing our woods of pheasants as I heard afterwards we might do what we liked.

She bought me some warm wine and gingerbread and appeared exceedingly good-natured and Linton sat in the armchair and I in the little rocking chair on the hearthstone and we laughed and talked so merrily and found so much to say.

We planned where we would go and what we would do in summer.

I didn't repeat that because you would call it silly.

One time however we were near quarrelling.

He said the pleasantest manner of spending a hot July day was lying from morning till evening on a bank of heath in the middle of the moors with the bees humming dreamily about the bloom and the larks singing high up overhead.

That was his most perfect idea of heaven's happiness.

Mine was rocking in a rustling green tree with a west wing blowing and bright white clouds flitting rapidly above.

I said his heaven would only be 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.

Then he began to grow very snappish.

At last we agreed to try both as soon as the right weather came and then we kissed each other and were friends.

After sitting still an hour I looked at the great room with its smooth uncarpeted floor and I thought how nice it would be to play in if we removed the table and I asked Linton to call Zilla to help us and we'd have a game at blind man's bluff.

He wouldn't.

There was no pleasure in it he said but he consented to play ball with me.

We found two in a cupboard among a heap of old toys.

One was marked C and the other H.

I wished to have C because that stood for Catherine and the H might be for Heathcliff.

But the brand came out of H and Linton didn't like it.

I beat him constantly and he got cross again and coughed and returned to his chair.

That night though he easily recovered his good humor.

He was charmed with two or three pretty songs.

Your songs Ellen.

And when I was obliged to go he begged and treated me to come the following evening and I promised.

Minnie and I went flying home as light as air and I dreamed of Wuthering Heights and my sweet darling cousin.

On the I was sad partly because you were poorly and partly that I wish my father knew and approved of my excursions but it was a beautiful moonlight after tea and as I rode on the gloom cleared.

I shall have another happy evening I thought to myself and what delights me more my pretty Linton will too.

I trotted up to their garden and I was turning round to the back when that fellow Earnshaw saw me.

He took my bridle and bid me go in the front entrance.

I told him to leave my horse alone or else I would kick him and he answered in his vulgar accent wouldn't do much if I did and surveyed its legs with a smile.

I was half inclined to make it try however he moved off to open the door and as he reached the latch he looked up to the inscription above and said with a stupid mixture of awkwardness and elation Miss Catherine I can read you now.

Wonderful I exclaimed pray let us hear you you are grown clever.

He spelled and drawled over by syllables the name Hairton Earnshaw and the figures I cried encouragingly.

I cannot tell them yet he answered.

Oh you dunce I said laughing heartily and the fool stared with a grin hovering over his lips and the scowl gathering over his eyes as if uncertain he might not join in my mirth whether it were not pleasant familiarity or what it really was contempt.

I settled his doubts by suddenly retrieving my gravity and desiring him to walk away for I came to see Linton not him.

He reddened I saw that by the moonlight dropped his hand from the latch and scuffed off.

He imagined himself to be as accomplished as Linton I suppose because he could spell his own name and was marvelously discomfited that I didn't think the same.

Stop Miss Catherine dear I interrupted I shall not scold but I don't like your conduct there.

If you'd remember that Hairton was your cousin as much as Master Heathcliff you would have felt how improper it was to behave in that way.

At least it was praiseworthy ambition for him to desire to be as accomplished as Linton and probably didn't really mean to show off.

You'd made him ashamed of his ignorance before I've no doubt and he wished to remedy it and please you.

To sneer at his imperfect attempt was very bad breeding.

Had you been brought up in these circumstances would you be less rude?

He was as quick and intelligent as Charles as ever you were and I'm hurt he should be despised now because that base Heathcliff has treated him so unjustly.

Well Alan you won't cry about it will you exclaimed Cathy surprised at my earnestness but wait and you shall hear if he conned his ABC to please me and if it were worthwhile being civil to the brute.

When I entered Linton was lying on the settle and he half got up to welcome me.

I'm ill tonight Catherine love he said and you must have all the talk and let me listen come and sit by me I was sure you wouldn't break your word and make a promise again.

I knew now that I mustn't tease him as he was ill and I spoke softly and put no questions and avoided irritating him.

I bought some of my nicest books for him and he asked me to read one of them.

I was about to comply when Earnshaw burst the door open having gathered venom with reflection.

Then he advanced direct to us he seized Linton by the arm and he swung him off the seat.