I have attempted to visit the Heights, but I haven’t seen Catherine since she left. Joseph blocked the doorway when I called to ask after her, claiming that Mrs. Linton was "busy" and the master was out. Consequently, I have had to rely on Zillah for information. She seems to find Catherine haughty and clearly dislikes her. When Catherine first arrived, she asked Zillah for assistance, but Heathcliff ordered the housekeeper to mind her own business and let his daughter-in-law look after herself. Zillah, being a selfish and narrow-minded woman, willingly obeyed. Catherine’s natural annoyance at this neglect was met with contempt, and thus Zillah became another of her enemies. I had a long conversation with her about six weeks ago, shortly before you arrived, and this is what she told me.
"The first thing Mrs. Linton did upon her arrival," Zillah said, "was to rush upstairs without even a greeting. She locked herself in Linton’s room and remained there until morning. Then, while Heathcliff and Hareton were at breakfast, she entered the room, trembling, and asked if the doctor could be sent for. She insisted her cousin was gravely ill."
"‘We know that!’ Heathcliff replied coldly. ‘But his life isn't worth a penny, and I won’t spend a penny on him.’"
"‘But I don’t know what to do,’ she pleaded. ‘If nobody helps me, he will die!’"
"‘Get out of the room,’ the master shouted, ‘and never mention his name again! Nobody here cares what happens to him. If you care, nurse him yourself; if not, lock him up and leave him.’"
Zillah admitted that Catherine then turned to her for help, but she refused, claiming she already had enough trouble. Heathcliff had made it clear that looking after Linton was Catherine’s task alone.
I can only imagine how they managed together. Linton must have spent his days moaning and crying, leaving Catherine with very little rest; her pale face and tired eyes told the whole story. Occasionally, she would wander into the kitchen looking completely lost, as if she were about to beg for help, but Zillah remained indifferent. She told me she never dared to disobey the master. Once or twice, Zillah saw her crying at the top of the stairs late at night, but she simply shut her door, fearing that she might be moved to interfere and thus risk her job.
Finally, one night Catherine burst into Zillah’s room. "Tell Mr. Heathcliff his son is dying," she said urgently. "I’m certain of it this time. Go now!"
Zillah stayed in bed for a while, hoping Catherine was mistaken, but she was soon startled by the sharp ringing of the bell—the one installed specifically for Linton. Heathcliff called out, demanding to know what the noise was about. When Zillah delivered the message, he cursed under his breath, lit a candle, and went to their room.
Mrs. Heathcliff was sitting by the bedside, her hands folded. Heathcliff held the light to his son’s face, touched him, and then turned to her. "Well, Catherine, how do you feel now?"
She remained silent at first. When he repeated the question, she answered with a bitterness she couldn't hide: "He is safe, and I am free. I should feel well, but you have left me to struggle against death alone for so long that I feel like death myself!"
And she looked it, too. After Linton’s body was removed, Catherine remained alone. She stayed in her room for a fortnight, and although Zillah visited her twice a day, Catherine coldly rejected any attempts at kindness. During that time, Heathcliff went up once to show her Linton’s will. The boy had been pressured into leaving all his property—including Catherine’s personal money—to his father. Since Linton was a minor, he couldn't touch the land, but Heathcliff claimed it anyway, and Catherine, having no money or friends, was unable to challenge him.
According to Zillah, Catherine only came downstairs on a Sunday afternoon when she knew Heathcliff was away at Thrushcross Grange. She looked plain and somber in her black dress, her famous yellow curls tied back simply.
That day, Joseph had gone to chapel, but Zillah stayed behind. She told me she thought the young people needed supervision, especially Hareton, who wasn't exactly a model of good behavior. She warned Hareton that his cousin was coming down and suggested he put away his guns and work tools out of respect for the Sabbath. Hareton blushed and immediately tried to make himself presentable. Zillah even offered to help him, laughing at his obvious confusion, though he responded with his usual sullen temper.
When Catherine entered, she acted as "cold as an icicle." She refused Zillah’s chair and sat far away from both of them. Eventually, she noticed some books on a high shelf and tried to reach them. After watching her struggle, Hareton gathered his courage to help. He reached up and filled her arms with the books.
This was a significant gesture for the boy. Although she didn't thank him, he felt gratified that she had accepted his help. He even ventured to stand behind her as she looked through them, pointing at the pictures that caught his eye. He wasn't even discouraged when she rudely snapped the pages away from his fingers. Instead, he began to stare at her thick, silky curls. Drawn to her like a child to a flame, he eventually reached out and gently stroked one of her hairs. Catherine spun around in disgust.
"Get away from me this instant! How dare you touch me?" she cried. "I can’t endure your presence! I’ll go back upstairs if you come near me again."
Hareton retreated, looking humiliated. After a while, he whispered to Zillah, asking her to invite Catherine to read to them. He was too shy to ask himself. When Zillah made the request, Catherine frowned.
"I want you all to understand," she said sharply, "that I reject any pretended kindness you offer. I despise you all! When I would have given my life for a kind word, you all stayed away. I am only here because of the cold, not to enjoy your company."
Hareton tried to defend himself, claiming he had asked Heathcliff for permission to help her, but she silenced him immediately. "Be quiet! I would rather be outdoors in the frost than listen to your voice."
Hareton muttered an angry reply, grabbed his gun, and went back to his usual work. From then on, Catherine was forced by the cold to spend more time in their company, but the atmosphere remained frozen. Zillah became as stiff and unfriendly as Catherine herself. She told me Catherine deserves no pity because she snaps at everyone, even Heathcliff himself, growing more venomous the more she is hurt.
Upon hearing this, I considered leaving my position to take a cottage where Catherine could live with me. However, I know Heathcliff would never allow it. At present, I see no solution unless she were to marry again, but that is not something I can arrange.
Thus ended Nelly Dean’s story. Despite the doctor’s earlier gloomy predictions, I am recovering my strength rapidly. Although it is only the middle of January, I plan to go out on horseback in a day or two. I intend to ride over to Wuthering Heights to inform my landlord that I shall be spending the next six months in London. If he wishes, he may look for another tenant to take over the Grange in October. I wouldn't dream of spending another winter in this desolate place for any amount of money.