Грозовой перевал
Chapter 1
BythiscuriousturnofdispositionIhavegainedthereputationofdeliberateheartlessness;howundeservedIalonecanappreciate.
Itookaseatattheendofthehearthstoneoppositethattowardswhichmylandlordadvanced,andfilledupanintervalofsilencebyattemptingtocaressthecaninemother,whohadlefthernursery,andwassneakingwolfishlytothebackofmylegs,herlipcurledup,andherwhiteteethwateringforasnatch. Mycaressprovokedalong,gutturalsnarl. "You’dbetterletthedogalone,"growledMr.Heathcliffinunison,checkingfiercerdemonstrationswithapunchofhisfoot. "She’snotaccustomedtobespoiled—notkeptforapet. "Then,stridingtoasidedoor,heshoutedagain, "Joseph!"
Josephmumbledindistinctlyinthedepthsofthecellar,butgavenointimationofascending; sohismasterdiveddowntohim,leavingmevis-a-vistheruffianlybitchandapairofgrimshaggysheep-dogs,whosharedwithherajealousguardianshipoverallmymovements. Notanxioustocomeincontactwiththeirfangs,Isatstill; but,imaginingtheywouldscarcelyunderstandtacitinsults,Iunfortunatelyindulgedinwinkingandmakingfacesatthetrio,andsometurnofmyphysiognomysoirritatedmadam,thatshesuddenlybrokeintoafuryandleaptonmyknees. Iflungherback,andhastenedtointerposethetablebetweenus. Thisproceedingrousedthewholehive: half-a-dozenfour-footedfiends,ofvarioussizesandages,issuedfromhiddendenstothecommoncentre. Ifeltmyheelsandcoat-lapspeculiarsubjectsofassault; andparryingoffthelargercombatantsaseffectuallyasIcouldwiththepoker,Iwasconstrainedtodemand,aloud,assistancefromsomeofthehouseholdinre-establishingpeace.
