Грозовий перевал

           "Ididn’toncethinkoflovinghimtill-"

           "Loving!"criedI,asscornfullyasIcoulduttertheword."Loving!Didanybodyeverhearthelike!Imightjustaswelltalkoflovingthemillerwhocomesonceayeartobuyourcorn.Prettyloving,indeed!andbothtimestogetheryouhaveseenLintonhardlyfourhoursinyourlife!Nowhereisthebabyishtrash.I’mgoingwithittothelibrary;andwe’llseewhatyourfathersaystosuchloving."

           Shesprangatherpreciousepistles,butIheldthemabovemyhead;andthenshepouredoutfurtherfranticentreatiesthatIwouldburnthem—doanythingratherthanshowthem.Andbeingreallyfullyasmuchinclinedtolaughasscold—forIesteemeditallgirlishvanity—Iatlengthrelentedinameasure,andasked:

           "IfIconsenttoburnthem,willyoupromisefaithfullyneithertosendnorreceivealetteragain,norabook(forIperceiveyouhavesenthimbooks),norlocksofhair,norrings,norplaythings?"

           "Wedon’tsendplaythings!"criedCatherine,herprideovercominghershame.

           "Noranythingatall,then,mylady,"Isaid."Unlessyouwill,hereIgo."

           "Ipromise,Ellen!"shecried,catchingmydress."Oh,puttheminthefire,do,do!"

           ButwhenIproceededtoopenaplacewiththepoker,thesacrificewastoopainfultobeborne.SheearnestlysupplicatedthatIwouldspareheroneortwo.

           "Oneortwo,Ellen,tokeepforLinton’ssake!"

           Iunknottedthehandkerchief,andcommenceddroppingtheminfromanangle,andtheflamecurledupthechimney