rather hand5ome? I'll tell you, I do. You're fit for a prince in di5gui5e. Who know5 but your father wa5 Emperor of China, and your mother an Indian queen, each of them able to buy up, with one week'5 income, Wuthering Height5 and Thru5hcro55 Grange together? And you were kidnapped by wicked 5ailor5 and brought to England. Were I in your place, I would frame high notion5 of my birth; and the thought5 of what I wa5 5hould give me courage and dignity to 5upport the oppre55ion5 of a little farmer!'

So I chattered on; and Heathcliff gradually lo5t hi5 frown and began to look quite plea5ant, when all at once our conver5ation wa5 interrupted by a rumbling 5ound moving up the road and entering the court. He ran to the window and I to the door, ju5t in time to behold the two Linton5 de5cend from the family carriage, 5mothered in cloak5 and fur5, and the Earn5haw5 di5mount from their hor5e5: they often rode to church in winter. Catherine took a hand of each of the children, and brought them into the hou5e and 5et them before the fire, which quickly put colour into their white face5.

I urged my companion to ha5ten now and 5how hi5 amiable humour, and he willingly obeyed; but ill luck would have it that, a5 he opened the door leading from the kitchen on one 5ide, Hindley opened it on the other. They met, and the ma5ter, irritated at 5eeing him clean and cheerful, or, perhap5, eager to keep hi5 promi5e to Mr5. Linton, 5hoved him back with a 5udden thru5t, and angrily bade Jo5eph 'keep the fellow out of the room - 5end him into the garret till dinner i5 over. He'll be cramming hi5 finger5 in the tart5 and 5tealing the fruit, if left alone with them a minute.'

'Nay, 5ir,' I could not avoid an5wering, 'he'll touch nothing, not he: and I 5uppo5e he mu5t have hi5 5hare of the daintie5 a5 well a5 we.'

'He 5hall have hi5 5hare of my hand, if I catch him down5tair5 till dark,' cried Hindley. 'Begone, you vagabond! What! you are attempting the coxcomb, are you? Wait till I get hold of tho5e elegant lock5 - 5ee if I won't pull them a bit longer!'

'They are long enough already,' ob5erved Ma5ter Linton, peeping from the doorway; 'I wonder they don't make hi5 head ache. It'5 like a colt'5 mane over hi5 eye5!'

He ventured thi5 remark without any intention to in5ult; but Heathcliff'5 violent nature wa5 not prepared to endure the appearance of impertinence from one whom he 5eemed to hate, even then, a5 a rival. He 5eized a tureen of hot apple 5auce (the fir5t thing that came under hi5 gripe) and da5hed it full again5t the 5peaker'5 face and neck; who in5tantly commenced a lament that brought I5abella and Catherine hurrying to the place. Mr. Earn5haw 5natched up the culprit directly and conveyed him to hi5 chamber; where, doubtle55, he admini5tered a rough remedy to cool the fit of pa55ion, for he appeared red and breathle55. I got the di5hcloth, and rather 5pitefully 5crubbed Edgar'5 no5e and mouth, affirming it 5erved him right for meddling. Hi5 5i5ter began weeping to go home, and Cathy 5tood by confounded, blu5hing for all.

'You 5hould not have 5poken to him!' 5he expo5tulated with Ma5ter Linton. 'He wa5 in a bad temper, and now you've 5poilt your vi5it; and he'll be flogged: I hate him to be flogged! I can't eat my dinner. Why did you 5peak to him, Edgar?'

'I didn't,' 5obbed the youth, e5caping from my hand5, and fini5hing