"Wuthering Heights," Vocabulary from Chapters 10-14

Four weeks' torture, tossing and sickness! Oh, these bleak winds and bitter, northern skies, and impassable roads, and dilatory country surgeons!

Four weeks' torture, tossing and sickness! Oh, these bleak winds and bitter, northern skies, and impassable roads, and dilatory country surgeons!

Scoundrel! He is not altogether guiltless in this illness of mine; and that I had a great mind to tell him.

Keep your fingers from that bitter phalanx of vials.

He concealed it from her; but if ever he heard me answer sharply, or saw any other servant grow cloudy at some imperious order of hers, he would show his trouble by a frown of displeasure that never darkened on his own account.

He many a time spoke sternly to me about my pertness, and averred that the stab of a knife could not inflict a worse pang than he suffered at seeing his lady vexed.

Catherine had seasons of gloom and silence now and then; they were respected with sympathizing silence by her husband, who ascribed them to an alteration in her constitution, produced by her perilous illness, as she was never subject to depression of spirits before.

A ray fell on his features; the cheeks were sallow and half covered with black whiskers, the brows lowering, the eyes deep-set and singular.

Ere long I heard the click of the latch, and Catherine flew upstairs, breathless and wild, too excited to show gladness; indeed, by her face, you would rather have surmised an awful calamity.

Mrs. Linton eyed him with a droll expression--half angry, half laughing, at his fastidiousness.

Set two tables here, Ellen--one for your master and Miss Isabella, being gentry; the other for Heathcliff and myself, being of the lower orders.

His countenance was much older in expression and decision of feature than Mr. Linton's; it looked intelligent, and retained no marks of former degradation.

If that creature knew how bitter, he'd be ashamed to cloud its removal with idle petulance.

Mr. Linton had not only abjured his peevishness (though his spirits seemed still subdued by Catherine's exuberance of vivacity), but he ventured no objection to her taking Isabella with her to Wuthering Heights in the afternoon.

It is impossible that you can covet the admiration of Heathcliff--that you consider him an agreeable person!

It is deplorable ignorance of his character, child, and nothing else, which makes that dream enter your head.

Avarice is growing with him a besetting sin.

She has blighted my single consolation.

Up at sundown; dice, brandy, cloised shutters, un can'le-light till next day at noon; then, t' fooil gangs banning un raving to his cham'er, makking dacent fowks dig thur fingers i' thur lugs fur varry shame; un the knave, why he can caint his brass, un ate, un sleep, un off to his neighbour's to gossip wi' t' wife.

You'd hear of odd things if I lived alone with that mawkish, waxen face.

My heart invariably cleaved to the master's, in preference to Catherine's side--with reason, I imagined, for he was kind, and trustful, and honourable; and she--she could not be called the opposite, yet she seemed to allow herself such wide latitude that I had little faith in her principles, and still less sympathy for her feelings.

Fit to cry, I took an orange from my pocket, and offered it to propitiate him.

"He might spare himself the trouble," said Heathcliff; "I could do as well without his approbation.

Having levelled my palace, don't erect a hovel and complacently admire your own charity in giving me that for a home.

Three minutes' delay will render it involuntary and ignominious."

Each has a bludgeon; and master will very likely be watching from the parlour windows, to see that they fulfil his orders."

Mr. Linton stood looking at her in sudden compunction and fear.

My late anguish was swallowed in a paroxysm of despair.

To obviate the fatigue of mounting and descending the stairs, we fitted up this, where you lie at present, on the same floor with the parlour; and she was soon strong enough to move from one to the other, leaning on Edgar's arm.

He did it with a courtesy that redounded to his credit.

It was a marvellous effort of perspicacity to discover that I did not love her.

Tell your master, Nelly, that I never, in all my life, met with such an abject thing as she is.

And that insipid, paltry creature attending her former duty and humanity, from pity and charity!

And then I remembered Mr. Edgar's stern rebuke of my carrying tales, and I tried to smooth away all disquietude on the subject by affirming, with frequent iteration, that that betrayal of trust, if it merited so harsh an appellation, should be the last.