I have just returned from a visit to my landlord¹, Mr Heathcliff. I am delighted with the house I am renting from him. Thrushcross Grange is miles away from any town or village. That suits me perfectly². And the scenery here in Yorkshire is so beautiful!
    Mr Heathcliff, in fact, is my only neighbour, and I think his character is similar to mine. He does not like people either.
    'My name is Lockwood,' I said, when I met him at the gate to his house. 'I'm renting Thrushcross Grange from you. I just wanted to come and introduce myself.'
    He said nothing, but frowned皱眉, and did not encourage me to enter. After a while, however, he decided⁴ to invite me in.
    'Joseph, take Mr Lockwood's horse!' he called. 'And bring up some wine from the cellar地窖!' Joseph was a very old servant, with a sour酸臭的，讨厌的 expression on his face. He looked crossly up at me as he took my horse.
    'God help us! A visitor!' he muttered⁶咕哝，喃喃低语 to himself. Perhaps there were no other servants, I thought. And it seemed that Mr Heathcliff hardly ever received guests.
    His house is called Wuthering Heights. The name means 'a windswept被风吹的，暴露在风中的 house on a hill', and it is a very good description. The trees around the house do not grow straight, but are bent⁷ by the north wind, which blows over the moors⁸荒野，沼泽 every day of the year. Fortunately, the house is strongly built, and is not damaged even by the worst winter storms. The name 'Earnshaw' is cut into a stone over the front door.
    Mr Heathcliff and I entered the huge main room. It could have been any Yorkshire farmhouse⁹ kitchen, except that there was no sign of cooking, and no farmer sitting at the table. Mr Heathcliff certainly does not look like a farmer. His hair and skin are dark, like a gipsy's, but he has the manners of a gentleman. He could perhaps take more care with his appearance, but he is handsome. I think he is proud, and also unhappy.
    We sat down by the fire, in silence.
    'Joseph!' shouted Mr Heathcliff. No answer came from the cellar⁵, so he dived down there, leaving me alone with several rather fierce-looking dogs. Suddenly one of them jumped angrily up at me, and in a moment all the others were attacking me. From every shadowy corner in the great room appeared a growling咆哮的，隆隆响的 animal, ready to kill me, it seemed.
    'Help! Mr Heathcliff! Help!' I shouted, trying to keep the dogs back. My landlord and his servant were in no hurry to help, and could not have climbed the cellar steps more slowly, but luckily a woman, who I supposed was the housekeeper¹¹, rushed into the room to calm the dogs.
    'What the devil¹² is the matter?' Mr Heathcliff asked me rudely, when he finally entered the room.
    'Your dogs, sir!' I replied. 'You shouldn't leave a stranger with them. They're dangerous.'
    'Come, come, Mr Lockwood. Have some wine. We don't often have strangers here, and I'm afraid neither I nor my dogs are used to receiving them.'
    I could not feel offended¹³ after this, and accepted the wine. We sat drinking and talking together for a while. I suggested visiting him tomorrow. He did not seem eager to see me again, but I shall go anyway. I am interested in him, even if he isn't interested in me.

上一篇：A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - Chapter 31 下一篇：A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - Chapter 32