Wuthering Heights - Chapter 10
Linton_Heathcliff
When Linton was twelve years old, his mother Isabella died. Before her death, she wrote to Edgar, asking him to take care of her son. Edgar agreed, even though Linton was Heathcliff's child and he hated the man.
Linton arrived at Thrushcross Grange. He was pale, thin, and weak, with a constant cough. He was also selfish and whining, complaining about everything and treating the servants badly. Cathy tried to be kind to him, but she found him annoying and difficult.
A few days later, Heathcliff came to claim his son. He had the right to take Linton, according to the law. Edgar could not refuse, though it broke his heart to let the boy go.
Linton was taken to Wuthering Heights, where he was treated coldly by his father. Heathcliff despised the boy's weakness and illness. He did not love him; he only wanted to use him to inherit Thrushcross Grange.
At Wuthering Heights, Linton met Hareton. The two boys could not have been more different. Hareton was strong and worked hard, while Linton was weak and lazy. Linton looked down on Hareton because he could not read, but Hareton was ashamed of his ignorance and tried to learn to read secretly.
Heathcliff forbade Hareton from going to school and mocked him when he tried to read. He wanted Hareton to remain ignorant and poor, so that the boy would never be a threat.
Meanwhile, Cathy missed Linton, though she had not liked him much. She wrote to him, and they began to correspond. Heathcliff discovered this and was pleased. He encouraged the relationship, hoping it would lead to marriage.
Edgar became very ill. He was weak and old, and his doctors feared he would not live much longer. Cathy was worried about her father and spent all her time caring for him. She did not realize that Heathcliff was planning to use her father's illness to force her to marry Linton.