“You’d better let the dog alone，” growled Mr. Heathcliff in unison， checking fiercer demonstrations with a punch of his foot. “She’s not accustomed to be spoiled—not kept for a pet.” Then， striding to a side door， he shouted again，“Joseph！”
Joseph mumbled indistinctly in the depths of the cellar， but gave no intimation of ascending; so his master dived down to him， leaving me vis-à-vis the ruffianly bitch and a pair of grim shaggy sheep-dogs， who shared with her a jealous guardianship over all my movements. Not anxious to come in contact with their fangs， I sat still; but， imagining they would scarcely understand tacit insults， I unfortunately indulged in winking and making faces at the trio， and some turn of my physiognomy so irritated madam， that she suddenly broke into a fury， and leapt on my knees. I flung her back， and hastened to interpose the table between us. This proceeding roused the whole hive. Half-a-dozen four-footed fiends， of various sizes and ages， issued from hidden dens to the common centre. I felt my heels and coat-laps peculiar subjects of assault; and， parrying off the larger combatants as effectually as I could with the poker， I was constrained to demand， aloud， assistance from some of the household in establishing peace.
Mr. Heathcliff and his man climbed the cellar steps with vexatious phlegm. I don’t think they moved one second faster than usual， though the hearth was an absolute tempest of worrying and yelping. Happily， an inhabitant of the kitchen made more dispatch： a lusty dame， with tucked-up gown， bare arms， and fire-flushed cheeks， rushed into the midst of us flourishing a frying-pan： and used that weapon， and her tongue， to such purpose， that the storm subsided magically， and she only remained， heaving like a sea after a high wind， when her master entered on the scene.
“What the devil is the matter？” he asked， eyeing me in a manner I could ill endure after this inhospitable treatment.
“What the devil， indeed！” I muttered.“The herd of possessed swine could have had no worse spirits in them than those animals of yours， sir. You might as well leave a stranger with a brood of tigers！”
“They won’t meddle with persons who touch nothing，” he remarked， putting the bottle before me， and restoring the displaced table.“The dogs do right to be vigilant. Take a glass of wine？”
“No thank you.”
“Not bitten， are you？”
“If I had been， I would have set my signet on the biter.”
Heathcliff’s countenance relaxed into a grin.
“Come， come，” he said，“you are flurried， Mr. Lockwood. Here， take a little wine. Guests are so exceedingly rare in this house that I and my dogs， I am willing to own， hardly know how to receive them. Your health， sir！”
I bowed and returned the pledge; beginning to perceive that it would be foolish to sit sulking for the misbehaviour of a pack of curs. Besides， I felt loath to yield the fellow further amusement at my expense; since his humour took that turn. He—probably swayed by prudential considerations of the folly of offending a good tenant—relaxed a little in the laconic style of chipping off his pronouns and auxiliary verbs， and introduced what he supposed would be a subject of interest to me， —a discourse on the advantages and disadvantages of my present place of retirement. I found him very intelligent on the topics we touched; and before I went home， I was encouraged so far as to volunteer another visit tomorrow. He evidently wished no repetition of my intrusion. I shall go， notwithstanding. It is astonishing how sociable I feel myself compared with him.