## Characters
**Ellen Dean (Nelly)** - Present throughout chapter; narrator telling story to Lockwood. Serves as messenger between households. Shows moral conflict about helping Heathcliff but ultimately agrees to carry his letter to Catherine. Wears a bonnet, described as "good woman" by Lockwood.
**Edgar Linton** - Not physically present but prominently discussed. Catherine's husband, Isabella's brother. Shows coldness toward Isabella, refusing to write her even a brief note. Says he has "nothing to forgive her" but considers them "eternally divided." Wants Heathcliff to leave the country.
**Isabella Heathcliff (née Linton)** - Present at Wuthering Heights. Edgar's sister, now married to Heathcliff. Physical appearance dramatically deteriorated: "pretty face was wan and listless; her hair uncurled: some locks hanging lankly down, and some carelessly twisted round her head." Probably hasn't changed clothes since previous evening. Described as looking like "a thorough little slattern." Desperately wanted letter from Edgar. Claims to hate Heathcliff now and wishes for death (his or hers). Says she tried to leave before but "dare not repeat it."
**Heathcliff** - Present at Wuthering Heights. Isabella's husband. Physically appears well-groomed and gentlemanly - "the only thing there that seemed decent" and "never looked better." Would "strike a stranger as a born and bred gentleman." Emotionally volatile about Catherine. Admits to hanging Isabella's little dog when they first arrived from Grange. Cruelly psychological toward Isabella, calling her "pitiful, slavish, mean-minded." Threatens to haunt Thrushcross Grange nightly until he sees Catherine. Carries pistols and threatens violence against Edgar and servants.
**Catherine Linton (née Earnshaw)** - Not present but central to discussion. Edgar's wife, recovering from serious illness. Described as fundamentally changed: "Catherine Linton is as different now from your old friend Catherine Earnshaw, as that young lady is different from me. Her appearance is changed greatly, her character much more so." Described as "all nerves" and easily startled. According to Nelly, "she'll never be like she was, but her life is spared."
**Hindley Earnshaw** - Mentioned as absent ("Hindley was not there").
**Mr. Lockwood** - Present as listener to Nelly's story. Makes final reflection about being wary of Catherine Heathcliff's "brilliant eyes" and not wanting "the daughter turned out a second edition of the mother."
**Kenneth** - Doctor, mentioned at chapter's end as arriving.
## Timeline & Events
The chapter occurs shortly after Isabella's arrival at Wuthering Heights (she had sent a letter expressing sorrow about "Mrs. Linton's situation").
1. **Morning/Early Day**: Nelly reads Isabella's letter and reports to Edgar Linton
2. **That Afternoon**: Edgar sends Nelly to Wuthering Heights with his cold response
3. **Afternoon at Wuthering Heights**: Nelly arrives, finds Isabella deteriorated, has confrontation with Heathcliff, witnesses his cruelty toward Isabella
4. **Evening**: Nelly reluctantly agrees to carry Heathcliff's letter to Catherine and facilitate a meeting
5. **Journey Home**: Nelly travels back to Thrushcross Grange with misgivings
6. **Present Moment**: Nelly continues telling story to Lockwood; Kenneth the doctor arrives
Heathcliff mentions being "in the Grange garden six hours" the previous night and threatens to return every night.
## Key Facts
- Wuthering Heights house is described as formerly cheerful but now "dreary, dismal"
- The house needs basic cleaning (hearth unswept, tables not wiped)
- Heathcliff carries pistols and threatens violence
- Isabella's little dog was hanged by Heathcliff upon their arrival from the Grange
- Heathcliff has stayed "strictly within the limits of the law" regarding Isabella
- Catherine is described as "all nerves" and easily startled by "the commonest occurrence"
- Edgar attends Catherine from "duty and humanity" rather than passion, according to Heathcliff
- Heathcliff claims Catherine is forbidden as a topic of conversation at Thrushcross Grange
- Nelly agreed to carry a letter from Heathcliff to Catherine and potentially facilitate a meeting
## Ages, Dates & Arithmetic
No specific ages, years, or dates mentioned in this chapter. Time references are relative:
- "yester evening" (Isabella probably hasn't changed clothes since then)
- "the very morrow of our wedding" (Isabella wanted to go home immediately after marrying Heathcliff)
- "last summer" (when Heathcliff returned to the neighborhood)
- "Last night" (Heathcliff spent six hours in Grange garden)
## Unexplained Changes
**Isabella's Dramatic Deterioration**: From refined lady to "thorough little slattern" in very short time since marriage. Physical neglect (unkempt hair, unchanged clothes) and emotional state (wan, listless) represent complete transformation.
**Heathcliff's Genteel Appearance**: Now appears as "born and bred gentleman" - significant contrast to his earlier rough presentation, though circumstances of this transformation aren't explained.
## Plot Developments
**New Threads Introduced**:
- Heathcliff's plan to see Catherine despite Edgar's opposition
- The psychological torture of Isabella and her trapped situation
- Nelly's moral compromise in agreeing to help Heathcliff
**Existing Threads Advanced**:
- Edgar/Isabella estrangement deepens - he refuses even basic communication
- Catherine's illness/recovery continues but with permanent changes
- Heathcliff's obsession with Catherine intensifies to stalking behavior
**Threads Complicated**:
- Nelly becomes reluctant accomplice to Heathcliff's plans
- Isabella's situation becomes more desperate (wants to leave but afraid)
- Potential for violence increases with Heathcliff's threats and weapons
## Foreshadowing & Setups
**Heathcliff's Threats**: His promise to "haunt the place" nightly and willingness to use violence against Edgar and servants sets up inevitable confrontation.
**Nelly's Letter Agreement**: Her decision to carry Heathcliff's letter to Catherine despite misgivings will likely precipitate crisis.
**Isabella's Desperation**: Her statement "The single pleasure I can imagine is to die, or to see him dead!" suggests potential for tragic action.
**Lockwood's Warning to Himself**: His final reflection about avoiding Catherine Heathcliff's "fascination" and not wanting "the daughter turned out a second edition of the mother" hints at future romantic complications and suggests Catherine had a daughter.
**Heathcliff's Pistols**: Mentioned twice - clear setup for potential violence.
The chapter establishes multiple collision courses: Heathcliff's determination to see Catherine against Edgar's wishes, Isabella's trapped desperation, and the moral complexity of Nelly's position as reluctant facilitator of deception.