Chapter I: Front Matter

THE KEY TO THE
BRONTË WORKS.

THE KEY TO THE
BRONTË WORKS

THE KEY TO CHARLOTTE BRONTË'S "WUTHERING HEIGHTS,"
"JANE EYRE," AND HER OTHER WORKS.

SHOWING THE METHOD OF THEIR CONSTRUCTION AND THEIR
RELATION TO THE FACTS AND PEOPLE OF HER LIFE.

BY
JOHN MALHAM-DEMBLEBY.

London and Felling-on-Tyne:
THE WALTER SCOTT PUBLISHING CO., LTD.
NEW YORK AND MELBOURNE.
1911.

_All Rights Reserved._

CONTENTS.

CHAP. PAGE

I. OUTLINE OF CHARLOTTE BRONTË'S LIFE 13

II. ORIGIN OF THE CANDLE-BEARING BEDSIDE VISITANT AND
THE UNCOUTH SERVANT IN "WUTHERING HEIGHTS" AND
"JANE EYRE" 20

III. ORIGIN OF THE FOUNDLING HEATHCLIFFE AND HIS NAME
IN "WUTHERING HEIGHTS"--ORIGIN OF THE INSANE
LADY AND THE WHITE VEIL SCENE IN "JANE EYRE" 33

IV. A RAINY DAY IN CHARLOTTE BRONTË'S CHILDHOOD:
THE OPENING INCIDENT IN THE AUTOBIOGRAPHIES
OF THE HEROINES OF "WUTHERING HEIGHTS" AND
"JANE EYRE" 37

V. CHARLOTTE BRONTË'S FRIEND, TABITHA AYKROYD, THE
BRONTËS' SERVANT, AS MRS. DEAN OF "WUTHERING
HEIGHTS," AND AS BESSIE AND HANNAH OF "JANE EYRE" 43

VI. CHARLOTTE BRONTË'S CHILD APPARITION IN "THE
PROFESSOR," "WUTHERING HEIGHTS," AND "JANE EYRE" 52

VII. THE ORIGINALS OF GIMMERTON, GIMMERDEN, GIMMERTON
KIRK AND CHAPEL, PENISTON CRAGS, THE FAIRY CAVE,
ETC., IN "WUTHERING HEIGHTS," AND OF THE FAIRY
CAVE AND THE FAIRY JANET IN "JANE EYRE" 57

VIII. THE RIVERS OR BRONTË FAMILY IN "JANE EYRE" 69

IX. ORIGIN OF THE YORKSHIRE ELEMENT IN CHARLOTTE
BRONTË'S HUNSDEN OF "THE PROFESSOR"; HEATHCLIFFE
OF "WUTHERING HEIGHTS"; ROCHESTER OF "JANE EYRE";
AND YORKE OF "SHIRLEY" 83

X. HEATHCLIFFE OF "WUTHERING HEIGHTS" AND ROCHESTER
OF "JANE EYRE" ONE AND THE SAME 90

XI. CATHERINE AND HEATHCLIFFE OF "WUTHERING HEIGHTS"
AS JANE AND ROCHESTER OF "JANE EYRE" 93

XII. EUGÈNE SUE AND CHARLOTTE BRONTË'S BRUSSELS LIFE.
I. MDLLE. LAGRANGE AND HER MANUSCRIPT
"CATHERINE BELL, THE ORPHAN" 104

XIII. EUGÈNE SUE AND CHARLOTTE BRONTË'S BRUSSELS LIFE.
II. ACCUSATIONS AND PROTESTATIONS! 120

XIV. THE RECOIL, I. 130

XV. THE RECOIL, II. 143

XVI. THE BRONTË POEMS 156

APPENDIX.

MINOR IDENTIFICATIONS OF PERSONS AND PLACES IN THE
BRONTË WORKS 159

THE HÉGER PORTRAIT OF CHARLOTTE BRONTË IN THE
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY 162

INDEX 169

LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS TO THE FIRST EDITION 179