to divide the desolation between us

[GoodTaste]

Does "desolation" here mean "a feeling of great unhappiness and hopelessness"?

Because the author has previously exclaimed "a beautiful country!", it appears less likely that she refers to "desolation" as "(the place is) empty and frightening."

-----------------------------
1801. - I have just returned from a visit to my landlord - the solitary neighbour that I shall be troubled with. This is certainly a beautiful country! In all England, I do not believe that I could have fixed on a situation so completely removed from the stir of society. A perfect misanthropist's heaven: and Mr. Heathcliff and I are such a suitable pair to divide the desolation between us. A capital fellow! He little imagined how my heart warmed towards him when I beheld his black eyes withdraw so suspiciously under their brows, as I rode up, and when his fingers sheltered themselves, with a jealous resolution, still further in his waistcoat, as I announced my name.

-Wuthering Heights

Source

 

[Raymott]

I'd say it means 4 and 6 from below:
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/desolation

It's beautiful because it's a "perfect misanthropist's heaven".

 

[GoodTaste]

I'd say it means 4 and 6 from below:
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/desolation

It's beautiful because it's a "perfect misanthropist's heaven".

So "A capital fellow!" means "a perfect man to share the loneliness (with me)"?

 

[Raymott]

Yes, he's being ironic. I haven't read this novel for ages, but I believe that's the situation. He's a capital fellow because he's going to leave him alone (both), and that's how they both want it.
No, it doesn't mean "share the loneliness with me". "My heart warmed towards him" is also ironic. Lockwood is glad to find that Heathcliff is unfriendly, because Lockwood also wants to be left alone.