tess of the d'urburvilles

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Title: Tess of the d'Urbervilles

A Pure Woman

Author: Thomas Hardy

Release Date: February, 1 ! "e#oo$ %11&

This edition 11 released (une 1), *&&+

an-ua-e: .n-lish

/hara0ter set en0odin-: 23455+ 41

6662TART 3F TH. PR3(./T 7UT.8#.R7 .#339 T.22 3FTH. D'UR#.R .2666

E te!t transcribed by "teve #enyhert,$roof read by #eredith %icker and &ohn Hamm,

and revised by &ose$h E (oe)enstein, # *

HT#( version $re$ared by &ose$h E (oe)enstein, # *

TE"" + THE *'U%BE%-.((E"

/ Pure 0oman

http://www.gutenberg.net/

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aithfully $resented by

Thomas Hardy

1+2TE2T"

Phase the irst3 The #aiden /ha;ter /ha;ter /ha;ter /ha;ter /ha;ter /ha;ter /ha;ter /ha;ter /ha;ter </ha;ter </ha;ter <

Phase the "econd3 #aiden 2o #ore /ha;ter </ha;ter </ha;ter </ha;ter <

Phase the Third3 The %ally /ha;ter </ha;ter </ha;ter <

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/ha;ter < </ha;ter <</ha;ter <</ha;ter <</ha;ter <</ha;ter <<

Phase the ourth3 The 1onse4uence /ha;ter <</ha;ter <</ha;ter <</ha;ter <</ha;ter << </ha;ter <<</ha;ter <<</ha;ter <<</ha;ter <<</ha;ter <<<

Phase the ifth3 The 0oman Pays /ha;ter <<</ha;ter <<</ha;ter <<</ha;ter <<</ha;ter <<< </ha;ter </ha;ter </ha;ter </ha;ter </ha;ter <

Phase the "i!th3 The 1onvert /ha;ter </ha;ter </ha;ter </ha;ter <































































/ha;ter < </ha;ter /ha;ter /ha;ter

Phase the "eventh3 ulfilment /ha;ter /ha;ter /ha;ter /ha;ter /ha;ter /ha;ter /ha;ter <

Phase the irst3 The #aiden, . 5.

3n an evenin- in the latter ;art of =ay a middle4a-ed man >as >al$in-home>ard from 2haston to the villa-e of =arlott, in the ad?oinin- ale of#la$emore, or #la0$moor@ The ;air of le-s that 0arried him >ere ri0$ety,and there >as a bias in his -ait >hi0h in0lined him some>hat to the left of astrai-ht line@ He o00asionally -ave a smart nod, as if in 0onfirmation of some

o;inion, thou-h he >as not thin$in- of anythin- in ;arti0ular@ An em;tye--4bas$et >as slun- u;on his arm, the na; of his hat >as ruffled, a ;at0h bein- uite >orn a>ay at its brim >here his thumb 0ame in ta$in- it off@Presently he >as met by an elderly ;arson astride on a -ray mare, >ho, as herode, hummed a >anderin- tune@

B7ood ni-ht t'ee,B said the man >ith the bas$et@

























B7ood ni-ht, 2ir (ohn,B said the ;arson@

The ;edestrian, after another ;a0e or t>o, halted, and turned round@

B8o>, sir, be--inyour ;ardonC >e met last mar$et4day on this roadabout this time, and said '7ood ni-ht,' and you made re;ly ' Good night, Sir

John ,' as no>@B

B did,B said the ;arson@

BAnd on0e before that near a month a-o@B

B may have@B

BThen >hat mi-ht your meanin- be in 0allin- me '2ir (ohn' thesedifferent times, >hen be ;lain (a0$ Durbeyfield, the ha--lerEB

The ;arson rode a ste; or t>o nearer@

B t >as only my >him,B he saidC and, after a moment's hesitation: B t>as on a00ount of a dis0overy made some little time a-o, >hilst >ashuntin- u; ;edi-rees for the ne> 0ounty history@ am Parson Trin-ham, theanti uary, of 2ta-foot ane@ Don't you really $no>, Durbeyfield, that youare the lineal re;resentative of the an0ient and $ni-htly family of thed'Urbervilles, >ho derive their des0ent from 2ir Pa-an d'Urberville, thatreno>ned $ni-ht >ho 0ame from 8ormandy >ith William the /on ueror, asa;;ears by #attle Abbey RollEB

B8ever heard it before, sir B

BWell it's true@ Thro> u; your 0hin a moment, so that may 0at0h the ;rofile of your fa0e better@ Ges, that's the d'Urberville nose and 0hin a littledebased@ Gour an0estor >as one of the t>elve $ni-hts >ho assisted the ordof .stremavilla in 8ormandy in his 0on uest of 7lamor-anshire@ #ran0hes

of your family held manors over all this ;art of .n-landC their names a;;earin the Pi;e Rolls in the time of 9in- 2te;hen@ n the rei-n of 9in- (ohn oneof them >as ri0h enou-h to -ive a manor to the 9ni-hts Hos;itallersC and in.d>ard the 2e0ond's time your forefather #rian >as summoned toWestminster to attend the -reat /oun0il there@ Gou de0lined a little in 3liver/rom>ell's time, but to no serious e tent, and in /harles the 2e0ond's rei-nyou >ere made 9ni-hts of the Royal 3a$ for your loyalty@ Aye, there have



been -enerations of 2ir (ohns amon- you, and if $ni-hthood >erehereditary, li$e a baronet0y, as it ;ra0ti0ally >as in old times, >hen men>ere $ni-hted from father to son, you >ould be 2ir (ohn no>@B

BGe don't say so B

B n short,B 0on0luded the ;arson, de0isively sma0$inhis le- >ith hiss>it0h, Bthere's hardly su0h another family in .n-land@B

BDaIe my eyes, and isn't thereEB said Durbeyfield@ BAnd here have been $no0$in- about, year after year, from ;illar to ;ost, as if >as no morethan the 0ommonest feller in the ;arishJ And ho> lon- hev this ne>s aboutme been $no>ed, Pa'son Trin-hamEB

The 0ler-yman e ;lained that, as far as he >as a>are, it had uite diedout of $no>led-e, and 0ould hardly be said to be $no>n at all@ His o>ninvesti-ations had be-un on a day in the ;re0edin- s;rin- >hen, havin- beenen-a-ed in tra0in- the vi0issitudes of the d'Urberville family, he hadobserved Durbeyfield's name on his >a--on, and had thereu;on been led toma$e in uiries about his father and -randfather till he had no doubt on thesub?e0t@

BAt first resolved not to disturb you >ith su0h a useless ;ie0e ofinformation,B said he@ BHo>ever, our im;ulses are too stron- for our

?ud-ement sometimes@ thou-ht you mi-ht ;erha;s $no> somethin- of it allthe >hile@B

BWell, have heard on0e or t>i0e, 'tis true, that my family had seen better days afore they 0ame to #la0$moor@ #ut too$ no noti0e o't, thin$in-it to mean that >e had on0e $e;t t>o horses >here >e no> $ee; only one@

've -ot a >old silver s;oon, and a >old -raven seal at home, tooC but, ord,>hat's a s;oon and sealE J And to thin$ that and these noble d'Urbervilles>ere one flesh all the time@ 'T>as said that my -r't4-ranfer had se0rets, anddidn't 0are to tal$ of >here he 0ame fromJ And >here do >e raise oursmo$e, no>, ;arson, if may ma$e so boldC mean, >here do >ed'Urbervilles liveEB

BGou don't live any>here@ Gou are e tin0t as a 0ounty family@B

BThat's bad@B



BGes >hat the menda0ious family 0hroni0les 0all e tin0t in the maleline that is, -one do>n -one under@B

BThen >here do >e lieEB

BAt 9in-sbere4sub47reenhill: ro>s and ro>s of you in your vaults, >ithyour effi-ies under Purbe0$4marble 0ano;ies@B

BAnd >here be our family mansions and estatesEB

BGou haven't any@B

B3hE 8o lands neitherEB

B8oneC thou-h you on0e had 'em in abundan0e, as said, for you family0onsisted of numerous bran0hes@ n this 0ounty there >as a seat of yours at9in-sbere, and another at 2herton, and another in =ill;ond, and another at

ullstead, and another at Wellbrid-e@B

BAnd shall >e ever 0ome into our o>n a-ainEB

BAh that 0an't tell B

BAnd >hat had better do about it, sirEB as$ed Durbeyfield, after a ;ause@

B3h nothin-, nothin-C e 0e;t 0hasten yourself >ith the thou-ht of'ho> are the mi-hty fallen@' t is a fa0t of some interest to the lo0al historianand -enealo-ist, nothin- more@ There are several families amon- the0otta-ers of this 0ounty of almost e ual lustre@ 7ood ni-ht@B

B#ut you'll turn ba0$ and have a uart of beer >i' me on the stren-th o't,Pa'son Trin-hamE There's a very ;retty bre> in ta; at The Pure Dro; thou-h, to be sure, not so -ood as at Rolliver's@B

B8o, than$ you not this evenin-, Durbeyfield@ Gou've had enou-halready@B /on0ludin- thus, the ;arson rode on his >ay, >ith doubts as to hisdis0retion in retailin- this 0urious bit of lore@

When he >as -one, Durbeyfield >al$ed a fe> ste;s in a ;rofoundreverie, and then sat do>n u;on the -rassy ban$ by the roadside, de;ositin-



his bas$et before him@ n a fe> minutes a youth a;;eared in the distan0e,>al$in- in the same dire0tion as that >hi0h had been ;ursued byDurbeyfield@ The latter, on seein- him, held u; his hand, and the lad

ui0$ened his ;a0e and 0ame near@

B#oy, ta$e u; that bas$et >ant 'ee to -o on an errand for me@B

The lath4li$e stri;lin- fro>ned@ BWho be you, then, (ohn Durbeyfield, toorder me about and 0all me 'boy'E Gou $no> my name as >ell as $no>yours B

BDo you, do youE That's the se0ret that's the se0ret 8o> obey myorders, and ta$e the messa-e 'm -oin- to 0har-e 'ee >i'J Well, Fred, don'tmind tellin- you that the se0ret is that 'm one of a noble ra0e it has been

?ust found out by me this ;resent afternoon, P@= @B And as he made theannoun0ement, Durbeyfield, de0linin- from his sittin- ;osition, lu uriouslystret0hed himself out u;on the ban$ amon- the daisies@

The lad stood before Durbeyfield, and 0ontem;lated his len-th from0ro>n to toe@

B2ir (ohn d'Urberville that's >ho am,B 0ontinued the ;rostrate man@BThat is if $ni-hts >ere baronets >hi0h they be@ 'Tis re0orded in history allabout me@ Dost $no> of su0h a ;la0e, lad, as 9in-sbere4sub47reenhillEB

B.es@ 've been there to 7reenhill Fair@B

BWell, under the 0hur0h of that 0ity there lie B

B'Tisn't a 0ity, the ;la0e meanC least>ise 't>addn' >hen >as there 't>as a little one4eyed, blin$in- sort o' ;la0e@B

B8ever you mind the ;la0e, boy, that's not the uestion before us@ Underthe 0hur0h of that there ;arish lie my an0estors hundreds of 'em in 0oats

of mail and ?e>els, in -r't lead 0offins >ei-hin- tons and tons@ There's not aman in the 0ounty o' 2outh4Wesse that's -ot -rander and nobler s$illentonsin his family than @B

B3hEB



B8o> ta$e u; that bas$et, and -oo on to =arlott, and >hen you've 0ometo The Pure Dro; nn, tell 'em to send a horse and 0arria-e to meimmed'ately, to 0arry me h>ome@ And in the bottom o' the 0arria-e they beto ;ut a no--in o' rum in a small bottle, and 0hal$ it u; to my a00ount@ And>hen you've done that -oo on to my house >ith the bas$et, and tell my >ifeto ;ut a>ay that >ashin-, be0ause she needn't finish it, and >ait till 0omeh>ome, as 've ne>s to tell her@B

As the lad stood in a dubious attitude, Durbeyfield ;ut his hand in his ;o0$et, and ;rodu0ed a shillin-, one of the 0hroni0ally fe> that he ;ossessed@

BHere's for your labour, lad@B

This made a differen0e in the youn- man's estimate of the ;osition@BGes, 2ir (ohn@ Than$ 'ee@ Anythin- else 0an do for 'ee, 2ir (ohnEB

BTell 'em at h>ome that should li$e for su;;er, >ell, lamb's fry ifthey 0an -et itC and if they 0an't, bla0$4;otC and if they 0an't -et that, >ell0hitterlin-s >ill do@B

BGes, 2ir (ohn@B

The boy too$ u; the bas$et, and as he set out the notes of a brass band>ere heard from the dire0tion of the villa-e@

BWhat's thatEB said Durbeyfield@ B8ot on a00ount o' EB

B'Tis the >omen's 0lub4>al$in-, 2ir (ohn@ Why, your da'ter is one o' themembers@B

BTo be sure 'd uite for-ot it in my thou-hts of -reater thin-s Well,vam; on to =arlott, >ill ye, and order that 0arria-e, and maybe 'll drive

round and ins;e0t the 0lub@B

The lad de;arted, and Durbeyfield lay >aitin- on the -rass and daisiesin the evenin- sun@ 8ot a soul ;assed that >ay for a lon- >hile, and the faintnotes of the band >ere the only human sounds audible >ithin the rim of bluehills@



The villa-e of =arlott lay amid the north4eastern undulations of the beautiful ale of #la$emore, or #la0$moor, aforesaid, an en-irdled andse0luded re-ion, for the most ;art untrodden as yet by tourist or lands0a;e4

;ainter, thou-h >ithin a four hours' ?ourney from ondon@

t is a vale >hose a0 uaintan0e is best made by vie>in- it from thesummits of the hills that surround it e 0e;t ;erha;s durin- the drou-hts ofsummer@ An un-uided ramble into its re0esses in bad >eather is a;t toen-ender dissatisfa0tion >ith its narro>, tortuous, and miry >ays@

This fertile and sheltered tra0t of 0ountry, in >hi0h the fields are never bro>n and the s;rin-s never dry, is bounded on the south by the bold 0hal$

rid-e that embra0es the ;rominen0es of Hambledon Hill, #ulbarro>, 8ettle0ombe4Tout, Do-bury, Hi-h 2toy, and #ubb Do>n@ The travellerfrom the 0oast, >ho, after ;loddin- north>ard for a s0ore of miles over0al0areous do>ns and 0orn4lands, suddenly rea0hes the ver-e of one of thesees0ar;ments, is sur;rised and deli-hted to behold, e tended li$e a ma;

beneath him, a 0ountry differin- absolutely from that >hi0h he has ;assedthrou-h@ #ehind him the hills are o;en, the sun blaIes do>n u;on fields solar-e as to -ive an unen0losed 0hara0ter to the lands0a;e, the lanes are >hite,the hed-es lo> and ;lashed, the atmos;here 0olourless@ Here, in the valley,the >orld seems to be 0onstru0ted u;on a smaller and more deli0ate s0aleCthe fields are mere ;addo0$s, so redu0ed that from this hei-ht theirhed-ero>s a;;ear a net>or$ of dar$ -reen threads overs;readin- the ;aler-reen of the -rass@ The atmos;here beneath is lan-uorous, and is so tin-ed>ith aIure that >hat artists 0all the middle distan0e ;arta$es also of that hue,>hile the horiIon beyond is of the dee;est ultramarine@ Arable lands are fe>and limitedC >ith but sli-ht e 0e;tions the ;ros;e0t is a broad ri0h mass of-rass and trees, mantlin- minor hills and dales >ithin the ma?or@ 2u0h is the

ale of #la0$moor@

The distri0t is of histori0, no less than of to;o-ra;hi0al interest@ Theale >as $no>n in former times as the Forest of White Hart, from a 0urious

le-end of 9in- Henry 's rei-n, in >hi0h the $illin- by a 0ertain Thomas dela ynd of a beautiful >hite hart >hi0h the $in- had run do>n and s;ared,>as made the o00asion of a heavy fine@ n those days, and till 0om;arativelyre0ent times, the 0ountry >as densely >ooded@ .ven no>, tra0es of its earlier0ondition are to be found in the old oa$ 0o;ses and irre-ular belts of timber



that yet survive u;on its slo;es, and the hollo>4trun$ed trees that shade somany of its ;astures@

The forests have de;arted, but some old 0ustoms of their shades remain@=any, ho>ever, lin-er only in a metamor;hosed or dis-uised form@ The=ay4Day dan0e, for instan0e, >as to be dis0erned on the afternoon undernoti0e, in the -uise of the 0lub revel, or B0lub4>al$in-,B as it >as there0alled@

t >as an interestin- event to the youn-er inhabitants of =arlott, thou-hits real interest >as not observed by the ;arti0i;ators in the 0eremony@ tssin-ularity lay less in the retention of a 0ustom of >al$in- in ;ro0ession anddan0in- on ea0h anniversary than in the members bein- solely >omen@ nmen's 0lubs su0h 0elebrations >ere, thou-h e ;irin-, less un0ommonC but

either the natural shyness of the softer se , or a sar0asti0 attitude on the ;artof male relatives, had denuded su0h >omen's 0lubs as remained Kif any otherdidL or this their -lory and 0onsummation@ The 0lub of =arlott alone lived tou;hold the lo0al /erealia@ t had >al$ed for hundreds of years, if not as

benefit40lub, as votive sisterhood of some sortC and it >al$ed still@

The banded ones >ere all dressed in >hite -o>ns a -ay survival from3ld 2tyle days, >hen 0heerfulness and =ay4time >ere synonyms days

before the habit of ta$in- lon- vie>s had redu0ed emotions to a monotonousavera-e@ Their first e hibition of themselves >as in a ;ro0essional mar0h oft>o and t>o round the ;arish@ deal and real 0lashed sli-htly as the sun lit u;their fi-ures a-ainst the -reen hed-es and 0ree;er4la0ed house4frontsC for,thou-h the >hole troo; >ore >hite -arments, no t>o >hites >ere ali$eamon- them@ 2ome a;;roa0hed ;ure blan0hin-C some had a bluish ;allorCsome >orn by the older 0hara0ters K>hi0h had ;ossibly lain by folded formany a yearL in0lined to a 0adaverous tint, and to a 7eor-ian style@

n addition to the distin0tion of a >hite fro0$, every >oman and -irl0arried in her ri-ht hand a ;eeled >illo> >and, and in her left a bun0h of>hite flo>ers@ The ;eelin- of the former, and the sele0tion of the latter, had

been an o;eration of ;ersonal 0are@

There >ere a fe> middle4a-ed and even elderly >omen in the train,their silver4>iry hair and >rin$led fa0es, s0our-ed by time and trouble,havin- almost a -rotes ue, 0ertainly a ;atheti0, a;;earan0e in su0h a ?auntysituation@ n a true vie>, ;erha;s, there >as more to be -athered and told of



ea0h an ious and e ;erien0ed one, to >hom the years >ere dra>in- ni-h>hen she should say, B have no ;leasure in them,B than of her ?uvenile0omrades@ #ut let the elder be ;assed over here for those under >hose

bodi0es the life throbbed ui0$ and >arm@

The youn- -irls formed, indeed, the ma?ority of the band, and theirheads of lu uriant hair refle0ted in the sunshine every tone of -old, and

bla0$, and bro>n@ 2ome had beautiful eyes, others a beautiful nose, others a beautiful mouth and fi-ure: fe>, if any, had all@ A diffi0ulty of arran-in-their li;s in this 0rude e ;osure to ;ubli0 s0rutiny, an inability to balan0etheir heads, and to disso0iate self40ons0iousness from their features, >asa;;arent in them, and sho>ed that they >ere -enuine 0ountry -irls,una00ustomed to many eyes@

And as ea0h and all of them >ere >armed >ithout by the sun, so ea0hhad a ;rivate little sun for her soul to bas$ inC some dream, some affe0tion,some hobby, at least some remote and distant ho;e >hi0h, thou-h ;erha;sstarvin- to nothin-, still lived on, as ho;es >ill@ They >ere all 0heerful, andmany of them merry@

They 0ame round by The Pure Dro; nn, and >ere turnin- out of thehi-h road to ;ass throu-h a >i0$et4-ate into the meado>s, >hen one of the>omen said

BThe oad4a4 ord Why, Tess Durbeyfield, if there isn't thy fatherridin- h>ome in a 0arria-e B

A youn- member of the band turned her head at the e 0lamation@ 2he>as a fine and handsome -irl not handsomer than some others, ;ossibly

but her mobile ;eony mouth and lar-e inno0ent eyes added elo uen0e to0olour and sha;e@ 2he >ore a red ribbon in her hair, and >as the only one ofthe >hite 0om;any >ho 0ould boast of su0h a ;ronoun0ed adornment@ Asshe loo$ed round Durbeyfield >as seen movin- alon- the road in a 0haise

belon-in- to The Pure Dro;, driven by a friIIle4headed bra>ny damsel >ithher -o>n4sleeves rolled above her elbo>s@ This >as the 0heerful servant ofthat establishment, >ho, in her ;art of fa0totum, turned -room and ostler attimes@ Durbeyfield, leanin- ba0$, and >ith his eyes 0losed lu uriously, >as>avin- his hand above his head, and sin-in- in a slo> re0itative

B 've4-ot4a4-r't4family4vault4at49in-sbere and $ni-hted4forefathers4in4lead40offins4there B



The 0lubbists tittered, e 0e;t the -irl 0alled Tess in >hom a slo> heatseemed to rise at the sense that her father >as ma$in- himself foolish intheir eyes@

BHe's tired, that's all,B she said hastily, Band he has -ot a lift home, be0ause our o>n horse has to rest to4day@B

B#less thy sim;li0ity, Tess,B said her 0om;anions@ BHe's -ot his mar$et4nit0h@ Ha>4ha> B

B oo$ hereC >on't >al$ another in0h >ith you, if you say any ?o$esabout him B Tess 0ried, and the 0olour u;on her 0hee$s s;read over her fa0eand ne0$@ n a moment her eyes -re> moist, and her -lan0e droo;ed to the-round@ Per0eivin- that they had really ;ained her they said no more, and

order a-ain ;revailed@ Tess's ;ride >ould not allo> her to turn her heada-ain, to learn >hat her father's meanin- >as, if he had anyC and thus shemoved on >ith the >hole body to the en0losure >here there >as to bedan0in- on the -reen@ #y the time the s;ot >as rea0hed she has re0overedher e uanimity, and ta;;ed her nei-hbour >ith her >and and tal$ed as usual@

Tess Durbeyfield at this time of her life >as a mere vessel of emotionuntin0tured by e ;erien0e@ The diale0t >as on her ton-ue to some e tent,des;ite the villa-e s0hool: the 0hara0teristi0 intonation of that diale0t for thisdistri0t bein- the voi0in- a;;ro imately rendered by the syllable UR,

;robably as ri0h an utteran0e as any to be found in human s;ee0h@ The ;outed4u; dee; red mouth to >hi0h this syllable >as native had hardly asyet settled into its definite sha;e, and her lo>er li; had a >ay of thrustin-the middle of her to; one u;>ard, >hen they 0losed to-ether after a >ord@

Phases of her 0hildhood lur$ed in her as;e0t still@ As she >al$ed alon-to4day, for all her boun0in- handsome >omanliness, you 0ould sometimessee her t>elfth year in her 0hee$s, or her ninth s;ar$lin- from her eyesC andeven her fifth >ould flit over the 0urves of her mouth no> and then@

Get fe> $ne>, and still fe>er 0onsidered this@ A small minority, mainlystran-ers, >ould loo$ lon- at her in 0asually ;assin- by, and -ro>momentarily fas0inated by her freshness, and >onder if they >ould ever seeher a-ain: but to almost everybody she >as a fine and ;i0tures ue 0ountry-irl, and no more@



8othin- >as seen or heard further of Durbeyfield in his trium;hal0hariot under the 0ondu0t of the ostleress, and the 0lub havin- entered theallotted s;a0e, dan0in- be-an@ As there >ere no men in the 0om;any, the-irls dan0ed at first >ith ea0h other, but >hen the hour for the 0lose oflabour dre> on, the mas0uline inhabitants of the villa-e, to-ether >ith otheridlers and ;edestrians, -athered round the s;ot, and a;;eared in0lined tone-otiate for a ;artner@

Amon- these on4loo$ers >ere three youn- men of a su;erior 0lass,0arryin- small $na;sa0$s stra;;ed to their shoulders, and stout sti0$s in theirhands@ Their -eneral li$eness to ea0h other, and their 0onse0utive a-es,>ould almost have su--ested that they mi-ht be, >hat in fa0t they >ere,

brothers@ The eldest >ore the >hite tie, hi-h >aist0oat, and thin4brimmed hatof the re-ulation 0urateC the se0ond >as the normal under-raduateC the

a;;earan0e of the third and youn-est >ould hardly have been suffi0ient to0hara0teriIe himC there >as an un0ribbed, un0abined as;e0t in his eyes andattire, im;lyin- that he had hardly as yet found the entran0e to his

;rofessional -roove@ That he >as a desultory tentative student of somethin-and everythin- mi-ht only have been ;redi0ted of him@

These three brethren told 0asual a0 uaintan0e that they >ere s;endin-their Whitsun holidays in a >al$in- tour throu-h the ale of #la0$moor,their 0ourse bein- south4>esterly from the to>n of 2haston on the north4east@

They leant over the -ate by the hi-h>ay, and in uired as to the meanin-of the dan0e and the >hite4fro0$ed maids@ The t>o elder of the brothers>ere ;lainly not intendin- to lin-er more than a moment, but the s;e0ta0leof a bevy of -irls dan0in- >ithout male ;artners seemed to amuse the third,and ma$e him in no hurry to move on@ He unstra;;ed his $na;sa0$, ;ut it,>ith his sti0$, on the hed-e4ban$, and o;ened the -ate@

BWhat are you -oin- to do, An-elEB as$ed the eldest@

B am in0lined to -o and have a flin- >ith them@ Why not all of us ?ustfor a minute or t>o it >ill not detain us lon-EB

B8o noC nonsense B said the first@ BDan0in- in ;ubli0 >ith a troo; of0ountry hoydens su;;ose >e should be seen /ome alon-, or it >ill bedar$ before >e -et to 2tour0astle, and there's no ;la0e >e 0an slee; at nearerthan thatC besides, >e must -et throu-h another 0ha;ter of A Counterblast to



The 0hur0h 0lo0$ stru0$, >hen suddenly the student said that he mustleave he had been for-ettin- himself he had to ?oin his 0om;anions@ Ashe fell out of the dan0e his eyes li-hted on Tess Durbeyfield, >hose o>nlar-e orbs >ore, to tell the truth, the faintest as;e0t of re;roa0h that he hadnot 0hosen her@ He, too, >as sorry then that, o>in- to her ba0$>ardness, hehad not observed herC and >ith that in his mind he left the ;asture@

3n a00ount of his lon- delay he started in a flyin-4run do>n the lane>est>ard, and had soon ;assed the hollo> and mounted the ne t rise@ Hehad not yet overta$en his brothers, but he ;aused to -et breath, and loo$ed

ba0$@ He 0ould see the >hite fi-ures of the -irls in the -reen en0losure>hirlin- about as they had >hirled >hen he >as amon- them@ They seemedto have uite for-otten him already@

All of them, e 0e;t, ;erha;s, one@ This >hite sha;e stood a;art by thehed-e alone@ From her ;osition he $ne> it to be the ;retty maiden >ith>hom he had not dan0ed@ Triflin- as the matter >as, he yet instin0tively feltthat she >as hurt by his oversi-ht@ He >ished that he had as$ed herC he>ished that he had in uired her name@ 2he >as so modest, so e ;ressive, shehad loo$ed so soft in her thin >hite -o>n that he felt he had a0ted stu;idly@

Ho>ever, it 0ould not be hel;ed, and turnin-, and bendin- himself to ara;id >al$, he dismissed the sub?e0t from his mind@

As for Tess Durbeyfield, she did not so easily dislod-e the in0ident fromher 0onsideration@ 2he had no s;irit to dan0e a-ain for a lon- time, thou-hshe mi-ht have had ;lenty of ;artnersC but ah they did not s;ea$ so ni0elyas the stran-e youn- man had done@ t >as not till the rays of the sun hadabsorbed the youn- stran-er's retreatin- fi-ure on the hill that she shoo$ offher tem;orary sadness and ans>ered her >ould4be ;artner in the affirmative@

2he remained >ith her 0omrades till dus$, and ;arti0i;ated >ith a0ertain Iest in the dan0in-C thou-h, bein- heart4>hole as yet, she en?oyedtreadin- a measure ;urely for its o>n sa$eC little divinin- >hen she sa> Bthesoft torments, the bitter s>eets, the ;leasin- ;ains, and the a-reeabledistressesB of those -irls >ho had been >ooed and >on, >hat she herself>as 0a;able of in that $ind@ The stru--les and >ran-les of the lads for her



hand in a ?i- >ere an amusement to her no moreC and >hen they be0amefier0e she rebu$ed them@

2he mi-ht have stayed even later, but the in0ident of her father's odda;;earan0e and manner returned u;on the -irl's mind to ma$e her an ious,and >onderin- >hat had be0ome of him she dro;;ed a>ay from the dan0ersand bent her ste;s to>ards the end of the villa-e at >hi0h the ;arental0otta-e lay@

While yet many s0ore yards off, other rhythmi0 sounds than those shehad uitted be0ame audible to herC sounds that she $ne> >ell so >ell@They >ere a re-ular series of thum;in-s from the interior of the house,o00asioned by the violent ro0$in- of a 0radle u;on a stone floor, to >hi0hmovement a feminine voi0e $e;t time by sin-in-, in a vi-orous -allo;ade,

the favourite ditty of BThe 2;otted /o>B

sa> her lie doM4o>n in yonM4der -reen -roM4oveC /ome, love M and 'll tellM you >here M

The 0radle4ro0$in- and the son- >ould 0ease simultaneously for amoment, and an e 0lamation at hi-hest vo0al ;it0h >ould ta$e the ;la0e ofthe melody@

B7od bless thy diment eyes And thy >a en 0hee$s And thy 0herrymouth And thy /ubit's thi-hs And every bit o' thy blessed body B

After this invo0ation the ro0$in- and the sin-in- >ould re0ommen0e,and the B2;otted /o>B ;ro0eed as before@ 2o matters stood >hen Tesso;ened the door and ;aused u;on the mat >ithin it, surveyin- the s0ene@

The interior, in s;ite of the melody, stru0$ u;on the -irl's senses >ith anuns;ea$able dreariness@ From the holiday -aieties of the field the >hite-o>ns, the nose-ays, the >illo>4>ands, the >hirlin- movements on the-reen, the flash of -entle sentiment to>ards the stran-er to the yello>melan0holy of this one40andled s;e0ta0le, >hat a ste; #esides the ?ar of0ontrast there 0ame to her a 0hill self4re;roa0h that she had not returnedsooner, to hel; her mother in these domesti0ities, instead of indul-in-herself out4of4doors@



There stood her mother amid the -rou; of 0hildren, as Tess had left her,han-in- over the =onday >ashin-4tub, >hi0h had no>, as al>ays, lin-eredon to the end of the >ee$@ 3ut of that tub had 0ome the day before Tessfelt it >ith a dreadful stin- of remorse the very >hite fro0$ u;on her ba0$>hi0h she had so 0arelessly -reened about the s$irt on the dam;in- -rass >hi0h had been >run- u; and ironed by her mother's o>n hands@

As usual, =rs Durbeyfield >as balan0ed on one foot beside the tub, theother bein- en-a-ed in the aforesaid business of ro0$inher youn-est 0hild@The 0radle4ro0$ers had done hard duty for so many years, under the >ei-htof so many 0hildren, on that fla-stone floor, that they >ere >orn nearly flat,in 0onse uen0e of >hi0h a hu-e ?er$ a00om;anied ea0h s>in- of the 0ot,flin-in- the baby from side to side li$e a >eaver's shuttle, as =rsDurbeyfield, e 0ited by her son-, trod the ro0$er >ith all the s;rin- that >as

left in her after a lon- day's seethin- in the suds@

8i0$4$no0$, ni0$4$no0$, >ent the 0radleC the 0andle4flame stret0heditself tall, and be-an ?i--in- u; and do>nC the >ater dribbled from thematron's elbo>s, and the son- -allo;ed on to the end of the verse, =rsDurbeyfield re-ardin- her dau-hter the >hile@ .ven no>, >hen burdened>ith a youn- family, (oan Durbeyfield >as a ;assionate lover of tune@ 8oditty floated into #la0$moor ale from the outer >orld but Tess's mother0au-ht u; its notation in a >ee$@

There still faintly beamed from the >oman's features somethin- of thefreshness, and even the ;rettiness, of her youthC renderin- it ;robable thatthe ;ersonal 0harms >hi0h Tess 0ould boast of >ere in main ;art hermother's -ift, and therefore un$ni-htly, unhistori0al@

B 'll ro0$ the 0radle for 'ee, mother,B said the dau-hter -ently@ B3r 'llta$e off my best fro0$ and hel; you >rin- u;E thou-ht you had finishedlon- a-o@B

Her mother bore Tess no ill4>ill for leavin- the house>or$ to hersin-le4handed efforts for so lon-C indeed, (oan seldom u;braided her thereonat any time, feelin- but sli-htly the la0$ of Tess's assistan0e >hilst herinstin0tive ;lan for relievin- herself of her labours lay in ;ost;onin- them@To4ni-ht, ho>ever, she >as even in a blither mood than usual@ There >as adreaminess, a ;re4o00u;ation, an e altation, in the maternal loo$ >hi0h the-irl 0ould not understand@



BWell, 'm -lad you've 0ome,B her mother said, as soon as the last notehad ;assed out of her@ B >ant to -o and fet0h your fatherC but >hat's more'nthat, >ant to tell 'ee >hat have ha;;ened@ G'll be fess enou-h, my ;o;;et,>hen th'st $no> B K=rs Durbeyfield habitually s;o$e the diale0tC herdau-hter, >ho had ;assed the 2i th 2tandard in the 8ational 20hool under a

ondon4trained mistress, s;o$e t>o lan-ua-es: the diale0t at home, more orlessC ordinary .n-lish abroad and to ;ersons of uality@L

B2in0e 've been a>ayEB Tess as$ed@

BAy B

BHad it anythin- to do >ith father's ma$in- su0h a mommet of himselfin thi$ 0arria-e this afternoonE Why did 'erE felt in0lined to sin$ into the

-round >ith shame BBThat >er all a ;art of the larry We've been found to be the -reatest

-entlefol$ in the >hole 0ounty rea0hin- all ba0$ lon- before 3liver7rumble's time to the days of the Pa-an Tur$s >ith monuments, andvaults, and 0rests, and 's0ut0heons, and the ord $no>s >hat all@ n 2aint/harles's days >e >as made 9ni-hts o' the Royal 3a$, our real name bein-d'Urberville J Don't that ma$e your bosom ;limE 'T>as on this a00ountthat your father rode home in the vleeC not be0ause he'd been drin$in-, as

;eo;le su;;osed@B

B 'm -lad of that@ Will it do us any -ood, motherEB

B3 yes 'Tis thou-hted that -reat thin-s may 0ome o't@ 8o doubt amam;us of vol$ of our o>n ran$ >ill be do>n here in their 0arria-es as soonas 'tis $no>n@ Gour father learnt it on his >ay h>ome from 2haston, and hehas been tellin- me the >hole ;edi-ree of the matter@B

BWhere is father no>EB as$ed Tess suddenly@

Her mother -ave irrelevant information by >ay of ans>er: BHe 0alled tosee the do0tor to4day in 2haston@ t is not 0onsum;tion at all, it seems@ t isfat round his heart, 'a says@ There, it is li$e this@B (oan Durbeyfield, as shes;o$e, 0urved a sodden thumb and forefin-er to the sha;e of the letter /, andused the other forefin-er as a ;ointer@ B'At the ;resent moment,' he says toyour father, 'your heart is en0losed all round there, and all round thereC thiss;a0e is still o;en,' 'a says@ 'As soon as it do meet, so,'B =rs Durbeyfield



0losed her fin-ers into a 0ir0le 0om;lete B'off you >ill -o li$e a shadder,=r Durbeyfield,' 'a says@ 'Gou mid last ten yearsC you mid -o off in tenmonths, or ten days@'B

Tess loo$ed alarmed@ Her father ;ossibly to -o behind the eternal 0loudso soon, not>ithstandin- this sudden -reatness

B#ut >here is fatherEB she as$ed a-ain@

Her mother ;ut on a de;re0atin- loo$@ B8o> don't you be burstin- outan-ry The ;oor man he felt so rafted after his u;liftin- by the ;a'son'sne>s that he >ent u; to Rolliver's half an hour a-o@ He do >ant to -et u;his stren-th for his ?ourney to4morro> >ith that load of beehives, >hi0hmust be delivered, family or no@ He'll have to start shortly after t>elve to4

ni-ht, as the distan0e is so lon-@BB7et u; his stren-th B said Tess im;etuously, the tears >ellin- to her

eyes@ B3 my 7od 7o to a ;ubli04house to -et u; his stren-th And you as>ell a-reed as he, mother B

Her rebu$e and her mood seemed to fill the >hole room, and to im;art a0o>ed loo$ to the furniture, and 0andle, and 0hildren ;layin- about, and toher mother's fa0e@

B8o,B said the latter tou0hily, B be not a-reed@ have been >aitin- for'ee to bide and $ee; house >hile -o fet0h him@B

B 'll -o@B

B3 no, Tess@ Gou see, it >ould be no use@B

Tess did not e ;ostulate@ 2he $ne> >hat her mother's ob?e0tion meant@=rs Durbeyfield's ?a0$et and bonnet >ere already han-in- slily u;on a 0hair

by her side, in readiness for this 0ontem;lated ?aunt, the reason for >hi0h the

matron de;lored more than its ne0essity@

BAnd ta$e the Compleat Fortune-Teller to the outhouse,B (oan0ontinued, ra;idly >i;inher hands, and donnin- the -arments@



The Compleat Fortune-Teller >as an old thi0$ volume, >hi0h lay on atable at her elbo>, so >orn by ;o0$etin- that the mar-ins had rea0hed theed-e of the ty;e@ Tess too$ it u;, and her mother started@

This -oin- to hunt u; her shiftless husband at the inn >as one of =rsDurbeyfield's still e tant en?oyments in the mu0$ and muddle of rearin-0hildren@ To dis0over him at Rolliver's, to sit there for an hour or t>o by hisside and dismiss all thou-ht and 0are of the 0hildren durin- the interval,made her ha;;y@ A sort of halo, an o00idental -lo>, 0ame over life then@Troubles and other realities too$ on themselves a meta;hysi0alim;al;ability, sin$in- to mere mental ;henomena for serene 0ontem;lation,and no lon-er stood as ;ressin- 0on0retions >hi0h 0hafed body and soul@The youn-sters, not immediately >ithin si-ht, seemed rather bri-ht anddesirable a;;urtenan0es than other>iseC the in0idents of daily life >ere not

>ithout humorousness and ?ollity in their as;e0t there@ 2he felt a little as shehad used to feel >hen she sat by her no> >edded husband in the same s;otdurin- his >ooin-, shuttin- her eyes to his defe0ts of 0hara0ter, andre-ardin- him only in his ideal ;resentation as lover@

Tess, bein- left alone >ith the youn-er 0hildren, >ent first to theouthouse >ith the fortune4tellin- boo$, and stuffed it into the that0h@ A0urious fetishisti0 fear of this -rimy volume on the ;art of her mother

;revented her ever allo>in- it to stay in the house all ni-ht, and hither it >as brou-ht ba0$ >henever it had been 0onsulted@ #et>een the mother, >ith herfast4;erishin- lumber of su;erstitions, fol$4lore, diale0t, and orallytransmitted ballads, and the dau-hter, >ith her trained 8ational tea0hin-sand 2tandard $no>led-e under an infinitely Revised /ode, there >as a -a;of t>o hundred years as ordinarily understood@ When they >ere to-ether the(a0obean and the i0torian a-es >ere ?u ta;osed@

Returnin- alon- the -arden ;ath Tess mused on >hat the mother 0ouldhave >ished to as0ertain from the boo$ on this ;arti0ular day@ 2he -uessedthe re0ent an0estral dis0overy to bear u;on it, but did not divine that it solely

0on0erned herself@ Dismissin- this, ho>ever, she busied herself >iths;rin$lin- the linen dried durin- the day4time, in 0om;any >ith her nine4year4old brother Abraham, and her sister .liIa4 ouisa of t>elve and a half,0alled B' iIa4 u,B the youn-est ones bein- ;ut to bed@ There >as an intervalof four years and more bet>een Tess and the ne t of the family, the t>o >hohad filled the -a; havin- died in their infan0y, and this lent her a de;uty4maternal attitude >hen she >as alone >ith her ?uniors@ 8e t in ?uvenility to



Abraham 0ame t>o more -irls, Ho;e and =odestyC then a boy of three, andthen the baby, >ho had ?ust 0om;leted his first year@

All these youn- souls >ere ;assen-ers in the Durbeyfield shi; entirelyde;endent on the ?ud-ement of the t>o Durbeyfield adults for their

;leasures, their ne0essities, their health, even their e isten0e@ f the heads ofthe Durbeyfield household 0hose to sail into diffi0ulty, disaster, starvation,disease, de-radation, death, thither >ere these half4doIen little 0a;tivesunder hat0hes 0om;elled to sail >ith them si hel;less 0reatures, >ho hadnever been as$ed if they >ished for life on any terms, mu0h less if they>ished for it on su0h hard 0onditions as >ere involved in bein- of theshiftless house of Durbeyfield@ 2ome ;eo;le >ould li$e to $no> >hen0e the

;oet >hose ;hiloso;hy is in these days deemed as ;rofound and trust>orthyas his son- is breeIy and ;ure, -ets his authority for s;ea$in- of B8ature's

holy ;lan@B

t -re> later, and neither father nor mother rea;;eared@ Tess loo$ed outof the door, and too$ a mental ?ourney throu-h =arlott@ The villa-e >asshuttin- its eyes@ /andles and lam;s >ere bein- ;ut out every>here: she0ould in>ardly behold the e tin-uisher and the e tended hand@

Her mother's fet0hin- sim;ly meant one more to fet0h@ Tess be-an to ;er0eive that a man in indifferent health, >ho ;ro;osed to start on a ?ourney before one in the mornin-, ou-ht not to be at an inn at this late hour0elebratin- his an0ient blood@

BAbraham,B she said to her little brother, Bdo you ;ut on your hat you bain't afraidE and -o u; to Rolliver's, and see >hat has -one >i' father andmother@B

The boy ?um;ed ;rom;tly from his seat, and o;ened the door, and theni-ht s>allo>ed him u;@ Half an hour ;assed yet a-ainC neither man,>oman, nor 0hild returned@ Abraham, li$e his ;arents, seemed to have beenlimed and 0au-ht by the ensnarin- inn@

B must -o myself,B she said@

' iIa4 u then >ent to bed, and Tess, lo0$in- them all in, started on her>ay u; the dar$ and 0roo$ed lane or street not made for hasty ;ro-ressC astreet laid out before in0hes of land had value, and >hen one4handed 0lo0$s



suffi0iently subdivided the day@

Rolliver's inn, the sin-le alehouse at this end of the lon- and bro$envilla-e, 0ould only boast of an off4li0en0eC hen0e, as nobody 0ould le-allydrin$ on the ;remises, the amount of overt a00ommodation for 0onsumers>as stri0tly limited to a little board about si in0hes >ide and t>o yardslon-, fi ed to the -arden ;alin-s by ;ie0es of >ire, so as to form a led-e@ 3nthis board thirsty stran-ers de;osited their 0u;s as they stood in the road anddran$, and thre> the dre-s on the dusty -round to the ;attern of Polynesia,and >ished they 0ould have a restful seat inside@

Thus the stran-ers@ #ut there >ere also lo0al 0ustomers >ho felt thesame >ishC and >here there's a >ill there's a >ay@

n a lar-e bedroom u;stairs, the >indo> of >hi0h >as thi0$ly 0urtained>ith a -reat >oollen sha>l lately dis0arded by the landlady, =rs Rolliver,>ere -athered on this evenin- nearly a doIen ;ersons, all see$in- beatitudeCall old inhabitants of the nearer end of =arlott, and fre uenters of thisretreat@ 8ot only did the distan0e to the The Pure Dro;, the fully4li0ensedtavern at the further ;art of the dis;ersed villa-e, render its a00ommodation

;ra0ti0ally unavailable for d>ellers at this endC but the far more serious

uestion, the uality of the li uor, 0onfirmed the ;revalent o;inion that it>as better to drin$ >ith Rolliver in a 0orner of the houseto; than >ith theother landlord in a >ide house@

A -aunt four4;ost bedstead >hi0h stood in the room afforded sittin-4s;a0e for several ;ersons -athered round three of its sidesC a 0ou;le moremen had elevated themselves on a 0hest of dra>ersC another rested on theoa$40arved B0>offerBC t>o on the >ash4standC another on the stoolC and thusall >ere, someho>, seated at their ease@ The sta-e of mental 0omfort to>hi0h they had arrived at this hour >as one >herein their souls e ;anded

beyond their s$ins, and s;read their ;ersonalities >armly throu-h the room@n this ;ro0ess the 0hamber and its furniture -re> more and more di-nified

and lu uriousC the sha>l han-in- at the >indo> too$ u;on itself the ri0hnessof ta;estryC the brass handles of the 0hest of dra>ers >ere as -olden$no0$ersC and the 0arved bed;osts seemed to have some $inshi; >ith thema-nifi0ent ;illars of 2olomon's tem;le@



=rs Durbeyfield, havin- ui0$ly >al$ed hither>ard after ;artin- fromTess, o;ened the front door, 0rossed the do>nstairs room, >hi0h >as in dee;-loom, and then unfastened the stair4door li$e one >hose fin-ers $ne> thetri0$s of the lat0hes >ell@ Her as0ent of the 0roo$ed stair0ase >as a slo>er

;ro0ess, and her fa0e, as it rose into the li-ht above the last stair,en0ountered the -aIe of all the ;arty assembled in the bedroom@

B #ein- a fe> ;rivate friends 've as$ed in to $ee; u; 0lub4>al$in- atmy o>n e ;ense,B the landlady e 0laimed at the sound of footste;s, as -liblyas a 0hild re;eatin- the /ate0hism, >hile she ;eered over the stairs@ B3h, 'tisyou, =rs Durbeyfield ard ho> you fri-htened me thou-ht it mi-ht

be some -affer sent by 7over'ment@B

=rs Durbeyfield >as >el0omed >ith -lan0es and nods by the remainder

of the 0on0lave, and turned to >here her husband sat@ He >as hummin-absently to himself, in a lo> tone: B be as -ood as some fol$s here andthere 've -ot a -reat family vault at 9in-sbere4sub47reenhill, and finers$illentons than any man in Wesse B

B 've somethin- to tell 'ee that's 0ome into my head about that a -rand ;ro?i0$ B >his;ered his 0heerful >ife@ BHere, (ohn, don't 'ee see meEB 2henud-ed him, >hile he, loo$inthrou-h her as throu-h a >indo>4;ane, >enton >ith his re0itative@

BHush Don't 'ee sin- so loud, my -ood man,B said the landladyC Bin 0aseany member of the 7over'ment should be ;assin-, and ta$e a>ay myli0ends@B

BHe's told 'ee >hat's ha;;ened to us, su;;oseEB as$ed =rsDurbeyfield@

BGes in a >ay@ D'ye thin$ there's any money han-in- by itEB

BAh, that's the se0ret,B said (oan Durbeyfield sa-ely@ BHo>ever, 'tis >ellto be $in to a 0oa0h, even if you don't ride in 'en@B 2he dro;;ed her ;ubli0voi0e, and 0ontinued in a lo> tone to her husband: B 've been thin$in- sin0eyou brou-ht the ne>s that there's a -reat ri0h lady out by Trantrid-e, on theed-e o' The /hase, of the name of d'Urberville@B

BHey >hat's thatEB said 2ir (ohn@



2he re;eated the information@ BThat lady must be our relation,B she said@BAnd my ;ro?i0$ is to send Tess to 0laim $in@B

BThere is a lady of the name, no> you mention it,B said Durbeyfield@BPa'son Trin-ham didn't thin$ of that@ #ut she's nothin- beside >e a ?unior

bran0h of us, no doubt, hailin- lon- sin0e 9in- 8orman's day@B

While this uestion >as bein- dis0ussed neither of the ;air noti0ed, intheir ;reo00u;ation, that little Abraham had 0re;t into the room, and >asa>aitin- an o;;ortunity of as$in- them to return@

B2he is ri0h, and she'd be sure to ta$e noti0e o' the maid,B 0ontinued =rsDurbeyfieldC Band 't>ill be a very -ood thin-@ don't see >hy t>o bran0heso' one family should not be on visitin- terms@B

BGesC and >e'll all 0laim $in B said Abraham bri-htly from under the bedstead@ BAnd >e'll all -o and see her >hen Tess has -one to live >ith herCand >e'll ride in her 0oa0h and >ear bla0$ 0lothes B

BHo> do you 0ome here, 0hildE What nonsense be ye tal$in- 7o a>ay,and ;lay on the stairs till father and mother be ready J Well, Tess ou-ht to-o to this other member of our family@ 2he'd be sure to >in the lady Tess>ouldC and li$ely enou-h 't>ould lead to some noble -entleman marryin-her@ n short, $no> it@B

BHo>EB

B tried her fate in the Fortune-Teller , and it brou-ht out that very thin-J Gou should ha' seen ho> ;retty she loo$ed to4dayC her s$in is as sum;leas a du0hess'@B

BWhat says the maid herself to -oin-EB

B 've not as$ed her@ 2he don't $no> there is any su0h lady4relation yet@

#ut it >ould 0ertainly ;ut her in the >ay of a -rand marria-e, and she >on'tsay nay to -oin-@B

BTess is ueer@B

B#ut she's tra0table at bottom@ eave her to me@B



Thou-h this 0onversation had been ;rivate, suffi0ient of its im;ortrea0hed the understandin-s of those around to su--est to them that theDurbeyfields had >ei-htier 0on0erns to tal$ of no> than 0ommon fol$s had,and that Tess, their ;retty eldest dau-hter, had fine ;ros;e0ts in store@

BTess is a fine fi-ure o' fun, as said to myself to4day >hen Ieed hervam;in- round ;arish >ith the rest,B observed one of the elderly booIers inan undertone@ B#ut (oan Durbeyfield must mind that she don't -et -reen maltin floor@B t >as a lo0al ;hrase >hi0h had a ;e0uliar meanin-, and there >asno re;ly@

The 0onversation be0ame in0lusive, and ;resently other footste;s >ereheard 0rossin- the room belo>@

B #ein- a fe> ;rivate friends as$ed in to4ni-ht to $ee; u; 0lub4>al$in- at my o>n e ;ense@B The landlady had ra;idly re4used the formulashe $e;t on hand for intruders before she re0o-niIed that the ne>0omer >asTess@

.ven to her mother's -aIe the -irl's youn- features loo$ed sadly out of ;la0e amid the al0oholi0 va;ours >hi0h floated here as no unsuitablemedium for >rin$led middle4a-eC and hardly >as a re;roa0hful flash fromTess's dar$ eyes needed to ma$e her father and mother rise from their seats,hastily finish their ale, and des0end the stairs behind her, =rs Rolliver's

0aution follo>intheir footste;s@

B8o noise, ;lease, if ye'll be so -ood, my dearsC or mid lose myli0ends, and be summons'd, and don't $no> >hat all '8i-ht t'ye B

They >ent home to-ether, Tess holdin- one arm of her father, and =rsDurbeyfield the other@ He had, in truth, drun$ very little not a fourth of the

uantity >hi0h a systemati0 ti;;ler 0ould 0arry to 0hur0h on a 2undayafternoon >ithout a hit0h in his eastin-s or -enufle0tionsC but the >ea$nessof 2ir (ohn's 0onstitution made mountains of his ;etty sins in this $ind@ 3nrea0hin- the fresh air he >as suffi0iently unsteady to in0line the ro> of threeat one moment as if they >ere mar0hin- to ondon, and at another as if they>ere mar0hin- to #ath >hi0h ;rodu0ed a 0omi0al effe0t, fre uent enou-hin families on no0turnal home-oin-sC and, li$e most 0omi0al effe0ts, not

uite so 0omi0 after all@ The t>o >omen valiantly dis-uised these for0ede 0ursions and 0ountermar0hes as >ell as they 0ould from Durbeyfield, their0ause, and from Abraham, and from themselvesC and so they a;;roa0hed by



de-rees their o>n door, the head of the family burstin- suddenly into hisformer refrain as he dre> near, as if to fortify his soul at si-ht of thesmallness of his ;resent residen0e

B 've -ot a fam ily vault at 9in-sbere B

BHush don't be so silly, (a0$y,B said his >ife@ BGours is not the onlyfamily that >as of '0ount in >old days@ oo$ at the An$tells, and Horseys,and the Trin-hams themselves -one to seed a'most as mu0h as you thou-h you >as bi--er fol$s than they, that's true@ Than$ 7od, >as neverof no family, and have nothin- to be ashamed of in that >ay B

BDon't you be so sure o' that@ From you nater 'tis my belief you'vedis-ra0ed yourselves more than any o' us, and >as $in-s and ueens outri-ht

at one time@BTess turned the sub?e0t by sayin- >hat >as far more ;rominent in her

o>n mind at the moment than thou-hts of her an0estry B am afraid father>on't be able to ta$e the ?ourney >ith the beehives to4morro> so early@B B E shall be all ri-ht in an hour or t>o,B said Durbeyfield@

t >as eleven o'0lo0$ before the family >ere all in bed, and t>o o'0lo0$ne t mornin- >as the latest hour for startin- >ith the beehives if they >ereto be delivered to the retailers in /asterbrid-e before the 2aturday mar$et

be-an, the >ay thither lyin- by bad roads over a distan0e of bet>een t>entyand thirty miles, and the horse and >a--on bein- of the slo>est@ At half4;astone =rs Durbeyfield 0ame into the lar-e bedroom >here Tess and all herlittle brothers and sisters sle;t@

BThe ;oor man 0an't -o,B she said to her eldest dau-hter, >hose -reateyes had o;ened the moment her mother's hand tou0hed the door@

Tess sat u; in bed, lost in a va-ue inters;a0e bet>een a dream and thisinformation@

B#ut somebody must -o,B she re;lied@ B t is late for the hives already@2>armin- >ill soon be over for the yearC and it >e ;ut off ta$in- 'em tillne t >ee$'s mar$et the 0all for 'em >ill be ;ast, and they'll be thro>n on ourhands@B



=rs Durbeyfield loo$ed une ual to the emer-en0y@ B2ome youn- feller, ;erha;s, >ould -oE 3ne of them >ho >ere so mu0h after dan0in- >ith 'eeyesterday,B she ;resently su--ested@

B3 no >ouldn't have it for the >orld B de0lared Tess ;roudly@ BAndlettin- everybody $no> the reason su0h a thin- to be ashamed of thin$ I0ould -o if Abraham 0ould -o >ith me to $i; me 0om;any@B

Her mother at len-th a-reed to this arran-ement@ ittle Abraham >asaroused from his dee; slee; in a 0orner of the same a;artment, and made to

;ut on his 0lothes >hile still mentally in the other >orld@ =ean>hile Tesshad hastily dressed herselfC and the t>ain, li-htin- a lantern, >ent out to thestable@ The ri0$ety little >a--on >as already laden, and the -irl led out thehorse, Prin0e, only a de-ree less ri0$ety than the vehi0le@

The ;oor 0reature loo$ed >onderin-ly round at the ni-ht, at the lantern,at their t>o fi-ures, as if he 0ould not believe that at that hour, >hen everylivin- thin- >as intended to be in shelter and at rest, he >as 0alled u;on to-o out and labour@ They ;ut a sto0$ of 0andle4ends into the lantern, hun- thelatter to the off4side of the load, and dire0ted the horse on>ard, >al$in- athis shoulder at first durin- the u;hill ;arts of the >ay, in order not tooverload an animal of so little vi-our@ To 0heer themselves as >ell as they0ould, they made an artifi0ial mornin- >ith the lantern, some bread and

butter, and their o>n 0onversation, the real mornin- bein- far from 0ome@Abraham, as he more fully a>o$e Kfor he had moved in a sort of tran0e sofarL, be-an to tal$ of the stran-e sha;es assumed by the various dar$ ob?e0tsa-ainst the s$yC of this tree that loo$ed li$e a ra-in- ti-er s;rin-in- from alairC of that >hi0h resembled a -iant's head@

When they had ;assed the little to>n of 2tour0astle, dumbly somnolentunder its thi0$ bro>n that0h, they rea0hed hi-her -round@ 2till hi-her, ontheir left, the elevation 0alled #ulbarro>, or #ealbarro>, >ell4ni-h thehi-hest in 2outh Wesse , s>elled into the s$y, en-irdled by its earthentren0hes@ From hereabout the lon- road >as fairly level for some distan0eon>ard@ They mounted in front of the >a--on, and Abraham -re>refle0tive@

BTess B he said in a ;re;aratory tone, after a silen0e@

BGes, Abraham@B



B#ain't you -lad that >e've be0ome -entlefol$EB

B8ot ;arti0ular -lad@B

B#ut you be -lad that you 'm -oin- to marry a -entlemanEB

BWhatEB said Tess, liftin- her fa0e@

BThat our -reat relation >ill hel; 'ee to marry a -entleman@B

B E 3ur -reat relationE We have no su0h relation@ What has ;ut that intoyour headEB

B heard 'em tal$in- about it u; at Rolliver's >hen >ent to find father@There's a ri0h lady of our family out at Trantrid-e, and mother said that ifyou 0laimed $in >ith the lady, she'd ;ut 'ee in the >ay of marryin- a-entleman@B

His sister be0ame abru;tly still, and la;sed into a ;onderin- silen0e@Abraham tal$ed on, rather for the ;leasure of utteran0e than for audition, sothat his sister's abstra0tion >as of no a00ount@ He leant ba0$ a-ainst thehives, and >ith u;turned fa0e made observations on the stars, >hose 0old

;ulses >ere beatin- amid the bla0$ hollo>s above, in serene disso0iationfrom these t>o >is;s of human life@ He as$ed ho> far a>ay those t>in$lers

>ere, and >hether 7od >as on the other side of them@ #ut ever and anon his0hildish ;rattle re0urred to >hat im;ressed his ima-ination even moredee;ly than the >onders of 0reation@ f Tess >ere made ri0h by marryin- a-entleman, >ould she have money enou-h to buy a s;y-lass so lar-e that it>ould dra> the stars as near to her as 8ettle0ombe4ToutE

The rene>ed sub?e0t, >hi0h seemed to have im;re-nated the >holefamily, filled Tess >ith im;atien0e@

B8ever mind that no> B she e 0laimed@

BDid you say the stars >ere >orlds, TessEB

BGes@B

BAll li$e oursEB



B don't $no>C but thin$ so@ They sometimes seem to be li$e the a;;leson our stubbard4tree@ =ost of them s;lendid and sound a fe> bli-hted@B

BWhi0h do >e live on a s;lendid one or a bli-hted oneEB

BA bli-hted one@B

B'Tis very unlu0$y that >e didn't ;it0h on a sound one, >hen there >ereso many more of 'em B

BGes@B

B s it li$e that really , TessEB said Abraham, turnin- to her mu0him;ressed, on re0onsideration of this rare information@ BHo> >ould it have

been if >e had ;it0hed on a sound oneEB

BWell, father >ouldn't have 0ou-hed and 0ree;ed about as he does, and>ouldn't have -ot too ti;sy to -o on this ?ourneyC and mother >ouldn't have

been al>ays >ashin-, and never -ettin- finished@B

BAnd you >ould have been a ri0h lady ready4made, and not have had to be made ri0h by marryin- a -entlemanEB

B3 Aby, don't don't tal$ of that any more B

eft to his refle0tions Abraham soon -re> dro>sy@ Tess >as not s$ilfulin the mana-ement of a horse, but she thou-ht that she 0ould ta$e u;onherself the entire 0ondu0t of the load for the ;resent and allo> Abraham to-o to slee; if he >ished to do so@ 2he made him a sort of nest in front of thehives, in su0h a manner that he 0ould not fall, and, ta$in- the reins into hero>n hands, ?o--ed on as before@

Prin0e re uired but sli-ht attention, la0$in- ener-y for su;erfluousmovements of any sort@ With no lon-er a 0om;anion to distra0t her, Tess fell

more dee;ly into reverie than ever, her ba0$ leanin- a-ainst the hives@ Themute ;ro0ession ;ast her shoulders of trees and hed-es be0ame atta0hed tofantasti0 s0enes outside reality, and the o00asional heave of the >ind be0amethe si-h of some immense sad soul, 0onterminous >ith the universe in s;a0e,and >ith history in time@



Then, e aminin- the mesh of events in her o>n life, she seemed to seethe vanity of her father's ;rideC the -entlemanly suitor a>aitin- herself in hermother's fan0yC to see him as a -rima0in- ;ersona-e, lau-hin- at her ;overtyand her shrouded $ni-htly an0estry@ .verythin- -re> more and moree trava-ant, and she no lon-er $ne> ho> time ;assed@ A sudden ?er$ shoo$her in her seat, and Tess a>o$e from the slee; into >hi0h she, too, hadfallen@

They >ere a lon- >ay further on than >hen she had lost 0ons0iousness,and the >a--on had sto;;ed@ A hollo> -roan, unli$e anythin- she had everheard in her life, 0ame from the front, follo>ed by a shout of BHoi there B

The lantern han-in- at her >a--on had -one out, but another >asshinin- in her fa0e mu0h bri-hter than her o>n had been@ 2omethin-

terrible had ha;;ened@ The harness >as entan-led >ith an ob?e0t >hi0h blo0$ed the >ay@

n 0onsternation Tess ?um;ed do>n, and dis0overed the dreadful truth@The -roan had ;ro0eeded from her father's ;oor horse Prin0e@ The mornin-mail40art, >ith its t>o noiseless >heels, s;eedin- alon- these lanes li$e anarro>, as it al>ays did, had driven into her slo> and unli-hted e ui;a-e@The ;ointed shaft of the 0art had entered the breast of the unha;;y Prin0eli$e a s>ord, and from the >ound his life's blood >as s;outin- in a stream,and fallin- >ith a hiss into the road@

n her des;air Tess s;ran- for>ard and ;ut her hand u;on the hole, >iththe only result that she be0ame s;lashed from fa0e to s$irt >ith the 0rimsondro;s@ Then she stood hel;lessly loo$in- on@ Prin0e also stood firm andmotionless as lon- as he 0ouldC till he suddenly san$ do>n in a hea;@

#y this time the mail40art man had ?oined her, and be-an dra--in- andunharnessin- the hot form of Prin0e@ #ut he >as already dead, and, seein-that nothin- more 0ould be done immediately, the mail40art man returned tohis o>n animal, >hi0h >as unin?ured@

BGou >as on the >ron- side,B he said@ B am bound to -o on >ith themail4ba-s, so that the best thin- for you to do is bide here >ith your load@ 'llsend somebody to hel; you as soon as 0an@ t is -ettin- dayli-ht, and youhave nothin- to fear@B



He mounted and s;ed on his >ayC >hile Tess stood and >aited@ Theatmos;here turned ;ale, the birds shoo$ themselves in the hed-es, arose, andt>itteredC the lane sho>ed all its >hite features, and Tess sho>ed hers, still>hiter@ The hu-e ;ool of blood in front of her >as already assumin- theirides0en0e of 0oa-ulationC and >hen the sun rose a hundred ;rismati0 hues>ere refle0ted from it@ Prin0e lay alon-side, still and star$C his eyes halfo;en, the hole in his 0hest loo$in- s0ar0ely lar-e enou-h to have let out allthat had animated him@

B'Tis all my doin- all mine B the -irl 0ried, -aIin- at the s;e0ta0le@B8o e 0use for me none@ What >ill mother and father live on no>E Aby,Aby B 2he shoo$ the 0hild, >ho had sle;t soundly throu-h the >holedisaster@ BWe 0an't -o on >ith our load Prin0e is $illed B

When Abraham realiIed all, the furro>s of fifty years >eree tem;oriIed on his youn- fa0e@

BWhy, dan0ed and lau-hed only yesterday B she >ent on to herself@BTo thin$ that >as su0h a fool B

B'Tis be0ause >e be on a bli-hted star, and not a sound one, isn't it,TessEB murmured Abraham throu-h his tears@

n silen0e they >aited throu-h an interval >hi0h seemed endless@ At

len-th a sound, and an a;;roa0hin- ob?e0t, ;roved to them that the driver ofthe mail40ar had been as -ood as his >ord@ A farmer's man from near2tour0astle 0ame u;, leadin- a stron- 0ob@ He >as harnessed to the >a--onof beehives in the ;la0e of Prin0e, and the load ta$en on to>ards/asterbrid-e@

The evenin- of the same day sa> the em;ty >a--on rea0h a-ain thes;ot of the a00ident@ Prin0e had lain there in the dit0h sin0e the mornin-C butthe ;la0e of the blood4;ool >as still visible in the middle of the road, thou-hs0rat0hed and s0ra;ed over by ;assin- vehi0les@ All that >as left of Prin0e>as no> hoisted into the >a--on he had formerly hauled, and >ith his hoofsin the air, and his shoes shinin- in the settin- sunli-ht, he retra0ed the ei-htor nine miles to =arlott@

Tess had -one ba0$ earlier@ Ho> to brea$ the ne>s >as more than she0ould thin$@ t >as a relief to her ton-ue to find from the fa0es of her ;arents



that they already $ne> of their loss, thou-h this did not lessen the self4re;roa0h >hi0h she 0ontinued to hea; u;on herself for her ne-li-en0e@

#ut the very shiftlessness of the household rendered the misfortune aless terrifyin- one to them than it >ould have been to a thrivin- family,thou-h in the ;resent 0ase it meant ruin, and in the other it >ould only havemeant in0onvenien0e@ n the Durbeyfield 0ountenan0es there >as nothin- ofthe red >rath that >ould have burnt u;on the -irl from ;arents moreambitious for her >elfare@ 8obody blamed Tess as she blamed herself@

When it >as dis0overed that the $na0$er and tanner >ould -ive only avery fe> shillin-s for Prin0e's 0ar0ase be0ause of his de0re;itude,Durbeyfield rose to the o00asion@

B8o,B said he stoi0ally, B >on't sell his old body@ When >ed'Urbervilles >as $ni-hts in the land, >e didn't sell our 0har-ers for 0at'smeat@ et 'em $ee; their shillin-s He've served me >ell in his lifetime, and >on't ;art from him no>@B

He >or$ed harder the ne t day in di--in- a -rave for Prin0e in the-arden than he had >or$ed for months to -ro> a 0ro; for his family@ Whenthe hole >as ready, Durbeyfield and his >ife tied a ro;e round the horse anddra--ed him u; the ;ath to>ards it, the 0hildren follo>in- in funeral train@Abraham and ' iIa4 u sobbed, Ho;e and =odesty dis0har-ed their -riefs in

loud blares >hi0h e0hoed from the >allsC and >hen Prin0e >as tumbled inthey -athered round the -rave@ The bread4>inner had been ta$en a>ay fromthemC >hat >ould they doE

B s he -one to heavenEB as$ed Abraham, bet>een the sobs@

Then Durbeyfield be-an to shovel in the earth, and the 0hildren 0riedane>@ All e 0e;t Tess@ Her fa0e >as dry and ;ale, as thou-h she re-ardedherself in the li-ht of a murderess@

The ha--lin- business, >hi0h had mainly de;ended on the horse, be0ame disor-aniIed forth>ith@ Distress, if not ;enury, loomed in thedistan0e@ Durbeyfield >as >hat >as lo0ally 0alled a sla0$4t>isted fello>C hehad -ood stren-th to >or$ at timesC but the times 0ould not be relied on to



0oin0ide >ith the hours of re uirementC and, havin- been una00ustomed tothe re-ular toil of the day4labourer, he >as not ;arti0ularly ;ersistent >henthey did so 0oin0ide@

Tess, mean>hile, as the one >ho had dra--ed her ;arents into thisua-mire, >as silently >onderin- >hat she 0ould do to hel; them out of itC

and then her mother broa0hed her s0heme@

BWe must ta$e the u;s >i' the do>ns, Tess,B said sheC Band never 0ouldyour hi-h blood have been found out at a more 0alled4for moment@ Gou musttry your friends@ Do ye $no> that there is a very ri0h =rs d'Urberville livin-on the outs$irts o' The /hase, >ho must be our relationE Gou must -o to herand 0laim $in, and as$ for some hel; in our trouble@B

B shouldn't 0are to do that,B says Tess@ B f there is su0h a lady, 't>ould be enou-h for us if she >ere friendly not to e ;e0t her to -ive us hel;@B

BGou 0ould >in her round to do anythin-, my dear@ #esides, ;erha;sthere's more in it than you $no> of@ 've heard >hat 've heard, -ood4no>@B

The o;;ressive sense of the harm she had done led Tess to be moredeferential than she mi-ht other>ise have been to the maternal >ishC but she0ould not understand >hy her mother should find su0h satisfa0tion in0ontem;latin- an enter;rise of, to her, su0h doubtful ;rofit@ Her mother

mi-ht have made in uiries, and have dis0overed that this =rs d'Urberville>as a lady of une ualled virtues and 0harity@ #ut Tess's ;ride made the ;artof ;oor relation one of ;arti0ular distaste to her@

B 'd rather try to -et >or$,B she murmured@

BDurbeyfield, you 0an settle it,B said his >ife, turnin- to >here he sat inthe ba0$-round@ B f you say she ou-ht to -o, she >ill -o@B

B don't li$e my 0hildren -oin- and ma$in- themselves beholden to

stran-e $in,B murmured he@ B 'm the head of the noblest bran0h o' the family,and ou-ht to live u; to it@B

His reasons for stayin- a>ay >ere >orse to Tess than her o>nob?e0tions to -oin-@ BWell, as $illed the horse, mother,B she saidmournfully, B su;;ose ou-ht to do somethin-@ don't mind -oin- and



seein- her, but you must leave it to me about as$in- for hel;@ And don't -othin$in- about her ma$in- a mat0h for me it is silly@B

B ery >ell said, Tess B observed her father sententiously@

BWho said had su0h a thou-htEB as$ed (oan@

B fan0y it is in your mind, mother@ #ut 'll -o@B

Risin- early ne t day she >al$ed to the hill4to>n 0alled 2haston, andthere too$ advanta-e of a van >hi0h t>i0e in the >ee$ ran from 2hastoneast>ard to /haseborou-h, ;assin- near Trantrid-e, the ;arish in >hi0h theva-ue and mysterious =rs d'Urberville had her residen0e@

Tess Durbeyfield's route on this memorable mornin- lay amid the north4eastern undulations of the ale in >hi0h she had been born, and in >hi0h herlife had unfolded@ The ale of #la0$moor >as to her the >orld, and itsinhabitants the ra0es thereof@ From the -ates and stiles of =arlott she hadloo$ed do>n its len-th in the >onderin- days of infan0y, and >hat had beenmystery to her then >as not mu0h less than mystery to her no>@ 2he hadseen daily from her 0hamber4>indo> to>ers, villa-es, faint >hite mansionsCabove all, the to>n of 2haston standin- ma?esti0ally on its hei-htC its>indo>s shinin- li$e lam;s in the evenin- sun@ 2he had hardly ever visitedthe ;la0e, only a small tra0t even of the ale and its environs bein- $no>n

to her by 0lose ins;e0tion@ =u0h less had she been far outside the [email protected] 0ontour of the surroundin- hills >as as ;ersonal to her as that of herrelatives' fa0esC but for >hat lay beyond, her ?ud-ment >as de;endent on thetea0hin- of the villa-e s0hool, >here she had held a leadin- ;la0e at the timeof her leavin-, a year or t>o before this date@

n those early days she had been mu0h loved by others of her o>n seand a-e, and had used to be seen about the villa-e as one of three all nearlyof the same year >al$in- home from s0hool side by sideC Tess the middleone in a ;in$ ;rint ;inafore, of a finely reti0ulated ;attern, >orn over astuff fro0$ that had lost its ori-inal 0olour for a nondes0ri;t tertiary mar0hin- on u;on lon- stal$y le-s, in ti-ht sto0$in-s >hi0h had little ladder4li$e holes at the $nees, torn by $neelin- in the roads and ban$s in sear0h ofve-etable and mineral treasuresC her then earth40oloured hair han-in- li$e

;ot4hoo$sC the arms of the t>o outside -irls restin- round the >aist of TessCher arms on the shoulders of the t>o su;;orters@



As Tess -re> older, and be-an to see ho> matters stood, she felt uite a=althusian to>ards her mother for thou-htlessly -ivin- her so many littlesisters and brothers, >hen it >as su0h a trouble to nurse and ;rovide forthem@ Her mother's intelli-en0e >as that of a ha;;y 0hild: (oan Durbeyfield>as sim;ly an additional one, and that not the eldest, to her o>n lon- familyof >aiters on Providen0e@

Ho>ever, Tess be0ame humanely benefi0ent to>ards the small ones,and to hel; them as mu0h as ;ossible she used, as soon as she left s0hool, tolend a hand at hayma$in- or harvestin- on nei-hbourin- farmsC or, by

;referen0e, at mil$in- or butter4ma$in- ;ro0esses, >hi0h she had learnt>hen her father had o>ned 0o>sC and bein- deft4fin-ered it >as a $ind of>or$ in >hi0h she e 0elled@

.very day seemed to thro> u;on her youn- shoulders more of thefamily burdens, and that Tess should be the re;resentative of theDurbeyfields at the d'Urberville mansion 0ame as a thin- of 0ourse@ n thisinstan0e it must be admitted that the Durbeyfields >ere ;uttin- their fairestside out>ard@

2he ali-hted from the van at Trantrid-e /ross, and as0ended on foot ahill in the dire0tion of the distri0t $no>n as The /hase, on the borders of>hi0h, as she had been informed, =rs d'Urberville's seat, The 2lo;es, >ould

be found@ t >as not a manorial home in the ordinary sense, >ith fields, and ;astures, and a -rumblin- farmer, out of >hom the o>ner had to s ueeIe anin0ome for himself and his family by hoo$ or by 0roo$@ t >as more, farmoreC a 0ountry4house built for en?oyment ;ure and sim;le, >ith not an a0reof troublesome land atta0hed to it beyond >hat >as re uired for residential

;ur;oses, and for a little fan0y farm $e;t in hand by the o>ner, and tended by a bailiff@

The 0rimson bri0$ lod-e 0ame first in si-ht, u; to its eaves in denseever-reens@ Tess thou-ht this >as the mansion itself till, ;assin- throu-h theside >i0$et >ith some tre;idation, and on>ard to a ;oint at >hi0h the drivetoo$ a turn, the house ;ro;er stood in full vie>@ t >as of re0ent ere0tion indeed almost ne> and of the same ri0h red 0olour that formed su0h a0ontrast >ith the ever-reens of the lod-e@ Far behind the 0orner of the house

>hi0h rose li$e a -eranium bloom a-ainst the subdued 0olours around stret0hed the soft aIure lands0a;e of The /hase a truly venerable tra0t offorest land, one of the fe> remainin- >oodlands in .n-land of undoubted



;rimaeval date, >herein Druidi0al mistletoe >as still found on a-ed oa$s,and >here enormous ye>4trees, not ;lanted by the hand of man -re> as theyhad -ro>n >hen they >ere ;ollarded for bo>s@ All this sylvan anti uity,ho>ever, thou-h visible from The 2lo;es, >as outside the immediate

boundaries of the estate@

.verythin- on this snu- ;ro;erty >as bri-ht, thrivin-, and >ell $e;tCa0res of -lass4houses stret0hed do>n the in0lines to the 0o;ses at their [email protected] loo$ed li$e money li$e the last 0oin issued from the =int@ Thestables, ;artly s0reened by Austrian ;ines and ever-reen oa$s, and fitted>ith every late a;;lian0e, >ere as di-nified as /ha;els4of4.ase@ 3n thee tensive la>n stood an ornamental tent, its door bein- to>ards her@

2im;le Tess Durbeyfield stood at -aIe, in a half4alarmed attitude, on the

ed-e of the -ravel s>ee;@ Her feet had brou-ht her on>ard to this ;oint before she had uite realiIed >here she >asC and no> all >as 0ontrary to here ;e0tation@

B thou-ht >e >ere an old familyC but this is all ne> B she said, in herartlessness@ 2he >ished that she had not fallen in so readily >ith her mother's

;lans for B0laimin- $in,B and had endeavoured to -ain assistan0e nearerhome@

The d'Urbervilles or 2to$e4d'Urbervilles, as they at first 0alledthemselves >ho o>ned all this, >ere a some>hat unusual family to find insu0h an old4fashioned ;art of the 0ountry@ Parson Trin-ham had s;o$en truly>hen he said that our shamblin- (ohn Durbeyfield >as the only really linealre;resentative of the old d'Urberville family e istin- in the 0ounty, or nearitC he mi-ht have added, >hat he $ne> very >ell, that the 2to$e4d'Urbervilles >ere no more d'Urbervilles of the true tree then he >ashimself@ Get it must be admitted that this family formed a very -ood sto0$>hereon to re-raft a name >hi0h sadly >anted su0h renovation@

When old =r 2imon 2to$e, latterly de0eased, had made his fortune asan honest mer0hant Ksome said money4lenderL in the 8orth, he de0ided tosettle as a 0ounty man in the 2outh of .n-land, out of hail of his businessdistri0tC and in doin- this he felt the ne0essity of re0ommen0in- >ith a namethat >ould not too readily identify him >ith the smart tradesman of the ;ast,and that >ould be less 0ommon;la0e than the ori-inal bald, star$ >ords@



/onnin- for an hour in the #ritish =useum the ;a-es of >or$s devoted toe tin0t, half4e tin0t, obs0ured, and ruined families a;;ertainin- to the

uarter of .n-land in >hi0h he ;ro;osed to settle, he 0onsidered thatd'Urber ille loo$ed and sounded as >ell as any of them: and d'Urbervillea00ordin-ly >as anne ed to his o>n name for himself and his heirseternally@ Get he >as not an e trava-ant4minded man in this, and in0onstru0tin- his family tree on the ne> basis >as duly reasonable in framin-his inter4marria-es and aristo0rati0 lin$s, never insertin- a sin-le title abovea ran$ of stri0t moderation@

3f this >or$ of ima-ination ;oor Tess and her ;arents >ere naturally ini-noran0e mu0h to their dis0omfitureC indeed, the very ;ossibility of su0hanne ations >as un$no>n to themC >ho su;;osed that, thou-h to be >ell4favoured mi-ht be the -ift of fortune, a family name 0ame by nature@

Tess still stood hesitatin- li$e a bather about to ma$e his ;lun-e, hardly$no>in- >hether to retreat or to ;ersevere, >hen a fi-ure 0ame forth fromthe dar$ trian-ular door of the tent@ t >as that of a tall youn- man, smo$in-@

He had an almost s>arthy 0om;le ion, >ith full li;s, badly moulded,thou-h red and smooth, above >hi0h >as a >ell4-roomed bla0$ mousta0he>ith 0urled ;oints, thou-h his a-e 0ould not be more than three4 or four4and4t>enty@ Des;ite the tou0hes of barbarism in his 0ontours, there >as asin-ular for0e in the -entleman's fa0e, and in his bold rollin- eye@

BWell, my #eauty, >hat 0an do for youEB said he, 0omin- for>ard@And ;er0eivin- that she stood uite 0onfounded: B8ever mind me@ am =rd'Urberville@ Have you 0ome to see me or my motherEB

This embodiment of a d'Urberville and a namesa$e differed even morefrom >hat Tess had e ;e0ted than the house and -rounds had differed@ 2hehad dreamed of an a-ed and di-nified fa0e, the sublimation of all thed'Urberville lineaments, furro>ed >ith in0arnate memories re;resentin- inhiero-ly;hi0 the 0enturies of her family's and .n-land's history@ #ut shes0re>ed herself u; to the >or$ in hand, sin0e she 0ould not -et out of it, andans>ered

B 0ame to see your mother, sir@B

B am afraid you 0annot see her she is an invalid,B re;lied the ;resentre;resentative of the s;urious houseC for this >as =r Ale0, the only son of



the lately de0eased -entleman@ B/annot ans>er your ;ur;oseE What is the business you >ish to see her aboutEB

B t isn't business it is 0an hardly say >hat B

BPleasureEB

B3h no@ Why, sir, if tell you, it >ill seem B

Tess's sense of a 0ertain ludi0rousness in her errand >as no> so stron-that, not>ithstandin- her a>e of him, and her -eneral dis0omfort at bein-here, her rosy li;s 0urved to>ards a smile, mu0h to the attra0tion of thes>arthy Ale ander@

B t is so very foolish,B she stammeredC B fear 0an't tell you B

B8ever mindC li$e foolish thin-s@ Try a-ain, my dear,B said he $indly@

B=other as$ed me to 0ome,B Tess 0ontinuedC Band, indeed, >as in themind to do so myself li$e>ise@ #ut did not thin$ it >ould be li$e this@ 0ame, sir, to tell you that >e are of the same family as you@B

BHo Poor relationsEB

BGes@B

B2to$esEB

B8oC d'Urbervilles@B

BAy, ayC mean d'Urbervilles@B

B3ur names are >orn a>ay to DurbeyfieldC but >e have several ;roofsthat >e are d'Urbervilles@ Anti uarians hold >e are, and and >e have anold seal, mar$ed >ith a ram;in- lion on a shield, and a 0astle over him@ And>e have a very old silver s;oon, round in the bo>l li$e a little ladle, andmar$ed >ith the same 0astle@ #ut it is so >orn that mother uses it to stir the

;ea4sou;@B

BA 0astle ar-ent is 0ertainly my 0rest,B said he blandly@ BAnd my arms alion ram;ant@B



BAnd so mother said >e ou-ht to ma$e ourselves be$no>n to you as>e've lost our horse by a bad a00ident, and are the oldest bran0h o' thefamily@B

B ery $ind of your mother, 'm sure@ And , for one, don't re-ret herste;@B Ale0 loo$ed at Tess as he s;o$e, in a >ay that made her blush a little@BAnd so, my ;retty -irl, you've 0ome on a friendly visit to us, as relationsEB

B su;;ose have,B faltered Tess, loo$in- un0omfortable a-ain@

BWell there's no harm in it@ Where do you liveE What are youEB

2he -ave him brief ;arti0ularsC and res;ondin- to further in uiries toldhim that she >as intendin- to -o ba0$ by the same 0arrier >ho had brou-hther@

B t is a lon- >hile before he returns ;ast Trantrid-e /ross@ 2u;;osin->e >al$ round the -rounds to ;ass the time, my ;retty /oIEB

Tess >ished to abrid-e her visit as mu0h as ;ossibleC but the youn- man>as ;ressin-, and she 0onsented to a00om;any him@ He 0ondu0ted her aboutthe la>ns, and flo>er4beds, and 0onservatoriesC and then0e to the fruit4-arden and -reenhouses, >here he as$ed her if she li$ed stra>berries@

BGes,B said Tess, B>hen they 0ome@BBThey are already here@B D'Urberville be-an -atherin- s;e0imens of the

fruit for her, handin- them ba0$ to her as he stoo;edC and, ;resently,sele0tin- a s;e0ially fine ;rodu0t of the B#ritish NueenB variety, he stood u;and held it by the stem to her mouth@

B8o no B she said ui0$ly, ;uttin- her fin-ers bet>een his hand andher li;s@ B >ould rather ta$e it in my o>n hand@B

B8onsense B he insistedC and in a sli-ht distress she ;arted her li;s andtoo$ it in@

They had s;ent some time >anderin- desultorily thus, Tess eatin- in ahalf4;leased, half4relu0tant state >hatever d'Urberville offered her@ Whenshe 0ould 0onsume no more of the stra>berries he filled her little bas$et>ith themC and then the t>o ;assed round to the rose4trees, >hen0e he



-athered blossoms and -ave her to ;ut in her bosom@ 2he obeyed li$e one ina dream, and >hen she 0ould affi no more he himself tu0$ed a bud or t>ointo her hat, and hea;ed her bas$et >ith others in the ;rodi-ality of his

bounty@ At last, loo$in- at his >at0h, he said, B8o>, by the time you havehad somethin- to eat, it >ill be time for you to leave, if you >ant to 0at0hthe 0arrier to 2haston@ /ome here, and 'll see >hat -rub 0an find@B

2to$e d'Urberville too$ her ba0$ to the la>n and into the tent, >here heleft her, soon rea;;earin- >ith a bas$et of li-ht lun0heon, >hi0h he ;ut

before her himself@ t >as evidently the -entleman's >ish not to be disturbedin this ;leasant t!te-"-t!te by the servantry@

BDo you mind my smo$in-EB he as$ed@

B3h, not at all, sir@BHe >at0hed her ;retty and un0ons0ious mun0hin- throu-h the s$eins of

smo$e that ;ervaded the tent, and Tess Durbeyfield did not divine, as sheinno0ently loo$ed do>n at the roses in her bosom, that there behind the bluenar0oti0 haIe >as ;otentially the Btra-i0 mis0hiefB of her drama one >hostood fair to be the blood4red ray in the s;e0trum of her youn- life@ 2he hadan attribute >hi0h amounted to a disadvanta-e ?ust no>C and it >as this that0aused Ale0 d'Urberville's eyes to rivet themselves u;on her@ t >as alu urian0e of as;e0t, a fulness of -ro>th, >hi0h made her a;;ear more of a

>oman than she really >as@ 2he had inherited the feature from her mother>ithout the uality it denoted@ t had troubled her mind o00asionally, till her0om;anions had said that it >as a fault >hi0h time >ould 0ure@

2he soon had finished her lun0h@ B8o> am -oin- home, sir,B she said,risin-@

BAnd >hat do they 0all youEB he as$ed, as he a00om;anied her alon- thedrive till they >ere out of si-ht of the house@

BTess Durbeyfield, do>n at =arlott@B

BAnd you say your ;eo;le have lost their horseEB

B $illed him B she ans>ered, her eyes fillin- >ith tears as she -ave ;arti0ulars of Prin0e's death@ BAnd don't $no> >hat to do for father ona00ount of it B



B must thin$ if 0annot do somethin-@ =y mother must find a berth foryou@ #ut, Tess, no nonsense about 'd'Urberville'C 'Durbeyfield' only, you$no> uite another name@B

B >ish for no better, sir,B said she >ith somethin- of di-nity@

For a moment only for a moment >hen they >ere in the turnin- ofthe drive, bet>een the tall rhododendrons and 0onifers, before the lod-e

be0ame visible, he in0lined his fa0e to>ards her as if but, no: he thou-ht better of it, and let her -o@

Thus the thin- be-an@ Had she ;er0eived this meetin-'s im;ort shemi-ht have as$ed >hy she >as doomed to be seen and 0oveted that day bythe >ron- man, and not by some other man, the ri-ht and desired one in all

res;e0ts as nearly as humanity 0an su;;ly the ri-ht and desiredC yet to him>ho amon-st her a0 uaintan0e mi-ht have a;;ro imated to this $ind, she>as but a transient im;ression, half for-otten@

n the ill4?ud-ed e e0ution of the >ell4?ud-ed ;lan of thin-s the 0allseldom ;rodu0es the 0omer, the man to love rarely 0oin0ides >ith the hourfor lovin-@ 8ature does not often say B2ee B to her ;oor 0reature at a time>hen seein- 0an lead to ha;;y doin-C or re;ly BHere B to a body's 0ry ofBWhereEB till the hide4and4see$ has be0ome an ir$some, out>orn -ame@ Wemay >onder >hether at the a0me and summit of the human ;ro-ress these

ana0hronisms >ill be 0orre0ted by a finer intuition, a 0loser intera0tion of theso0ial ma0hinery than that >hi0h no> ?olts us round and alon-C but su0h0om;leteness is not to be ;ro;hesied, or even 0on0eived as ;ossible@ .nou-hthat in the ;resent 0ase, as in millions, it >as not the t>o halves of a ;erfe0t>hole that 0onfronted ea0h other at the ;erfe0t momentC a missin-0ounter;art >andered inde;endently about the earth >aitin- in 0rassobtuseness till the late time 0ame@ 3ut of >hi0h maladroit delay s;ran-an ieties, disa;;ointments, sho0$s, 0atastro;hes, and ;assin-4stran-edestinies@

When d'Urberville -ot ba0$ to the tent he sat do>n astride on a 0hair,refle0tin-, >ith a ;leased -leam in his fa0e@ Then he bro$e into a loud lau-h@

BWell, 'm damned What a funny thin- Ha4ha4ha And >hat a 0rumby-irl B



Tess >ent do>n the hill to Trantrid-e /ross, and inattentively >aited tota$e her seat in the van returnin- from /haseborou-h to 2haston@ 2he did not$no> >hat the other o00u;ants said to her as she entered, thou-h sheans>ered themC and >hen they had started ane> she rode alon- >ith anin>ard and not an out>ard eye@

3ne amon- her fello>4travellers addressed her more ;ointedly than anyhad s;o$en before: BWhy, you be uite a ;osy And su0h roses in early(une B

Then she be0ame a>are of the s;e0ta0le she ;resented to their sur;risedvision: roses at her breastsC roses in her hatC roses and stra>berries in her

bas$et to the brim@ 2he blushed, and said 0onfusedly that the flo>ers had been -iven to her@ When the ;assen-ers >ere not loo$in- she stealthilyremoved the more ;rominent blooms from her hat and ;la0ed them in the

bas$et, >here she 0overed them >ith her hand$er0hief@ Then she fell torefle0tin- a-ain, and in loo$indo>n>ards a thorn of the rose remainin- inher breast a00identally ;ri0$ed her 0hin@ i$e all the 0otta-ers in #la0$moor

ale, Tess >as stee;ed in fan0ies and ;refi-urative su;erstitionsC shethou-ht this an ill omen the first she had noti0ed that day@

The van travelled only so far as 2haston, and there >ere several miles of

;edestrian des0ent from that mountain4to>n into the vale to =arlott@ Hermother had advised her to stay here for the ni-ht, at the house of a 0otta-e4>oman they $ne>, if she should feel too tired to 0ome onC and this Tess did,not des0endin- to her home till the follo>in- afternoon@

When she entered the house she ;er0eived in a moment from hermother's trium;hant manner that somethin- had o00urred in the interim@

B3h yesC $no> all about it told 'ee it >ould be all ri-ht, and no> 'tis ;roved B

B2in0e 've been a>ayE What hasEB said Tess rather >earily@

Her mother surveyed the -irl u; and do>n >ith ar0h a;;roval, and >enton banterin-ly: B2o you've brou-ht 'em round B

BHo> do you $no>, motherEB



B 've had a letter@B

Tess then remembered that there >ould have been time for this@

BThey say =rs d'Urberville says that she >ants you to loo$ after alittle fo>l4farm >hi0h is her hobby@ #ut this is only her artful >ay of -ettin-'ee there >ithout raisin- your ho;es@ 2he's -oin- to o>n 'ee as $in that's themeanin- o't@B

B#ut didn't see her@B

BGou Iid somebody, su;;oseEB

B sa> her son@B

BAnd did he o>n 'eeEB

BWell he 0alled me /oI@B

BAn' $ne> it (a0$y he 0alled her /oI B 0ried (oan to her husband@BWell, he s;o$e to his mother, of 0ourse, and she do >ant 'ee there@B

B#ut don't $no> that am a;t at tendin- fo>ls,B said the dubious Tess@

BThen don't $no> >ho is a;t@ Gou've be'n born in the business, and brou-ht u; in it@ They that be born in a business al>ays $no> more about itthan any ';renti0e@ #esides, that's only ?ust a sho> of somethin- for you todo, that you midn't feel beholden@B

B don't alto-ether thin$ ou-ht to -o,B said Tess thou-htfully@ BWho>rote the letterE Will you let me loo$ at itEB

B=rs d'Urberville >rote it@ Here it is@B

The letter >as in the third ;erson, and briefly informed =rs Durbeyfieldthat her dau-hter's servi0es >ould be useful to that lady in the mana-ementof her ;oultry4farm, that a 0omfortable room >ould be ;rovided for her ifshe 0ould 0ome, and that the >a-es >ould be on a liberal s0ale if they li$edher@

B3h that's all B said Tess@



BGou 0ouldn't e ;e0t her to thro> her arms round 'ee, an' to $iss and to0oll 'ee all at on0e@B

Tess loo$ed out of the >indo>@

B >ould rather stay here >ith father and you,B she said@

B#ut >hyEB

B 'd rather not tell you >hy, motherC indeed, don't uite $no> >hy@B

A >ee$ after>ards she 0ame in one evenin- from an unavailin- sear0hfor some li-ht o00u;ation in the immediate nei-hbourhood@ Her idea had

been to -et to-ether suffi0ient money durin- the summer to ;ur0hase anotherhorse@ Hardly had she 0rossed the threshold before one of the 0hildrendan0ed a0ross the room, sayin-, BThe -entleman's been here B

Her mother hastened to e ;lain, smiles brea$in- from every in0h of her ;erson@ =rs d'Urberville's son had 0alled on horseba0$, havin- been ridin- by 0han0e in the dire0tion of =arlott@ He had >ished to $no>, finally, in thename of his mother, if Tess 0ould really 0ome to mana-e the old lady's fo>l4farm or notC the lad >ho had hitherto su;erintended the birds havin- ;roveduntrust>orthy@ B=r d'Urberville says you must be a -ood -irl if you are at allas you a;;earC he $no>s you must be >orth your >ei-ht in -old@ He is very

mu0h interested in 'ee truth to tell@B

Tess seemed for the moment really ;leased to hear that she had >onsu0h hi-h o;inion from a stran-er >hen, in her o>n esteem, she had sun$ solo>@

B t is very -ood of him to thin$ that,B she murmuredC Band if >as uitesure ho> it >ould be livin- there, >ould -o any4>hen@B

BHe is a mi-hty handsome man B

B don't thin$ so,B said Tess 0oldly@

BWell, there's your 0han0e, >hether or noC and 'm sure he >ears a beautiful diamond rin- B



BGes,B said little Abraham, bri-htly, from the >indo>4ben0hC Band seed it and it did t>in$le >hen he ;ut his hand u; to his mistarshers@=other, >hy did our -rand relation $ee; on ;uttin- his hand u; to hismistarshersEB

BHar$ at that 0hild B 0ried =rs Durbeyfield, >ith ;arentheti0admiration@

BPerha;s to sho> his diamond rin-,B murmured 2ir (ohn, dreamily,from his 0hair@

B 'll thin$ it over,B said Tess, leavin- the room@

BWell, she's made a 0on uest o' the youn-er bran0h of us, strai-ht off,B0ontinued the matron to her husband, Band she's a fool if she don't follo> itu;@B

B don't uite li$e my 0hildren -oin- a>ay from home,B said the ha--ler@BAs the head of the family, the rest ou-ht to 0ome to me@B

B#ut do let her -o, (a0$y,B 0oa ed his ;oor >itless >ife@ BHe's stru0$ >i'her you 0an see that@ He 0alled her /oI He'll marry her, most li$ely, andma$e a lady of herC and then she'll be >hat her forefathers >as@B

(ohn Durbeyfield had more 0on0eit than ener-y or health, and thissu;;osition >as ;leasant to him@

BWell, ;erha;s that's >hat youn- =r d'Urberville means,B he admittedCBand sure enou-h he mid have serious thou-hts about im;rovin- his blood

by lin$in- on to the old line@ Tess, the little ro-ue And have she really ;aid'em a visit to su0h an end as thisEB

=ean>hile Tess >as >al$in- thou-htfully amon- the -ooseberry4 bushes in the -arden, and over Prin0e's -rave@ When she 0ame in her mother

;ursued her advanta-e@

BWell, >hat be you -oin- to doEB she as$ed@

B >ish had seen =rs d'Urberville,B said Tess@

B thin$ you mid as >ell settle it@ Then you'll see her soon enou-h@B



Her father 0ou-hed in his 0hair@

B don't $no> >hat to say B ans>ered the -irl restlessly@ B t is for you tode0ide@ $illed the old horse, and su;;ose ou-ht to do somethin- to -etye a ne> one@ #ut but don't uite li$e =r d'Urberville bein- there B

The 0hildren, >ho had made use of this idea of Tess bein- ta$en u; bytheir >ealthy $insfol$ K>hi0h they ima-ined the other family to beL as as;e0ies of dolorifu-e after the death of the horse, be-an to 0ry at Tess'srelu0tan0e, and teased and re;roa0hed her for hesitatin-@

BTess >on't -o4o4o and be made a la4a4dy of no, she says she >o4o4on't B they >ailed, >ith s uare mouths@ BAnd >e shan't have a ni0e ne>horse, and lots o' -olden money to buy fairlin-s And Tess >on't loo$ ;retty

in her best 0loIe no mo4o4ore BHer mother 0himed in to the same tune: a 0ertain >ay she had of ma$in-

her labours in the house seem heavier than they >ere by ;rolon-in- themindefinitely, also >ei-hed in the ar-ument@ Her father alone ;reserved anattitude of neutrality@

B >ill -o,B said Tess at last@

Her mother 0ould not re;ress her 0ons0iousness of the nu;tial vision

0on?ured u; by the -irl's 0onsent@

BThat's ri-ht For su0h a ;retty maid as 'tis, this is a fine 0han0e B

Tess smiled 0rossly@

B ho;e it is a 0han0e for earnin- money@ t is no other $ind of 0han0e@Gou had better say nothin- of that silly sort about ;arish@B

=rs Durbeyfield did not ;romise@ 2he >as not uite sure that she did

not feel ;roud enou-h, after the visitor's remar$s, to say a -ood deal@

Thus it >as arran-edC and the youn- -irl >rote, a-reein- to be ready toset out on any day on >hi0h she mi-ht be re uired@ 2he >as duly informedthat =rs d'Urberville >as -lad of her de0ision, and that a s;rin-40art should

be sent to meet her and her lu--a-e at the to; of the ale on the day after the



morro>, >hen she must hold herself ;re;ared to start@ =rs d'Urberville'shand>ritin- seemed rather mas0uline@

BA 0artEB murmured (oan Durbeyfield doubtin-ly@ B t mi-ht have been a0arria-e for her o>n $in B

Havin- at last ta$en her 0ourse Tess >as less restless and abstra0ted,-oin- about her business >ith some self4assuran0e in the thou-ht ofa0 uirin- another horse for her father by an o00u;ation >hi0h >ould not beonerous@ 2he had ho;ed to be a tea0her at the s0hool, but the fates seemed tode0ide other>ise@ #ein- mentally older than her mother she did not re-ard=rs Durbeyfield's matrimonial ho;es for her in a serious as;e0t for amoment@ The li-ht4minded >oman had been dis0overin- -ood mat0hes forher dau-hter almost from the year of her birth@

3n the mornin- a;;ointed for her de;arture Tess >as a>a$e beforeda>n at the mar-inal minute of the dar$ >hen the -rove is still mute, savefor one ;ro;heti0 bird >ho sin-s >ith a 0lear4voi0ed 0onvi0tion that he atleast $no>s the 0orre0t time of day, the rest ;reservin- silen0e as if e ually0onvin0ed that he is mista$en@ 2he remained u;stairs ;a0$in- till brea$fast4time, and then 0ame do>n in her ordinary >ee$4day 0lothes, her 2unday

a;;arel bein- 0arefully folded in her bo @

Her mother e ;ostulated@ BGou >ill never set out to see your fol$s>ithout dressin- u; more the dand than thatEB

B#ut am -oin- to >or$ B said Tess@

BWell, yes,B said =rs DurbeyfieldC and in a ;rivate tone, Bat first theremid be a little ;reten0e o't J #ut thin$ it >ill be >iser of 'ee to ;ut your

best side out>ard,B she added@

B ery >ellC su;;ose you $no> best,B re;lied Tess >ith 0almabandonment@

And to ;lease her ;arent the -irl ;ut herself uite in (oan's hands, sayin-serenely BDo >hat you li$e >ith me, mother@B



=rs Durbeyfield >as only too deli-hted at this tra0tability@ First shefet0hed a -reat basin, and >ashed Tess's hair >ith su0h thorou-hness that>hen dried and brushed it loo$ed t>i0e as mu0h as at other times@ 2he tied it>ith a broader ;in$ ribbon than usual@ Then she ;ut u;on her the >hite fro0$that Tess had >orn at the 0lub4>al$in-, the airy fulness of >hi0h,su;;lementin- her enlar-ed coi##ure, im;arted to her develo;in- fi-ure anam;litude >hi0h belied her a-e, and mi-ht 0ause her to be estimated as a>oman >hen she >as not mu0h more than a 0hild@

B de0lare there's a hole in my sto0$in-4heel B said Tess@

B8ever mind holes in your sto0$in-s they don't s;ea$ When >as amaid, so lon- as had a ;retty bonnet the devil mi-ht ha' found me in heels@B

Her mother's ;ride in the -irl's a;;earan0e led her to ste; ba0$, li$e a ;ainter from his easel, and survey her >or$ as a >hole@

BGou must Iee yourself B she 0ried@ B t is mu0h better than you >ast'other day@B

As the loo$in-4-lass >as only lar-e enou-h to refle0t a very small ;ortion of Tess's ;erson at one time, =rs Durbeyfield hun- a bla0$ 0loa$outside the 0asement, and so made a lar-e refle0tor of the ;anes, as it is the>ont of bede0$in- 0otta-ers to do@ After this she >ent do>nstairs to her

husband, >ho >as sittin- in the lo>er room@

B 'll tell 'ee >hat 'tis, Durbeyfield,B said she e ultin-lyC Bhe'll never havethe heart not to love her@ #ut >hatever you do, don't Iay too mu0h to Tess ofhis fan0y for her, and this 0han0e she has -ot@ 2he is su0h an odd maid that itmid Iet her a-ainst him, or a-ainst -oin- there, even no>@ f all -oes >ell, shall 0ertainly be for ma$in- some return to ;a'son at 2ta-foot ane fortellin- us dear, -ood man B

Ho>ever, as the moment for the -irl's settin- out dre> ni-h, >hen thefirst e 0itement of the dressin- had ;assed off, a sli-ht mis-ivin- found

;la0e in (oan Durbeyfield's mind@ t ;rom;ted the matron to say that she>ould >al$ a little >ay as far as to the ;oint >here the a00livity from thevalley be-an its first stee; as0ent to the outer >orld@ At the to; Tess >as-oin- to be met >ith the s;rin-40art sent by the 2to$e4d'Urbervilles, and her

bo had already been >heeled ahead to>ards this summit by a lad >ithtru0$s, to be in readiness@



2eein- their mother ;ut on her bonnet, the youn-er 0hildren 0lamouredto -o >ith her@

B do >ant to >al$ a little4>ays >i' 2issy, no> she's -oin- to marry our-entleman40ousin, and >ear fine 0loIe B

B8o>,B said Tess, flushin- and turnin- ui0$ly, B 'll hear no more o'that =other, ho> 0ould you ever ;ut su0h stuff into their headsEB

B7oin- to >or$, my dears, for our ri0h relation, and hel; -et enou-hmoney for a ne> horse,B said =rs Durbeyfield ;a0ifi0ally@

B7oodbye, father,B said Tess, >ith a lum;y throat@

B7oodbye, my maid,B said 2ir (ohn, raisin- his head from his breast ashe sus;ended his na;, indu0ed by a sli-ht e 0ess this mornin- in honour ofthe o00asion@ BWell, ho;e my youn- friend >ill li$e su0h a 0omely sam;leof his o>n blood@ And tell'n, Tess, that bein- sun$, uite, from our former-randeur, 'll sell him the title yes, sell it and at no onreasonable fi-ure@B

B8ot for less than a thousand ;ound B 0ried ady Durbeyfield@

BTell'n 'll ta$e a thousand ;ound@ Well, 'll ta$e less, >hen 0ome tothin$ o't@ He'll adorn it better than a ;oor lammi0$en feller li$e myself 0an@

Tell'n he shall hae it for a hundred@ #ut >on't stand u;on trifles tell'n heshall hae it for fifty for t>enty ;ound Ges, t>enty ;ound that's thelo>est@ Dammy, family honour is family honour, and >on't ta$e a ;ennyless B

Tess's eyes >ere too full and her voi0e too 0ho$ed to utter thesentiments that >ere in her@ 2he turned ui0$ly, and >ent out@

2o the -irls and their mother all >al$ed to-ether, a 0hild on ea0h side ofTess, holdin- her hand and loo$in- at her meditatively from time to time, as

at one >ho >as about to do -reat thin-sC her mother ?ust behind >ith thesmallestC the -rou; formin- a ;i0ture of honest beauty flan$ed by inno0en0e,and ba0$ed by sim;le4souled vanity@ They follo>ed the >ay till they rea0hedthe be-innin- of the as0ent, on the 0rest of >hi0h the vehi0le fromTrantrid-e >as to re0eive her, this limit havin- been fi ed to save the horsethe labour of the last slo;e@ Far a>ay behind the first hills the 0liff4li$ed>ellin-s of 2haston bro$e the line of the rid-e@ 8obody >as visible in the



elevated road >hi0h s$irted the as0ent save the lad >hom they had sent on before them, sittin- on the handle of the barro> that 0ontained all Tess's>orldly ;ossessions@

B#ide here a bit, and the 0art >ill soon 0ome, no doubt,B said =rsDurbeyfield@ BGes, see it yonder B

t had 0ome a;;earin- suddenly from behind the forehead of thenearest u;land, and sto;;in- beside the boy >ith the barro>@ Her mother andthe 0hildren thereu;on de0ided to -o no farther, and biddin- them a hasty-oodbye, Tess bent her ste;s u; the hill@

They sa> her >hite sha;e dra> near to the s;rin-40art, on >hi0h her bo >as already ;la0ed@ #ut before she had uite rea0hed it another vehi0le

shot out from a 0lum; of trees on the summit, 0ame round the bend of theroad there, ;assed the lu--a-e40art, and halted beside Tess, >ho loo$ed u;as if in -reat sur;rise@

Her mother ;er0eived, for the first time, that the se0ond vehi0le >as nota humble 0onveyan0e li$e the first, but a s;i0$4and4s;an -i- or do-40art,hi-hly varnished and e ui;;ed@ The driver >as a youn- man of three4 orfour4and4t>enty, >ith a 0i-ar bet>een his teethC >earin- a dandy 0a;, drab

?a0$et, bree0hes of the same hue, >hite ne0$0loth, sti0$4u; 0ollar, and bro>ndrivin-4-loves in short, he >as the handsome, horsey youn- bu0$ >ho had

visited (oan a >ee$ or t>o before to -et her ans>er about Tess@

=rs Durbeyfield 0la;;ed her hands li$e a 0hild@ Then she loo$ed do>n,then stared a-ain@ /ould she be de0eived as to the meanin- of thisE

B s dat the -entleman4$insman >ho'll ma$e 2issy a ladyEB as$ed theyoun-est 0hild@

=ean>hile the muslined form of Tess 0ould be seen standin- still,unde0ided, beside this turn4out, >hose o>ner >as tal$in- to her@ Herseemin- inde0ision >as, in fa0t, more than inde0ision: it >as mis-ivin-@ 2he>ould have ;referred the humble 0art@ The youn- man dismounted, anda;;eared to ur-e her to as0end@ 2he turned her fa0e do>n the hill to herrelatives, and re-arded the little -rou;@ 2omethin- seemed to ui0$en her toa determinationC ;ossibly the thou-ht that she had $illed Prin0e@ 2hesuddenly ste;;ed u;C he mounted beside her, and immediately >hi;;ed on



the horse@ n a moment they had ;assed the slo> 0art >ith the bo , anddisa;;eared behind the shoulder of the hill@

Dire0tly Tess >as out of si-ht, and the interest of the matter as a drama>as at an end, the little ones' eyes filled >ith tears@ The youn-est 0hild said,B >ish ;oor, ;oor Tess >asn't -one a>ay to be a lady B and, lo>erin- the0orners of his li;s, burst out 0ryin-@ The ne> ;oint of vie> >as infe0tious,and the ne t 0hild did li$e>ise, and then the ne t, till the >hole three ofthem >ailed loud@

There >ere tears also in (oan Durbeyfield's eyes as she turned to -ohome@ #ut by the time she had -ot ba0$ to the villa-e she >as ;assivelytrustin- to the favour of a00ident@ Ho>ever, in bed that ni-ht she si-hed, andher husband as$ed her >hat >as the matter@

B3h, don't $no> e a0tly,B she said@ B >as thin$in- that ;erha;s it>ould ha' been better if Tess had not -one@B

B3u-htn't ye to have thou-ht of that beforeEB

BWell, 'tis a 0han0e for the maid 2till, if 't>ere the doin- a-ain, >ouldn't let her -o till had found out >hether the -entleman is really a-ood4hearted youn- man and 0hoi0e over her as his $ins>oman@B

BGes, you ou-ht, ;erha;s, to ha' done that,B snored 2ir (ohn@

(oan Durbeyfield al>ays mana-ed to find 0onsolation some>here:BWell, as one of the -enuine sto0$, she ou-ht to ma$e her >ay >ith 'en, ifshe ;lays her trum; 0ard ari-ht@ And if he don't marry her afore he >ill after@For that he's all afire >i' love for her any eye 0an see@B

BWhat's her trum; 0ardE Her d'Urberville blood, you meanEB

B8o, stu;idC her fa0e as 't>as mine@B

Havin- mounted beside her, Ale0 d'Urberville drove ra;idly alon- the0rest of the first hill, 0hattin- 0om;liments to Tess as they >ent, the 0art>ith her bo bein- left far behind@ Risin- still, an immense lands0a;e



stret0hed around them on every sideC behind, the -reen valley of her birth, before, a -ray 0ountry of >hi0h she $ne> nothin- e 0e;t from her first briefvisit to Trantrid-e@ Thus they rea0hed the ver-e of an in0line do>n >hi0hthe road stret0hed in a lon- strai-ht des0ent of nearly a mile@

.ver sin0e the a00ident >ith her father's horse Tess Durbeyfield,0oura-eous as she naturally >as, had been e 0eedin-ly timid on >heelsC theleast irre-ularity of motion startled her@ 2he be-an to -et uneasy at a 0ertainre0$lessness in her 0ondu0tor's drivin-@

BGou >ill -o do>n slo>, sir, su;;oseEB she said >ith attem;tedun0on0ern@

D'Urberville loo$ed round u;on her, ni;;ed his 0i-ar >ith the ti;s of his

lar-e >hite 0entre4teeth, and allo>ed his li;s to smile slo>ly of themselves@BWhy, Tess,B he ans>ered, after another >hiff or t>o, Bit isn't a brave

boun0in- -irl li$e you >ho as$s thatE Why, al>ays -o do>n at full -allo;@There's nothin- li$e it for raisin- your s;irits@B

B#ut ;erha;s you need not no>EB

BAh,B he said, sha$inhis head, Bthere are t>o to be re0$oned >ith@ t isnot me alone@ Tib has to be 0onsidered, and she has a very ueer tem;er@B

BWhoEB

BWhy, this mare@ fan0y she loo$ed round at me in a very -rim >ay ?ustthen@ Didn't you noti0e itEB

BDon't try to fri-hten me, sir,B said Tess stiffly@

BWell, don't@ f any livin- man 0an mana-e this horse 0an: >on't sayany livin- man 0an do it but if su0h has the ;o>er, am he@B

BWhy do you have su0h a horseEB

BAh, >ell may you as$ it t >as my fate, su;;ose@ Tib has $illed one0ha;C and ?ust after bou-ht her she nearly $illed me@ And then, ta$e my>ord for it, nearly $illed her@ #ut she's tou0hy still, very tou0hyC and one'slife is hardly safe behind her sometimes@B



They >ere ?ust be-innin- to des0endC and it >as evident that the horse,>hether of her o>n >ill or of his Kthe latter bein- the more li$elyL, $ne> so>ell the re0$less ;erforman0e e ;e0ted of her that she hardly re uired a hintfrom behind@

Do>n, do>n, they s;ed, the >heels hummin- li$e a to;, the do-40artro0$in- ri-ht and left, its a is a0 uirin- a sli-htly obli ue set in relation tothe line of ;ro-ressC the fi-ure of the horse risin- and fallin- in undulations

before them@ 2ometimes a >heel >as off the -round, it seemed, for manyyardsC sometimes a stone >as sent s;innin- over the hed-e, and flinty s;ar$sfrom the horse's hoofs outshone the dayli-ht@ The as;e0t of the strai-ht roadenlar-ed >ith their advan0e, the t>o ban$s dividin- li$e a s;littin- sti0$C onerushin- ;ast at ea0h shoulder@

The >ind ble> throu-h Tess's >hite muslin to her very s$in, and her>ashed hair fle> out behind@ 2he >as determined to sho> no o;en fear, butshe 0lut0hed d'Urberville's rein4arm@

BDon't tou0h my arm We shall be thro>n out if you do Hold on roundmy >aist B

2he -ras;ed his >aist, and so they rea0hed the bottom@

B2afe, than$ 7od, in s;ite of your foolin- B said she, her fa0e on fire@

BTess fie that's tem;er B said d'Urberville@

B'Tis truth@B

BWell, you need not let -o your hold of me so than$lessly the momentyou feel yourself our of dan-er@B

2he had not 0onsidered >hat she had been doin-C >hether he >ere manor >oman, sti0$ or stone, in her involuntary hold on him@ Re0overin- her

reserve, she sat >ithout re;lyin-, and thus they rea0hed the summit ofanother de0livity@

B8o> then, a-ain B said d'Urberville@

B8o, no B said Tess@ B2ho> more sense, do, ;lease@B



B#ut >hen ;eo;le find themselves on one of the hi-hest ;oints in the0ounty, they must -et do>n a-ain,B he retorted@

He loosened rein, and a>ay they >ent a se0ond time@ D'Urbervilleturned his fa0e to her as they ro0$ed, and said, in ;layful raillery: B8o>then, ;ut your arms round my >aist a-ain, as you did before, my #eauty@B

B8ever B said Tess inde;endently, holdin- on as >ell as she 0ould>ithout tou0hin- him@

B et me ;ut one little $iss on those holmberry li;s, Tess, or even on that>armed 0hee$, and 'll sto; on my honour, >ill B

Tess, sur;rised beyond measure, slid farther ba0$ still on her seat, at>hi0h he ur-ed the horse ane>, and ro0$ed her the more@

BWill nothin- else doEB she 0ried at len-th, in des;eration, her lar-eeyes starin- at him li$e those of a >ild animal@ This dressin- her u; so

;rettily by her mother had a;;arently been to lamentable ;ur;ose@

B8othin-, dear Tess,B he re;lied@

B3h, don't $no> very >ellC don't mind B she ;anted miserably@

He dre> rein, and as they slo>ed he >as on the ;oint of im;rintin- thedesired salute, >hen, as if hardly yet a>are of her o>n modesty, she dod-edaside@ His arms bein- o00u;ied >ith the reins there >as left him no ;o>er to

;revent her manOuvre@

B8o>, damn it 'll brea$ both our ne0$s B s>ore her 0a;ri0iously ;assionate 0om;anion@ B2o you 0an -o from your >ord li$e that, you youn->it0h, 0an youEB

B ery >ell,B said Tess, B 'll not move sin0e you be so determined #ut

thou-ht you >ould be $ind to me, and ;rote0t me, as my $insman B

B9insman be han-ed 8o> B

B#ut don't >ant anybody to $iss me, sir B she im;lored, a bi- tear be-innin- to roll do>n her fa0e, and the 0orners of her mouth tremblin- inher attem;ts not to 0ry@ BAnd >ouldn't ha' 0ome if had $no>n B



He >as ine orable, and she sat still, and d'Urberville -ave her the $iss ofmastery@ 8o sooner had he done so than she flushed >ith shame, too$ outher hand$er0hief, and >i;ed the s;ot on her 0hee$ that had been tou0hed byhis li;s@ His ardour >as nettled at the si-ht, for the a0t on her ;art had beenun0ons0iously done@

BGou are mi-hty sensitive for a 0otta-e -irl B said the youn- man@

Tess made no re;ly to this remar$, of >hi0h, indeed, she did not uite0om;rehend the drift, unheedin- the snub she had administered by herinstin0tive rub u;on her 0hee$@ 2he had, in fa0t, undone the $iss, as far assu0h a thin- >as ;hysi0ally ;ossible@ With a dim sense that he >as ve edshe loo$ed steadily ahead as they trotted on near =elbury Do>n andWin-reen, till she sa>, to her 0onsternation, that there >as yet another

des0ent to be under-one@

BGou shall be made sorry for that B he resumed, his in?ured tone stillremainin-, as he flourished the >hi; ane>@ BUnless, that is, you a-ree>illin-ly to let me do it a-ain, and no hand$er0hief@B

2he si-hed@ B ery >ell, sir B she said@ B3h let me -et my hat B

At the moment of s;ea$inher hat had blo>n off into the road, their ;resent s;eed on the u;land bein- by no means slo>@ D'Urberville ;ulled u;,

and said he >ould -et it for her, but Tess >as do>n on the other side@

2he turned ba0$ and ;i0$ed u; the arti0le@

BGou loo$ ;rettier >ith it off, u;on my soul, if that's ;ossible,B he said,0ontem;latin- her over the ba0$ of the vehi0le@ B8o> then, u; a-ain What'sthe matterEB

The hat >as in ;la0e and tied, but Tess had not ste;;ed for>ard@

B8o, sir,B she said, revealin- the red and ivory of her mouth as her eyelit in defiant trium;hC Bnot a-ain, if $no> it B

BWhat you >on't -et u; beside meEB

B8oC shall >al$@B



B'Tis five or si miles yet to Trantrid-e@B

B don't 0are if 'tis doIens@ #esides, the 0art is behind@B

BGou artful hussy 8o>, tell me didn't you ma$e that hat blo> off on ;ur;oseE 'll s>ear you did B

Her strate-i0 silen0e 0onfirmed his sus;i0ion@

Then d'Urberville 0ursed and s>ore at her, and 0alled her everythin- he0ould thin$ of for the tri0$@ Turnin- the horse suddenly he tried to drive ba0$u;on her, and so hem her in bet>een the -i- and the hed-e@ #ut he 0ould notdo this short of in?urin- her@

BGou ou-ht to be ashamed of yourself for usin- su0h >i0$ed >ords B0ried Tess >ith s;irit, from the to; of the hed-e into >hi0h she hads0rambled@ B don't li$e 'ee at all hate and detest you 'll -o ba0$ tomother, >ill B

D'Urberville's bad tem;er 0leared u; at si-ht of hersC and he lau-hedheartily@

BWell, li$e you all the better,B he said@ B/ome, let there be ;ea0e@ 'llnever do it any more a-ainst your >ill@ =y life u;on it no> B

2till Tess 0ould not be indu0ed to remount@ 2he did not, ho>ever, ob?e0tto his $ee;inhis -i- alon-side herC and in this manner, at a slo> ;a0e, theyadvan0ed to>ards the villa-e of Trantrid-e@ From time to time d'Urbervillee hibited a sort of fier0e distress at the si-ht of the tram;in- he had drivenher to underta$e by his misdemeanour@ 2he mi-ht in truth have safely trustedhim no>C but he had forfeited her 0onfiden0e for the time, and she $e;t onthe -round ;ro-ressin- thou-htfully, as if >onderin- >hether it >ould be>iser to return home@ Her resolve, ho>ever, had been ta$en, and it seemedva0illatin- even to 0hildishness to abandon it no>, unless for -raver reasons@

Ho> 0ould she fa0e her ;arents, -et ba0$ her bo , and dis0on0ert the >holes0heme for the rehabilitation of her family on su0h sentimental -roundsE

A fe> minutes later the 0himneys of The 2lo;es a;;eared in vie>, andin a snu- noo$ to the ri-ht the ;oultry4farm and 0otta-e of Tess' destination@



<

The 0ommunity of fo>ls to >hi0h Tess had been a;;ointed assu;ervisor, ;urveyor, nurse, sur-eon, and friend made its head uarters in anold that0hed 0otta-e standin- in an en0losure that had on0e been a -arden,

but >as no> a tram;led and sanded s uare@ The house >as overrun >ith ivy,its 0himney bein- enlar-ed by the bou-hs of the ;arasite to the as;e0t of aruined to>er@ The lo>er rooms >ere entirely -iven over to the birds, >ho>al$ed about them >ith a ;ro;rietary air, as thou-h the ;la0e had been built

by themselves, and not by 0ertain dusty 0o;yholders >ho no> lay east and>est in the 0hur0hyard@ The des0endants of these by-one o>ners felt italmost as a sli-ht to their family >hen the house >hi0h had so mu0h of theiraffe0tion, had 0ost so mu0h of their forefathers' money, and had been in their

;ossession for several -enerations before the d'Urbervilles 0ame and built

here, >as indifferently turned into a fo>l4house by =rs 2to$e4d'Urbervilleas soon as the ;ro;erty fell into hand a00ordin- to la>@ B'T>as -ood enou-hfor /hristians in -randfather's time,B they said@

The rooms >herein doIens of infants had >ailed at their nursin- no>resounded >ith the ta;;in- of nas0ent 0hi0$s@ Distra0ted hens in 0oo;so00u;ied s;ots >here formerly stood 0hairs su;;ortin- sedate a-ri0ulturists@The 0himney40orner and on0e4blaIin- hearth >as no> filled >ith inverted

beehives, in >hi0h the hens laid their e--sC >hile out of doors the ;lots thatea0h su00eedin- householder had 0arefully sha;ed >ith his s;ade >ere torn

by the 0o0$s in >ildest fashion@

The -arden in >hi0h the 0otta-e stood >as surrounded by a >all, and0ould only be entered throu-h a door@

When Tess had o00u;ied herself about an hour the ne t mornin- inalterin- and im;rovin- the arran-ements, a00ordin- to her s$illed ideas asthe dau-hter of a ;rofessed ;oulterer, the door in the >all o;ened and aservant in >hite 0a; and a;ron entered@ 2he had 0ome from the manor4house@

B=rs d'Urberville >ants the fo>ls as usual,B she saidC but ;er0eivin-that Tess did not uite understand, she e ;lained, B=is'ess is a old lady, and

blind@B

B#lind B said Tess@



Almost before her mis-ivin- at the ne>s 0ould find time to sha;e itselfshe too$, under her 0om;anion's dire0tion, t>o of the most beautiful of theHambur-hs in her arms, and follo>ed the maid4servant, >ho had li$e>iseta$en t>o, to the ad?a0ent mansion, >hi0h, thou-h ornate and im;osin-,sho>ed tra0es every>here on this side that some o00u;ant of its 0hambers0ould bend to the love of dumb 0reatures feathers floatin- >ithin vie> ofthe front, and hen40oo;s standin- on the -rass@

n a sittin-4room on the -round4floor, ens0on0ed in an arm0hair >ith her ba0$ to the li-ht, >as the o>ner and mistress of the estate, a >hite4haired>oman of not more than si ty, or even less, >earin- a lar-e 0a;@ 2he had themobile fa0e fre uent in those >hose si-ht has de0ayed by sta-es, has beenlaboriously striven after, and relu0tantly let -o, rather than the sta-nant miena;;arent in ;ersons lon- si-htless or born blind@ Tess >al$ed u; to this lady

>ith her feathered 0har-es one sittin- on ea0h arm@

BAh, you are the youn- >oman 0ome to loo$ after my birdsEB said =rsd'Urberville, re0o-niIin- a ne> footste;@ B ho;e you >ill be $ind to them@=y bailiff tells me you are uite the ;ro;er ;erson@ Well, >here are theyEAh, this is 2trut #ut he is hardly so lively to4day, is heE He is alarmed at

bein- handled by a stran-er, su;;ose@ And Phena too yes, they are a littlefri-htened aren't you, dearsE #ut they >ill soon -et used to you@B

While the old lady had been s;ea$in- Tess and the other maid, inobedien0e to her -estures, had ;la0ed the fo>ls severally in her la;, and shehad felt them over from head to tail, e aminin- their bea$s, their 0ombs, themanes of the 0o0$s, their >in-s, and their 0la>s@ Her tou0h enabled her tore0o-niIe them in a moment, and to dis0over if a sin-le feather >ere0ri;;led or dra--led@ 2he handled their 0ro;s, and $ne> >hat they had eaten,and if too little or too mu0hC her fa0e ena0tin- a vivid ;antomime of the0riti0isms ;assin- in her mind@

The birds that the t>o -irls had brou-ht in >ere duly returned to theyard, and the ;ro0ess >as re;eated till all the ;et 0o0$s and hens had beensubmitted to the old >oman Hambur-hs, #antams, /o0hins, #rahmas,Dor$in-s, and su0h other sorts as >ere in fashion ?ust then her ;er0e;tionof ea0h visitor bein- seldom at fault as she re0eived the bird u;on her $nees@

t reminded Tess of a /onfirmation, in >hi0h =rs d'Urberville >as the bisho;, the fo>ls the youn- ;eo;le ;resented, and herself and the maid4



servant the ;arson and 0urate of the ;arish brin-in- them u;@ At the end ofthe 0eremony =rs d'Urberville abru;tly as$ed Tess, >rin$lin- and t>it0hin-her fa0e into undulations, B/an you >histleEB

BWhistle, =a'amEB

BGes, >histle tunes@B

Tess 0ould >histle li$e most other 0ountry4-irls, thou-h thea00om;lishment >as one >hi0h she did not 0are to ;rofess in -enteel0om;any@ Ho>ever, she blandly admitted that su0h >as the fa0t@

BThen you >ill have to ;ra0tise it every day@ had a lad >ho did it very>ell, but he has left@ >ant you to >histle to my bullfin0hesC as 0annot seethem, li$e to hear them, and >e tea0h 'em airs that >ay@ Tell her >here the0a-es are, .liIabeth@ Gou must be-in to4morro>, or they >ill -o ba0$ intheir ;i;in-@ They have been ne-le0ted these several days@B

B=r d'Urberville >histled to 'em this mornin-, ma'am,B said .liIabeth@

BHe Pooh B

The old lady's fa0e 0reased into furro>s of re;u-nan0e, and she made nofurther re;ly@

Thus the re0e;tion of Tess by her fan0ied $ins>oman terminated, andthe birds >ere ta$en ba0$ to their uarters@ The -irl's sur;rise at =rsd'Urberville's manner >as not -reatC for sin0e seein- the siIe of the houseshe had e ;e0ted no more@ #ut she >as far from bein- a>are that the oldlady had never heard a >ord of the so40alled $inshi;@ 2he -athered that no-reat affe0tion flo>ed bet>een the blind >oman and her son@ #ut in that,too, she >as mista$en@ =rs d'Urberville >as not the first mother 0om;elledto love her offs;rin- resentfully, and to be bitterly fond@

n s;ite of the un;leasant initiation of the day before, Tess in0lined tothe freedom and novelty of her ne> ;osition in the mornin- >hen the sunshone, no> that she >as on0e installed thereC and she >as 0urious to test her

;o>ers in the une ;e0ted dire0tion as$ed of her, so as to as0ertain her0han0e of retainin- her ;ost@ As soon as she >as alone >ithin the >alled-arden she sat herself do>n on a 0oo;, and seriously s0re>ed u; her mouth



for the lon-4ne-le0ted ;ra0ti0e@ 2he found her former ability to havede-enerated to the ;rodu0tion of a hollo> rush of >ind throu-h the li;s, andno 0lear note at all@

2he remained fruitlessly blo>in- and blo>in-, >onderin- ho> she0ould have so -ro>n out of the art >hi0h had 0ome by nature, till she

be0ame a>are of a movement amon- the ivy4bou-hs >hi0h 0loa$ed the-arden4>all no less then the 0otta-e@ oo$in- that >ay she beheld a forms;rin-in- from the 0o;in- to the ;lot@ t >as Ale0 d'Urberville, >hom shehad not set eyes on sin0e he had 0ondu0ted her the day before to the door ofthe -ardener's 0otta-e >here she had lod-in-s@

BU;on my honour B 0ried he, Bthere >as never before su0h a beautifulthin- in 8ature or Art as you loo$, '/ousin' Tess K'/ousin' had a faint rin- of

mo0$eryL@ have been >at0hin- you from over the >all sittin- li$e Im4 ;atien0e on a monument, and ;outin- u; that ;retty red mouth to >histlin-sha;e, and >hooin- and >hooin-, and ;rivately s>earin-, and never bein-able to ;rodu0e a note@ Why, you are uite 0ross be0ause you 0an't do it@B

B may be 0ross, but didn't s>ear@B

BAh understand >hy you are tryin- those bullies =y mother >antsyou to 0arry on their musi0al edu0ation@ Ho> selfish of her As if attendin-to these 0urst 0o0$s and hens here >ere not enou-h >or$ for any -irl@

>ould flatly refuse, if >ere you@B

B#ut she >ants me ;arti0ularly to do it, and to be ready by to4morro>mornin-@B

BDoes sheE Well then 'll -ive you a lesson or t>o@B

B3h no, you >on't B said Tess, >ithdra>in- to>ards the door@

B8onsenseC don't >ant to tou0h you@ 2ee 'll stand on this side of the

>ire4nettin-, and you 0an $ee; on the otherC so you may feel uite safe@ 8o>, loo$ hereC you s0re> u; your li;s too harshly@ There 'tis so@B

He suited the a0tion to the >ord, and >histled a line of BTa$e, 3 ta$ethose li;s a>ay@B #ut the allusion >as lost u;on Tess@

B8o> try,B said d'Urberville@



2he attem;ted to loo$ reservedC her fa0e ;ut on a s0ul;tural severity@#ut he ;ersisted in his demand, and at last, to -et rid of him, she did ;ut u;her li;s as dire0ted for ;rodu0in- a 0lear noteC lau-hin- distressfully,ho>ever, and then blushin- >ith ve ation that she had lau-hed@

He en0oura-ed her >ith BTry a-ain B

Tess >as uite serious, ;ainfully serious by this timeC and she tried ultimately and une ;e0tedly emittin- a real round sound@ The momentary

;leasure of su00ess -ot the better of herC her eyes enlar-ed, and sheinvoluntarily smiled in his fa0e@

BThat's it 8o> have started you you'll -o on beautifully@ Theresaid >ould not 0ome near youC and, in s;ite of su0h tem;tation as never

before fell to mortal man, 'll $ee; my >ord@ J Tess, do you thin$ mymother a ueer old soulEB

B don't $no> mu0h of her yet, sir@B

BGou'll find her soC she must be, to ma$e you learn to >histle to her bullfin0hes@ am rather out of her boo$s ?ust no>, but you >ill be uite infavour if you treat her live4sto0$ >ell@ 7ood mornin-@ f you meet >ith anydiffi0ulties and >ant hel; here, don't -o to the bailiff, 0ome to me@B

t >as in the e0onomy of this r$gime that Tess Durbeyfield hadunderta$en to fill a ;la0e@ Her first day's e ;erien0es >ere fairly ty;i0al ofthose >hi0h follo>ed throu-h many su00eedin- days@ A familiarity >ithAle0 d'Urberville's ;resen0e >hi0h that youn- man 0arefully 0ultivated inher by ;layful dialo-ue, and by ?estin-ly 0allin- her his 0ousin >hen they>ere alone removed mu0h of her ori-inal shyness of him, >ithout,ho>ever, im;lantin- any feelin- >hi0h 0ould en-ender shyness of a ne> andtenderer $ind@ #ut she >as more ;liable under his hands than a mere0om;anionshi; >ould have made her, o>in- to her unavoidable de;enden0eu;on his mother, and, throu-h that lady's 0om;arative hel;lessness, u;onhim@

2he soon found that >histlin- to the bullfin0hes in =rs d'Urberville'sroom >as no su0h onerous business >hen she had re-ained the art, for shehad 0au-ht from her musi0al mother numerous airs that suited thoseson-sters admirably@ A far more satisfa0tory time than >hen she ;ra0tised in



len-th 0onsented to -o@ Her first e ;erien0e of the ?ourney afforded her moreen?oyment than she had e ;e0ted, the hilariousness of the others bein- uite0onta-ious after her monotonous attention to the ;oultry4farm all the >ee$@2he >ent a-ain and a-ain@ #ein- -ra0eful and interestin-, standin- moreoveron the momentary threshold of >omanhood, her a;;earan0e dre> do>nu;on her some sly re-ards from loun-ers in the streets of /haseborou-hChen0e, thou-h sometimes her ?ourney to the to>n >as made inde;endently,she al>ays sear0hed for her fello>s at ni-htfall, to have the ;rote0tion oftheir 0om;anionshi; home>ard@

This had -one on for a month or t>o >hen there 0ame a 2aturday in2e;tember, on >hi0h a fair and a mar$et 0oin0idedC and the ;il-rims fromTrantrid-e sou-ht double deli-hts at the inns on that a00ount@ Tess'so00u;ations made her late in settin- out, so that her 0omrades rea0hed the

to>n lon- before her@ t >as a fine 2e;tember evenin-, ?ust before sunset,>hen yello> li-hts stru--le >ith blue shades in hairli$e lines, and theatmos;here itself forms a ;ros;e0t >ithout aid from more solid ob?e0ts,e 0e;t the innumerable >in-ed inse0ts that dan0e in it@ Throu-h this lo>4litmistiness Tess >al$ed leisurely alon-@

2he did not dis0over the 0oin0iden0e of the mar$et >ith the fair till shehad rea0hed the ;la0e, by >hi0h time it >as 0lose u;on dus$@ Her limitedmar$etin- >as soon 0om;letedC and then as usual she be-an to loo$ aboutfor some of the Trantrid-e 0otta-ers@

At first she 0ould not find them, and she >as informed that most of themhad -one to >hat they 0alled a ;rivate little ?i- at the house of a hay4trusserand ;eat4dealer >ho had transa0tions >ith their farm@ He lived in an out4of4the4>ay noo$ of the to>nlet, and in tryin- to find her 0ourse thither her eyesfell u;on =r d'Urberville standin- at a street 0orner@

BWhat my #eautyE Gou here so lateEB he said@

2he told him that she >as sim;ly >aitin- for 0om;any home>ard@

B 'll see you a-ain,B said he over her shoulder as she >ent on do>n the ba0$ lane@

A;;roa0hin- the hay4trussers, she 0ould hear the fiddled notes of a reel ;ro0eedin- from some buildin- in the rearC but no sound of dan0in- >asaudible an e 0e;tional state of thin-s for these ;arts, >here as a rule the



stam;in- dro>ned the musi0@ The front door bein- o;en she 0ould seestrai-ht throu-h the house into the -arden at the ba0$ as far as the shades ofni-ht >ould allo>C and nobody a;;earin- to her $no0$, she traversed thed>ellin- and >ent u; the ;ath to the outhouse >hen0e the sound hadattra0ted her@

t >as a >indo>less ere0tion used for stora-e, and from the o;en doorthere floated into the obs0urity a mist of yello> radian0e, >hi0h at first Tessthou-ht to be illuminated smo$e@ #ut on dra>in- nearer she ;er0eived that it>as a 0loud of dust, lit by 0andles >ithin the outhouse, >hose beams u;onthe haIe 0arried for>ard the outline of the door>ay into the >ide ni-ht ofthe -arden@

When she 0ame 0lose and loo$ed in she beheld indistin0t forms ra0in-

u; and do>n to the fi-ure of the dan0e, the silen0e of their footfalls arisin-from their bein- overshoe in Bs0roffB that is to say, the ;o>dery residuumfrom the stora-e of ;eat and other ;rodu0ts, the stirrin- of >hi0h by theirturbulent feet 0reated the nebulosity that involved the s0ene@ Throu-h thisfloatin-, fusty debris of ;eat and hay, mi ed >ith the ;ers;irations and>armth of the dan0ers, and formin- to-ether a sort of ve-eto4human ;ollen,the muted fiddles feebly ;ushed their notes, in mar$ed 0ontrast to the s;irit>ith >hi0h the measure >as trodden out@ They 0ou-hed as they dan0ed, andlau-hed as they 0ou-hed@ 3f the rushin- 0ou;les there 0ould barely bedis0erned more than the hi-h li-hts the indistin0tness sha;in- them tosatyrs 0las;in- nym;hs a multi;li0ity of Pans >hirlin- a multi;li0ity of2yrin esC otis attem;tin- to elude Pria;us, and al>ays failin-@

At intervals a 0ou;le >ould a;;roa0h the door>ay for air, and the haIeno lon-er veilin- their features, the demi-ods resolved themselves into thehomely ;ersonalities of her o>n ne t4door nei-hbours@ /ould Trantrid-e int>o or three short hours have metamor;hosed itself thus madly

2ome 2ileni of the thron- sat on ben0hes and hay4trusses by the >allCand one of them re0o-niIed her@

BThe maids don't thin$ it res;e0table to dan0e at The Flo>er4de4 u0e,Bhe e ;lained@ BThey don't li$e to let everybody see >hi0h be their fan0y4men@ #esides, the house sometimes shuts u; ?ust >hen their ?ints be-in to-et -reased@ 2o >e 0ome here and send out for li uor@B

B#ut >hen be any of you -oin- homeEB as$ed Tess >ith some an iety@



B8o> a'most dire0tly@ This is all but the last ?i-@B

2he >aited@ The reel dre> to a 0lose, and some of the ;arty >ere in themind of startin-@ #ut others >ould not, and another dan0e >as formed@ Thissurely >ould end it, thou-ht Tess@ #ut it mer-ed in yet another@ 2he be0amerestless and uneasyC yet, havin- >aited so lon-, it >as ne0essary to >aitlon-erC on a00ount of the fair the roads >ere dotted >ith rovin- 0hara0ters of

;ossibly ill intentC and, thou-h not fearful of measurable dan-ers, she fearedthe un$no>n@ Had she been near =arlott she >ould have had less dread@

BDon't ye be nervous, my dear -ood soul,B e ;ostulated, bet>een his0ou-hs, a youn- man >ith a >et fa0e and his stra> hat so far ba0$ u;on hishead that the brim en0ir0led it li$e the nimbus of a saint@ BWhat's yer hurryETo4morro> is 2unday, than$ 7od, and >e 0an slee; it off in 0hur0h4time@

8o>, have a turn >ith meEB

2he did not abhor dan0in-, but she >as not -oin- to dan0e here@ Themovement -re> more ;assionate: the fiddlers behind the luminous ;illar of0loud no> and then varied the air by ;layin- on the >ron- side of the brid-eor >ith the ba0$ of the bo>@ #ut it did not matterC the ;antin- sha;es s;unon>ards@

They did not vary their ;artners if their in0lination >ere to sti0$ to ;revious ones@ /han-in- ;artners sim;ly meant that a satisfa0tory 0hoi0e

had not as yet been arrived at by one or other of the ;air, and by this timeevery 0ou;le had been suitably mat0hed@ t >as then that the e0stasy and thedream be-an, in >hi0h emotion >as the matter of the universe, and matter

but an adventitious intrusion li$ely to hinder you from s;innin- >here you>anted to s;in@

2uddenly there >as a dull thum; on the -round: a 0ou;le had fallen, andlay in a mi ed hea;@ The ne t 0ou;le, unable to 0he0$ its ;ro-ress, 0ameto;;lin- over the obsta0le@ An inner 0loud of dust rose around the ;rostratefi-ures amid the -eneral one of the room, in >hi0h a t>it0hin- entan-lementof arms and le-s >as dis0ernible@

BGou shall 0at0h it for this, my -entleman, >hen you -et home B burstin female a00ents from the human hea; those of the unha;;y ;artner of theman >hose 0lumsiness had 0aused the misha;C she ha;;ened also to be hisre0ently married >ife, in >hi0h assortment there >as nothin- unusual atTrantrid-e as lon- as any affe0tion remained bet>een >edded 0ou;lesC and,



indeed, it >as not un0ustomary in their later lives, to avoid ma$in- odd lotsof the sin-le ;eo;le bet>een >hom there mi-ht be a >arm understandin-@

A loud lau-h from behind Tess's ba0$, in the shade of the -arden, united>ith the titter >ithin the room@ 2he loo$ed round, and sa> the red 0oal of a0i-ar: Ale0 d'Urberville >as standin- there alone@ He be0$oned to her, andshe relu0tantly retreated to>ards him@

BWell, my #eauty, >hat are you doin- hereEB

2he >as so tired after her lon- day and her >al$ that she 0onfided hertrouble to him that she had been >aitin- ever sin0e he sa> her to havetheir 0om;any home, be0ause the road at ni-ht >as stran-e to her@ B#ut itseems they >ill never leave off, and really thin$ >ill >ait no lon-er@B

B/ertainly do not@ have only a saddle4horse here to4dayC but 0ome toThe Flo>er4de4 u0e, and 'll hire a tra;, and drive you home >ith me@B

Tess, thou-h flattered, had never uite -ot over her ori-inal mistrust ofhim, and, des;ite their tardiness, she ;referred to >al$ home >ith the >or$4fol$@ 2o she ans>ered that she >as mu0h obli-ed to him, but >ould nottrouble him@ B have said that >ill >ait for 'em, and they >ill e ;e0t me tono>@B

B ery >ell, =iss nde;enden0e@ Please yourselfJ Then shall nothurryJ =y -ood ord, >hat a $i0$4u; they are havin- there B

He had not ;ut himself for>ard into the li-ht, but some of them had ;er0eived him, and his ;resen0e led to a sli-ht ;ause and a 0onsideration ofho> the time >as flyin-@ As soon as he had re4lit a 0i-ar and >al$ed a>aythe Trantrid-e ;eo;le be-an to 0olle0t themselves from amid those >ho had0ome in from other farms, and ;re;ared to leave in a body@ Their bundlesand bas$ets >ere -athered u;, and half an hour later, >hen the 0lo0$40himesounded a uarter ;ast eleven, they >ere stra--lin- alon- the lane >hi0h ledu; the hill to>ards their homes@

t >as a three4mile >al$, alon- a dry >hite road, made >hiter to4ni-ht by the li-ht of the moon@

Tess soon ;er0eived as she >al$ed in the flo0$, sometimes >ith thisone, sometimes >ith that, that the fresh ni-ht air >as ;rodu0in- sta--erin-s



and ser;entine 0ourses amon- the men >ho had ;arta$en too freelyC some ofthe more 0areless >omen also >ere >anderin- in their -ait to >it, a dar$vira-o, /ar Dar0h, dubbed Nueen of 2;ades, till lately a favourite ofd'Urberville'sC 8an0y, her sister, ni0$named the Nueen of DiamondsC and theyoun- married >oman >ho had already tumbled do>n@ Get ho>everterrestrial and lum;y their a;;earan0e ?ust no> to the mean un-lamouredeye, to themselves the 0ase >as different@ They follo>ed the road >ith asensation that they >ere soarin- alon- in a su;;ortin- medium, ;ossessed ofori-inal and ;rofound thou-hts, themselves and surroundin- nature formin-an or-anism of >hi0h all the ;arts harmoniously and ?oyouslyinter;enetrated ea0h other@ They >ere as sublime as the moon and starsabove them, and the moon and stars >ere as ardent as they@

Tess, ho>ever, had under-one su0h ;ainful e ;erien0es of this $ind in

her father's house that the dis0overy of their 0ondition s;oilt the ;leasure she>as be-innin- to feel in the moonli-ht ?ourney@ Get she stu0$ to the ;arty,for reasons above -iven@

n the o;en hi-h>ay they had ;ro-ressed in s0attered orderC but no>their route >as throu-h a field4-ate, and the foremost findin- a diffi0ulty ino;enin- it, they 0losed u; to-ether@

This leadin- ;edestrian >as /ar the Nueen of 2;ades, >ho 0arried a>i0$er4bas$et 0ontainin- her mother's -ro0eries, her o>n dra;eries, andother ;ur0hases for the >ee$@ The bas$et bein- lar-e and heavy, /ar had

;la0ed it for 0onvenien0e of ;ortera-e on the to; of her head, >here it rodeon in ?eo;ardiIed balan0e as she >al$ed >ith arms a$imbo@

BWell >hatever is that a40ree;indo>n thy ba0$, /ar Dar0hEB saidone of the -rou; suddenly@

All loo$ed at /ar@ Her -o>n >as a li-ht 0otton ;rint, and from the ba0$of her head a $ind of ro;e 0ould be seen des0endin- to some distan0e belo>her >aist, li$e a /hinaman's ueue@

B'Tis her hair fallin- do>n,B said another@

8oC it >as not her hair: it >as a bla0$ stream of somethin- ooIin- fromher bas$et, and it -listened li$e a slimy sna$e in the 0old still rays of themoon@



B'Tis trea0le,B said an observant matron@

Trea0le it >as@ /ar's ;oor old -randmother had a >ea$ness for the s>eetstuff@ Honey she had in ;lenty out of her o>n hives, but trea0le >as >hat hersoul desired, and /ar had been about to -ive her a treat of sur;rise@ Hastilylo>erin- the bas$et the dar$ -irl found that the vessel 0ontainin- the syru;had been smashed >ithin@

#y this time there had arisen a shout of lau-hter at the e traordinarya;;earan0e of /ar's ba0$, >hi0h irritated the dar$ ueen into -ettin- rid ofthe disfi-urement by the first sudden means available, and inde;endently ofthe hel; of the s0offers@ 2he rushed e 0itedly into the field they >ere aboutto 0ross, and flin-in- herself flat on her ba0$ u;on the -rass, be-an to >i;eher -o>n as >ell as she 0ould by s;innin- horiIontally on the herba-e and

dra--in- herself over it u;on her elbo>s@

The lau-hter ran- louderC they 0lun- to the -ate, to the ;osts, rested ontheir staves, in the >ea$ness en-endered by their 0onvulsions at thes;e0ta0le of /ar@ 3ur heroine, >ho had hitherto held her ;ea0e, at this >ildmoment 0ould not hel; ?oinin- in >ith the rest@

t >as a misfortune in more >ays than one@ 8o sooner did the dar$ueen hear the soberer ri0her note of Tess amon- those of the other >or$4

;eo;le than a lon-4smoulderin- sense of rivalry inflamed her to madness@

2he s;ran- to her feet and 0losely fa0ed the ob?e0t of her disli$e@

BHo> darest th' lau-h at me, hussy B she 0ried@

B 0ouldn't really hel; it >hen t'others did,B a;olo-iIed Tess, stilltitterin-@

BAh, th'st thin$ th' beest everybody, dostn't, be0ause th' beest firstfavourite >ith He ?ust no> #ut sto; a bit, my lady, sto; a bit 'm as -oodas t>o of su0h oo$ here here's at 'ee B

To Tess's horror the dar$ ueen be-an stri;;in- off the bodi0e of her-o>n >hi0h for the added reason of its ridi0uled 0ondition she >as onlytoo -lad to be free of till she had bared her ;lum; ne0$, shoulders, andarms to the moonshine, under >hi0h they loo$ed as luminous and beautifulas some Pra itelean 0reation, in their ;ossession of the faultless rotunditiesof a lusty 0ountry4-irl@ 2he 0losed her fists and s uared u; at Tess@



B ndeed, then, shall not fi-ht B said the latter ma?esti0allyC Band if had$no> you >as of that sort, >ouldn't have so let myself do>n as to 0ome>ith su0h a >hora-e as this is B

The rather too in0lusive s;ee0h brou-ht do>n a torrent of vitu;erationfrom other uarters u;on fair Tess's unlu0$y head, ;arti0ularly from theNueen of Diamonds, >ho havin- stood in the relations to d'Urberville that/ar had also been sus;e0ted of, united >ith the latter a-ainst the 0ommonenemy@ 2everal other >omen also 0himed in, >ith an animus >hi0h none ofthem >ould have been so fatuous as to sho> but for the rolli0$in- evenin-they had ;assed@ Thereu;on, findin- Tess unfairly bro>beaten, the husbandsand lovers tried to ma$e ;ea0e by defendin- herC but the result of thatattem;t >as dire0tly to in0rease the >ar@

Tess >as indi-nant and ashamed@ 2he no lon-er minded the lonelinessof the >ay and the lateness of the hourC her one ob?e0t >as to -et a>ay fromthe >hole 0re> as soon as ;ossible@ 2he $ne> >ell enou-h that the betteramon- them >ould re;ent of their ;assion ne t day@ They >ere all no>inside the field, and she >as ed-in- ba0$ to rush off alone >hen a horsemanemer-ed almost silently from the 0orner of the hed-e that s0reened the road,and Ale0 d'Urberville loo$ed round u;on them@

BWhat the devil is all this ro> about, >or$4fol$EB he as$ed@

The e ;lanation >as not readily forth0omin-C and, in truth, he did notre uire any@ Havin- heard their voi0es >hile yet some >ay off he had ridden0ree;in-ly for>ard, and learnt enou-h to satisfy himself@

Tess >as standin- a;art from the rest, near the -ate@ He bent overto>ards her@ B(um; u; behind me,B he >his;ered, Band >e'll -et shot of thes0reamin- 0ats in a ?iffy B

2he felt almost ready to faint, so vivid >as her sense of the 0risis@ Atalmost any other moment of her life she >ould have refused su0h ;rofferedaid and 0om;any, as she had refused them several times beforeC and no> theloneliness >ould not of itself have for0ed her to do other>ise@ #ut 0omin- asthe invitation did at the ;arti0ular ?un0ture >hen fear and indi-nation atthese adversaries 0ould be transformed by a s;rin- of the foot into a trium;hover them, she abandoned herself to her im;ulse, 0limbed the -ate, ;ut hertoe u;on his inste;, and s0rambled into the saddle behind him@ The ;air >ere



s;eedin- a>ay into the distant -ray by the time that the 0ontentious revellers be0ame a>are of >hat had ha;;ened@

The Nueen of 2;ades for-ot the stain on her bodi0e, and stood besidethe Nueen of Diamonds and the ne>4married, sta--erin- youn- >oman all>ith a -aIe of fi ity in the dire0tion in >hi0h the horse's tram; >asdiminishin- into silen0e on the road@

BWhat be ye loo$in- atEB as$ed a man >ho had not observed thein0ident@

BHo4ho4ho B lau-hed dar$ /ar@

BHee4hee4hee B lau-hed the ti;;lin- bride, as she steadied herself on thearm of her fond husband@

BHeu4heu4heu B lau-hed dar$ /ar's mother, stro$inher mousta0he asshe e ;lained la0oni0ally: B3ut of the fryin-4;an into the fire B

Then these 0hildren of the o;en air, >hom even e 0ess of al0ohol 0oulds0ar0e in?ure ;ermanently, betoo$ themselves to the field4;athC and as they>ent there moved on>ard >ith them, around the shado> of ea0h one's head,a 0ir0le of o;aliIed li-ht, formed by the moon's rays u;on the -listenin-sheet of de>@ .a0h ;edestrian 0ould see no halo but his or her o>n, >hi0h

never deserted the head4shado>, >hatever its vul-ar unsteadiness mi-ht beC but adhered to it, and ;ersistently beautified itC till the errati0 motionsseemed an inherent ;art of the irradiation, and the fumes of their breathin- a0om;onent of the ni-ht's mistC and the s;irit of the s0ene, and of themoonli-ht, and of 8ature, seemed harmoniously to min-le >ith the s;irit of>ine@

<

The t>ain 0antered alon- for some time >ithout s;ee0h, Tess as she0lun- to him still ;antin- in her trium;h, yet in other res;e0ts dubious@ 2hehad ;er0eived that the horse >as not the s;irited one he sometimes rose, andfelt no alarm on that s0ore, thou-h her seat >as ;re0arious enou-h des;iteher ti-ht hold of him@ 2he be--ed him to slo> the animal to a >al$, >hi0hAle0 a00ordin-ly did@



B8eatly done, >as it not, dear TessEB he said by and by@

BGes B said she@ B am sure ou-ht to be mu0h obli-ed to you@B

BAnd are youEB

2he did not re;ly@

BTess, >hy do you al>ays disli$e my $issin- youEB

B su;;ose be0ause don't love you@B

BGou are uite sureEB

B am an-ry >ith you sometimes B

BAh, half feared as mu0h@B 8evertheless, Ale0 did not ob?e0t to that0onfession@ He $ne> that anythin- >as better then fri-idity@ BWhy haven'tyou told me >hen have made you an-ryEB

BGou $no> very >ell >hy@ #e0ause 0annot hel; myself here@B

B haven't offended you often by love4ma$in-EB

BGou have sometimes@B

BHo> many timesEB

BGou $no> as >ell as too many times@B

B.very time have triedEB

2he >as silent, and the horse ambled alon- for a 0onsiderable distan0e,till a faint luminous fo-, >hi0h had hun- in the hollo>s all the evenin-,

be0ame -eneral and envelo;ed them@ t seemed to hold the moonli-ht insus;ension, renderin- it more ;ervasive than in 0lear air@ Whether on thisa00ount, or from absent4mindedness, or from slee;iness, she did not ;er0eivethat they had lon- a-o ;assed the ;oint at >hi0h the lane to Trantrid-e

bran0hed from the hi-h>ay, and that her 0ondu0tor had not ta$en theTrantrid-e tra0$@



2he >as ine ;ressibly >eary@ 2he had risen at five o'0lo0$ everymornin- of that >ee$, had been on foot the >hole of ea0h day, and on thisevenin- had in addition >al$ed the three miles to /haseborou-h, >aitedthree hours for her nei-hbours >ithout eatin- or drin$in-, her im;atien0e tostart them ;reventin- eitherC she had then >al$ed a mile of the >ay home,and had under-one the e 0itement of the uarrel, till, >ith the slo> ;ro-ressof their steed, it >as no> nearly one o'0lo0$@ 3nly on0e, ho>ever, >as sheover0ome by a0tual dro>siness@ n that moment of oblivion her head san$-ently a-ainst him@

D'Urberville sto;;ed the horse, >ithdre> his feet from the stirru;s,turned side>ays on the saddle, and en0losed her >aist >ith his arm tosu;;ort her@

This immediately ;ut her on the defensive, and >ith one of those suddenim;ulses of re;risal to >hi0h she >as liable she -ave him a little ;ush fromher@ n his ti0$lish ;osition he nearly lost his balan0e and only ?ust avoidedrollin- over into the road, the horse, thou-h a ;o>erful one, bein-fortunately the uietest he rode@

BThat is devilish un$ind B he said@ B mean no harm only to $ee; youfrom fallin-@B

2he ;ondered sus;i0iously, till, thin$in- that this mi-ht after all be true,

she relented, and said uite humbly, B be- your ;ardon, sir@B

B >on't ;ardon you unless you sho> some 0onfiden0e in me@ 7ood7od B he burst out, B>hat am , to be re;ulsed so by a mere 0hit li$e youEFor near three mortal months have you trifled >ith my feelin-s, eluded me,and snubbed meC and >on't stand it B

B 'll leave you to4morro>, sir@B

B8o, you >ill not leave me to4morro> Will you, as$ on0e more, sho>your belief in me by lettin- me 0las; you >ith my armE /ome, bet>een ust>o and nobody else, no>@ We $no> ea0h other >ellC and you $no> that love you, and thin$ you the ;rettiest -irl in the >orld, >hi0h you are@ =ayn't

treat you as a loverEB



2he dre> a ui0$ ;ettish breath of ob?e0tion, >rithin- uneasily on herseat, loo$ed far ahead, and murmured, B don't $no> >ish ho> 0an say yes or no >hen B

He settled the matter by 0las;inhis arm round her as he desired, andTess e ;ressed no further ne-ative@ Thus they sidled slo>ly on>ard till itstru0$ her they had been advan0in- for an un0ons0ionable time far lon-erthan >as usually o00u;ied by the short ?ourney from /haseborou-h, even atthis >al$in- ;a0e, and that they >ere no lon-er on hard road, but in a meretra0$>ay@

BWhy, >here be >eEB she e 0laimed@

BPassin- by a >ood@B

BA >ood >hat >oodE 2urely >e are uite out of the roadEB

BA bit of The /hase the oldest >ood in .n-land@ t is a lovely ni-ht,and >hy should >e not ;rolon- our ride a littleEB

BHo> 0ould you be so trea0herous B said Tess, bet>een ar0hness andreal dismay, and -ettin- rid of his arm by ;ullin- o;en his fin-ers one byone, thou-h at the ris$ of sli;;in- off herself@ B(ust >hen 've been ;uttin-su0h trust in you, and obli-in- you to ;lease you, be0ause thou-ht had

>ron-ed you by that ;ush Please set me do>n, and let me >al$ home@B

BGou 0annot >al$ home, darlin-, even if the air >ere 0lear@ We aremiles a>ay from Trantrid-e, if must tell you, and in this -ro>in- fo- youmi-ht >ander for hours amon- these trees@B

B8ever mind that,B she 0oa ed@ BPut me do>n, beyou@ don't mind>here it isC only let me -et do>n, sir, ;lease B

B ery >ell, then, >ill on one 0ondition@ Havin- brou-ht you here to

this out4of4the4>ay ;la0e, feel myself res;onsible for your safe40ondu0thome, >hatever you may yourself feel about it@ As to your -ettin- toTrantrid-e >ithout assistan0e, it is uite im;ossibleC for, to tell the truth,dear, o>in- to this fo-, >hi0h so dis-uises everythin-, don't uite $no>>here >e are myself@ 8o>, if you >ill ;romise to >ait beside the horse>hile >al$ throu-h the bushes till 0ome to some road or house, andas0ertain e a0tly our >hereabouts, 'll de;osit you here >illin-ly@ When



0ome ba0$ 'll -ive you full dire0tions, and if you insist u;on >al$in- youmayC or you may ride at your ;leasure@B

2he a00e;ted these terms, and slid off on the near side, thou-h not till hehad stolen a 0ursory $iss@ He s;ran- do>n on the other side@

B su;;ose must hold the horseEB said she@

B3h noC it's not ne0essary,B re;lied Ale0, ;attin- the ;antin- 0reature@BHe's had enou-h of it for to4ni-ht@B

He turned the horse's head into the bushes, hit0hed him on to a bou-h,and made a sort of 0ou0h or nest for her in the dee; mass of dead leaves@

B8o>, you sit there,B he said@ BThe leaves have not -ot dam; as yet@ (ust-ive an eye to the horse it >ill be uite suffi0ient@B

He too$ a fe> ste;s a>ay from her, but, returnin-, said, B#y the bye,Tess, your father has a ne> 0ob to4day@ 2omebody -ave it to him@B

B2omebodyE Gou B

D'Urberville nodded@

B3 ho> very -ood of you that is B she e 0laimed, >ith a ;ainful senseof the a>$>ardness of havin- to than$ him ?ust then@

BAnd the 0hildren have some toys@B

B didn't $no> you ever sent them anythin- B she murmured, mu0hmoved@ B almost >ish you had not yes, almost >ish it B

BWhy, dearEB

B t ham;ers me so@B

BTessy don't you love me ever so little no>EB

B 'm -rateful,B she relu0tantly admitted@ B#ut fear do not B Thesudden vision of his ;assion for herself as a fa0tor in this result so distressedher that, be-innin- >ith one slo> tear, and then follo>in- >ith another, she>e;t outri-ht@



BDon't 0ry, dear, dear one 8o> sit do>n here, and >ait till 0ome@B 2he ;assively sat do>n amid the leaves he had hea;ed, and shivered sli-htly@BAre you 0oldEB he as$ed@

B8ot very a little@B

He tou0hed her >ith his fin-ers, >hi0h san$ into her as into do>n@ BGouhave only that ;uffy muslin dress on ho>'s thatEB

B t's my best summer one@ 'T>as very >arm >hen started, and didn't$no> >as -oin- to ride, and that it >ould be ni-ht@B

B8i-hts -ro> 0hilly in 2e;tember@ et me see@B He ;ulled off a li-htover0oat that he had >orn, and ;ut it round her tenderly@ BThat's it no>you'll feel >armer,B he 0ontinued@ B8o>, my ;retty, rest thereC shall soon

be ba0$ a-ain@B

Havin- buttoned the over0oat round her shoulders he ;lun-ed into the>ebs of va;our >hi0h by this time formed veils bet>een the trees@ 2he 0ouldhear the rustlin- of the bran0hes as he as0ended the ad?oinin- slo;e, till hismovements >ere no louder than the ho;;in- of a bird, and finally dieda>ay@ With the settin- of the moon the ;ale li-ht lessened, and Tess be0ameinvisible as she fell into reverie u;on the leaves >here he had left her@

n the meantime Ale0 d'Urberville had ;ushed on u; the slo;e to 0learhis -enuine doubt as to the uarter of The /hase they >ere in@ He had, infa0t, ridden uite at random for over an hour, ta$in- any turnin- that 0ame tohand in order to ;rolon- 0om;anionshi; >ith her, and -ivin- far moreattention to Tess's moonlit ;erson than to any >ayside ob?e0t@ A little rest forthe ?aded animal bein- desirable, he did not hasten his sear0h for landmar$s@A 0lamber over the hill into the ad?oinin- vale brou-ht him to the fen0e of ahi-h>ay >hose 0ontours he re0o-niIed, >hi0h settled the uestion of their>hereabouts@ D'Urberville thereu;on turned ba0$C but by this time the moonhad uite -one do>n, and ;artly on a00ount of the fo- The /hase >as>ra;;ed in thi0$ dar$ness, althou-h mornin- >as not far off@ He >asobli-ed to advan0e >ith outstret0hed hands to avoid 0onta0t >ith the bou-hs,and dis0overed that to hit the e a0t s;ot from >hi0h he had started >as atfirst entirely beyond him@ Roamin- u; and do>n, round and round, he atlen-th heard a sli-ht movement of the horse 0lose at handC and the sleeve ofhis over0oat une ;e0tedly 0au-ht his foot@



BTess B said d'Urberville@

There >as no ans>er@ The obs0urity >as no> so -reat that he 0ould seeabsolutely nothin- but a ;ale nebulousness at his feet, >hi0h re;resented the>hite muslin fi-ure he had left u;on the dead leaves@ .verythin- else >as

bla0$ness ali$e@ D'Urberville stoo;edC and heard a -entle re-ular breathin-@He $nelt and bent lo>er, till her breath >armed his fa0e, and in a momenthis 0hee$ >as in 0onta0t >ith hers@ 2he >as slee;in- soundly, and u;on hereyelashes there lin-ered tears@

Dar$ness and silen0e ruled every>here around@ Above them rose the ;rimeval ye>s and oa$s of The /hase, in >hi0h there ;oised -entle roostin- birds in their last na;C and about them stole the ho;;in- rabbits and hares@#ut, mi-ht some say, >here >as Tess's -uardian an-elE >here >as the

;roviden0e of her sim;le faithE Perha;s, li$e that other -od of >hom theironi0al Tishbite s;o$e, he >as tal$in-, or he >as ;ursuin-, or he >as in a ?ourney, or he >as slee;in- and not to be a>a$ed@

Why it >as that u;on this beautiful feminine tissue, sensitive as-ossamer, and ;ra0ti0ally blan$ as sno> as yet, there should have beentra0ed su0h a 0oarse ;attern as it >as doomed to re0eiveC >hy so often the0oarse a;;ro;riates the finer thus, the >ron- man the >oman, the >ron->oman the man, many thousand years of analyti0al ;hiloso;hy have failedto e ;lain to our sense of order@ 3ne may, indeed, admit the ;ossibility of aretribution lur$in- in the ;resent 0atastro;he@ Doubtless some of Tessd'Urberville's mailed an0estors rolli0$in- home from a fray had dealt thesame measure even more ruthlessly to>ards ;easant -irls of their time@ #utthou-h to visit the sins of the fathers u;on the 0hildren may be a morality-ood enou-h for divinities, it is s0orned by avera-e human natureC and ittherefore does not mend the matter@

As Tess's o>n ;eo;le do>n in those retreats are never tired of sayin-amon- ea0h other in their fatalisti0 >ay: B t >as to be@B There lay the ;ity ofit@ An immeasurable so0ial 0hasm >as to divide our heroine's ;ersonalitythereafter from that ;revious self of hers >ho ste;;ed from her mother'sdoor to try her fortune at Trantrid-e ;oultry4farm@

End of Phase the irst



Phase the "econd3 #aiden 2o #ore, 5.. 5-

<

The bas$et >as heavy and the bundle >as lar-e, but she lu--ed themalon- li$e a ;erson >ho did not find her es;e0ial burden in material thin-s@300asionally she sto;;ed to rest in a me0hani0al >ay by some -ate or ;ostCand then, -ivin- the ba--a-e another hit0h u;on her full round arm, >entsteadily on a-ain@

t >as a 2unday mornin- in late 30tober, about four months after TessDurbeyfield's arrival at Trantrid-e, and some fe> >ee$s subse uent to theni-ht ride in The /hase@ The time >as not lon- ;ast daybrea$, and theyello> luminosity u;on the horiIon behind her ba0$ li-hted the rid-eto>ards >hi0h her fa0e >as set the barrier of the vale >herein she had oflate been a stran-er >hi0h she >ould have to 0limb over to rea0h her

birth;la0e@ The as0ent >as -radual on this side, and the soil and s0enerydiffered mu0h from those >ithin #la$emore ale@ .ven the 0hara0ter anda00ent of the t>o ;eo;les had shades of differen0e, des;ite the

amal-amatin- effe0ts of a roundabout rail>ayC so that, thou-h less thant>enty miles from the ;la0e of her so?ourn at Trantrid-e, her native villa-ehad seemed a far4a>ay s;ot@ The field4fol$ shut in there traded north>ardand >est>ard, travelled, 0ourted, and married north>ard and >est>ard,thou-ht north>ard and >est>ardC those on this side mainly dire0ted theirener-ies and attention to the east and south@

The in0line >as the same do>n >hi0h d'Urberville had driven her so>ildly on that day in (une@ Tess >ent u; the remainder of its len-th >ithoutsto;;in-, and on rea0hin- the ed-e of the es0ar;ment -aIed over the familiar-reen >orld beyond, no> half4veiled in mist@ t >as al>ays beautiful fromhereC it >as terribly beautiful to Tess to4day, for sin0e her eyes last fell u;onit she had learnt that the ser;ent hisses >here the s>eet birds sin-, and hervie>s of life had been totally 0han-ed for her by the lesson@ erily another-irl than the sim;le one she had been at home >as she >ho, bo>ed by



thou-ht, stood still here, and turned to loo$ behind her@ 2he 0ould not bear toloo$ for>ard into the ale@

As0endin- by the lon- >hite road that Tess herself had ?ust laboured u;,she sa> a t>o4>heeled vehi0le, beside >hi0h >al$ed a man, >ho held u; hishand to attra0t her attention@

2he obeyed the si-nal to >ait for him >ith uns;e0ulative re;ose, and ina fe> minutes man and horse sto;;ed beside her@

BWhy did you sli; a>ay by stealth li$e thisEB said d'Urberville, >ithu;braidin- breathlessnessC Bon a 2unday mornin-, too, >hen ;eo;le >ere allin bed only dis0overed it by a00ident, and have been drivin- li$e thedeu0e to overta$e you@ (ust loo$ at the mare@ Why -o off li$e thisE Gou

$no> that nobody >ished to hinder your -oin-@ And ho> unne0essary it has been for you to toil alon- on foot, and en0umber yourself >ith this heavyload have follo>ed li$e a madman, sim;ly to drive you the rest of thedistan0e, if you >on't 0ome ba0$@B

B shan't 0ome ba0$,B said she@

B thou-ht you >ouldn't said so Well, then, ;ut u; your bas$et, andlet me hel; you on@B

2he listlessly ;la0ed her bas$et and bundle >ithin the do-40art, andste;;ed u;, and they sat side by side@ 2he had no fear of him no>, and in the0ause of her 0onfiden0e her sorro> lay@

D'Urberville me0hani0ally lit a 0i-ar, and the ?ourney >as 0ontinued>ith bro$en unemotional 0onversation on the 0ommon;la0e ob?e0ts by the>ayside@ He had uite for-otten his stru--le to $iss her >hen, in the earlysummer, they had driven in the o;;osite dire0tion alon- the same road@ #utshe had not, and she sat no>, li$e a ;u;;et, re;lyin- to his remar$s inmonosyllables@ After some miles they 0ame in vie> of the 0lum; of trees

beyond >hi0h the villa-e of =arlott stood@ t >as only then that her still fa0esho>ed the least emotion, a tear or t>o be-innin- to tri0$le do>n@

BWhat are you 0ryin- forEB he 0oldly as$ed@

B >as only thin$in- that >as born over there,B murmured Tess@



B3ne >ould thin$ you >ere a ;rin0ess from your manner, in addition toa true and ori-inal d'Urberville ha ha Well, Tess, dear, 0an say no more@

su;;ose am a bad fello> a damn bad fello>@ >as born bad, and havelived bad, and shall die bad in all ;robability@ #ut, u;on my lost soul, >on't be bad to>ards you a-ain, Tess@ And if 0ertain 0ir0umstan0es shouldarise you understand in >hi0h you are in the least need, the leastdiffi0ulty, send me one line, and you shall have by return >hatever youre uire@ may not be at Trantrid-e am -oin- to ondon for a time0an't stand the old >oman@ #ut all letters >ill be for>arded@B

2he said that she did not >ish him to drive her further, and they sto;;ed ?ust under the 0lum; of trees@ D'Urberville ali-hted, and lifted her do>n bodily in his arms, after>ards ;la0in- her arti0les on the -round beside her@2he bo>ed to him sli-htly, her eye ?ust lin-erin- in hisC and then she turned

to ta$e the ;ar0els for de;arture@

Ale0 d'Urberville removed his 0i-ar, bent to>ards her, and said

BGou are not -oin- to turn a>ay li$e that, dear /ome B

B f you >ish,B she ans>ered indifferently@ B2ee ho> you've masteredme B

2he thereu;on turned round and lifted her fa0e to his, and remained li$e

a marble term >hile he im;rinted a $iss u;on her 0hee$ half ;erfun0torily,half as if Iest had not yet uite died out@ Her eyes va-uely rested u;on theremotest trees in the lane >hile the $iss >as -iven, as thou-h she >erenearly un0ons0ious of >hat he did@

B8o> the other side, for old a0 uaintan0e' sa$e@B

2he turned her head in the same ;assive >ay, as one mi-ht turn at there uest of a s$et0her or hairdresser, and he $issed the other side, his li;stou0hin- 0hee$s that >ere dam; and smoothly 0hill as the s$in of themushrooms in the fields around@

BGou don't -ive me your mouth and $iss me ba0$@ Gou never >illin-lydo that you'll never love me, fear@B

B have said so, often@ t is true@ have never really and truly loved you,and thin$ never 0an@B 2he added mournfully, BPerha;s, of all thin-s, a lie



on this thin- >ould do the most -ood to me no>C but have honour enou-hleft, little as 'tis, not to tell that lie@ f did love you, may have the best o'0auses for lettin- you $no> it@ #ut don't@B

He emitted a laboured breath, as if the s0ene >ere -ettin- rathero;;ressive to his heart, or to his 0ons0ien0e, or to his -entility@

BWell, you are absurdly melan0holy, Tess@ have no reason forflatterin- you no>, and 0an say ;lainly that you need not be so sad@ Gou0an hold your o>n for beauty a-ainst any >oman of these ;arts, -entle orsim;leC say it to you as a ;ra0ti0al man and >ell4>isher@ f you are >iseyou >ill sho> it to the >orld more than you do before it fadesJ And yet,Tess, >ill you 0ome ba0$ to me U;on my soul, don't li$e to let you -o li$ethis B

B8ever, never made u; my mind as soon as sa> >hat ou-ht tohave seen soonerC and >on't 0ome@B

BThen -ood mornin-, my four months' 0ousin -ood4bye B

He lea;t u; li-htly, arran-ed the reins, and >as -one bet>een the tallred4berried hed-es@

Tess did not loo$ after him, but slo>ly >ound alon- the 0roo$ed lane@ t

>as still early, and thou-h the sun's lo>er limb >as ?ust free of the hill, hisrays, un-enial and ;eerin-, addressed the eye rather than the tou0h as yet@There >as not a human soul near@ 2ad 30tober and her sadder self seemedthe only t>o e isten0es hauntin- that lane@

As she >al$ed, ho>ever, some footste;s a;;roa0hed behind her, thefootste;s of a manC and o>in- to the bris$ness of his advan0e he >as 0loseat her heels and had said B7ood mornin-B before she had been lon- a>are ofhis ;ro;in uity@ He a;;eared to be an artisan of some sort, and 0arried a tin

;ot of red ;aint in his hand@ He as$ed in a business4li$e manner if he shouldta$e her bas$et, >hi0h she ;ermitted him to do, >al$in- beside him@

B t is early to be astir this 2abbath morn B he said 0heerfully@

BGes,B said Tess@

BWhen most ;eo;le are at rest from their >ee$'s >or$@B



2he also assented to this@

BThou-h do more real >or$ to4day than all the >ee$ besides@B

BDo youEB

BAll the >ee$ >or$ for the -lory of man, and on 2unday for the -loryof 7od@ That's more real than the other heyE have a little to do here at thisstile@B The man turned, as he s;o$e, to an o;enin- at the roadside leadin-into a ;asture@ B f you'll >ait a moment,B he added, B shall not be lon-@B

As he had her bas$et she 0ould not >ell do other>iseC and she >aited,observin- him@ He set do>n her bas$et and the tin ;ot, and stirrin- the ;aint>ith the brush that >as in it be-an ;aintin- lar-e s uare letters on the middle

board of the three 0om;osin- the stile, ;la0in- a 0omma after ea0h >ord, asif to -ive ;ause >hile that >ord >as driven >ell home to the reader's heart

THY, DAMNATION, SLUMBERETH, NOT. 2 P ET . II. 3.

A-ainst the ;ea0eful lands0a;e, the ;ale, de0ayin- tints of the 0o;ses,

the blue air of the horiIon, and the li0hened stile4boards, these starin-vermilion >ords shone forth@ They seemed to shout themselves out andma$e the atmos;here rin-@ 2ome ;eo;le mi-ht have 0ried BAlas, ;oorTheolo-y B at the hideous defa0ement the last -rotes ue ;hase of a 0reed>hi0h had served man$ind >ell in its time@ #ut the >ords entered Tess >itha00usatory horror@ t >as as if this man had $no>n her re0ent historyC yet he>as a total stran-er@

Havin- finished his te t he ;i0$ed u; her bas$et, and she me0hani0allyresumed her >al$ beside him@

BDo you believe >hat you ;aintEB she as$ed in lo> tones@

B#elieve that te E Do believe in my o>n e isten0e B

B#ut,B said she tremulously, Bsu;;ose your sin >as not of your o>nsee$in-EB



rea0hed it, made her heart a0he more@ Her mother, >ho had ?ust 0ome do>nstairs, turned to -reet her from the fire;la0e, >here she >as $indlin- bar$ed4oa$ t>i-s under the brea$fast $ettle@ The youn- 0hildren >ere still above, as>as also her father, it bein- 2unday mornin-, >hen he felt ?ustified in lyin-an additional half4hour@

BWell my dear Tess B e 0laimed her sur;rised mother, ?um;in- u;and $issin- the -irl@ BHo> be yeE didn't see you till you >as in u;on meHave you 0ome home to be marriedEB

B8o, have not 0ome for that, mother@B

BThen for a holidayEB

BGes for a holidayC for a lon- holiday,B said Tess@

BWhat, isn't your 0ousin -oin- to do the handsome thin-EB

BHe's not my 0ousin, and he's not -oin- to marry me@B

Her mother eyed her narro>ly@

B/ome, you have not told me all,B she said@

Then Tess >ent u; to her mother, ;ut her fa0e u;on (oan's ne0$, andtold@

BAnd yet th'st not -ot him to marry 'ee B reiterated her mother@ BAny>oman >ould have done it but you, after that B

BPerha;s any >oman >ould e 0e;t me@B

B t >ould have been somethin- li$e a story to 0ome ba0$ >ith, if youhad B 0ontinued =rs Durbeyfield, ready to burst into tears of ve ation@BAfter all the tal$ about you and him >hi0h has rea0hed us here, >ho >ouldhave e ;e0ted it to end li$e this Why didn't ye thin$ of doin- some -ood foryour family instead o' thin$in- only of yourselfE 2ee ho> 've -ot to teaveand slave, and your ;oor >ea$ father >ith his heart 0lo--ed li$e a dri;;in-4

;an@ did ho;e for somethin- to 0ome out o' this To see >hat a ;retty ;airyou and he made that day >hen you drove a>ay to-ether four months a-o2ee >hat he has -iven us all, as >e thou-ht, be0ause >e >ere his $in@ #ut



if he's not, it must have been done be0ause of his love for 'ee@ And yet you'venot -ot him to marry B

7et Ale0 d'Urberville in the mind to marry her He marry %& 3nmatrimony he had never on0e said a >ord@ And >hat if he hadE Ho> a0onvulsive snat0hin- at so0ial salvation mi-ht have im;elled her to ans>erhim she 0ould not say@ #ut her ;oor foolish mother little $ne> her ;resentfeelin- to>ards this man@ Perha;s it >as unusual in the 0ir0umstan0es,unlu0$y, una00ountableC but there it >asC and this, as she had said, >as >hatmade her detest herself@ 2he had never >holly 0ared for himC she did not atall 0are for him no>@ 2he had dreaded him, >in0ed before him, su00umbedto adroit advanta-es he too$ of her hel;lessnessC then, tem;orarily blinded

by his ardent manners, had been stirred to 0onfused surrender a>hile: hadsuddenly des;ised and disli$ed him, and had run a>ay@ That >as all@ Hate

him she did not uiteC but he >as dust and ashes to her, and even for hername's sa$e she s0ar0ely >ished to marry him@

BGou ou-ht to have been more 0areful if you didn't mean to -et him toma$e you his >ife B

B3 mother, my mother B 0ried the a-oniIed -irl, turnin- ;assionatelyu;on her ;arent as if her ;oor heart >ould brea$@ BHo> 0ould be e ;e0tedto $no>E >as a 0hild >hen left this house four months a-o@ Why didn'tyou tell me there >as dan-er in men4fol$E Why didn't you >arn meE adies$no> >hat to fend hands a-ainst, be0ause they read novels that tell them ofthese tri0$sC but never had the 0han0e o' learnin- in that >ay, and you didnot hel; me B

Her mother >as subdued@

B thou-ht if s;o$e of his fond feelin-s and >hat they mi-ht lead to,you >ould be hontish >i' him and lose your 0han0e,B she murmured, >i;in-her eyes >ith her a;ron@ BWell, >e must ma$e the best of it, su;;ose@ 'Tisnater, after all, and >hat do ;lease 7od B

<

The event of Tess Durbeyfield's return from the manor of her bo-us$insfol$ >as rumoured abroad, if rumour be not too lar-e a >ord for a s;a0eof a s uare mile@ n the afternoon several youn- -irls of =arlott, former



And the des;onden0y of the ne t mornin-'s da>n, >hen it >as nolon-er 2unday, but =ondayC and no best 0lothesC and the lau-hin- visitors>ere -one, and she a>o$e alone in her old bed, the inno0ent youn-er0hildren breathin- softly around her@ n ;la0e of the e 0itement of her return,and the interest it had ins;ired, she sa> before her a lon- and stony hi-h>ay>hi0h she had to tread, >ithout aid, and >ith little sym;athy@ Her de;ression>as then terrible, and she 0ould have hidden herself in a tomb@

n the 0ourse of a fe> >ee$s Tess revived suffi0iently to sho> herself sofar as >as ne0essary to -et to 0hur0h one 2unday mornin-@ 2he li$ed to hearthe 0hantin- su0h as it >as and the old Psalms, and to ?oin in the=ornin- Hymn@ That innate love of melody, >hi0h she had inherited fromher ballad4sin-in- mother, -ave the sim;lest musi0 a ;o>er over her >hi0h0ould >ell4ni-h dra- her heart out of her bosom at times@

To be as mu0h out of observation as ;ossible for reasons of her o>n,and to es0a;e the -allantries of the youn- men, she set out before the0himin- be-an, and too$ a ba0$ seat under the -allery, 0lose to the lumber,>here only old men and >omen 0ame, and >here the bier stood on endamon- the 0hur0hyard tools@

Parishioners dro;;ed in by t>os and threes, de;osited themselves inro>s before her, rested three4 uarters of a minute on their foreheads as ifthey >ere ;rayin-, thou-h they >ere notC then sat u;, and loo$ed around@When the 0hants 0ame on, one of her favourites ha;;ened to be 0hosenamon- the rest the old double 0hant B an-donB but she did not $no>>hat it >as 0alled, thou-h she >ould mu0h have li$ed to $no>@ 2he thou-ht,>ithout e a0tly >ordin- the thou-ht, ho> stran-e and -od4li$e >as a0om;oser's ;o>er, >ho from the -rave 0ould lead throu-h se uen0es ofemotion, >hi0h he alone had felt at first, a -irl li$e her >ho had never heardof his name, and never >ould have a 0lue to his ;ersonality@

The ;eo;le >ho had turned their heads turned them a-ain as the servi0e ;ro0eededC and at last observin- her, they >his;ered to ea0h other@ 2he $ne>>hat their >his;ers >ere about, -re> si0$ at heart, and felt that she 0ould0ome to 0hur0h no more@

The bedroom >hi0h she shared >ith some of the 0hildren formed herretreat more 0ontinually than ever@ Here, under her fe> s uare yards ofthat0h, she >at0hed >inds, and sno>s, and rains, -or-eous sunsets, and



su00essive moons at their full@ 2o 0lose $e;t she that at len-th almosteverybody thou-ht she had -one a>ay@

The only e er0ise that Tess too$ at this time >as after dar$C and it >asthen, >hen out in the >oods, that she seemed least solitary@ 2he $ne> ho>to hit to a hair's4breadth that moment of evenin- >hen the li-ht and thedar$ness are so evenly balan0ed that the 0onstraint of day and the sus;enseof ni-ht neutraliIe ea0h other, leavin- absolute mental liberty@ t is then thatthe ;li-ht of bein- alive be0omes attenuated to its least ;ossible dimensions@2he had no fear of the shado>sC her sole idea seemed to be to shun man$ind

or rather that 0old a00retion 0alled the >orld, >hi0h, so terrible in themass, is so unformidable, even ;itiable, in its units@

3n these lonely hills and dales her uies0ent -lide >as of a ;ie0e >ith

the element she moved in@ Her fle uous and stealthy fi-ure be0ame aninte-ral ;art of the s0ene@ At times her >himsi0al fan0y >ould intensifynatural ;ro0esses around her till they seemed a ;art of her o>n story@ Ratherthey be0ame a ;art of itC for the >orld is only a ;sy0holo-i0al ;henomenon,and >hat they seemed they >ere@ The midni-ht airs and -usts, moanin-amon-st the ti-htly4>ra;;ed buds and bar$ of the >inter t>i-s, >ereformulae of bitter re;roa0h@ A >et day >as the e ;ression of irremediable-rief at her >ea$ness in the mind of some va-ue ethi0al bein- >hom she0ould not 0lass definitely as the 7od of her 0hildhood, and 0ould not0om;rehend as any other@

#ut this en0om;assment of her o>n 0hara0teriIation, based on shreds of0onvention, ;eo;led by ;hantoms and voi0es anti;atheti0 to her, >as a sorryand mista$en 0reation of Tess's fan0y a 0loud of moral hob-oblins by>hi0h she >as terrified >ithout reason@ t >as they that >ere out of harmony>ith the a0tual >orld, not she@ Wal$in- amon- the slee;in- birds in thehed-es, >at0hin- the s$i;;in- rabbits on a moonlit >arren, or standin-under a ;heasant4laden bou-h, she loo$ed u;on herself as a fi-ure of 7uiltintrudin- into the haunts of nno0en0e@ #ut all the >hile she >as ma$in- a

distin0tion >here there >as no differen0e@ Feelin- herself in anta-onism, she>as uite in a00ord@ 2he had been made to brea$ an a00e;ted so0ial la>, butno la> $no>n to the environment in >hi0h she fan0ied herself su0h ananomaly@

<



t >as a haIy sunrise in Au-ust@ The denser no0turnal va;ours, atta0$ed by the >arm beams, >ere dividin- and shrin$in- into isolated flee0es >ithinhollo>s and 0overts, >here they >aited till they should be dried a>ay tonothin-@

The sun, on a00ount of the mist, had a 0urious sentient, ;ersonal loo$,demandin- the mas0uline ;ronoun for its ade uate e ;ression@ His ;resentas;e0t, 0ou;led >ith the la0$ of all human forms in the s0ene, e ;lained theold4time heliolatries in a moment@ 3ne 0ould feel that a saner reli-ion hadnever ;revailed under the s$y@ The luminary >as a -olden4haired, beamin-,mild4eyed, 7od4li$e 0reature, -aIin- do>n in the vi-our and intentness ofyouth u;on an earth that >as brimmin- >ith interest for him@

His li-ht, a little later, bro$e thou-h 0hin$s of 0otta-e shutters, thro>in-

stri;es li$e red4hot ;o$ers u;on 0u;boards, 0hests of dra>ers, and otherfurniture >ithinC and a>a$enin- harvesters >ho >ere not already astir@

#ut of all ruddy thin-s that mornin- the bri-htest >ere t>o broad armsof ;ainted >ood, >hi0h rose from the mar-in of yello> 0ornfield hard by=arlott villa-e@ They, >ith t>o others belo>, formed the revolvin- =altese0ross of the rea;in-4ma0hine, >hi0h had been brou-ht to the field on the

;revious evenin- to be ready for o;erations this day@ The ;aint >ith >hi0hthey >ere smeared, intensified in hue by the sunli-ht, im;arted to them aloo$ of havin- been di;;ed in li uid fire@

The field had already been Bo;enedBC that is to say, a lane a fe> feet>ide had been hand40ut throu-h the >heat alon- the >hole 0ir0umferen0e ofthe field for the first ;assa-e of the horses and ma0hine@

T>o -rou;s, one of men and lads, the other of >omen, had 0ome do>nthe lane ?ust at the hour >hen the shado>s of the eastern hed-e4to; stru0$the >est hed-e mid>ay, so that the heads of the -rou;s >ere en?oyin-sunrise >hile their feet >ere still in the da>n@ They disa;;eared from thelane bet>een the t>o stone ;osts >hi0h flan$ed the nearest field4-ate@

Presently there arose from >ithin a ti0$in- li$e the love4ma$in- of the-rassho;;er@ The ma0hine had be-un, and a movin- 0on0atenation of threehorses and the aforesaid lon- ri0$ety ma0hine >as visible over the -ate, adriver sittin- u;on one of the haulin- horses, and an attendant on the seat ofthe im;lement@ Alon- one side of the field the >hole >ain >ent, the arms ofthe me0hani0al rea;er revolvin- slo>ly, till it ;assed do>n the hill uite out



of si-ht@ n a minute it 0ame u; on the other side of the field at the samee uable ;a0eC the -listenin- brass star in the forehead of the fore horse first0at0hin- the eye as it rose into vie> over the stubble, then the bri-ht arms,and then the >hole ma0hine@

The narro> lane of stubble en0om;assin- the field -re> >ider >ithea0h 0ir0uit, and the standin- 0orn >as redu0ed to a smaller area as themornin- >ore on@ Rabbits, hares, sna$es, rats, mi0e, retreated in>ards asinto a fastness, una>are of the e;hemeral nature of their refu-e, and of thedoom that a>aited them later in the day >hen, their 0overt shrin$in- to amore and more horrible narro>ness, they >ere huddled to-ether, friends andfoes, till the last fe> yards of u;ri-ht >heat fell also under the teeth of theunerrin- rea;er, and they >ere every one ;ut to death by the sti0$s andstones of the harvesters@

The rea;in-4ma0hine left the fallen 0orn behind it in little hea;s, ea0hhea; bein- of the uantity for a sheafC and u;on these the a0tive binders inthe rear laid their hands mainly >omen, but some of them men in ;rintshirts, and trousers su;;orted round their >aists by leather stra;s, renderin-useless the t>o buttons behind, >hi0h t>in$led and bristled >ith sunbeamsat every movement of ea0h >earer, as if they >ere a ;air of eyes in the smallof his ba0$@

#ut those of the other se >ere the most interestin- of this 0om;any of binders, by reason of the 0harm >hi0h is a0 uired by >oman >hen she be0omes ;art and ;ar0el of outdoor nature, and is not merely an ob?e0t setdo>n therein as at ordinary times@ A field4man is a ;ersonality afieldC afield4>oman is a ;ortion of the fieldC she had someho> lost her o>n mar-in,imbibed the essen0e of her surroundin-, and assimilated herself >ith it@

The >omen or rather -irls, for they >ere mostly youn- >ore dra>n0otton bonnets >ith -reat fla;;in- 0urtains to $ee; off the sun, and -loves to

;revent their hands bein- >ounded by the stubble@ There >as one >earin- a ;ale ;in$ ?a0$et, another in a 0ream40oloured ti-ht4sleeved -o>n, another ina ;etti0oat as red as the arms of the rea;in-4ma0hineC and others, older, inthe bro>n4rou-h B>ro;;erB or over4all the old4established and mosta;;ro;riate dress of the field4>oman, >hi0h the youn- ones >ereabandonin-@ This mornin- the eye returns involuntarily to the -irl in the ;in$0otton ?a0$et, she bein- the most fle uous and finely4dra>n fi-ure of themall@ #ut her bonnet is ;ulled so far over her bro> that none of her fa0e is



B2he'll soon leave off sayin- that,B re;lied the one in buff@ B ord, 'tis>onderful >hat a body 0an -et used to o' that sort in time B

BA little more than ;ersuadin- had to do >i' the 0omin- o't, re0$on@There >ere they that heard a sobbin- one ni-ht last year in The /haseC and itmid ha' -one hard >i' a 0ertain ;arty if fol$s had 0ome alon-@B

BWell, a little more, or a little less, 't>as a thousand ;ities that it shouldhave ha;;ened to she, of all others@ #ut 'tis al>ays the 0omeliest The ;lainones be as safe as 0hur0hes hey, (ennyEB The s;ea$er turned to one of the-rou; >ho 0ertainly >as not ill4defined as ;lain@

t >as a thousand ;ities, indeedC it >as im;ossible for even an enemy tofeel other>ise on loo$in- at Tess as she sat there, >ith her flo>er4li$e mouth

and lar-e tender eyes, neither bla0$ nor blue nor -rey nor violetC rather allthose shades to-ether, and a hundred others, >hi0h 0ould be seen if oneloo$ed into their irises shade behind shade tint beyond tint around

;u;ils that had no bottomC an almost standard >oman, but for the sli-htin0autiousness of 0hara0ter inherited from her ra0e@

A resolution >hi0h had sur;rised herself had brou-ht her into the fieldsthis >ee$ for the first time durin- many months@ After >earin- and >astin-her ;al;itatin- heart >ith every en-ine of re-ret that lonely ine ;erien0e0ould devise, 0ommon sense had illuminated her@ 2he felt that she >ould do

>ell to be useful a-ain to taste ane> s>eet inde;enden0e at any ;ri0e@ The ;ast >as ;astC >hatever it had been, it >as no more at hand@ Whatever its0onse uen0es, time >ould 0lose over themC they >ould all in a fe> years beas if they had never been, and she herself -rassed do>n and for-otten@=ean>hile the trees >ere ?ust as -reen as beforeC the birds san- and the sunshone as 0learly no> as ever@ The familiar surroundin-s had not dar$ened

be0ause of her -rief, nor si0$ened be0ause of her ;ain@

2he mi-ht have seen that >hat had bo>ed her head so ;rofoundly thethou-ht of the >orld's 0on0ern at her situation >as founded on an illusion@2he >as not an e isten0e, an e ;erien0e, a ;assion, a stru0ture of sensations,to anybody but herself@ To all human$ind besides, Tess >as only a ;assin-thou-ht@ .ven to friends she >as no more than a fre uently ;assin- thou-ht@

f she made herself miserable the livelon- ni-ht and day it >as only thismu0h to them BAh, she ma$es herself unha;;y@B f she tried to be 0heerful,to dismiss all 0are, to ta$e ;leasure in the dayli-ht, the flo>ers, the baby, she



0ould only be this idea to them BAh, she bears it very >ell@B =oreover,alone in a desert island >ould she have been >ret0hed at >hat had ha;;enedto herE 8ot -reatly@ f she 0ould have been but ?ust 0reated, to dis0overherself as a s;ouseless mother, >ith no e ;erien0e of life e 0e;t as the

;arent of a nameless 0hild, >ould the ;osition have 0aused her to des;airE 8o, she >ould have ta$en it 0almly, and found ;leasure therein@ =ost of themisery had been -enerated by her 0onventional as;e0t, and not by her innatesensations@

Whatever Tess's reasonin-, some s;irit had indu0ed her to dress herselfu; neatly as she had formerly done, and 0ome out into the fields, harvest4hands bein- -reatly in demand ?ust then@ This >as >hy she had borne herself>ith di-nity, and had loo$ed ;eo;le 0almly in the fa0e at times, even >henholdin- the baby in her arms@

The harvest4men rose from the sho0$ of 0orn, and stret0hed their limbs,and e tin-uished their ;i;es@ The horses, >hi0h had been unharnessed andfed, >ere a-ain atta0hed to the s0arlet ma0hine@ Tess, havin- ui0$ly eatenher o>n meal, be0$oned to her eldest sister to 0ome and ta$e a>ay the baby,fastened her dress, ;ut on the buff -loves a-ain, and stoo;ed ane> to dra> a

bond from the last 0om;leted sheaf for the tyin- of the ne t@

n the afternoon and evenin- the ;ro0eedin-s of the mornin- >ere0ontinued, Tess stayin- on till dus$ >ith the body of harvesters@ Then theyall rode home in one of the lar-est >a-ons, in the 0om;any of a broadtarnished moon that had risen from the -round to the east>ards, its fa0eresemblin- the out>orn -old4leaf halo of some >orm4eaten Tus0an saint@Tess's female 0om;anions san- son-s, and sho>ed themselves verysym;atheti0 and -lad at her rea;;earan0e out of doors, thou-h they 0ould notrefrain from mis0hievously thro>in- in a fe> verses of the ballad about themaid >ho >ent to the merry -reen >ood and 0ame ba0$ a 0han-ed state@There are 0ounter;oises and 0om;ensations in lifeC and the event >hi0h hadmade of her a so0ial >arnin- had also for the moment made her the most

interestin- ;ersona-e in the villa-e to many@ Their friendliness >on her stillfarther a>ay from herself, their lively s;irits >ere 0onta-ious, and she be0ame almost -ay@

#ut no> that her moral sorro>s >ere ;assin- a>ay a fresh one arose onthe natural side of her >hi0h $ne> no so0ial la>@ When she rea0hed home it>as to learn to her -rief that the baby had been suddenly ta$en ill sin0e the



sus;ended >onder >hi0h their ;hysi0al heaviness at that hour >ould notallo> to be0ome a0tive@

The most im;ressed of them said:

B#e you really -oin- to 0hristen him, TessEB

The -irl4mother re;lied in a -rave affirmative@

BWhat's his name -oin- to beEB

2he had not thou-ht of that, but a name su--ested by a ;hrase in the boo$ of 7enesis 0ame into her head as she ;ro0eeded >ith the ba;tismalservi0e, and no> she ;ronoun0ed it:

B23RR3W, ba;tiIe thee in the name of the Father, and of the 2on, andof the Holy 7host@B

2he s;rin$led the >ater, and there >as silen0e@

B2ay 'Amen,' 0hildren@B

The tiny voi0es ;i;ed in obedient res;onse, BAmen B

Tess >ent on:

BWe re0eive this 0hildB and so forth Band do si-n him >ith the si-nof the /ross@B

Here she di;;ed her hand into the basin, and fervently dre> an immense0ross u;on the baby >ith her forefin-er, 0ontinuin- >ith the 0ustomarysenten0es as to his manfully fi-htin- a-ainst sin, the >orld, and the devil,and bein- a faithful soldier and servant unto his life's end@ 2he duly >ent on>ith the ord's Prayer, the 0hildren lis;in- it after her in a thin -nat4li$e>ail, till, at the 0on0lusion, raisin- their voi0es to 0ler$'s ;it0h, they a-ain

;i;ed into silen0e, BAmen B

Then their sister, >ith mu0h au-mented 0onfiden0e in the effi0a0y of thesa0rament, ;oured forth from the bottom of her heart the than$s-ivin- thatfollo>s, utterin- it boldly and trium;hantly in the sto;t4dia;ason note >hi0hher voi0e a0 uired >hen her heart >as in her s;ee0h, and >hi0h >ill never



be for-otten by those >ho $ne> her@ The e0stasy of faith almosta;otheosiIed herC it set u;on her fa0e a -lo>in- irradiation, and brou-ht ared s;ot into the middle of ea0h 0hee$C >hile the miniature 0andle4flameinverted in her eye4;u;ils shone li$e a diamond@ The 0hildren -aIed u; ather >ith more and more reveren0e, and no lon-er had a >ill for uestionin-@2he did not loo$ li$e 2issy to them no>, but as a bein- lar-e, to>erin-, anda>ful a divine ;ersona-e >ith >hom they had nothin- in 0ommon@

Poor 2orro>'s 0am;ai-n a-ainst sin, the >orld, and the devil >asdoomed to be of limited brillian0y lu0$ily ;erha;s for himself, 0onsiderin-his be-innin-s@ n the blue of the mornin- that fra-ile soldier and servant

breathed his last, and >hen the other 0hildren a>o$e they 0ried bitterly, and be--ed 2issy to have another ;retty baby@

The 0almness >hi0h had ;ossessed Tess sin0e the 0hristenin- remained>ith her in the infant's loss@ n the dayli-ht, indeed, she felt her terrors abouthis soul to have been some>hat e a--eratedC >hether >ell founded or not,she had no uneasiness no>, reasonin- that if Providen0e >ould not ratifysu0h an a0t of a;;ro imation she, for one, did not value the $ind of heavenlost by the irre-ularity either for herself or for her 0hild@

2o ;assed a>ay 2orro> the Undesired that intrusive 0reature, that bastard -ift of shameless 8ature, >ho res;e0ts not the so0ial la>C a >aif to>hom eternal Time had been a matter of days merely, >ho $ne> not thatsu0h thin-s as years and 0enturies ever >ereC to >hom the 0otta-e interior>as the universe, the >ee$'s >eather 0limate, ne>4born babyhood humane isten0e, and the instin0t to su0$ human $no>led-e@

Tess, >ho mused on the 0hristenin- a -ood deal, >ondered if it >eredo0trinally suffi0ient to se0ure a /hristian burial for the 0hild@ 8obody 0ouldtell this but the ;arson of the ;arish, and he >as a ne>40omer, and did not$no> her@ 2he >ent to his house after dus$, and stood by the -ate, but 0ouldnot summon 0oura-e to -o in@ The enter;rise >ould have been abandoned ifshe had not by a00ident met him 0omin- home>ard as she turned a>ay@ nthe -loom she did not mind s;ea$in- freely@

B should li$e to as$ you somethin-, sir@B

He e ;ressed his >illin-ness to listen, and she told the story of the baby's illness and the e tem;oriIed ordinan0e@ BAnd no>, sir,B she added



earnestly, B0an you tell me this >ill it be ?ust the same for him as if youhad ba;tiIed himEB

Havin- the natural feelin-s of a tradesman at findin- that a ?ob heshould have been 0alled in for had been uns$ilfully bot0hed by his 0ustomersamon- themselves, he >as dis;osed to say no@ Get the di-nity of the -irl, thestran-e tenderness in her voi0e, 0ombined to affe0t his nobler im;ulses orrather those that he had left in him after ten years of endeavour to -raftte0hni0al belief on a0tual s0e;ti0ism@ The man and the e00lesiasti0 fou-ht>ithin him, and the vi0tory fell to the man@

B=y dear -irl,B he said, Bit >ill be ?ust the same@B

BThen >ill you -ive him a /hristian burialEB she as$ed ui0$ly@

The i0ar felt himself 0ornered@ Hearin- of the baby's illness, he had0ons0ientiously -one to the house after ni-htfall to ;erform the rite, and,una>are that the refusal to admit him had 0ome from Tess's father and notfrom Tess, he 0ould not allo> the ;lea of ne0essity for its irre-ularadministration@

BAh that's another matter,B he said@

BAnother matter >hyEB as$ed Tess, rather >armly@

BWell >ould >illin-ly do so if only >e t>o >ere 0on0erned@ #ut must not for 0ertain reasons@B

B(ust for on0e, sir B

BReally must not@B

B3 sir B 2he seiIed his hand as she s;o$e@

He >ithdre> it, sha$inhis head@BThen don't li$e you B she burst out, Band 'll never 0ome to your

0hur0h no more B

BDon't tal$ so rashly@B



BPerha;s it >ill be ?ust the same to him if you don'tE J Will it be ?ustthe sameE Don't for 7od's sa$e s;ea$ as saint to sinner, but as you yourselfto me myself ;oor me B

Ho> the i0ar re0on0iled his ans>er >ith the stri0t notions he su;;osedhimself to hold on these sub?e0ts it is beyond a layman's ;o>er to tell,thou-h not to e 0use@ 2ome>hat moved, he said in this 0ase also

B t >ill be ?ust the same@B

2o the baby >as 0arried in a small deal bo , under an an0ient >oman'ssha>l, to the 0hur0hyard that ni-ht, and buried by lantern4li-ht, at the 0ost ofa shillin- and a ;int of beer to the se ton, in that shabby 0orner of 7od'sallotment >here He lets the nettles -ro>, and >here all unba;tiIed infants,

notorious drun$ards, sui0ides, and others of the 0on?e0turally damned arelaid@ n s;ite of the unto>ard surroundin-s, ho>ever, Tess bravely made alittle 0ross of t>o laths and a ;ie0e of strin-, and havin- bound it >ithflo>ers, she stu0$ it u; at the head of the -rave one evenin- >hen she 0ouldenter the 0hur0hyard >ithout bein- seen, ;uttin- at the foot also a bun0h ofthe same flo>ers in a little ?ar of >ater to $ee; them alive@ What matter >asit that on the outside of the ?ar the eye of mere observation noted the >ordsB9eel>ell's =armaladeBE The eye of maternal affe0tion did not see them inits vision of hi-her thin-s@

<

B#y e ;erien0e,B says Ro-er As0ham, B>e find out a short >ay by alon- >anderin-@B 8ot seldom that lon- >anderin- unfits us for furthertravel, and of >hat use is our e ;erien0e to us thenE Tess Durbeyfield'se ;erien0e >as of this in0a;a0itatin- $ind@ At last she had learned >hat todoC but >ho >ould no> a00e;t her doin-E

f before -oin- to the d'Urbervilles' she had vi-orously moved under the-uidan0e of sundry -nomi0 te ts and ;hrases $no>n to her and to the >orldin -eneral, no doubt she >ould never have been im;osed on@ #ut it had not

been in Tess's ;o>er nor is it in anybody's ;o>er to feel the >hole truthof -olden o;inions >hile it is ;ossible to ;rofit by them@ 2he and ho>many more mi-ht have ironi0ally said to 7od >ith 2aint Au-ustine: BThouhast 0ounselled a better 0ourse than Thou hast ;ermitted@B



a;;ertained thereto >as to annihilate it, and to do that she >ould have to -eta>ay@

Was on0e lost al>ays lost really true of 0hastityE she >ould as$ herself@2he mi-ht ;rove it false if she 0ould veil by-ones@ The re0u;erative ;o>er>hi0h ;ervaded or-ani0 nature >as surely not denied to maidenhood alone@

2he >aited a lon- time >ithout findin- o;;ortunity for a ne> de;arture@A ;arti0ularly fine s;rin- 0ame round, and the stir of -ermination >asalmost audible in the budsC it moved her, as it moved the >ild animals, andmade her ;assionate to -o@ At last, one day in early =ay, a letter rea0hed herfrom a former friend of her mother's, to >hom she had addressed in uirieslon- before a ;erson >hom she had never seen that a s$ilful mil$maid>as re uired at a dairy4house many miles to the south>ard, and that the

dairyman >ould be -lad to have her for the summer months@

t >as not uite so far off as 0ould have been >ishedC but it >as ;robably far enou-h, her radius of movement and re;ute havin- been sosmall@ To ;ersons of limited s;heres, miles are as -eo-ra;hi0al de-rees,

;arishes as 0ounties, 0ounties as ;rovin0es and $in-doms@

3n one ;oint she >as resolved: there should be no more d'Urbervilleair40astles in the dreams and deeds of her ne> life@ 2he >ould be thedairymaid Tess, and nothin- more@ Her mother $ne> Tess's feelin- on this

;oint so >ell, thou-h no >ords had ;assed bet>een them on the sub?e0t, thatshe never alluded to the $ni-htly an0estry no>@

Get su0h is human in0onsisten0y that one of the interests of the ne> ;la0e to her >as the a00idental virtues of its lyin- near her forefathers'0ountry Kfor they >ere not #la$emore men, thou-h her mother >as#la$emore to the boneL@ The dairy 0alled Talbothays, for >hi0h she >as

bound, stood not remotely from some of the former estates of thed'Urbervilles, near the -reat family vaults of her -randdames and their

;o>erful husbands@ 2he >ould be able to loo$ at them, and thin$ not onlythat d'Urberville, li$e #abylon, had fallen, but that the individual inno0en0eof a humble des0endant 0ould la;se as silently@ All the >hile she >onderedif any stran-e -ood thin- mi-ht 0ome of her bein- in her an0estral landC andsome s;irit >ithin her rose automati0ally as the sa; in the t>i-s@ t >asune ;e0ted youth, sur-in- u; ane> after its tem;orary 0he0$, and brin-in->ith it ho;e, and the invin0ible instin0t to>ards self4deli-ht@



End of Phase the "econd

Phase the Third3 The %ally, 5-. 55.-

<

3n a thyme4s0ented, bird4hat0hin- mornin- in =ay, bet>een t>o andthree years after the return from Trantrid-e silent, re0onstru0tive years forTess Durbeyfield she left her home for the se0ond time@

Havin- ;a0$ed u; her lu--a-e so that it 0ould be sent to her later, shestarted in a hired tra; for the little to>n of 2tour0astle, throu-h >hi0h it >asne0essary to ;ass on her ?ourney, no> in a dire0tion almost o;;osite to thatof her first adventurin-@ 3n the 0urve of the nearest hill she loo$ed ba0$re-retfully at =arlott and her father's house, althou-h she had been soan ious to -et a>ay@

Her $indred d>ellin- there >ould ;robably 0ontinue their daily lives asheretofore, >ith no -reat diminution of ;leasure in their 0ons0iousness,althou-h she >ould be far off, and they de;rived of her smile@ n a fe> daysthe 0hildren >ould en-a-e in their -ames as merrily as ever, >ithout thesense of any -a; left by her de;arture@ This leavin- of the youn-er 0hildrenshe had de0ided to be for the bestC >ere she to remain they >ould ;robably-ain less -ood by her ;re0e;ts than harm by her e am;le@

2he >ent throu-h 2tour0astle >ithout ;ausin- and on>ard to a ?un0tionof hi-h>ays, >here she 0ould a>ait a 0arrier's van that ran to the south4>estC

for the rail>ays >hi0h en-irdled this interior tra0t of 0ountry had never yetstru0$ a0ross it@ While >aitin-, ho>ever, there 0ame alon- a farmer in hiss;rin- 0art, drivin- a;;ro imately in the dire0tion that she >ished to ;ursue@Thou-h he >as a stran-er to her she a00e;ted his offer of a seat beside him,i-norin- that its motive >as a mere tribute to her 0ountenan0e@ He >as -oin-to Weatherbury, and by a00om;anyin- him thither she 0ould >al$ the



remainder of the distan0e instead of travellin- in the van by >ay of/asterbrid-e@

Tess did not sto; at Weatherbury, after this lon- drive, further than toma$e a sli-ht nondes0ri;t meal at noon at a 0otta-e to >hi0h the farmerre0ommended her@ Then0e she started on foot, bas$et in hand, to rea0h the>ide u;land of heath dividin- this distri0t from the lo>4lyin- meads of afurther valley in >hi0h the dairy stood that >as the aim and end of her day's

;il-rima-e@

Tess had never before visited this ;art of the 0ountry, and yet she felta$in to the lands0a;e@ 8ot so very far to the left of her she 0ould dis0ern adar$ ;at0h in the s0enery, >hi0h in uiry 0onfirmed her in su;;osin- to betrees mar$in- the environs of 9in-sbere in the 0hur0h of >hi0h ;arish the

bones of her an0estors her useless an0estors lay entombed@

2he had no admiration for them no>C she almost hated them for thedan0e they had led herC not a thin- of all that had been theirs did she retain

but the old seal and s;oon@ BPooh have as mu0h of mother as father inme B she said@ BAll my ;rettiness 0omes from her, and she >as only adairymaid@B

The ?ourney over the intervenin- u;lands and lo>lands of .-don, >henshe rea0hed them, >as a more troublesome >al$ than she had anti0i;ated,

the distan0e bein- a0tually but a fe> miles@ t >as t>o hours, o>in- tosundry >ron- turnin-s, ere she found herself on a summit 0ommandin- thelon-4sou-ht4for vale, the alley of the 7reat Dairies, the valley in >hi0hmil$ and butter -re> to ran$ness, and >ere ;rodu0ed more ;rofusely, if lessdeli0ately, than at her home the verdant ;lain so >ell >atered by the river

ar or Froom@

t >as intrinsi0ally different from the ale of ittle Dairies, #la0$moorale, >hi0h, save durin- her disastrous so?ourn at Trantrid-e, she had

e 0lusively $no>n till no>@ The >orld >as dra>n to a lar-er ;attern here@The en0losures numbered fifty a0res instead of ten, the farmsteads >eremore e tended, the -rou;s of 0attle formed tribes hereaboutC there onlyfamilies@ These myriads of 0o>s stret0hin- under her eyes from the far eastto the far >est outnumbered any she had ever seen at one -lan0e before@ The-reen lea >as s;e0$led as thi0$ly >ith them as a 0anvas by an Alsloot or2allaert >ith bur-hers@ The ri;e hue of the red and dun $ine absorbed the



evenin- sunli-ht, >hi0h the >hite40oated animals returned to the eye in raysalmost daIIlin-, even at the distant elevation on >hi0h she stood@

The bird's4eye ;ers;e0tive before her >as not so lu uriantly beautiful, ;erha;s, as that other one >hi0h she $ne> so >ellC yet it >as more 0heerin-@

t la0$ed the intensely blue atmos;here of the rival vale, and its heavy soilsand s0entsC the ne> air >as 0lear, bra0in-, ethereal@ The river itself, >hi0hnourished the -rass and 0o>s of these reno>ned dairies, flo>ed not li$e thestreams in #la0$moor@ Those >ere slo>, silent, often turbidC flo>in- over

beds of mud into >hi0h the in0autious >ader mi-ht sin$ and vanishuna>ares@ The Froom >aters >ere 0lear as the ;ure River of ife sho>n tothe .van-elist, ra;id as the shado> of a 0loud, >ith ;ebbly shallo>s that

;rattled to the s$y all day lon-@ There the >ater4flo>er >as the lilyC the0ro>4foot here@

.ither the 0han-e in the uality of the air from heavy to li-ht, or thesense of bein- amid ne> s0enes >here there >ere no invidious eyes u;onher, sent u; her s;irits >onderfully@ Her ho;es min-led >ith the sunshine inan ideal ;hotos;here >hi0h surrounded her as she bounded alon- a-ainst thesoft south >ind@ 2he heard a ;leasant voi0e in every breeIe, and in every

bird's note seemed to lur$ a ?oy@

Her fa0e had latterly 0han-ed >ith 0han-in- states of mind, 0ontinuallyflu0tuatin- bet>een beauty and ordinariness, a00ordin- as the thou-hts >ere-ay or -rave@ 3ne day she >as ;in$ and fla>lessC another ;ale and tra-i0al@When she >as ;in$ she >as feelin- less than >hen ;aleC her more ;erfe0t

beauty a00orded >ith her less elevated moodC her more intense mood >ithher less ;erfe0t beauty@ t >as her best fa0e ;hysi0ally that >as no> seta-ainst the south >ind@

The irresistible, universal, automati0 tenden0y to find s>eet ;leasuresome>here, >hi0h ;ervades all life, from the meanest to the hi-hest, had atlen-th mastered Tess@ #ein- even no> only a youn- >oman of t>enty, one>ho mentally and sentimentally had not finished -ro>in-, it >as im;ossiblethat any event should have left u;on her an im;ression that >as not in time0a;able of transmutation@

And thus her s;irits, and her than$fulness, and her ho;es, rose hi-herand hi-her@ 2he tried several ballads, but found them inade uateC till,re0olle0tin- the ;salter that her eyes had so often >andered over of a 2unday



The river had stolen from the hi-her tra0ts and brou-ht in ;arti0les tothe vale all this horiIontal landC and no>, e hausted, a-ed, and attenuated,lay ser;entinin- alon- throu-h the midst of its former s;oils@

8ot uite sure of her dire0tion, Tess stood still u;on the hemmede ;anse of verdant flatness, li$e a fly on a billiard4table of indefinite len-th,and of no more 0onse uen0e to the surroundin-s than that fly@ The soleeffe0t of her ;resen0e u;on the ;la0id valley so far had been to e 0ite themind of a solitary heron, >hi0h, after des0endin- to the -round not far fromher ;ath, stood >ith ne0$ ere0t, loo$in- at her@

2uddenly there arose from all ;arts of the lo>land a ;rolon-ed andre;eated 0all BWao> >ao> >ao> B

From the furthest east to the furthest >est the 0ries s;read as if by0onta-ion, a00om;anied in some 0ases by the bar$in- of a do-@ t >as notthe e ;ression of the valley's 0ons0iousness that beautiful Tess had arrived,

but the ordinary announ0ement of mil$in-4time half4;ast four o'0lo0$,>hen the dairymen set about -ettin- in the 0o>s@

The red and >hite herd nearest at hand, >hi0h had been ;hle-mati0ally>aitin- for the 0all, no> troo;ed to>ards the steadin- in the ba0$-round,their -reat ba-s of mil$ s>in-in- under them as they >al$ed@ Tess follo>edslo>ly in their rear, and entered the barton by the o;en -ate throu-h >hi0h

they had entered before her@ on- that0hed sheds stret0hed round theen0losure, their slo;es en0rusted >ith vivid -reen moss, and their eavessu;;orted by >ooden ;osts rubbed to a -lossy smoothness by the flan$s ofinfinite 0o>s and 0alves of by-one years, no> ;assed to an oblivion almostin0on0eivable in its ;rofundity@ #et>een the ;ost >ere ran-ed the mil0hers,ea0h e hibitin- herself at the ;resent moment to a >himsi0al eye in the rearas a 0ir0le on t>o stal$s, do>n the 0entre of >hi0h a s>it0h moved

;endulum4>iseC >hile the sun, lo>erin- itself behind this ;atient ro>, thre>their shado>s a00urately in>ards u;on the >all@ Thus it thre> shado>s ofthese obs0ure and homely fi-ures every evenin- >ith as mu0h 0are overea0h 0ontour as if it had been the ;rofile of a 0ourt beauty on a ;ala0e >allC0o;ied them as dili-ently as it had 0o;ied 3lym;ian sha;es on marble

#a)ades lon- a-o, or the outline of Ale ander, /aesar, and the Pharaohs@

They >ere the less restful 0o>s that >ere stalled@ Those that >ouldstand still of their o>n >ill >ere mil$ed in the middle of the yard, >here



many of su0h better behaved ones stood >aitin- no> all ;rime mil0hers,su0h as >ere seldom seen out of this valley, and not al>ays >ithin itCnourished by the su00ulent feed >hi0h the >ater4meads su;;lied at this

;rime season of the year@ Those of them that >ere s;otted >ith >hiterefle0ted the sunshine in daIIlin- brillian0y, and the ;olished brass $nobs oftheir horns -littered >ith somethin- of military dis;lay@ Their lar-e4veinedudders hun- ;onderous as sandba-s, the teats sti0$in- out li$e the le-s of a-i;sy's 0ro0$C and as ea0h animal lin-ered for her turn to arrive the mil$ooIed forth and fell in dro;s to the -round@

<

The dairymaids and men had flo0$ed do>n from their 0otta-es and out

of the dairy4house >ith the arrival of the 0o>s from the meadsC the maids>al$in- in ;attens, not on a00ount of the >eather, but to $ee; their shoesabove the mul0h of the barton@ .a0h -irl sat do>n on her three4le--ed stool,her fa0e side>ays, her ri-ht 0hee$ restin- a-ainst the 0o>, and loo$edmusin-ly alon- the animal's flan$ at Tess as she a;;roa0hed@ The malemil$ers, >ith hat4brims turned do>n, restin- flat on their foreheads and-aIin- on the -round, did not observe her@

3ne of these >as a sturdy middle4a-ed man >hose lon- >hiteB;innerB >as some>hat finer and 0leaner than the >ra;s of the others, and>hose ?a0$et underneath had a ;resentable mar$etin- as;e0t the master4dairyman, of >hom she >as in uest, his double 0hara0ter as a >or$in-mil$er and butter ma$er here durin- si days, and on the seventh as a man inshinin- broad40loth in his family ;e> at 0hur0h, bein- so mar$ed as to haveins;ired a rhyme:

Dairyman Di0$ All the >ee$: 3n 2undays =ister Ri0hard /ri0$@

2eein- Tess standin- at -aIe he >ent a0ross to her@

The ma?ority of dairymen have a 0ross manner at mil$intime, but itha;;ened that =r /ri0$ >as -lad to -et a ne> hand for the days >ere busyones no> and he re0eived her >armlyC in uirin- for her mother and the



B'Tis be0ause there's a ne> hand 0ome amon- us,B said (onathan 9ail@B 've noti0ed su0h thin-s afore@B

BTo be sure@ t may be so@ didn't thin$ o't@B

B 've been told that it -oes u; into their horns at su0h times,B said adairymaid@

BWell, as to -oin- u; into their horns,B re;lied Dairyman /ri0$dubiously, as thou-h even >it0h0raft mi-ht be limited by anatomi0al

;ossibilities, B 0ouldn't sayC 0ertainly 0ould not@ #ut as nott 0o>s >ill $ee;it ba0$ as >ell as the horned ones, don't uite a-ree to it@ Do ye $no> thatriddle about the nott 0o>s, (onathanE Why do nott 0o>s -ive less mil$ in ayear than hornedEB

B don't B inter;osed the mil$maid, BWhy do theyEB

B#e0ause there bain't so many of 'em,B said the dairyman@BHo>somever, these -am'sters do 0ertainly $ee; ba0$ their mil$ to4day@Fol$s, >e must lift u; a stave or t>o that's the only 0ure for't@B

2on-s >ere often resorted to in dairies hereabout as an enti0ement to the0o>s >hen they sho>ed si-ns of >ithholdin- their usual yieldC and the bandof mil$ers at this re uest burst into melody in ;urely business4li$e tones, it

is true, and >ith no -reat s;ontaneityC the result, a00ordin- to their o>n belief, bein- a de0ided im;rovement durin- the son-'s 0ontinuan0e@ Whenthey had -one throu-h fourteen or fifteen verses of a 0heerful ballad about amurderer >ho >as afraid to -o to bed in the dar$ be0ause he sa> 0ertain

brimstone flames around him, one of the male mil$ers said

B >ish sin-in- on the stoo; didn't use u; so mu0h of a man's >ind Goushould -et your har;, sirC not but >hat a fiddle is best@B

Tess, >ho had -iven ear to this, thou-ht the >ords >ere addressed to the

dairyman, but she >as >ron-@ A re;ly, in the sha;e of BWhyEB 0ame as it>ere out of the belly of a dun 0o> in the stallsC it had been s;o$en by amil$er behind the animal, >hom she had not hitherto ;er0eived@

B3h yesC there's nothin- li$e a fiddle,B said the dairyman@ BThou-h dothin$ that bulls are more moved by a tune than 0o>s at least that's mye ;erien0e@ 3n0e there >as an old a-ed man over at =ellsto0$ William



De>y by name one of the family that used to do a -ood deal of business astranters over there (onathan, do ye mindE $no>ed the man by si-ht as>ell as $no> my o>n brother, in a manner of s;ea$in-@ Well, this man >asa 0omin- home alon- from a >eddin-, >here he had been ;layin- his fiddle,one fine moonli-ht ni-ht, and for shortness' sa$e he too$ a 0ut a0ross Forty4a0res, a field lyin- that >ay, >here a bull >as out to -rass@ The bull seedWilliam, and too$ after him, horns a-round, be-adC and thou-h Williamrunned his best, and hadn't much drin$ in him K0onsiderin- 't>as a >eddin-,and the fol$s >ell offL, he found he'd never rea0h the fen0e and -et over intime to save himself@ Well, as a last thou-ht, he ;ulled out his fiddle as herunned, and stru0$ u; a ?i-, turnin- to the bull, and ba0$in- to>ards the0orner@ The bull softened do>n, and stood still, loo$in- hard at WilliamDe>y, >ho fiddled on and onC till a sort of a smile stole over the bull's fa0e@#ut no sooner did William sto; his ;layin- and turn to -et over hed-e than

the bull >ould sto; his smilin- and lo>er his horns to>ards the seat ofWilliam's bree0hes@ Well, William had to turn about and ;lay on, >illy4nillyCand 't>as only three o'0lo0$ in the >orld, and 'a $no>ed that nobody >ould0ome that >ay for hours, and he so leery and tired that 'a didn't $no> >hat todo@ When he had s0ra;ed till about four o'0lo0$ he felt that he verily >ouldhave to -ive over soon, and he said to himself, 'There's only this last tune

bet>een me and eternal >elfare Heaven save me, or 'm a done man@' Well,then he 0alled to mind ho> he'd seen the 0attle $neel o' /hristmas .ves inthe dead o' ni-ht@ t >as not /hristmas .ve then, but it 0ame into his head to

;lay a tri0$ u;on the bull@ 2o he bro$e into the 'Tivity Hymm, ?ust as at/hristmas 0arol4sin-in-C >hen, lo and behold, do>n >ent the bull on his

bended $nees, in his i-noran0e, ?ust as if 't>ere the true 'Tivity ni-ht andhour@ As soon as his horned friend >ere do>n, William turned, 0lin$ed offli$e a lon-4do-, and ?um;ed safe over hed-e, before the ;rayin- bull had -oton his feet a-ain to ta$e after him@ William used to say that he'd seen a manloo$ a fool a -ood many times, but never su0h a fool as that bull loo$ed>hen he found his ;ious feelin-s had been ;layed u;on, and 't>as not/hristmas .ve@ Q Ges, William De>y, that >as the man's nameC and 0antell you to a foot >here's he a4lyin- in =ellsto0$ /hur0hyard at this very

moment ?ust bet>een the se0ond ye>4tree and the north aisle@B

B t's a 0urious storyC it 0arries us ba0$ to medieval times, >hen faith >asa livin- thin- B

The remar$, sin-ular for a dairy4yard, >as murmured by the voi0e behind the dun 0o>C but as nobody understood the referen0e, no noti0e >as



ta$en, e 0e;t that the narrator seemed to thin$ it mi-ht im;ly s0e;ti0ism asto his tale@

BWell, 'tis uite true, sir, >hether or no@ $no>ed the man >ell@B

B3h yesC have no doubt of it,B said the ;erson behind the dun 0o>@

Tess's attention >as thus attra0ted to the dairyman's interlo0utor, of>hom she 0ould see but the merest ;at0h, o>in- to his buryin- his head so

;ersistently in the flan$ of the mil0her@ 2he 0ould not understand >hy heshould be addressed as BsirB even by the dairyman himself@ #ut noe ;lanation >as dis0ernibleC he remained under the 0o> lon- enou-h to havemil$ed three, utterin- a ;rivate e?a0ulation no> and then, as if he 0ould not-et on@

BTa$e it -entle, sirC ta$e it -entle,B said the dairyman@ B'Tis $na0$, notstren-th, that does it@B

B2o find,B said the other, standin- u; at last and stret0hin- his arms@ Bthin$ have finished her, ho>ever, thou-h she made my fin-ers a0he@B

Tess 0ould then see him at full len-th@ He >ore the ordinary >hite ;inner and leather le--in-s of a dairy4farmer >hen mil$in-, and his boots>ere 0lo--ed >ith the mul0h of the yardC but this >as all his lo0al livery@

#eneath it >as somethin- edu0ated, reserved, subtle, sad, differin-@

#ut the details of his as;e0t >ere tem;orarily thrust aside by thedis0overy that he >as one >hom she had seen before@ 2u0h vi0issitudes hadTess ;assed throu-h sin0e that time that for a moment she 0ould notremember >here she had met himC and then it flashed u;on her that he >asthe ;edestrian >ho had ?oined in the 0lub4dan0e at =arlott the ;assin-stran-er >ho had 0ome she $ne> not >hen0e, had dan0ed >ith others butnot >ith her, and sli-htin-ly left her, and -one on his >ay >ith his friends@

The flood of memories brou-ht ba0$ by this revival of an in0identanterior to her troubles ;rodu0ed a momentary dismay lest, re0o-niIin- heralso, he should by some means dis0over her story@ #ut it ;assed a>ay >henshe found no si-n of remembran0e in him@ 2he sa> by de-rees that sin0etheir first and only en0ounter his mobile fa0e had -ro>n more thou-htful,and had a0 uired a youn- man's sha;ely mousta0he and beard the latter ofthe ;alest stra> 0olour >here it be-an u;on his 0hee$s, and dee;enin- to a



>arm bro>n farther from its root@ Under his linen mil$in-4;inner he >ore adar$ velveteen ?a0$et, 0ord bree0hes and -aiters, and a star0hed >hite shirt@Without the mil$in-4-ear nobody 0ould have -uessed >hat he >as@ Hemi-ht >ith e ual ;robability have been an e00entri0 lando>ner or a-entlemanly ;lou-hman@ That he >as but a novi0e at dairy >or$ she hadrealiIed in a moment, from the time he had s;ent u;on the mil$in- of one0o>@

=ean>hile many of the mil$maids had said to one another of thene>0omer, BHo> ;retty she is B >ith somethin- of real -enerosity andadmiration, thou-h >ith a half ho;e that the auditors >ould ualify theassertion >hi0h, stri0tly s;ea$in-, they mi-ht have done, ;rettiness bein-an ine a0t definition of >hat stru0$ the eye in Tess@ When the mil$in- >asfinished for the evenin- they stra--led indoors, >here =rs /ri0$, the

dairyman's >ife >ho >as too res;e0table to -o out mil$in- herself, and>ore a hot stuff -o>n in >arm >eather be0ause the dairymaids >ore ;rints

>as -ivin- an eye to the leads and thin-s@

3nly t>o or three of the maids, Tess learnt, sle;t in the dairy4house besides herself, most of the hel;ers -oin- to their homes@ 2he sa> nothin- atsu;;er4time of the su;erior mil$er >ho had 0ommented on the story, andas$ed no uestions about him, the remainder of the evenin- bein- o00u;iedin arran-inher ;la0e in the bed40hamber@ t >as a lar-e room over the mil$4house, some thirty feet lon-C the slee;in-40ots of the other three indoormil$maids bein- in the same a;artment@ They >ere bloomin- youn- >omen,and, e 0e;t one, rather older than herself@ #y bedtime Tess >as thorou-hlytired, and fell aslee; immediately@

#ut one of the -irls, >ho o00u;ied an ad?oinin- bed, >as more >a$efulthan Tess, and >ould insist u;on relatin- to the latter various ;arti0ulars ofthe homestead into >hi0h she had ?ust entered@ The -irl's >his;ered >ordsmin-led >ith the shades, and, to Tess's dro>sy mind, they seemed to be-enerated by the dar$ness in >hi0h they floated@

B=r An-el /lare he that is learnin- mil$in-, and that ;lays the har; never says mu0h to us@ He is a ;a'son's son, and is too mu0h ta$en u; >i' hiso>n thou-hts to noti0e -irls@ He is the dairyman's ;u;il learnin- farmin- inall its bran0hes@ He has learnt shee;4farmin- at another ;la0e, and he's no>masterin- dairy4>or$@ J Ges, he is uite the -entleman4born@ His father isthe Reverent =r /lare at .mminster a -ood many miles from here@B



B3h have heard of him,B said her 0om;anion, no> a>a$e@ BA veryearnest 0ler-yman, is he notEB

BGes that he is the earnestest man in all Wesse , they say the lastof the old o> /hur0h sort, they tell me for all about here be >hat they0all Hi-h@ All his sons, e 0e;t our =r /lare, be made ;a'sons too@B

Tess had not at this hour the 0uriosity to as$ >hy the ;resent =r /lare>as not made a ;arson li$e his brethren, and -radually fell aslee; a-ain, the>ords of her informant 0omin- to her alon- >ith the smell of the 0heeses inthe ad?oinin- 0heeseloft, and the measured dri;;in- of the >hey from the>rin-s do>nstairs@

<An-el /lare rises out of the ;ast not alto-ether as a distin0t fi-ure, but

as an a;;re0iative voi0e, a lon- re-ard of fi ed, abstra0ted eyes, and amobility of mouth some>hat too small and deli0ately lined for a man's,thou-h >ith an une ;e0tedly firm 0lose of the lo>er li; no> and thenCenou-h to do a>ay >ith any inferen0e of inde0ision@ 8evertheless,somethin- nebulous, ;reo00u;ied, va-ue, in his bearin- and re-ard, mar$edhim as one >ho ;robably had no very definite aim or 0on0ern about hismaterial future@ Get as a lad ;eo;le had said of him that he >as one >ho

mi-ht do anythin- if he tried@

He >as the youn-est son of his father, a ;oor ;arson at the other end ofthe 0ounty, and had arrived at Talbothays Dairy as a si months' ;u;il, after-oin- the round of some other farms, his ob?e0t bein- to a0 uire a ;ra0ti0als$ill in the various ;ro0esses of farmin-, >ith a vie> either to the /oloniesor the tenure of a home4farm, as 0ir0umstan0es mi-ht de0ide@

His entry into the ran$s of the a-ri0ulturists and breeders >as a ste; inthe youn- man's 0areer >hi0h had been anti0i;ated neither by himself nor byothers@

=r /lare the elder, >hose first >ife had died and left him a dau-hter,married a se0ond late in life@ This lady had some>hat une ;e0tedly brou-hthim three sons, so that bet>een An-el, the youn-est, and his father the i0arthere seemed to be almost a missin- -eneration@ 3f these boys the aforesaidAn-el, the 0hild of his old a-e, >as the only son >ho had not ta$en a



University de-ree, thou-h he >as the sin-le one of them >hose early ;romise mi-ht have done full ?usti0e to an a0ademi0al trainin-@

2ome t>o or three years before An-el's a;;earan0e at the =arlott dan0e,on a day >hen he had left s0hool and >as ;ursuin- his studies at home, a

;ar0el 0ame to the i0ara-e from the lo0al boo$seller's, dire0ted to theReverend (ames /lare@ The i0ar havin- o;ened it and found it to 0ontain a

boo$, read a fe> ;a-esC >hereu;on he ?um;ed u; from his seat and >entstrai-ht to the sho; >ith the boo$ under his arm@

BWhy has this been sent to my houseEB he as$ed ;erem;torily, holdin-u; the volume@

B t >as ordered, sir@B

B8ot by me, or any one belon-in- to me, am ha;;y to say@B

The sho;$ee;er loo$ed into his order4boo$@

B3h, it has been misdire0ted, sir,B he said@ B t >as ordered by =r An-el/lare, and should have been sent to him@B

=r /lare >in0ed as if he had been stru0$@ He >ent home ;ale andde?e0ted, and 0alled An-el into his study@

B oo$ into this boo$, my boy,B he said@ BWhat do you $no> about itEB

B ordered it,B said An-el sim;ly@

BWhat forEB

BTo read@B

BHo> 0an you thin$ of readin- itEB

BHo> 0an E Why it is a system of ;hiloso;hy@ There is no moremoral, or even reli-ious, >or$ ;ublished@B

BGes moral enou-hC don't deny that@ #ut reli-ious and for you ,>ho intend to be a minister of the 7os;el B



B2in0e you have alluded to the matter, father,B said the son, >ithan ious thou-ht u;on his fa0e, B should li$e to say, on0e for all, that should ;refer not to ta$e 3rders@ fear 0ould not 0ons0ientiously do so@ love the /hur0h as one loves a ;arent@ shall al>ays have the >armestaffe0tion for her@ There is no institution for >hose history have a dee;eradmirationC but 0annot honestly be ordained her minister, as my brothersare, >hile she refuses to liberate her mind from an untenable redem;tivetheolatry@B

t had never o00urred to the strai-htfor>ard and sim;le4minded i0arthat one of his o>n flesh and blood 0ould 0ome to this He >as stultified,sho0$ed, ;aralysed@ And if An-el >ere not -oin- to enter the /hur0h, >hat>as the use of sendin- him to /ambrid-eE The University as a ste; toanythin- but ordination seemed, to this man of fi ed ideas, a ;refa0e >ithout

a volume@ He >as a man not merely reli-ious, but devoutC a firm believer not as the ;hrase is no> elusively 0onstrued by theolo-i0al thimble4ri--ersin the /hur0h and out of it, but in the old and ardent sense of the .van-eli0als0hool: one >ho 0ould

ndeed o;ineThat the .ternal and DivineDid, ei-hteen 0enturies a-o

n very truthJ

An-el's father tried ar-ument, ;ersuasion, entreaty@

B8o, fatherC 0annot under>rite Arti0le Four Kleave alone the restL,ta$in- it 'in the literal and -rammati0al sense' as re uired by the De0larationCand, therefore, 0an't be a ;arson in the ;resent state of affairs,B said An-el@B=y >hole instin0t in matters of reli-ion is to>ards re0onstru0tionC to uoteyour favorite .;istle to the Hebre>s, 'the removin- of those thin-s that aresha$en, as of thin-s that are made, that those thin-s >hi0h 0annot be sha$enmay remain@'B

His father -rieved so dee;ly that it made An-el uite ill to see him@

BWhat is the -ood of your mother and me e0onomiIin- and stintin-ourselves to -ive you a University edu0ation, if it is not to be used for thehonour and -lory of 7odEB his father re;eated@



BWhy, that it may be used for the honour and -lory of man, father@B

Perha;s if An-el had ;ersevered he mi-ht have -one to /ambrid-e li$ehis brothers@ #ut the i0ar's vie> of that seat of learnin- as a ste;;in-4stoneto 3rders alone >as uite a family traditionC and so rooted >as the idea inhis mind that ;erseveran0e be-an to a;;ear to the sensitive son a$in to anintent to misa;;ro;riate a trust, and >ron- the ;ious heads of the household,>ho had been and >ere, as his father had hinted, 0om;elled to e er0isemu0h thrift to 0arry out this uniform ;lan of edu0ation for the three youn-men@

B >ill do >ithout /ambrid-e,B said An-el at last@ B feel that have nori-ht to -o there in the 0ir0umstan0es@B

The effe0ts of this de0isive debate >ere not lon- in sho>in- themselves@He s;ent years and years in desultory studies, underta$in-s, and meditationsChe be-an to evin0e 0onsiderable indifferen0e to so0ial forms andobservan0es@ The material distin0tions of ran$ and >ealth he in0reasin-lydes;ised@ .ven the B-ood old familyB Kto use a favourite ;hrase of a latelo0al >orthyL had no aroma for him unless there >ere -ood ne> resolutionsin its re;resentatives@ As a balan0e to these austerities, >hen he >ent to livein ondon to see >hat the >orld >as li$e, and >ith a vie> to ;ra0tisin- a

;rofession or business there, he >as 0arried off his head, and nearlyentra;;ed by a >oman mu0h older than himself, thou-h lu0$ily he es0a;ednot -reatly the >orse for the e ;erien0e@

.arly asso0iation >ith 0ountry solitudes had bred in him anun0on uerable, and almost unreasonable, aversion to modern to>n life, andshut him out from su0h su00ess as he mi-ht have as;ired to by follo>in- amundane 0allin- in the im;ra0ti0ability of the s;iritual one@ #ut somethin-had to be doneC he had >asted many valuable yearsC and havin- ana0 uaintan0e >ho >as startin- on a thrivin- life as a /olonial farmer, ito00urred to An-el that this mi-ht be a lead in the ri-ht dire0tion@ Farmin-,either in the /olonies, Ameri0a, or at home farmin-, at any rate, after

be0omin- >ell ualified for the business by a 0areful a;;renti0eshi; that>as a vo0ation >hi0h >ould ;robably afford an inde;enden0e >ithout thesa0rifi0e of >hat he valued even more than a 0om;eten0y intelle0tualliberty@



2o >e find An-el /lare at si 4and4t>enty here at Talbothays as astudent of $ine, and, as there >ere no houses near at hand in >hi0h he 0ould-et a 0omfortable lod-in-, a boarder at the dairyman's@

His room >as an immense atti0 >hi0h ran the >hole len-th of the dairy4house@ t 0ould only be rea0hed by a ladder from the 0heese4loft, and had

been 0losed u; for a lon- time till he arrived and sele0ted it as his retreat@Here /lare had ;lenty of s;a0e, and 0ould often be heard by the dairy4fol$

;a0in- u; and do>n >hen the household had -one to rest@ A ;ortion >asdivided off at one end by a 0urtain, behind >hi0h >as his bed, the outer ;art

bein- furnished as a homely sittin-4room@

At first he lived u; above entirely, readin- a -ood deal, and strummin-u;on an old har; >hi0h he had bou-ht at a sale, sayin- >hen in a bitter

humour that he mi-ht have to -et his livin- by it in the streets some day@ #uthe soon ;referred to read human nature by ta$inhis meals do>nstairs in the-eneral dinin-4$it0hen, >ith the dairyman and his >ife, and the maids andmen, >ho all to-ether formed a lively assemblyC for thou-h but fe> mil$in-hands sle;t in the house, several ?oined the family at meals@ The lon-er /lareresided here the less ob?e0tion had he to his 0om;any, and the more did heli$e to share uarters >ith them in 0ommon@

=u0h to his sur;rise he too$, indeed, a real deli-ht in their0om;anionshi;@ The 0onventional farm4fol$ of his ima-ination ;ersonifiedin the ne>s;a;er4;ress by the ;itiable dummy $no>n as Hod-e >ereobliterated after a fe> days' residen0e@ At 0lose uarters no Hod-e >as to beseen@ At first, it is true, >hen /lare's intelli-en0e >as fresh from a0ontrastin- so0iety, these friends >ith >hom he no> hobnobbed seemed alittle stran-e@ 2ittin- do>n as a level member of the dairyman's householdseemed at the outset an undi-nified ;ro0eedin-@ The ideas, the modes, thesurroundin-s, a;;eared retro-ressive and unmeanin-@ #ut >ith livin- onthere, day after day, the a0ute so?ourner be0ame 0ons0ious of a ne> as;e0t inthe s;e0ta0le@ Without any ob?e0tive 0han-e >hatever, variety had ta$en the

;la0e of monotonousness@ His host and his host's household, his men and hismaids, as they be0ame intimately $no>n to /lare, be-an to differentiatethemselves as in a 0hemi0al ;ro0ess@ The thou-ht of Pas0al's >as brou-hthome to him: B A mesure *u'on a plus d'esprit, on trou e *u'il y a plusd'hommes originau+ es gens du commun ne trou ent pas de di##$renceentre les hommes @B The ty;i0al and unvaryin- Hod-e 0eased to e ist@ He had

been disinte-rated into a number of varied fello>40reatures bein-s of many



minds, bein-s infinite in differen0eC some ha;;y, many serene, a fe>de;ressed, one here and there bri-ht even to -enius, some stu;id, others>anton, others austereC some mutely =iltoni0, some ;otentially/rom>ellian into men >ho had ;rivate vie>s of ea0h other, as he had ofhis friendsC >ho 0ould a;;laud or 0ondemn ea0h other, amuse or saddenthemselves by the 0ontem;lation of ea0h other's foibles or vi0esC men everyone of >hom >al$ed in his o>n individual >ay the road to dusty death@

Une ;e0tedly he be-an to li$e the outdoor life for its o>n sa$e, and for>hat it brou-ht, a;art from its bearin- on his o>n ;ro;osed 0areer@/onsiderin- his ;osition he be0ame >onderfully free from the 0hroni0melan0holy >hi0h is ta$in- hold of the 0iviliIed ra0es >ith the de0line of

belief in a benefi0ent Po>er@ For the first time of late years he 0ould read ashis musin-s in0lined him, >ithout any eye to 0rammin- for a ;rofession,

sin0e the fe> farmin- handboo$s >hi0h he deemed it desirable to mastero00u;ied him but little time@

He -re> a>ay from old asso0iations, and sa> somethin- ne> in life andhumanity@ 2e0ondarily, he made 0lose a0 uaintan0e >ith ;henomena >hi0hhe had before $no>n but dar$ly the seasons in their moods, mornin- andevenin-, ni-ht and noon, >inds in their different tem;ers, trees, >aters andmists, shades and silen0es, and the voi0es of inanimate thin-s@

The early mornin-s >ere still suffi0iently 0ool to render a firea00e;table in the lar-e room >herein they brea$fastedC and, by =rs /ri0$'sorders, >ho held that he >as too -enteel to mess at their table, it >as An-el/lare's 0ustom to sit in the ya>nin- 0himney40orner durin- the meal, his0u;4and4sau0er and ;late bein- ;la0ed on a hin-ed fla; at his elbo>@ Theli-ht from the lon-, >ide, mullioned >indo> o;;osite shone in u;on hisnoo$, and, assisted by a se0ondary li-ht of 0old blue uality >hi0h shonedo>n the 0himney, enabled him to read there easily >henever dis;osed to doso@ #et>een /lare and the >indo> >as the table at >hi0h his 0om;anions

sat, their mun0hin- ;rofiles risin- shar; a-ainst the ;anesC >hile to the side>as the mil$4house door, throu-h >hi0h >ere visible the re0tan-ular leads inro>s, full to the brim >ith the mornin-'s mil$@ At the further end the -reat0hurn 0ould be seen revolvin-, and its sli;4slo;;in- heard the movin-

;o>er bein- dis0ernible throu-h the >indo> in the form of a s;iritless horse>al$in- in a 0ir0le and driven by a boy@



do0tor, or for nurse, and yet never had the least notion o' that till no>, orfeeled my soul rise so mu0h as an in0h above my shirt40ollar@B

The -eneral attention bein- dra>n to her, in0ludin- that of thedairyman's ;u;il, Tess flushed, and remar$in- evasively that it >as only afan0y, resumed her brea$fast@

/lare 0ontinued to observe her@ 2he soon finished her eatin-, and havin-a 0ons0iousness that /lare >as re-ardin- her, be-an to tra0e ima-inary

;atterns on the table0loth >ith her forefin-er >ith the 0onstraint of adomesti0 animal that ;er0eives itself to be >at0hed@

BWhat a fresh and vir-inal dau-hter of 8ature that mil$maid is B he saidto himself@

And then he seemed to dis0ern in her somethin- that >as familiar,somethin- >hi0h 0arried him ba0$ into a ?oyous and unforeseein- ;ast,

before the ne0essity of ta$in- thou-ht had made the heavens -ray@ He0on0luded that he had beheld her beforeC >here he 0ould not tell@ A 0asualen0ounter durin- some 0ountry ramble it 0ertainly had been, and he >as not-reatly 0urious about it@ #ut the 0ir0umstan0e >as suffi0ient to lead him tosele0t Tess in ;referen0e to the other ;retty mil$maids >hen he >ished to0ontem;late 0onti-uous >oman$ind@

< <

n -eneral the 0o>s >ere mil$ed as they ;resented themselves, >ithoutfan0y or 0hoi0e@ #ut 0ertain 0o>s >ill sho> a fondness for a ;arti0ular ;airof hands, sometimes 0arryin- this ;redile0tion so far as to refuse to stand atall e 0e;t to their favourite, the ;ail of a stran-er bein- un0eremoniously$i0$ed over@

t >as Dairyman /ri0$'s rule to insist on brea$indo>n these ;artialities and aversions by 0onstant inter0han-e, sin0e other>ise, in theevent of a mil$man or maid -oin- a>ay from the dairy, he >as ;la0ed in adiffi0ulty@ The maids' ;rivate aims, ho>ever, >ere the reverse of thedairyman's rule, the daily sele0tion by ea0h damsel of the ei-ht or ten 0o>sto >hi0h she had -ro>n a00ustomed renderin- the o;eration on their >illin-udders sur;risin-ly easy and effortless@



Tess, li$e her 0om;eers, soon dis0overed >hi0h of the 0o>s had a ;referen0e for her style of mani;ulation, and her fin-ers havin- be0omedeli0ate from the lon- domi0iliary im;risonments to >hi0h she hadsub?e0ted herself at intervals durin- the last t>o or three years, she >ouldhave been -lad to meet the mil0hers' vie>s in this res;e0t@ 3ut of the >holeninety4five there >ere ei-ht in ;arti0ular Dum;lin-, Fan0y, ofty, =ist,3ld Pretty, Goun- Pretty, Tidy, and oud >ho, thou-h the teats of one ort>o >ere as hard as 0arrots, -ave do>n to her >ith a readiness that made her>or$ on them a mere tou0h of the fin-ers@ 9no>in-, ho>ever, thedairyman's >ish, she endeavoured 0ons0ientiously to ta$e the animals ?ust asthey 0ame, e ;e0tin- the very hard yielders >hi0h she 0ould not yet mana-e@

#ut she soon found a 0urious 0orres;onden0e bet>een the ostensibly0han0e ;osition of the 0o>s and her >ishes in this matter, till she felt that

their order 0ould not be the result of a00ident@ The dairyman's ;u;il had lenta hand in -ettin- the 0o>s to-ether of late, and at the fifth or si th time sheturned her eyes, as she rested a-ainst the 0o>, full of sly in uiry u;on him@

B=r /lare, you have ran-ed the 0o>s B she said, blushin-C and inma$in- the a00usation, sym;toms of a smile -ently lifted her u;;er li; ins;ite of her, so as to sho> the ti;s of her teeth, the lo>er li; remainin-severely still@

BWell, it ma$es no differen0e,B said he@ BGou >ill al>ays be here tomil$ them@B

BDo you thin$ soE hope shall #ut don't .no/ @B

2he >as an-ry >ith herself after>ards, thin$in- that he, una>are of her-rave reasons for li$inthis se0lusion, mi-ht have mista$en her meanin-@2he had s;o$en so earnestly to him, as if his ;resen0e >ere someho> afa0tor in her >ish@ Her mis-ivin- >as su0h that at dus$, >hen the mil$in->as over, she >al$ed in the -arden alone, to 0ontinue her re-rets that shehad dis0losed to him her dis0overy of his 0onsiderateness@

t >as a ty;i0al summer evenin- in (une, the atmos;here bein- in su0hdeli0ate e uilibrium and so transmissive that inanimate ob?e0ts seemedendo>ed >ith t>o or three senses, if not five@ There >as no distin0tion

bet>een the near and the far, and an auditor felt 0lose to everythin- >ithinthe horiIon@ The soundlessness im;ressed her as a ;ositive entity rather thanas the mere ne-ation of noise@ t >as bro$en by the strummin- of strin-s@



Tess had heard those notes in the atti0 above her head@ Dim, flattened,0onstrained by their 0onfinement, they had never a;;ealed to her as no>,>hen they >andered in the still air >ith a star$ uality li$e that of nudity@ Tos;ea$ absolutely, both instrument and e e0ution >ere ;oorC but the relativeis all, and as she listened Tess, li$e a fas0inated bird, 0ould not leave thes;ot@ Far from leavin- she dre> u; to>ards the ;erformer, $ee;in- behindthe hed-e that he mi-ht not -uess her ;resen0e@

The outs$irt of the -arden in >hi0h Tess found herself had been leftun0ultivated for some years, and >as no> dam; and ran$ >ith ?ui0y -rass>hi0h sent u; mists of ;ollen at a tou0hC and >ith tall bloomin- >eedsemittin- offensive smells >eeds >hose red and yello> and ;ur;le huesformed a ;oly0hrome as daIIlin- as that of 0ultivated flo>ers@ 2he >entstealthily as a 0at throu-h this ;rofusion of -ro>th, -atherin- 0u0$oo4s;ittle

on her s$irts, 0ra0$in- snails that >ere underfoot, stainin- her hands >iththistle4mil$ and slu-4slime, and rubbin- off u;on her na$ed arms sti0$y

bli-hts >hi0h, thou-h sno>4>hite on the a;;le4tree trun$s, made madderstains on her s$inC thus she dre> uite near to /lare, still unobserved of him@

Tess >as 0ons0ious of neither time nor s;a0e@ The e altation >hi0h shehad des0ribed as bein- ;rodu0ible at >ill by -aIin- at a star 0ame no>>ithout any determination of hersC she undulated u;on the thin notes of these0ond4hand har;, and their harmonies ;assed li$e breeIes throu-h her,

brin-in- tears into her eyes@ The floatin- ;ollen seemed to be his notes madevisible, and the dam;ness of the -arden the >ee;in- of the -arden'ssensibility@ Thou-h near ni-htfall, the ran$4smellin- >eed4flo>ers -lo>ed asif they >ould not 0lose for intentness, and the >aves of 0olour mi ed >iththe >aves of sound@

The li-ht >hi0h still shone >as derived mainly from a lar-e hole in the>estern ban$ of 0loudC it >as li$e a ;ie0e of day left behind by a00ident,dus$ havin- 0losed in else>here@ He 0on0luded his ;laintive melody, a verysim;le ;erforman0e, demandin- no -reat s$illC and she >aited, thin$in-

another mi-ht be be-un@ #ut, tired of ;layin-, he had desultorily 0ome roundthe fen0e, and >as ramblin- u; behind her@ Tess, her 0hee$s on fire, moveda>ay furtively, as if hardly movin- at all@

An-el, ho>ever, sa> her li-ht summer -o>n, and he s;o$eC his lo>tones rea0hin- her, thou-h he >as some distan0e off@



BWhat ma$es you dra> off in that >ay, TessEB said he@ BAre youafraidEB

B3h no, sir not of outdoor thin-sC es;e0ially ?ust no> >hen the a;;le4 blooth is fallin-, and everythin- is so -reen@B

B#ut you have your indoor fears ehEB

BWell yes, sir@B

BWhat ofEB

B 0ouldn't uite say@B

BThe mil$ turnin- sourEB

B8o@B

B ife in -eneralEB

BGes, sir@B

BAh so have , very often@ This hobble of bein- alive is rather serious,don't you thin$ soEB

B t is no> you ;ut it that >ay@B

BAll the same, shouldn't have e ;e0ted a youn- -irl li$e you to see itso ?ust yet@ Ho> is it you doEB

2he maintained a hesitatin- silen0e@

B/ome, Tess, tell me in 0onfiden0e@B

2he thou-ht that he meant >hat >ere the as;e0ts of thin-s to her, andre;lied shyly

BThe trees have in uisitive eyes, haven't theyE that is, seem as if theyhad@ And the river says, 'Why do ye trouble me >ith your loo$sE' And youseem to see numbers of to4morro>s ?ust all in a line, the first of them the

bi--est and 0learest, the others -ettin- smaller and smaller as they standfarther a>ayC but they all seem very fier0e and 0ruel and as if they said, ' 'm



0omin- #e>are of me #e>are of me ' J #ut you, sir, 0an raise u; dreams>ith your musi0, and drive all su0h horrid fan0ies a>ay B

He >as sur;rised to find this youn- >oman >ho thou-h but amil$maid had ?ust that tou0h of rarity about her >hi0h mi-ht ma$e her theenvied of her housemates sha;in- su0h sad ima-inin-s@ 2he >ase ;ressin- in her o>n native ;hrases assisted a little by her 2i th 2tandardtrainin- feelin-s >hi0h mi-ht almost have been 0alled those of the a-e the a0he of modernism@ The ;er0e;tion arrested him less >hen he refle0tedthat >hat are 0alled advan0ed ideas are really in -reat ;art but the latestfashion in definition a more a00urate e ;ression, by >ords in logy and ism,of sensations >hi0h men and >omen have va-uely -ras;ed for 0enturies@

2till, it >as stran-e that they should have 0ome to her >hile yet so

youn-C more than stran-eC it >as im;ressive, interestin-, ;atheti0@ 8ot-uessin- the 0ause, there >as nothin- to remind him that e ;erien0e is as tointensity, and not as to duration@ Tess's ;assin- 0or;oreal bli-ht had been hermental harvest@

Tess, on her ;art, 0ould not understand >hy a man of 0leri0al family and-ood edu0ation, and above ;hysi0al >ant, should loo$ u;on it as a misha; to

be alive@ For the unha;;y ;il-rim herself there >as very -ood reason@ #utho> 0ould this admirable and ;oeti0 man ever have des0ended into the

alley of Humiliation, have felt >ith the man of UI as she herself had feltt>o or three years a-o B=y soul 0hooseth stran-lin- and death rather thanmy life@ loathe itC >ould not live al>ay@B

t >as true that he >as at ;resent out of his 0lass@ #ut she $ne> that >asonly be0ause, li$e Peter the 7reat in a shi;>ri-ht's yard, he >as studyin->hat he >anted to $no>@ He did not mil$ 0o>s be0ause he >as obli-ed tomil$ 0o>s, but be0ause he >as learnin- to be a ri0h and ;ros;erousdairyman, lando>ner, a-ri0ulturist, and breeder of 0attle@ He >ould be0omean Ameri0an or Australian Abraham, 0ommandin- li$e a monar0h his flo0$sand his herds, his s;otted and his rin-4stra$ed, his men4servants and hismaids@ At times, nevertheless, it did seem una00ountable to her that ade0idedly boo$ish, musi0al, thin$in- youn- man should have 0hosendeliberately to be a farmer, and not a 0ler-yman, li$e his father and brothers@

Thus, neither havin- the 0lue to the other's se0ret, they >ere res;e0tively ;uIIled at >hat ea0h revealed, and a>aited ne> $no>led-e of ea0h other's



0hara0ter and mood >ithout attem;tin- to ;ry into ea0h other's history@

.very day, every hour, brou-ht to him one more little stro$e of hernature, and to her one more of his@ Tess >as tryin- to lead a re;ressed life,

but she little divined the stren-th of her o>n vitality@

At first Tess seemed to re-ard An-el /lare as an intelli-en0e rather thanas a man@ As su0h she 0om;ared him >ith herselfC and at every dis0overy ofthe abundan0e of his illuminations, of the distan0e bet>een her o>n modestmental stand;oint and the unmeasurable, Andean altitude of his, she be0ame

uite de?e0ted, disheartened from all further effort on her o>n ;art >hatever@

He observed her de?e0tion one day, >hen he had 0asually mentioned

somethin- to her about ;astoral life in an0ient 7ree0e@ 2he >as -atherin- the buds 0alled Blords and ladiesB from the ban$ >hile he s;o$e@

BWhy do you loo$ so >oebe-one all of a suddenEB he as$ed@

B3h, 'tis only about my o>n self,B she said, >ith a frail lau-h ofsadness, fitfully be-innin- to ;eel Ba ladyB mean>hile@ B(ust a sense of >hatmi-ht have been >ith me =y life loo$s as if it had been >asted for >ant of0han0es When see >hat you $no>, >hat you have read, and seen, andthou-ht, feel >hat a nothin- am 'm li$e the ;oor Nueen of 2heba >ho

lived in the #ible@ There is no more s;irit in me@B

B#less my soul, don't -o troublin- about that Why,B he said >ith someenthusiasm, B should be only too -lad, my dear Tess, to hel; you toanythin- in the >ay of history, or any line of readin- you >ould li$e to ta$eu; B

B t is a lady a-ain,B interru;ted she, holdin- out the bud she had ;eeled@

BWhatEB

B meant that there are al>ays more ladies than lords >hen you 0ome to ;eel them@B

B8ever mind about the lords and ladies@ Would you li$e to ta$e u; any0ourse of study history, for e am;leEB



B2ometimes feel don't >ant to $no> anythin- more about it than $no> already@B

BWhy notEB

B#e0ause >hat's the use of learnin- that am one of a lon- ro> only findin- out that there is set do>n in some old boo$ somebody ?ust li$e me,and to $no> that shall only a0t her ;artC ma$inme sad, that's all@ The bestis not to remember that your nature and your ;ast doin-s have been ?ust li$ethousands' and thousands', and that your 0omin- life and doin-s 'll be li$ethousands's and thousands'@B

BWhat, really, then, you don't >ant to learn anythin-EB

B shouldn't mind learnin- >hy >hy the sun do shine on the ?ust andthe un?ust ali$e,B she ans>ered, >ith a sli-ht uaver in her voi0e@ B#ut that's>hat boo$s >ill not tell me@B

BTess, fie for su0h bitterness B 3f 0ourse he s;o$e >ith a 0onventionalsense of duty only, for that sort of >onderin- had not been un$no>n tohimself in by-one days@ And as he loo$ed at the un;ra0ti0ed mouth and li;s,he thou-ht that su0h a dau-hter of the soil 0ould only have 0au-ht u; thesentiment by rote@ 2he >ent on ;eelin- the lords and ladies till /lare,re-ardin- for a moment the >ave4li$e 0url of her lashes as they dro;;ed >ith

her bent -aIe on her soft 0hee$, lin-erin-ly >ent a>ay@ When he >as -oneshe stood a>hile, thou-htfully ;eelin- the last budC and then, a>a$enin-from her reverie, flun- it and all the 0ro>d of floral nobility im;atiently onthe -round, in an ebullition of dis;leasure >ith herself for her niaiserie , and>ith a ui0$enin- >armth in her heart of hearts@

Ho> stu;id he must thin$ her n an a00ess of hun-er for his -oodo;inion she bethou-ht herself of >hat she had latterly endeavoured to for-et,so un;leasant had been its issues the identity of her family >ith that of the$ni-htly d'Urbervilles@ #arren attribute as it >as, disastrous as its dis0overyhad been in many >ays to her, ;erha;s =r /lare, as a -entleman and astudent of history, >ould res;e0t her suffi0iently to for-et her 0hildish0ondu0t >ith the lords and ladies if he $ne> that those Purbe0$4marble andalabaster ;eo;le in 9in-sbere /hur0h really re;resented her o>n linealforefathersC that she >as no s;urious d'Urberville, 0om;ounded of moneyand ambition li$e those at Trantrid-e, but true d'Urberville to the bone@



#ut, before venturin- to ma$e the revelation, dubious Tess indire0tlysounded the dairyman as to its ;ossible effe0t u;on =r /lare, by as$in- theformer if =r /lare had any -reat res;e0t for old 0ounty families >hen theyhad lost all their money and land@

B=r /lare,B said the dairyman em;hati0ally, Bis one of the mostrebellest roIums you ever $no>ed not a bit li$e the rest of his familyC andif there's one thin- that he do hate more than another 'tis the notion of >hat's0alled a' old family@ He says that it stands to reason that old families havedone their s;urt of >or$ in ;ast days, and 0an't have anythin- left in 'emno>@ There's the #illets and the Dren$hards and the 7reys and the 2tNuintins and the Hardys and the 7oulds, >ho used to o>n the lands formiles do>n this valleyC you 0ould buy 'em all u; no> for an old son- a'most@Why, our little Retty Priddle here, you $no>, is one of the Paridelles the

old family that used to o>n lots o' the lands out by 9in-'s Hinto0$, no>o>ned by the .arl o' Wesse , afore even he or his >as heard of@ Well, =r/lare found this out, and s;o$e uite s0ornful to the ;oor -irl for days@ 'Ah 'he says to her, 'you'll never ma$e a -ood dairymaid All your s$ill >as usedu; a-es a-o in Palestine, and you must lie fallo> for a thousand years to -itstren-th for more deeds ' A boy 0ame here t'other day as$in- for a ?ob, andsaid his name >as =att, and >hen >e as$ed him his surname he said he'dnever heard that 'a had any surname, and >hen >e as$ed >hy, he said hesu;;osed his fol$s hadn't been 'stablished lon- enou-h@ 'Ah you're the very

boy >ant ' says =r /lare, ?um;in- u; and sha$in- hands >i'enC ' 've -reatho;es of youC' and -ave him half4a40ro>n@ 3 no he 0an't stoma0h oldfamilies B

After hearin- this 0ari0ature of /lare's o;inion ;oor Tess >as -lad thatshe had not said a >ord in a >ea$ moment about her family even thou-h it>as so unusually old almost to have -one round the 0ir0le and be0ome a ne>one@ #esides, another diary4-irl >as as -ood as she, it seemed, in thatres;e0t@ 2he held her ton-ue about the d'Urberville vault and the 9ni-ht ofthe /on ueror >hose name she bore@ The insi-ht afforded into /lare's

0hara0ter su--ested to her that it >as lar-ely o>in- to her su;;oseduntraditional ne>ness that she had >on interest in his eyes@

<<



The season develo;ed and matured@ Another year's instalment offlo>ers, leaves, ni-htin-ales, thrushes, fin0hes, and su0h e;hemeral0reatures, too$ u; their ;ositions >here only a year a-o others had stood intheir ;la0e >hen these >ere nothin- more than -erms and inor-ani0

;arti0les@ Rays from the sunrise dre> forth the buds and stret0hed them intolon- stal$s, lifted u; sa; in noiseless streams, o;ened ;etals, and su0$ed outs0ents in invisible ?ets and breathin-s@

Dairyman /ri0$'s household of maids and men lived on 0omfortably, ;la0idly, even merrily@ Their ;osition >as ;erha;s the ha;;iest of all ;ositions in the so0ial s0ale, bein- above the line at >hi0h neediness ends,and belo> the line at >hi0h the con enances be-in to 0ram; natural feelin-s,and the stress of threadbare modishness ma$es too little of enou-h@

Thus ;assed the leafy time >hen arbores0en0e seems to be the one thin-aimed at out of doors@ Tess and /lare un0ons0iously studied ea0h other, ever balan0ed on the ed-e of a ;assion, yet a;;arently $ee;in- out of it@ All the>hile they >ere 0onver-in-, under an irresistible la>, as surely as t>ostreams in one vale@

Tess had never in her re0ent life been so ha;;y as she >as no>, ;ossiblynever >ould be so ha;;y a-ain@ 2he >as, for one thin-, ;hysi0ally andmentally suited amon- these ne> surroundin-s@ The sa;lin- >hi0h hadrooted do>n to a ;oisonous stratum on the s;ot of its so>in- had beentrans;lanted to a dee;er soil@ =oreover she, and /lare also, stood as yet onthe debatable land bet>een ;redile0tion and loveC >here no ;rofunditieshave been rea0hedC no refle0tions have set in, a>$>ardly in uirin-,BWhither does this ne> 0urrent tend to 0arry meE What does it mean to myfutureE Ho> does it stand to>ards my ;astEB

Tess >as the merest stray ;henomenon to An-el /lare as yet a rosy,>armin- a;;arition >hi0h had only ?ust a0 uired the attribute of ;ersisten0ein his 0ons0iousness@ 2o he allo>ed his mind to be o00u;ied >ith her,deemin- his ;reo00u;ation to be no more than a ;hiloso;her's re-ard of ane 0eedin-ly novel, fresh, and interestin- s;e0imen of >oman$ind@

They met 0ontinuallyC they 0ould not hel; it@ They met daily in thatstran-e and solemn interval, the t>ili-ht of the mornin-, in the violet or ;in$da>nC for it >as ne0essary to rise early, so very early, here@ =il$in- >asdone betimesC and before the mil$in- 0ame the s$immin-, >hi0h be-an at a



little ;ast three@ t usually fell to the lot of some one or other of them to >a$ethe rest, the first bein- aroused by an alarm40lo0$C and, as Tess >as the latestarrival, and they soon dis0overed that she 0ould be de;ended u;on not toslee; thou-h the alarm as others did, this tas$ >as thrust most fre uentlyu;on her@ 8o sooner had the hour of three stru0$ and >hiIIed, than she lefther room and ran to the dairyman's doorC then u; the ladder to An-el's,0allin- him in a loud >his;erC then >o$e her fello>4mil$maids@ #y the timethat Tess >as dressed /lare >as do>nstairs and out in the humid air@ Theremainin- maids and the dairyman usually -ave themselves another turn onthe ;illo>, and did not a;;ear till a uarter of an hour later@

The -ray half4tones of daybrea$ are not the -ray half4tones of the day's0lose, thou-h the de-ree of their shade may be the same@ n the t>ili-ht ofthe mornin-, li-ht seems a0tive, dar$ness ;assiveC in the t>ili-ht of evenin-

it is the dar$ness >hi0h is a0tive and 0res0ent, and the li-ht >hi0h is thedro>sy reverse@

#ein- so often ;ossibly not al>ays by 0han0e the first t>o ;ersonsto -et u; at the dairy4house, they seemed to themselves the first ;ersons u;of all the >orld@ n these early days of her residen0e here Tess did not s$im,

but >ent out of doors at on0e after risin-, >here he >as -enerally a>aitin-her@ The s;e0tral, half40om;ounded, a ueous li-ht >hi0h ;ervaded the o;enmead im;ressed them >ith a feelin- of isolation, as if they >ere Adam and.ve@ At this dim in0e;tive sta-e of the day Tess seemed to /lare to e hibit adi-nified lar-eness both of dis;osition and ;hysi ue, an almost re-nant

;o>er, ;ossibly be0ause he $ne> that at that ;reternatural time hardly any>oman so >ell endo>ed in ;erson as she >as li$ely to be >al$in- in theo;en air >ithin the boundaries of his horiIonC very fe> in all .n-land@ Fair>omen are usually aslee; at mid4summer da>ns@ 2he >as 0lose at hand, andthe rest >ere no>here@

The mi ed, sin-ular, luminous -loom in >hi0h they >al$ed alon-to-ether to the s;ot >here the 0o>s lay often made him thin$ of the

Resurre0tion hour@ He little thou-ht that the =a-dalen mi-ht be at his side@Whilst all the lands0a;e >as in neutral shade his 0om;anion's fa0e, >hi0h>as the fo0us of his eyes, risin- above the mist stratum, seemed to have asort of ;hos;hores0en0e u;on it@ 2he loo$ed -hostly, as if she >ere merely asoul at lar-e@ n reality her fa0e, >ithout a;;earin- to do so, had 0au-ht the0old -leam of day from the north4eastC his o>n fa0e, thou-h he did not thin$of it, >ore the same as;e0t to her@



t >as then, as has been said, that she im;ressed him most dee;ly@ 2he>as no lon-er the mil$maid, but a visionary essen0e of >oman a >holese 0ondensed into one ty;i0al form@ He 0alled her Artemis, Demeter, andother fan0iful names half teasin-ly, >hi0h she did not li$e be0ause she didnot understand them@

B/all me Tess,B she >ould say as$an0eC and he did@

Then it >ould -ro> li-hter, and her features >ould be0ome sim;lyfeminineC they had 0han-ed from those of a divinity >ho 0ould 0onfer blissto those of a bein- >ho 0raved it@

At these non4human hours they 0ould -et uite 0lose to the >aterfo>l@Herons 0ame, >ith a -reat bold noise as of o;enin- doors and shutters, out

of the bou-hs of a ;lantation >hi0h they fre uented at the side of the meadCor, if already on the s;ot, hardily maintained their standin- in the >ater asthe ;air >al$ed by, >at0hin- them by movin- their heads round in a slo>,horiIontal, ;assionless >heel, li$e the turn of ;u;;ets by 0lo0$>or$@

They 0ould then see the faint summer fo-s in layers, >oolly, level, anda;;arently no thi0$er than 0ounter;anes, s;read about the meado>s indeta0hed remnants of small e tent@ 3n the -ray moisture of the -rass >eremar$s >here the 0o>s had lain throu-h the ni-ht dar$4-reen islands of dryherba-e the siIe of their 0ar0asses, in the -eneral sea of de>@ From ea0h

island ;ro0eeded a ser;entine trail, by >hi0h the 0o> had rambled a>ay tofeed after -ettin- u;, at the end of >hi0h trail they found herC the snorin-

;uff from her nostrils, >hen she re0o-niIed them, ma$inan intenser littlefo- of her o>n amid the ;revailin- one@ Then they drove the animals ba0$ tothe barton, or sat do>n to mil$ them on the s;ot, as the 0ase mi-ht re uire@

3r ;erha;s the summer fo- >as more -eneral, and the meado>s lay li$ea >hite sea, out of >hi0h the s0attered trees rose li$e dan-erous ro0$s@ #irds>ould soar throu-h it into the u;;er radian0e, and han- on the >in- sunnin-themselves, or ali-ht on the >et rails subdividin- the mead, >hi0h no>shone li$e -lass rods@ =inute diamonds of moisture from the mist hun-, too,u;on Tess's eyelashes, and dro;s u;on her hair, li$e seed ;earls@ When theday -re> uite stron- and 0ommon;la0e these dried off herC moreover, Tessthen lost her stran-e and ethereal beautyC her teeth, li;s, and eyes s0intillatedin the sunbeams and she >as a-ain the daIIlin-ly fair dairymaid only, >hohad to hold her o>n a-ainst the other >omen of the >orld@



About this time they >ould hear Dairyman /ri0$'s voi0e, le0turin- thenon4resident mil$ers for arrivin- late, and s;ea$in- shar;ly to old DeborahFyander for not >ashin- her hands@

BFor Heaven's sa$e, ;o; thy hands under the ;um;, Deb U;on my soul,if the ondon fol$ only $no>ed of thee and thy slovenly >ays, they'ds>aller their mil$ and butter more min0in- than they do a'readyC and that'ssayin- a -ood deal@B

The mil$in- ;ro-ressed, till to>ards the end Tess and /lare, in 0ommon>ith the rest, 0ould hear the heavy brea$fast table dra--ed out from the >allin the $it0hen by =rs /ri0$, this bein- the invariable ;reliminary to ea0hmealC the same horrible s0ra;e a00om;anyin- its return ?ourney >hen thetable had been 0leared@

<<

There >as a -reat stir in the mil$4house ?ust after brea$fast@ The 0hurnrevolved as usual, but the butter >ould not 0ome@ Whenever this ha;;enedthe dairy >as ;aralyIed@ 2 uish, s uash e0hoed the mil$ in the -reat0ylinder, but never arose the sound they >aited for@

Dairyman /ri0$ and his >ife, the mil$maids Tess, =arian, Retty

Priddle, II Huett, and the married ones from the 0otta-esC also =r /lare,(onathan 9ail, old Deborah, and the rest, stood -aIin- ho;elessly at the0hurnC and the boy >ho $e;t the horse -oin- outside ;ut on moon4li$e eyesto sho> his sense of the situation@ .ven the melan0holy horse himselfseemed to loo$ in at the >indo> in in uirin- des;air at ea0h >al$ round@

B'Tis years sin0e >ent to /on?uror Trendle's son in .-don years Bsaid the dairyman bitterly@ BAnd he >as nothin- to >hat his father had been@

have said fifty times, if have said on0e, that don't believe in enC thou-h'a do 0ast fol$s' >aters very true@ #ut shall have to -o to 'n if he's alive@ 3yes, shall have to -o to 'n, if this sort of thin- 0ontinnys B

.ven =r /lare be-an to feel tra-i0al at the dairyman's des;eration@

B/on?uror Fall, t'other side of /asterbrid-e, that they used to 0all 'Wide43', >as a very -ood man >hen >as a boy,B said (onathan 9ail@ B#ut he'srotten as tou0h>ood by no>@B



B=y -randfather used to -o to /on?uror =ynterne, out at 3>ls0ombe,and a 0lever man a' >ere, so 've heard -randf'er say,B 0ontinued =r /ri0$@B#ut there's no su0h -enuine fol$ about no>adays B

=rs /ri0$'s mind $e;t nearer to the matter in hand@

BPerha;s somebody in the house is in love,B she said tentatively@ B 'veheard tell in my youn-er days that that >ill 0ause it@ Why, /ri0$ that maid>e had years a-o, do ye mind, and ho> the butter didn't 0ome then B

BAh yes, yes but that isn't the ri-hts o't@ t had nothin- to do >ith thelove4ma$in-@ 0an mind all about it 't>as the dama-e to the 0hurn@B

He turned to /lare@

B(a0$ Dollo;, a 'hore's4bird of a fello> >e had here as mil$er at onetime, sir, 0ourted a youn- >oman over at =ellsto0$, and de0eived her as hehad de0eived many afore@ #ut he had another sort o' >oman to re0$on >i'this time, and it >as not the -irl herself@ 3ne Holy Thursday of all days inthe almana0$, >e >as here as >e mid be no>, only there >as no 0hurnin- inhand, >hen >e Iid the -irl's mother 0omin- u; to the door, >i' a -reat brass4mounted umbrella in her hand that >ould ha' felled an o , and sayin- 'Do(a0$ Dollo; >or$ hereE be0ause >ant him have a bi- bone to ;i0$ >ithhe, 0an assure 'n ' And some >ay behind her mother >al$ed (a0$'s youn-

>oman, 0ryin- bitterly into her hand$er0her@ '3 ard, here's a time ' said(a0$, loo$in- out o' >inder at 'em@ '2he'll murder me Where shall -et >here shall E Don't tell her >here be ' And >ith that he s0rambled intothe 0hurn throu-h the tra;4door, and shut himself inside, ?ust as the youn->oman's mother busted into the mil$4house@ 'The villain >here is heE' saysshe@ ' 'll 0la> his fa0e for'n, let me only 0at0h him ' Well, she hunted aboutevery>here, ballyra--in- (a0$ by side and by seam, (a0$ lyin- a'most stifledinside the 0hurn, and the ;oor maid or youn- >oman rather standin- atthe door 0ryin- her eyes out@ shall never for-et it, never 'T>ould havemelted a marble stone #ut she 0ouldn't find him no>here at all@B

The dairyman ;aused, and one or t>o >ords of 0omment 0ame from thelisteners@

Dairyman /ri0$'s stories often seemed to be ended >hen they >ere notreally so, and stran-ers >ere betrayed into ;remature inter?e0tions offinalityC thou-h old friends $ne> better@ The narrator >ent on



BWell, ho> the old >oman should have had the >it to -uess it 0ouldnever tell, but she found out that he >as inside that there 0hurn@ Withoutsayin- a >ord she too$ hold of the >in0h Kit >as turned by hand;o>er thenL,and round she s>un- him, and (a0$ be-an to flo; about inside@ '3 ard sto;the 0hurn let me out ' says he, ;o;;in- out his head@ ' shall be 0hurned intoa ;ummy ' KHe >as a 0o>ardly 0ha; in his heart, as su0h men mostly beL@'8ot till ye ma$e amends for rava-inher vir-in inno0en0e ' says the old>oman@ '2to; the 0hurn you old >it0h ' s0reams he@ 'Gou 0all me old >it0h,do ye, you de0eiver ' says she, '>hen ye ou-ht to ha' been 0allin- memother4la> these last five months ' And on >ent the 0hurn, and (a0$'s bonesrattled round a-ain@ Well, none of us ventured to interfereC and at last 'a

;romised to ma$e it ri-ht >i' her@ 'Ges 'll be as -ood as my >ord ' he said@And so it ended that day@B

While the listeners >ere smilin- their 0omments there >as a ui0$movement behind their ba0$s, and they loo$ed round@ Tess, ;ale4fa0ed, had-one to the door@

BHo> >arm 'tis to4day B she said, almost inaudibly@

t >as >arm, and none of them 0onne0ted her >ithdra>al >ith thereminis0en0es of the dairyman@ He >ent for>ard and o;ened the door forher, sayin- >ith tender raillery

BWhy, maidyB Khe fre uently, >ith un0ons0ious irony, -ave her this ;etnameL, Bthe ;rettiest mil$er 've -ot in my dairyC you mustn't -et so fa--edas this at the first breath of summer >eather, or >e shall be finely ;ut to for>ant of 'ee by do-4days, shan't >e, =r /lareEB

B >as faint and thin$ am better out o' doors,B she saidme0hani0allyC and disa;;eared outside@

Fortunately for her the mil$ in the revolvin- 0hurn at that moment0han-ed its s uashin- for a de0ided fli0$4fla0$@

B'Tis 0omin- B 0ried =rs /ri0$, and the attention of all >as 0alled offfrom Tess@

That fair sufferer soon re0overed herself e ternallyC but she remainedmu0h de;ressed all the afternoon@ When the evenin- mil$in- >as done shedid not 0are to be >ith the rest of them, and >ent out of doors, >anderin-



alon- she $ne> not >hither@ 2he >as >ret0hed 3 so >ret0hed at the ;er0e;tion that to her 0om;anions the dairyman's story had been rather ahumorous narration than other>iseC none of them but herself seemed to seethe sorro> of itC to a 0ertainty, not one $ne> ho> 0ruelly it tou0hed thetender ;la0e in her e ;erien0e@ The evenin- sun >as no> u-ly to her, li$e a-reat inflamed >ound in the s$y@ 3nly a solitary 0ra0$ed4voi0e reed4s;arro>-reeted her from the bushes by the river, in a sad, ma0hine4made tone,resemblin- that of a ;ast friend >hose friendshi; she had out>orn@

n these lon- (une days the mil$maids, and, indeed, most of thehousehold, >ent to bed at sunset or sooner, the mornin- >or$ before mil$in-

bein- so early and heavy at a time of full ;ails@ Tess usually a00om;aniedher fello>s u;stairs@ To4ni-ht, ho>ever, she >as the first to -o to their0ommon 0hamberC and she had doIed >hen the other -irls 0ame in@ 2he sa>

them undressin- in the oran-e li-ht of the vanished sun, >hi0h flushed theirforms >ith its 0olourC she doIed a-ain, but she >as rea>a$ened by theirvoi0es, and uietly turned her eyes to>ards them@

8either of her three 0hamber40om;anions had -ot into bed@ They >erestandin- in a -rou;, in their ni-ht-o>ns, barefooted, at the >indo>, the lastred rays of the >est still >armin- their fa0es and ne0$s and the >alls aroundthem@ All >ere >at0hin- somebody in the -arden >ith dee; interest, theirthree fa0es 0lose to-ether: a ?ovial and round one, a ;ale one >ith dar$ hair,and a fair one >hose tresses >ere auburn@

BDon't ;ush Gou 0an see as >ell as ,B said Retty, the auburn4hairedand youn-est -irl, >ithout removin- her eyes from the >indo>@

B'Tis no use for you to be in love >ith him any more than me, RettyPriddle,B said ?olly4fa0ed =arian, the eldest, slily@ BHis thou-hts be of other0hee$s than thine B

Retty Priddle still loo$ed, and the others loo$ed a-ain@

BThere he is a-ain B 0ried II Huett, the ;ale -irl >ith dar$ dam; hairand $eenly 0ut li;s@

BGou needn't say anythin-, II,B ans>ered Retty@ BFor Iid you $issin-his shade@B

01hat did you see her doin-EB as$ed =arian@



BWhy he >as standin- over the >hey4tub to let off the >hey, and theshade of his fa0e 0ame u;on the >all behind, 0lose to II, >ho >as standin-there fillin- a vat@ 2he ;ut her mouth a-ainst the >all and $issed the shade ofhis mouthC Iid her, thou-h he didn't@B

B3 II Huett B said =arian@

A rosy s;ot 0ame into the middle of II Huett's 0hee$@

BWell, there >as no harm in it,B she de0lared, >ith attem;ted 0oolness@BAnd if be in love >i'en, so is Retty, tooC and so be you, =arian, 0ome tothat@B

=arian's full fa0e 0ould not blush ;ast its 0hroni0 ;in$ness@

B B she said@ BWhat a tale Ah, there he is a-ain Dear eyes dear fa0e dear =r /lare B

BThere you've o>ned it B

B2o have you so have >e all,B said =arian, >ith the dry fran$ness of0om;lete indifferen0e to o;inion@ B t is silly to ;retend other>ise amon-stourselves, thou-h >e need not o>n it to other fol$s@ >ould ?ust marry 'n to4morro> B

B2o >ould and more,B murmured II Huett@

BAnd too,B >his;ered the more timid Retty@

The listener -re> >arm@

BWe 0an't all marry him,B said II@

BWe shan't, either of usC >hi0h is >orse still,B said the eldest@ BThere heis a-ain B

They all three ble> him a silent $iss@

BWhyEB as$ed Retty ui0$ly@

B#e0ause he li$es Tess Durbeyfield best,B said =arian, lo>erin- hervoi0e@ B have >at0hed him every day, and have found it out@B



There >as a refle0tive silen0e@

B#ut she don't 0are anythin- for 'nEB at len-th breathed Retty@

BWell sometimes thin$ that too@B

B#ut ho> silly all this is B said II Huett im;atiently@ B3f 0ourse he>on't marry any one of us, or Tess either a -entleman's son, >ho's -oin- to

be a -reat lando>ner and farmer abroad =ore li$ely to as$ us to 0ome >i'enas farm4hands at so mu0h a year B

3ne si-hed, and another si-hed, and =arian's ;lum; fi-ure si-hed bi--est of all@ 2omebody in bed hard by si-hed too@ Tears 0ame into the eyesof Retty Priddle, the ;retty red4haired youn-est the last bud of theParidelles, so im;ortant in the 0ounty annals@ They >at0hed silently a littlelon-er, their three fa0es still 0lose to-ether as before, and the tri;le hues oftheir hair min-lin-@ #ut the un0ons0ious =r /lare had -one indoors, andthey sa> him no moreC and, the shades be-innin- to dee;en, they 0re;t intotheir beds@ n a fe> minutes they heard him as0end the ladder to his o>nroom@ =arian >as soon snorin-, but II did not dro; into for-etfulness for alon- time@ Retty Priddle 0ried herself to slee;@

The dee;er4;assioned Tess >as very far from slee;in- even then@ This0onversation >as another of the bitter ;ills she had been obli-ed to s>allo>

that day@ 20ar0e the least feelin- of ?ealousy arose in her breast@ For thatmatter she $ne> herself to have the ;referen0e@ #ein- more finely formed,

better edu0ated, and, thou-h the youn-est e 0e;t Retty, more >oman thaneither, she ;er0eived that only the sli-htest ordinary 0are >as ne0essary forholdin- her o>n in An-el /lare's heart a-ainst these her 0andid friends@ #utthe -rave uestion >as, ou-ht she to do thisE There >as, to be sure, hardly a-host of a 0han0e for either of them, in a serious senseC but there >as, or had

been, a 0han0e of one or the other ins;irin- him >ith a ;assin- fan0y for her,and en?oyin- the ;leasure of his attentions >hile he stayed here@ 2u0hune ual atta0hments had led to marria-eC and she had heard from =rs /ri0$that =r /lare had one day as$ed, in a lau-hin- >ay, >hat >ould be the useof his marryin- a fine lady, and all the >hile ten thousand a0res of /olonial

;asture to feed, and 0attle to rear, and 0orn to rea;@ A farm4>oman >ould bethe only sensible $ind of >ife for him@ #ut >hether =r /lare had s;o$enseriously or not, >hy should she, >ho 0ould never 0ons0ientiously allo> anyman to marry her no>, and >ho had reli-iously determined that she never



>ould be tem;ted to do so, dra> off =r /lare's attention from other >omen,for the brief ha;;iness of sunnin- herself in his eyes >hile he remained atTalbothaysE

<<

They 0ame do>nstairs ya>nin- ne t mornin-C but s$immin- andmil$in- >ere ;ro0eeded >ith as usual, and they >ent indoors to brea$fast@Dairyman /ri0$ >as dis0overed stam;in- about the house@ He had re0eiveda letter, in >hi0h a 0ustomer had 0om;lained that the butter had a t>an-@

BAnd be-ad, so 't have B said the dairyman, >ho held in his left hand a>ooden sli0e on >hi0h a lum; of butter >as stu0$@ BGes taste for

yourself B2everal of them -athered round himC and =r /lare tasted, Tess tasted,

also the other indoor mil$maids, one or t>o of the mil$in-4men, and last ofall =rs /ri0$, >ho 0ame out from the >aitin- brea$fast4table@ There0ertainly >as a t>an-@

The dairyman, >ho had thro>n himself into abstra0tion to better realiIethe taste, and so divine the ;arti0ular s;e0ies of no ious >eed to >hi0h ita;;ertained, suddenly e 0laimed

B'Tis -arli0 and thou-ht there >asn't a blade left in that mead B

Then all the old hands remembered that a 0ertain dry mead, into >hi0h afe> of the 0o>s had been admitted of late, had, in years -one by, s;oilt the

butter in the same >ay@ The dairyman had not re0o-niIed the taste at thattime, and thou-ht the butter be>it0hed@

BWe must overhaul that mead,B he resumedC Bthis mustn't 0ontinny B

All havin- armed themselves >ith old ;ointed $nives, they >ent outto-ether@ As the inimi0al ;lant 0ould only be ;resent in very mi0ros0o;i0dimensions to have es0a;ed ordinary observation, to find it seemed rather aho;eless attem;t in the stret0h of ri0h -rass before them@ Ho>ever, theyformed themselves into line, all assistin-, o>in- to the im;ortan0e of thesear0hC the dairyman at the u;;er end >ith =r /lare, >ho had volunteered tohel;C then Tess, =arian, II Huett, and RettyC then #ill e>ell, (onathan,



and the married dairy>omen #e0$ 9nibbs, >ith her >ooly bla0$ hair androllin- eyesC and fla en Fran0es, 0onsum;tive from the >inter dam;s of the>ater4meads >ho lived in their res;e0tive 0otta-es@

With eyes fi ed u;on the -round they 0re;t slo>ly a0ross a stri; of thefield, returnin- a little further do>n in su0h a manner that, >hen they shouldhave finished, not a sin-le in0h of the ;asture but >ould have fallen underthe eye of some one of them@ t >as a most tedious business, not more thanhalf a doIen shoots of -arli0 bein- dis0overable in the >hole fieldC yet su0h>as the herb's ;un-en0y that ;robably one bite of it by one 0o> had beensuffi0ient to season the >hole dairy's ;rodu0e for the day@

Differin- one from another in natures and moods so -reatly as they did,they yet formed, bendin-, a 0uriously uniform ro> automati0, noiselessC

and an alien observer ;assin- do>n the nei-hbourin- lane mi-ht >ell have been e 0used for massin- them as BHod-eB@ As they 0re;t alon-, stoo;in-lo> to dis0ern the ;lant, a soft yello> -leam >as refle0ted from the

butter0u;s into their shaded fa0es, -ivin- them an elfish, moonlit as;e0t,thou-h the sun >as ;ourin- u;on their ba0$s in all the stren-th of noon@

An-el /lare, >ho 0ommunisti0ally stu0$ to his rule of ta$in- ;art >iththe rest in everythin-, -lan0ed u; no> and then@ t >as not, of 0ourse, bya00ident that he >al$ed ne t to Tess@

BWell, ho> are youEB he murmured@

B ery >ell, than$ you, sir,B she re;lied demurely@

As they had been dis0ussin- a s0ore of ;ersonal matters only half4an4hour before, the introdu0tory style seemed a little su;erfluous@ #ut they -otno further in s;ee0h ?ust then@ They 0re;t and 0re;t, the hem of her ;etti0oat

?ust tou0hin- his -aiter, and his elbo> sometimes brushin- hers@ At last thedairyman, >ho 0ame ne t, 0ould stand it no lon-er@

BU;on my soul and body, this here stoo;indo fairly ma$e my ba0$o;en and shut B he e 0laimed, strai-htenin- himself slo>ly >ith ane 0ru0iated loo$ till uite u;ri-ht@ BAnd you, maidy Tess, you >asn't >ell aday or t>o a-o this >ill ma$e your head a0he finely Don't do any more, ifyou feel faintyC leave the rest to finish it@B



Dairyman /ri0$ >ithdre>, and Tess dro;;ed behind@ =r /lare alsoste;;ed out of line, and be-an ;rivateerin- about for the >eed@ When shefound him near her, her very tension at >hat she had heard the ni-ht beforemade her the first to s;ea$@

BDon't they loo$ ;rettyEB she said@

BWhoEB

B IIy Huett and Retty@B

Tess had moodily de0ided that either of these maidens >ould ma$e a-ood farmer's >ife, and that she ou-ht to re0ommend them, and obs0ure hero>n >ret0hed 0harms@

BPrettyE Well, yes they are ;retty -irls fresh loo$in-@ have oftenthou-ht so@B

BThou-h, ;oor dears, ;rettiness >on't last lon- B

B3 no, unfortunately@B

BThey are e 0ellent dairy>omen@B

BGes: thou-h not better than you@B

BThey s$im better than @B

BDo theyEB

/lare remained observin- them not >ithout their observin- him@

B2he is 0olourin- u;,B 0ontinued Tess heroi0ally@

BWhoEB

BRetty Priddle@B

B3h Why it thatEB

B#e0ause you are loo$in- at her@B



2elf4sa0rifi0in- as her mood mi-ht be, Tess 0ould not >ell -o furtherand 0ry, B=arry one of them, if you really do >ant a dairy>oman and not aladyC and don't thin$ of marryin- me B 2he follo>ed Dairyman /ri0$, andhad the mournful satisfa0tion of seein- that /lare remained behind@

From this day she for0ed herself to ta$e ;ains to avoid him neverallo>in- herself, as formerly, to remain lon- in his 0om;any, even if their

?u ta;osition >ere ;urely a00idental@ 2he -ave the other three every 0han0e@

Tess >as >oman enou-h to realiIe from their avo>als to herself thatAn-el /lare had the honour of all the dairymaids in his $ee;in-, and her

;er0e;tion of his 0are to avoid 0om;romisin- the ha;;iness of either in theleast de-ree bred a tender res;e0t in Tess for >hat she deemed, ri-htly or>ron-ly, the self40ontrollin- sense of duty sho>n by him, a uality >hi0h

she had never e ;e0ted to find in one of the o;;osite se , and in the absen0eof >hi0h more than one of the sim;le hearts >ho >ere his house4matesmi-ht have -one >ee;in- on her ;il-rima-e@

<<

The hot >eather of (uly had 0re;t u;on them una>ares, and theatmos;here of the flat vale hun- heavy as an o;iate over the dairy4fol$, the0o>s, and the trees@ Hot steamin- rains fell fre uently, ma$in- the -rass

>here the 0o>s fed yet more ran$, and hinderin- the late hay4ma$in- in theother meads@

t >as 2unday mornin-C the mil$in- >as doneC the outdoor mil$ers had-one home@ Tess and the other three >ere dressin- themselves ra;idly, the>hole bevy havin- a-reed to -o to-ether to =ellsto0$ /hur0h, >hi0h laysome three or four miles distant from the dairy4house@ 2he had no> beent>o months at Talbothays, and this >as her first e 0ursion@

All the ;re0edin- afternoon and ni-ht heavy thunderstorms had hisseddo>n u;on the meads, and >ashed some of the hay into the riverC but thismornin- the sun shone out all the more brilliantly for the delu-e, and the air>as balmy and 0lear@

The 0roo$ed lane leadin- from their o>n ;arish to =ellsto0$ ran alon-the lo>est levels in a ;ortion of its len-th, and >hen the -irls rea0hed themost de;ressed s;ot they found that the result of the rain had been to flood



the lane over4shoe to a distan0e of some fifty yards@ This >ould have beenno serious hindran0e on a >ee$4dayC they >ould have 0li0$ed throu-h it intheir hi-h ;atterns and boots uite un0on0ernedC but on this day of vanity,this 2un's4day, >hen flesh >ent forth to 0o uet >ith flesh >hilehy;o0riti0ally affe0tin- business >ith s;iritual thin-sC on this o00asion for>earin- their >hite sto0$in-s and thin shoes, and their ;in$, >hite, and lila0-o>ns, on >hi0h every mud s;ot >ould be visible, the ;ool >as an a>$>ardim;ediment@ They 0ould hear the 0hur0h4bell 0allin- as yet nearly a mileoff@

BWho >ould have e ;e0ted su0h a rise in the river in summer4time Bsaid =arian, from the to; of the roadside ban$ on >hi0h they had 0limbed,and >ere maintainin- a ;re0arious footin- in the ho;e of 0ree;in- alon- itsslo;e till they >ere ;ast the ;ool@

BWe 0an't -et there anyho>, >ithout >al$in- ri-ht throu-h it, or else-oin- round the Turn;i$e >ayC and that >ould ma$e us so very late B saidRetty, ;ausin- ho;elessly@

BAnd do 0olour u; so hot, >al$in- into 0hur0h late, and all the ;eo;lestarin- round,B said =arian, Bthat hardly 0ool do>n a-ain till >e -et intothe That4it4may4;lease4Thees@B

While they stood 0lin-in- to the ban$ they heard a s;lashin- round the

bend of the road, and ;resently a;;eared An-el /lare, advan0in- alon- thelane to>ards them throu-h the >ater@

Four hearts -ave a bi- throb simultaneously@

His as;e0t >as ;robably as un42abbatarian a one as a do-mati0 ;arson'sson often ;resentedC his attire bein- his dairy 0lothes, lon- >adin- boots, a0abba-e4leaf inside his hat to $ee; his head 0ool, >ith a thistle4s;ud to finishhim off@ BHe's not -oin- to 0hur0h,B said =arian@

B8o >ish he >as B murmured Tess@

An-el, in fa0t, ri-htly or >ron-ly Kto ado;t the safe ;hrase of evasive0ontroversialistsL, ;referred sermons in stones to sermons in 0hur0hes and0ha;els on fine summer days@ This mornin-, moreover, he had -one out tosee if the dama-e to the hay by the flood >as 0onsiderable or not@ 3n his>al$ he observed the -irls from a lon- distan0e, thou-h they had been so



o00u;ied >ith their diffi0ulties of ;assa-e as not to noti0e him@ He $ne> thatthe >ater had risen at that s;ot, and that it >ould uite 0he0$ their ;ro-ress@2o he had hastened on, >ith a dim idea of ho> he 0ould hel; them one ofthem in ;arti0ular@

The rosy40hee$ed, bri-ht4eyed uartet loo$ed so 0harmin- in their li-htsummer attire, 0lin-in- to the roadside ban$ li$e ;i-eons on a roof4slo;e,that he sto;;ed a moment to re-ard them before 0omin- 0lose@ Their -auIys$irts had brushed u; from the -rass innumerable flies and butterflies >hi0h,unable to es0a;e, remained 0a-ed in the trans;arent tissue as in an aviary@An-el's eye at last fell u;on Tess, the hindmost of the fourC she, bein- full ofsu;;ressed lau-hter at their dilemma, 0ould not hel; meetin- his -lan0eradiantly@

He 0ame beneath them in the >ater, >hi0h did not rise over his lon- bootsC and stood loo$in- at the entra;;ed flies and butterflies@

BAre you tryin- to -et to 0hur0hEB he said to =arian, >ho >as in front,in0ludin- the ne t t>o in his remar$, but avoidin- Tess@

BGes, sirC and 'tis -ettin- lateC and my 0olour do 0ome u; so B

B 'll 0arry you throu-h the ;ool every (ill of you@B

The >hole four flushed as if one heart beat throu-h them@

B thin$ you 0an't, sir,B said =arian@

B t is the only >ay for you to -et ;ast@ 2tand still@ 8onsense you arenot too heavy 'd 0arry you all four to-ether@ 8o>, =arian, attend,B he0ontinued, Band ;ut your arms round my shoulders, so@ 8o> Hold on@That's >ell done@B

=arian had lo>ered herself u;on his arm and shoulder as dire0ted, and

An-el strode off >ith her, his slim fi-ure, as vie>ed from behind, loo$in-li$e the mere stem to the -reat nose-ay su--ested by hers@ They disa;;earedround the 0urve of the road, and only his sousin- footste;s and the to;ribbon of =arian's bonnet told >here they >ere@ n a fe> minutes herea;;eared@ II Huett >as the ne t in order u;on the ban$@



BHere he 0omes,B she murmured, and they 0ould hear that her li;s >eredry >ith emotion@ BAnd have to ;ut my arms round his ne0$ and loo$ intohis fa0e as =arian did@B

BThere's nothin- in that,B said Tess ui0$ly@

BThere's a time for everythin-,B 0ontinued II, unheedin-@ BA time toembra0e, and a time to refrain from embra0in-C the first is no> -oin- to bemine@B

BFie it is 20ri;ture, II B

BGes,B said II, B 've al>ays a' ear at 0hur0h for ;retty verses@B

An-el /lare, to >hom three4 uarters of this ;erforman0e >as a0ommon;la0e a0t of $indness, no> a;;roa0hed II@ 2he uietly anddreamily lo>ered herself into his arms, and An-el methodi0ally mar0hed off>ith her@ When he >as heard returnin- for the third time Retty's throbbin-heart 0ould be almost seen to sha$e her@ He >ent u; to the red4haired -irl,and >hile he >as seiIin- her he -lan0ed at Tess@ His li;s 0ould not have

;ronoun0ed more ;lainly, B t >ill soon be you and @B Her 0om;rehensiona;;eared in her fa0eC she 0ould not hel; it@ There >as an understandin-

bet>een them@

Poor little Retty, thou-h by far the li-htest >ei-ht, >as the mosttroublesome of /lare's burdens@ =arian had been li$e a sa0$ of meal, a dead>ei-ht of ;lum;ness under >hi0h he has literally sta--ered@ II had riddensensibly and 0almly@ Retty >as a bun0h of hysteri0s@

Ho>ever, he -ot throu-h >ith the dis uieted 0reature, de;osited her,and returned@ Tess 0ould see over the hed-e the distant three in a -rou;,standin- as he had ;la0ed them on the ne t risin- -round@ t >as no> herturn@ 2he >as embarrassed to dis0over that e 0itement at the ;ro imity of=r /lare's breath and eyes, >hi0h she had 0ontemned in her 0om;anions,>as intensified in herselfC and as if fearful of betrayin- her se0ret, she

;altered >ith him at the last moment@

B may be able to 0lim' alon- the ban$ ;erha;s 0an 0lim' better thanthey@ Gou must be so tired, =r /lare B



B8o, no, Tess,B said he ui0$ly@ And almost before she >as a>are, she>as seated in his arms and restin- a-ainst his shoulder@

BThree eahs to -et one Ra0hel,B he >his;ered@

BThey are better >omen than ,B she re;lied, ma-nanimously sti0$in- toher resolve@

B8ot to me,B said An-el@

He sa> her -ro> >arm at thisC and they >ent some ste;s in silen0e@

B ho;e am not too heavyEB she said timidly@

B3 no@ Gou should lift =arian 2u0h a lum;@ Gou are li$e an undulatin- billo> >armed by the sun@ And all this fluff of muslin about you is thefroth@B

B t is very ;retty if seem li$e that to you@B

BDo you $no> that have under-one three4 uarters of this labourentirely for the sa$e of the fourth uarterEB

B8o@B

B did not e ;e0t su0h an event to4day@B

B8or J The >ater 0ame u; so sudden@B

That the rise in the >ater >as >hat she understood him to refer to, thestate of breathin- belied@ /lare stood still and in0lin0ed his fa0e to>ardshers@

B3 Tessy B he e 0laimed@

The -irl's 0hee$s burned to the breeIe, and she 0ould not loo$ into hiseyes for her emotion@ t reminded An-el that he >as some>hat unfairlyta$in- advanta-e of an a00idental ;ositionC and he >ent no further >ith it@

8o definite >ords of love had 0rossed their li;s as yet, and sus;ension at this ;oint >as desirable no>@ Ho>ever, he >al$ed slo>ly, to ma$e the remainderof the distan0e as lon- as ;ossibleC but at last they 0ame to the bend, and the



rest of their ;ro-ress >as in full vie> of the other three@ The dry land >asrea0hed, and he set her do>n@

Her friends >ere loo$in- >ith round thou-htful eyes at her and him, andshe 0ould see that they had been tal$in- of her@ He hastily bade themfare>ell, and s;lashed ba0$ alon- the stret0h of submer-ed road@

The four moved on to-ether as before, till =arian bro$e the silen0e bysayin-

B8o in all truthC >e have no 0han0e a-ainst her B 2he loo$ed ?oylesslyat Tess@

BWhat do you meanEB as$ed the latter@

BHe li$es 'ee best the very best We 0ould see it as he brou-ht 'ee@ He>ould have $issed 'ee, if you had en0oura-ed him to do it, ever so little@B

B8o, no,B said she@

The -aiety >ith >hi0h they had set out had someho> vanishedC and yetthere >as no enmity or mali0e bet>een them@ They >ere -enerous youn-soulsC they had been reared in the lonely 0ountry noo$s >here fatalism is astron- sentiment, and they did not blame her@ 2u0h su;;lantin- >as to be@

Tess's heart a0hed@ There >as no 0on0ealin- from herself the fa0t thatshe loved An-el /lare, ;erha;s all the more ;assionately from $no>in- thatthe others had also lost their hearts to him@ There is 0onta-ion in thissentiment, es;e0ially amon- >omen@ And yet that same hun-ry nature hadfou-ht a-ainst this, but too feebly, and the natural result had follo>ed@

B >ill never stand in your >ay, nor in the >ay of either of you B shede0lared to Retty that ni-ht in the bedroom Kher tears runnin- do>nL@ B 0an'thel; this, my dear don't thin$ marryin- is in his mind at allC but if he >ere

ever to as$ me should refuse him, as should refuse any man@B

B3h >ould youE WhyEB said >onderin- Retty@

B t 0annot be #ut >ill be ;lain@ Puttin- myself uite on one side, don't thin$ he >ill 0hoose either of you@B



B have never e ;e0ted it thou-ht of it B moaned Retty@ B#ut 3 >ish >as dead B

The ;oor 0hild, torn by a feelin- >hi0h she hardly understood, turned tothe other t>o -irls >ho 0ame u;stairs ?ust then@

BWe be friends >ith her a-ain,B she said to them@ B2he thin$s no moreof his 0hoosin- her than >e do@B

2o the reserve >ent off, and they >ere 0onfidin- and >arm@

B don't seem to 0are >hat do no>,B said =arian, >hose mood >asturned to its lo>est bass@ B >as -oin- to marry a dairyman at 2ti0$leford,>ho's as$ed me t>i0eC but my soul >ould ;ut an end to myself rather'n

be his >ife no> Why don't ye s;ea$, IIEB

BTo 0onfess, then,B murmured II, B made sure to4day that he >as-oin- to $iss me as he held meC and lay still a-ainst his breast, ho;in- andho;in-, and never moved at all@ #ut he did not@ don't li$e bidin- here atTalbothays any lon-er shall -o h>ome@B

The air of the slee;in-40hamber seemed to ;al;itate >ith the ho;eless ;assion of the -irls@ They >rithed feverishly under the o;;ressiveness of anemotion thrust on them by 0ruel 8ature's la> an emotion >hi0h they had

neither e ;e0ted nor desired@ The in0ident of the day had fanned the flamethat >as burnin- the inside of their hearts out, and the torture >as almostmore than they 0ould endure@ The differen0es >hi0h distin-uished them asindividuals >ere abstra0ted by this ;assion, and ea0h >as but ;ortion of oneor-anism 0alled se @ There >as so mu0h fran$ness and so little ?ealousy

be0ause there >as no ho;e@ .a0h one >as a -irl of fair 0ommon sense, andshe did not delude herself >ith any vain 0on0eits, or deny her love, or -iveherself airs, in the idea of outshinin- the others@ The full re0o-nition of thefutility of their infatuation, from a so0ial ;oint of vie>C its ;ur;oseless

be-innin-C its self4bounded outloo$C its la0$ of everythin- to ?ustify itse isten0e in the eye of 0iviliIation K>hile la0$in- nothin- in the eye of

8atureLC the one fa0t that it did e ist, e0stasiIin- them to a $illin- ?oy allthis im;arted to them a resi-nation, a di-nity, >hi0h a ;ra0ti0al and sordide ;e0tation of >innin- him as a husband >ould have destroyed@

They tossed and turned on their little beds, and the 0heese4>rin-dri;;ed monotonously do>nstairs@



B#' you a>a$e, TessEB >his;ered one, half4an4hour later@

t >as II Huett's voi0e@

Tess re;lied in the affirmative, >hereu;on also Retty and =ariansuddenly flun- the bed0lothes off them, and si-hed

B2o be >e B

B >onder >hat she is li$e the lady they say his family have loo$ed outfor him B

B >onder,B said II@

B2ome lady loo$ed out for himEB -as;ed Tess, startin-@ B have neverheard o' that B

B3 yes 'tis >his;eredC a youn- lady of his o>n ran$, 0hosen by hisfamilyC a Do0tor of Divinity's dau-hter near his father's ;arish of .mminsterChe don't mu0h 0are for her, they say@ #ut he is sure to marry her@B

They had heard so very little of thisC yet it >as enou-h to build u;>ret0hed dolorous dreams u;on, there in the shade of the ni-ht@ They

;i0tured all the details of his bein- >on round to 0onsent, of the >eddin- ;re;arations, of the bride's ha;;iness, of her dress and veil, of her blissfulhome >ith him, >hen oblivion >ould have fallen u;on themselves as far ashe and their love >ere 0on0erned@ Thus they tal$ed, and a0hed, and >e;t tillslee; 0harmed their sorro> a>ay@

After this dis0losure Tess nourished no further foolish thou-ht that therelur$ed any -rave and deliberate im;ort in /lare's attentions to her@ t >as a

;assin- summer love of her fa0e, for love's o>n tem;orary sa$e nothin-more@ And the thorny 0ro>n of this sad 0on0e;tion >as that she >hom hereally did ;refer in a 0ursory >ay to the rest, she >ho $ne> herself to be

more im;assioned in nature, 0leverer, more beautiful than they, >as in theeyes of ;ro;riety far less >orthy of him than the homelier ones >hom hei-nored@

<<



had been observin- her for some time, as$ed her if she >ould ta$e theaforesaid 0reatures ne t@ 2he silently assented, and >ith her stool at arm'slen-th, and the ;ail a-ainst her $nee, >ent round to >here they stood@ 2oonthe sound of 3ld Pretty's mil$ fiIIin- into the ;ail 0ame throu-h the hed-e,and then An-el felt in0lined to -o round the 0orner also, to finish off a hard4yieldin- mil0her >ho had strayed there, he bein- no> as 0a;able of this asthe dairyman himself@

All the men, and some of the >omen, >hen mil$in-, du- their foreheadsinto the 0o>s and -aIed into the ;ail@ #ut a fe> mainly the youn-er ones

rested their heads side>ays@ This >as Tess Durbeyfield's habit, her tem;le ;ressin- the mil0her's flan$, her eyes fi ed on the far end of the meado>>ith the uiet of one lost in meditation@ 2he >as mil$in- 3ld Pretty thus,and the sun 0han0in- to be on the mil$in-4side, it shone flat u;on her ;in$4

-o>ned form and her >hite 0urtain4bonnet, and u;on her ;rofile, renderin-it $een as a 0ameo 0ut from the dun ba0$-round of the 0o>@

2he did not $no> that /lare had follo>ed her round, and that he satunder his 0o> >at0hin- her@ The stillness of her head and features >asremar$able: she mi-ht have been in a tran0e, her eyes o;en, yet unseein-@

8othin- in the ;i0ture moved but 3ld Pretty's tail and Tess's ;in$ hands, thelatter so -ently as to be a rhythmi0 ;ulsation only, as if they >ere obeyin- arefle stimulus, li$e a beatin- heart@

Ho> very lovable her fa0e >as to him@ Get there >as nothin- etherealabout itC all >as real vitality, real >armth, real in0arnation@ And it >as in hermouth that this 0ulminated@ .yes almost as dee; and s;ea$in- he had seen

before, and 0hee$s ;erha;s as fairC bro>s as ar0hed, a 0hin and throat almostas sha;elyC her mouth he had seen nothin- to e ual on the fa0e of the earth@To a youn- man >ith the least fire in him that little u;>ard lift in the middleof her red to; li; >as distra0tin-, infatuatin-, maddenin-@ He had never

before seen a >oman's li;s and teeth >hi0h for0ed u;on his mind >ith su0h ;ersistent iteration the old .liIabethan simile of roses filled >ith sno>@

Perfe0t, he, as a lover, mi-ht have 0alled them off4hand@ #ut no they >erenot ;erfe0t@ And it >as the tou0h of the im;erfe0t u;on the >ould4be ;erfe0tthat -ave the s>eetness, be0ause it >as that >hi0h -ave the humanity@

/lare had studied the 0urves of those li;s so many times that he 0ouldre;rodu0e them mentally >ith ease: and no>, as they a-ain 0onfronted him,0lothed >ith 0olour and life, they sent an aura over his flesh, a breeIe



throu-h his nerves, >hi0h >ell ni-h ;rodu0ed a ualmC and a0tually ;rodu0ed, by some mysterious ;hysiolo-i0al ;ro0ess, a ;rosai0 sneeIe@

2he then be0ame 0ons0ious that he >as observin- herC but she >ouldnot sho> it by any 0han-e of ;osition, thou-h the 0urious dream4li$e fi itydisa;;eared, and a 0lose eye mi-ht easily have dis0erned that the rosiness ofher fa0e dee;ened, and then faded till only a tin-e of it >as left@

The influen0e that had ;assed into /lare li$e an e 0itation from the s$ydid not die do>n@ Resolutions, reti0en0es, ;ruden0es, fears, fell ba0$ li$e adefeated battalion@ He ?um;ed u; from his seat, and, leavin- his ;ail to be$i0$ed over if the mil0her had su0h a mind, >ent ui0$ly to>ards the desireof his eyes, and, $neelin- do>n beside her, 0las;ed her in his arms@

Tess >as ta$en 0om;letely by sur;rise, and she yielded to his embra0e>ith unrefle0tin- inevitableness@ Havin- seen that it >as really her lover>ho had advan0ed, and no one else, her li;s ;arted, and she san$ u;on himin her momentary ?oy, >ith somethin- very li$e an e0stati0 0ry@

He had been on the ;oint of $issin- that too tem;tin- mouth, but he0he0$ed himself, for tender 0ons0ien0e' sa$e@

BFor-ive me, Tess dear B he >his;ered@ B ou-ht to have as$ed@ didnot $no> >hat >as doin-@ do not mean it as a liberty@ am devoted to

you, Tessy, dearest, in all sin0erity B

3ld Pretty by this time had loo$ed round, ;uIIledC and seein- t>o ;eo;le 0rou0hin- under her >here, by immemorial 0ustom, there shouldhave been only one, lifted her hind le- 0rossly@

B2he is an-ry she doesn't $no> >hat >e mean she'll $i0$ over themil$ B e 0laimed Tess, -ently strivin- to free herself, her eyes 0on0erned>ith the uadru;ed's a0tions, her heart more dee;ly 0on0erned >ith herselfand /lare@

2he sli;;ed u; from her seat, and they stood to-ether, his arm stillen0ir0lin- her@ Tess's eyes, fi ed on distan0e, be-an to fill@

BWhy do you 0ry, my darlin-EB he said@

B3 don't $no> B she murmured@



As she sa> and felt more 0learly the ;osition she >as in she be0amea-itated and tried to >ithdra>@

BWell, have betrayed my feelin-, Tess, at last,B said he, >ith a 0urioussi-h of des;eration, si-nifyin- un0ons0iously that his heart had outrun his

?ud-ement@ BThat love you dearly and truly need not say@ #ut it shall-o no further no> it distresses you am as sur;rised as you are@ Gou >illnot thin$ have ;resumed u;on your defen0elessness been too ui0$ andunrefle0tin-, >ill youEB

B8' 0an't tell@B

He had allo>ed her to free herselfC and in a minute or t>o the mil$in- ofea0h >as resumed@ 8obody had beheld the -ravitation of the t>o into oneC

and >hen the dairyman 0ame round by that s0reened noo$ a fe> minuteslater, there >as not a si-n to reveal that the mar$edly sundered ;air >eremore to ea0h other than mere a0 uaintan0e@ Get in the interval sin0e /ri0$'slast vie> of them somethin- had o00urred >hi0h 0han-ed the ;ivot of theuniverse for their t>o naturesC somethin- >hi0h, had he $no>n its uality,the dairyman >ould have des;ised, as a ;ra0ti0al manC yet >hi0h >as basedu;on a more stubborn and resistless tenden0y than a >hole hea; of so40alled

;ra0ti0alities@ A veil had been >his$ed asideC the tra0t of ea0h one's outloo$>as to have a ne> horiIon then0efor>ard for a short time or for a lon-@

End of Phase the Third

Phase the ourth3 The 1onse4uence, 55- 555.-

<<

/lare, restless, >ent out into the dus$ >hen evenin- dre> on, she >hohad >on him havin- retired to her 0hamber@



The ni-ht >as as sultry as the day@ There >as no 0oolness after dar$unless on the -rass@ Roads, -arden4;aths, the house4fronts, the barton4>alls>ere >arm as hearths, and refle0ted the noontime tem;erature into theno0tambulist's fa0e@

He sat on the east -ate of the dairy4yard, and $ne> not >hat to thin$ ofhimself@ Feelin- had indeed smothered ?ud-ement that day@

2in0e the sudden embra0e, three hours before, the t>ain had $e;t a;art@2he seemed stilled, almost alarmed, at >hat had o00urred, >hile the novelty,un;remeditation, mastery of 0ir0umstan0e dis uieted him ;al;itatin-,0ontem;lative bein- that he >as@ He 0ould hardly realiIe their true relationsto ea0h other as yet, and >hat their mutual bearin- should be before third

;arties then0efor>ard@

An-el had 0ome as ;u;il to this dairy in the idea that his tem;orarye isten0e here >as to be the merest e;isode in his life, soon ;assed throu-hand early for-ottenC he had 0ome as to a ;la0e from >hi0h as from as0reened al0ove he 0ould 0almly vie> the absorbin- >orld >ithout, and,a;ostro;hiIin- it >ith Walt Whitman

/ro>ds of men and >omen attired in the usual 0ostumes,Ho> 0urious you are to me

resolve u;on a ;lan for ;lun-in- into that >orld ane>@ #ut behold, theabsorbin- s0ene had been im;orted hither@ What had been the en-rossin->orld had dissolved into an uninterestin- outer dumb4sho>C >hile here, inthis a;;arently dim and unim;assioned ;la0e, novelty had vol0ani0allystarted u;, as it had never, for him, started u; else>here@

.very >indo> of the house bein- o;en, /lare 0ould hear a0ross the yardea0h trivial sound of the retirin- household@ The dairy4house, so humble, soinsi-nifi0ant, so ;urely to him a ;la0e of 0onstrained so?ourn that he hadnever hitherto deemed it of suffi0ient im;ortan0e to be re0onnoitred as anob?e0t of any uality >hatever in the lands0a;eC >hat >as it no>E The a-edand li0hened bri0$ -ables breathed forth B2tay B The >indo>s smiled, thedoor 0oa ed and be0$oned, the 0ree;er blushed 0onfedera0y@ A ;ersonality>ithin it >as so far4rea0hin- in her influen0e as to s;read into and ma$e the



bri0$s, mortar, and >hole overhan-in- s$y throb >ith a burnin- sensibility@Whose >as this mi-hty ;ersonalityE A mil$maid's@

t >as amaIin-, indeed, to find ho> -reat a matter the life of the obs0uredairy had be0ome to him@ And thou-h ne> love >as to be held ;artlyres;onsible for this, it >as not solely so@ =any besides An-el have learntthat the ma-nitude of lives is not as to their e ternal dis;la0ements, but as totheir sub?e0tive e ;erien0es@ The im;ressionable ;easant leads a lar-er,fuller, more dramati0 life than the ;a0hydermatous $in-@ oo$in- at it thus,he found that life >as to be seen of the same ma-nitude here as else>here@

Des;ite his heterodo y, faults, and >ea$nesses, /lare >as a man >ith a0ons0ien0e@ Tess >as no insi-nifi0ant 0reature to toy >ith and dismissC but a>oman livin- her ;re0ious life a life >hi0h, to herself >ho endured or

en?oyed it, ;ossessed as -reat a dimension as the life of the mi-htiest tohimself@ U;on her sensations the >hole >orld de;ended to TessC throu-h here isten0e all her fello>40reatures e isted, to her@ The universe itself only0ame into bein- for Tess on the ;arti0ular day in the ;arti0ular year in >hi0hshe >as born@

This 0ons0iousness u;on >hi0h he had intruded >as the sin-leo;;ortunity of e isten0e ever vou0hsafed to Tess by an unsym;atheti0 First/ause her allC her every and only 0han0e@ Ho> then should he loo$ u;onher as of less 0onse uen0e than himselfC as a ;retty trifle to 0aress and -ro>>eary ofC and not deal in the -reatest seriousness >ith the affe0tion >hi0h he$ne> that he had a>a$ened in her so fervid and so im;ressionable as she>as under her reserve in order that it mi-ht not a-oniIe and >re0$ herE

To en0ounter her daily in the a00ustomed manner >ould be to develo;>hat had be-un@ ivin- in su0h 0lose relations, to meet meant to fall intoendearmentC flesh and blood 0ould not resist itC and, havin- arrived at no0on0lusion as to the issue of su0h a tenden0y, he de0ided to hold aloof forthe ;resent from o00u;ations in >hi0h they >ould be mutually en-a-ed@ Asyet the harm done >as small@

#ut it >as not easy to 0arry out the resolution never to a;;roa0h her@ He>as driven to>ards her by every heave of his ;ulse@

He thou-ht he >ould -o and see his friends@ t mi-ht be ;ossible tosound them u;on this@ n less than five months his term here >ould haveended, and after a fe> additional months s;ent u;on other farms he >ould



be fully e ui;;ed in a-ri0ultural $no>led-e and in a ;osition to start on hiso>n a00ount@ Would not a farmer >ant a >ife, and should a farmer's >ife bea dra>in-4room >a 4fi-ure, or a >oman >ho understood farmin-E

8ot>ithstandin- the ;leasin- ans>er returned to him by the silen0e, heresolved to -o his ?ourney@

3ne mornin- >hen they sat do>n to brea$fast at Talbothays Dairy somemaid observed that she had not seen anythin- of =r /lare that day@

B3 no,B said Dairyman /ri0$@ B=r /lare has -one h>ome to .mminsterto s;end a fe> days >i' his $insfol$@B

For four im;assioned ones around that table the sunshine of the mornin->ent out at a stro$e, and the birds muffled their son-@ #ut neither -irl by

>ord or -esture revealed her blan$ness@ BHe's -ettin- on to>ards the end ofhis time >i' me,B added the dairyman, >ith a ;hle-m >hi0h un0ons0iously>as brutalC Band so su;;ose he is be-innin- to see about his ;lanselse>here@B

BHo> mu0h lon-er is he to bide hereEB as$ed II Huett, the only one ofthe -loom4stri0$en bevy >ho 0ould trust her voi0e >ith the uestion@

The others >aited for the dairyman's ans>er as if their lives hun- u;onitC Retty, >ith ;arted li;s, -aIin- on the table0loth, =arian >ith heat added

to her redness, Tess throbbin- and loo$in- out at the meads@

BWell, 0an't mind the e a0t day >ithout loo$in- at my memorandum4 boo$,B re;lied /ri0$, >ith the same intolerable un0on0ern@ BAnd even thatmay be altered a bit@ He'll bide to -et a little ;ra0ti0e in the 0alvin- out at thestra>4yard, for 0ertain@ He'll han- on till the end of the year should say@B

Four months or so of torturin- e0stasy in his so0iety of B;leasure-irdled about >ith ;ainB@ After that the bla0$ness of unutterable ni-ht@

At this moment of the mornin- An-el /lare >as ridin- alon- a narro>lane ten miles distant from the brea$fasters, in the dire0tion of his father's

i0ara-e at .mminster, 0arryin-, as >ell as he 0ould, a little bas$et >hi0h0ontained some bla0$4;uddin-s and a bottle of mead, sent by =rs /ri0$,>ith her $ind res;e0ts, to his ;arents@ The >hite lane stret0hed before him,and his eyes >ere u;on itC but they >ere starin- into ne t year, and not at the



lane@ He loved herC ou-ht he to marry herE Dared he to marry herE What>ould his mother and his brothers sayE What >ould he himself say a 0ou;leof years after the eventE That >ould de;end u;on >hether the -erms ofstaun0h 0omradeshi; underlay the tem;orary emotion, or >hether it >ere asensuous ?oy in her form only, >ith no substratum of everlastin-ness@

His father's hill4surrounded little to>n, the Tudor 0hur0h4to>er of redstone, the 0lum; of trees near the i0ara-e, 0ame at last into vie> beneathhim, and he rode do>n to>ards the >ell4$no>n -ate@ /astin- a -lan0e in thedire0tion of the 0hur0h before enterin- his home, he beheld standin- by thevestry4door a -rou; of -irls, of a-es bet>een t>elve and si teen, a;;arentlya>aitin- the arrival of some other one, >ho in a moment be0ame visibleC afi-ure some>hat older than the s0hool4-irls, >earin- a broad4brimmed hatand hi-hly4star0hed 0ambri0 mornin-4-o>n, >ith a 0ou;le of boo$s in her

hand@

/lare $ne> her >ell@ He 0ould not be sure that she observed himC heho;ed she did not, so as to render it unne0essary that he should -o and s;ea$to her, blameless 0reature that she >as@ An over;o>erin- relu0tan0e to -reether made him de0ide that she had not seen him@ The youn- lady >as =iss=er0y /hant, the only dau-hter of his father's nei-hbour and friend, >hom it>as his ;arents' uiet ho;e that he mi-ht >ed some day@ 2he >as -reat atAntinomianism and #ible40lasses, and >as ;lainly -oin- to hold a 0lassno>@ /lare's mind fle> to the im;assioned, summer4stee;ed heathens in the

ar ale, their rosy fa0es 0ourt4;at0hed >ith 0o>4dro;;in-sC and to one themost im;assioned of them all@

t >as on the im;ulse of the moment that he had resolved to trot over to.mminster, and hen0e had not >ritten to a;;rise his mother and father,aimin-, ho>ever, to arrive about the brea$fast hour, before they should have-one out to their ;arish duties@ He >as a little late, and they had already satdo>n to the mornin- meal@ The -rou; at the table ?um;ed u; to >el0omehim as soon as he entered@ They >ere his father and mother, his brother the

Reverend Feli 0urate at a to>n in the ad?oinin- 0ounty, home for theinside of a fortni-ht and his other brother, the Reverend /uthbert, the0lassi0al s0holar, and Fello> and Dean of his /olle-e, do>n from/ambrid-e for the lon- va0ation@ His mother a;;eared in a 0a; and silvers;e0ta0les, and his father loo$ed >hat in fa0t he >as an earnest, 7od4fearin- man, some>hat -aunt, in years about si ty4five, his ;ale fa0e lined>ith thou-ht and ;ur;ose@ 3ver their heads hun- the ;i0ture of An-el's



sister, the eldest of the family, si teen years his senior, >ho had married amissionary and -one out to Afri0a@

3ld =r /lare >as a 0ler-yman of a ty;e >hi0h, >ithin the last t>entyyears, has >ell ni-h dro;;ed out of 0ontem;orary life@ A s;iritualdes0endant in the dire0t line from Wy0liff, Huss, uther, /alvinC an.van-eli0al of the .van-eli0als, a /onversionist, a man of A;ostoli0sim;li0ity in life and thou-ht, he had in his ra> youth made u; his mindon0e for all in the dee;er uestions of e isten0e, and admitted no furtherreasonin- on them then0efor>ard@ He >as re-arded even by those of his o>ndate and s0hool of thin$inas e tremeC >hile, on the other hand, thosetotally o;;osed to him >ere un>illin-ly >on to admiration for histhorou-hness, and for the remar$able ;o>er he sho>ed in dismissin- all

uestion as to ;rin0i;les in his ener-y for a;;lyin- them@ He loved Paul of

Tarsus, li$ed 2t (ohn, hated 2t (ames as mu0h as he dared, and re-arded>ith mi ed feelin-s Timothy, Titus, and Philemon@ The 8e> Testament >asless a /hristiad then a Pauliad to his intelli-en0e less an ar-ument than aninto i0ation@ His 0reed of determinism >as su0h that it almost amounted to avi0e, and uite amounted, on its ne-ative side, to a renun0iative ;hiloso;hy>hi0h had 0ousinshi; >ith that of 20ho;enhauer and eo;ardi@ He des;isedthe /anons and Rubri0, s>ore by the Arti0les, and deemed himself0onsistent throu-h the >hole 0ate-ory >hi0h in a >ay he mi-ht have been@3ne thin- he 0ertainly >as sin0ere@

To the aestheti0, sensuous, ;a-an ;leasure in natural life and lush>omanhood >hi0h his son An-el had lately been e ;erien0in- in ar ale,his tem;er >ould have been anti;atheti0 in a hi-h de-ree, had he either byin uiry or ima-ination been able to a;;rehend it@ 3n0e u;on a time An-elhad been so unlu0$y as to say to his father, in a moment of irritation, that itmi-ht have resulted far better for man$ind if 7ree0e had been the sour0e ofthe reli-ion of modern 0iviliIation, and not PalestineC and his father's -rief>as of that blan$ des0ri;tion >hi0h 0ould not realiIe that there mi-ht lur$ athousandth ;art of a truth, mu0h less a half truth or a >hole truth, in su0h a

;ro;osition@ He had sim;ly ;rea0hed austerely at An-el for some time after@#ut the $indness of his heart >as su0h that he never resented anythin- forlon-, and >el0omed his son to4day >ith a smile >hi0h >as as 0andidlys>eet as a 0hild's@

An-el sat do>n, and the ;la0e felt li$e homeC yet he did not so mu0h asformerly feel himself one of the family -athered there@ .very time that he



returned hither he >as 0ons0ious of this diver-en0e, and sin0e he had lastshared in the i0ara-e life it had -ro>n even more distin0tly forei-n to hiso>n than usual@ ts trans0endental as;irations still un0ons0iously based onthe -eo0entri0 vie> of thin-s, a Ienithal ;aradise, a nadiral hell >ere asforei-n to his o>n as if they had been the dreams of ;eo;le on another

;lanet@ atterly he had seen only ife, felt only the -reat ;assionate ;ulse ofe isten0e, un>ar;ed, un0ontorted, untrammelled by those 0reeds >hi0hfutilely attem;t to 0he0$ >hat >isdom >ould be 0ontent to re-ulate@

3n their ;art they sa> a -reat differen0e in him, a -ro>in- diver-en0efrom the An-el /lare of former times@ t >as 0hiefly a differen0e in hismanner that they noti0ed ?ust no>, ;arti0ularly his brothers@ He >as -ettin-to behave li$e a farmerC he flun- his le-s aboutC the mus0les of his fa0e had-ro>n more e ;ressiveC his eyes loo$ed as mu0h information as his ton-ue

s;o$e, and more@ The manner of the s0holar had nearly disa;;earedC stillmore the manner of the dra>in-4room youn- man@ A ;ri- >ould have saidthat he had lost 0ulture, and a ;rude that he had be0ome 0oarse@ 2u0h >as the0onta-ion of domi0iliary fello>shi; >ith the Talbothays nym;hs ands>ains@

After brea$fast he >al$ed >ith his t>o brothers, non4evan-eli0al, >ell4edu0ated, hall4mar$ed youn- men, 0orre0t to their remotest fibre, su0hunim;ea0hable models as are turned out yearly by the lathe of a systemati0tuition@ They >ere both some>hat short4si-hted, and >hen it >as the 0ustomto >ear a sin-le eye-lass and strin- they >ore a sin-le eye-lass and strin-C>hen it >as the 0ustom to >ear a double -lass they >ore a double -lassC>hen it >as the 0ustom to >ear s;e0ta0les they >ore s;e0ta0les strai-ht>ay,all >ithout referen0e to the ;arti0ular variety of defe0t in their o>n vision@When Words>orth >as enthroned they 0arried ;o0$et 0o;iesC and >hen2helley >as belittled they allo>ed him to -ro> dusty on their shelves@ When/orre--io's Holy Families >ere admired, they admired /orre--io's HolyFamiliesC >hen he >as de0ried in favour of elas ueI, they sedulouslyfollo>ed suit >ithout any ;ersonal ob?e0tion@

f these t>o noti0ed An-el's -ro>in- so0ial ine;tness, he noti0ed their-ro>in- mental limitations@ Feli seemed to him all /hur0hC /uthbert all/olle-e@ His Dio0esan 2ynod and isitations >ere the mains;rin-s of the>orld to the oneC /ambrid-e to the other@ .a0h brother 0andidly re0o-niIedthat there >ere a fe> unim;ortant s0ore of millions of outsiders in 0iviliIed



so0iety, ;ersons >ho >ere neither University men nor 0hur0hmenC but they>ere to be tolerated rather than re0$oned >ith and res;e0ted@

They >ere both dutiful and attentive sons, and >ere re-ular in theirvisits to their ;arents@ Feli , thou-h an offshoot from a far more re0ent ;ointin the devolution of theolo-y than his father, >as less self4sa0rifi0in- anddisinterested@ =ore tolerant than his father of a 0ontradi0tory o;inion, in itsas;e0t as a dan-er to its holder, he >as less ready than his father to ;ardon itas a sli-ht to his o>n tea0hin-@ /uthbert >as, u;on the >hole, the moreliberal4minded, thou-h, >ith -reater subtlety, he had not so mu0h heart@

As they >al$ed alon- the hillside An-el's former feelin- revived in him that >hatever their advanta-es by 0om;arison >ith himself, neither sa> orset forth life as it really >as lived@ Perha;s, as >ith many men, their

o;;ortunities of observation >ere not so -ood as their o;;ortunities ofe ;ression@ 8either had an ade uate 0on0e;tion of the 0om;li0ated for0es at>or$ outside the smooth and -entle 0urrent in >hi0h they and theirasso0iates floated@ 8either sa> the differen0e bet>een lo0al truth anduniversal truthC that >hat the inner >orld said in their 0leri0al and a0ademi0hearin- >as uite a different thin- from >hat the outer >orld >as thin$in-@

B su;;ose it is farmin- or nothin- for you no>, my dear fello>,B Feli>as sayin-, amon- other thin-s, to his youn-est brother, as he loo$edthrou-h his s;e0ta0les at the distant fields >ith sad austerity@ BAnd,therefore, >e must ma$e the best of it@ #ut do entreat you to endeavour to$ee; as mu0h as ;ossible in tou0h >ith moral ideals@ Farmin-, of 0ourse,means rou-hin- it e ternallyC but hi-h thin$in- may -o >ith ;lain livin-,nevertheless@B

B3f 0ourse it may,B said An-el@ BWas it not ;roved nineteen hundredyears a-o if may tres;ass u;on your domain a littleE Why should youthin$, Feli , that am li$ely to dro; my hi-h thin$in- and my moral idealsEB

BWell, fan0ied, from the tone of your letters and our 0onversation itmay be fan0y only that you >ere someho> losin- intelle0tual -ras;@ Hasn'tit stru0$ you, /uthbertEB

B8o>, Feli ,B said An-el drily, B>e are very -ood friends, you $no>Cea0h of us treadin- our allotted 0ir0lesC but if it 0omes to intelle0tual -ras;, thin$ you, as a 0ontented do-matist, had better leave mine alone, and in uire>hat has be0ome of yours@B



They returned do>n the hill to dinner, >hi0h >as fi ed at any time at>hi0h their father's and mother's mornin- >or$ in the ;arish usually0on0luded@ /onvenien0e as re-arded afternoon 0allers >as the last thin- toenter into the 0onsideration of unselfish =r and =rs /lareC thou-h the threesons >ere suffi0iently in unison on this matter to >ish that their ;arents>ould 0onform a little to modern notions@

The >al$ had made them hun-ry, An-el in ;arti0ular, >ho >as no> anoutdoor man, a00ustomed to the ;rofuse dapes inemptae of the dairyman'ssome>hat 0oarsely4laden table@ #ut neither of the old ;eo;le had arrived,and it >as not till the sons >ere almost tired of >aitin- that their ;arentsentered@ The self4denyin- ;air had been o00u;ied in 0oa in- the a;;etites ofsome of their si0$ ;arishioners, >hom they, some>hat in0onsistently, triedto $ee; im;risoned in the flesh, their o>n a;;etites bein- uite for-otten@

The family sat do>n to table, and a fru-al meal of 0old viands >asde;osited before them@ An-el loo$ed round for =rs /ri0$'s bla0$4;uddin-s,>hi0h he had dire0ted to be ni0ely -rilled as they did them at the dairy, andof >hi0h he >ished his father and mother to a;;re0iate the marvellousherbal savours as hi-hly as he did himself@

BAh you are loo$in- for the bla0$4;uddin-s, my dear boy,B observed/lare's mother@ B#ut am sure you >ill not mind doin- >ithout them as amsure your father and shall not, >hen you $no> the reason@ su--ested tohim that >e should ta$e =rs /ri0$'s $ind ;resent to the 0hildren of the man>ho 0an earn nothin- ?ust no> be0ause of his atta0$s of delirium tremensCand he a-reed that it >ould be a -reat ;leasure to themC so >e did@B

B3f 0ourse,B said An-el 0heerfully, loo$in- round for the mead@

B found the mead so e tremely al0oholi0,B 0ontinued his mother, Bthat it>as uite unfit for use as a bevera-e, but as valuable as rum or brandy in anemer-en0yC so have ;ut it in my medi0ine40loset@B

BWe never drin$ s;irits at this table, on ;rin0i;le,B added his father@

B#ut >hat shall tell the dairyman's >ifeEB said An-el@

BThe truth, of 0ourse,B said his father@



His father seemed to thin$ this idea not unreasonableC and then An-el ;ut the uestion

BWhat $ind of >ife do you thin$ >ould be best for me as a thrifty hard4>or$in- farmerEB

BA truly /hristian >oman, >ho >ill be a hel; and a 0omfort to you inyour -oin-s4out and your 0omin-s4in@ #eyond that, it really matters little@2u0h an one 0an be foundC indeed, my earnest4minded friend and nei-hbour,Dr /hant B

B#ut ou-ht she not ;rimarily to be able to mil$ 0o>s, 0hurn -ood butter,ma$e immense 0heesesC $no> ho> to sit hens and tur$eys and rear 0hi0$ens,to dire0t a field of labourers in an emer-en0y, and estimate the value of

shee; and 0alvesEBBGesC a farmer's >ifeC yes, 0ertainly@ t >ould be desirable@B =r /lare,

the elder, had ;lainly never thou-ht of these ;oints before@ B >as -oin- toadd,B he said, Bthat for a ;ure and saintly >oman you >ill not find one moreto your true advanta-e, and 0ertainly not more to your mother's mind and myo>n, than your friend =er0y, >hom you used to sho> a 0ertain interest in@ tis true that my nei-hbour /hant's dau-hter had lately 0au-ht u; the fashionof the youn-er 0ler-y round about us for de0oratin- the /ommunion4table alter, as >as sho0$ed to hear her 0all it one day >ith flo>ers and other

stuff on festival o00asions@ #ut her father, >ho is uite as o;;osed to su0hflummery as , says that 0an be 0ured@ t is a mere -irlish outbrea$ >hi0h, am sure, >ill not be ;ermanent@B

BGes, yesC =er0y is -ood and devout, $no>@ #ut, father, don't youthin$ that a youn- >oman e ually ;ure and virtuous as =iss /hant, but one>ho, in ;la0e of that lady's e00lesiasti0al a00om;lishments, understands theduties of farm life as >ell as a farmer himself, >ould suit me infinitely

betterEB

His father ;ersisted in his 0onvi0tion that a $no>led-e of a farmer's>ife's duties 0ame se0ond to a Pauline vie> of humanityC and the im;ulsiveAn-el, >ishin- to honour his father's feelin-s and to advan0e the 0ause ofhis heart at the same time, -re> s;e0ious@ He said that fate or Providen0ehad thro>n in his >ay a >oman >ho ;ossessed every ualifi0ation to be thehel;mate of an a-ri0ulturist, and >as de0idedly of a serious turn of mind@ He>ould not say >hether or not she had atta0hed herself to the sound o>



/hur0h 20hool of his fatherC but she >ould ;robably be o;en to 0onvi0tionon that ;ointC she >as a re-ular 0hur0h4-oer of sim;le faithC honest4hearted,re0e;tive, intelli-ent, -ra0eful to a de-ree, 0haste as a vestal, and, in ;ersonala;;earan0e, e 0e;tionally beautiful@

B s she of a family su0h as you >ould 0are to marry into a lady, inshortEB as$ed his startled mother, >ho had 0ome softly into the study durin-the 0onversation@

B2he is not >hat in 0ommon ;arlan0e is 0alled a lady,B said An-el,unflin0hin-ly, Bfor she is a 0otta-er's dau-hter, as am ;roud to say@ #ut sheis a lady, nevertheless in feelin- and nature@B

B=er0y /hant is of a very -ood family@B

BPooh >hat's the advanta-e of that, motherEB said An-el ui0$ly@BHo> is family to avail the >ife of a man >ho has to rou-h it as have, andshall have to doEB

B=er0y is a00om;lished@ And a00om;lishments have their 0harm,Breturned his mother, loo$in- at him throu-h her silver s;e0ta0les@

BAs to e ternal a00om;lishments, >hat >ill be the use of them in thelife am -oin- to leadE >hile as to her readin-, 0an ta$e that in hand@

2he'll be a;t ;u;il enou-h, as you >ould say if you $ne> her@ 2he's brim fullof ;oetry a0tualiIed ;oetry, if may use the e ;ression@ 2he li es >hat ;a;er4;oets only >riteJ And she is an unim;ea0hable /hristian, am sureC ;erha;s of the very tribe, -enus, and s;e0ies you desire to ;ro;a-ate@B

B3 An-el, you are mo0$in- B

B=other, be- ;ardon@ #ut as she really does attend /hur0h almostevery 2unday mornin-, and is a -ood /hristian -irl, am sure you >illtolerate any so0ial short0omin-s for the sa$e of that uality, and feel that

may do >orse than 0hoose her@B An-el >a ed uite earnest on that ratherautomati0 orthodo y in his beloved Tess >hi0h Knever dreamin- that itmi-ht stand him in su0h -ood steadL he had been ;rone to sli-ht >henobservin- it ;ra0tised by her and the other mil$maids, be0ause of its obviousunreality amid beliefs essentially naturalisti0@



n their sad doubts as to >hether their son had himself any ri-ht>hatever to the title he 0laimed for the un$no>n youn- >oman, =r and =rs/lare be-an to feel it as an advanta-e not to be overloo$ed that she at least>as sound in her vie>sC es;e0ially as the 0on?un0tion of the ;air must havearisen by an a0t of Providen0eC for An-el never >ould have made orthodo ya 0ondition of his 0hoi0e@ They said finally that it >as better not to a0t in ahurry, but that they >ould not ob?e0t to see her@

An-el therefore refrained from de0larin- more ;arti0ulars no>@ He feltthat, sin-le4minded and self4sa0rifi0in- as his ;arents >ere, there yet e isted0ertain latent ;re?udi0es of theirs, as middle40lass ;eo;le, >hi0h it >ouldre uire some ta0t to over0ome@ For thou-h le-ally at liberty to do as he0hose, and thou-h their dau-hter4in4la>'s ualifi0ations 0ould ma$e no

;ra0ti0al differen0e to their lives, in the ;robability of her livin- far a>ay

from them, he >ished for affe0tion's sa$e not to >ound their sentiment in themost im;ortant de0ision of his life@

He observed his o>n in0onsisten0ies in d>ellin- u;on a00idents inTess's life as if they >ere vital features@ t >as for herself that he loved TessCher soul, her heart, her substan0e not for her s$ill in the dairy, her a;tnessas his s0holar, and 0ertainly not for her sim;le formal faith4;rofessions@ Herunso;histi0ated o;en4air e isten0e re uired no varnish of 0onventionality toma$e it ;alatable to him@ He held that edu0ation had as yet but little affe0tedthe beats of emotion and im;ulse on >hi0h domesti0 ha;;iness de;ends@ t>as ;robable that, in the la;se of a-es, im;roved systems of moral andintelle0tual trainin- >ould a;;re0iably, ;erha;s 0onsiderably, elevate theinvoluntary and even the un0ons0ious instin0ts of human natureC but u; tothe ;resent day, 0ulture, as far as he 0ould see, mi-ht be said to have affe0tedonly the mental e;iderm of those lives >hi0h had been brou-ht under itsinfluen0e@ This belief >as 0onfirmed by his e ;erien0e of >omen, >hi0h,havin- latterly been e tended from the 0ultivated middle40lass into the rural0ommunity, had tau-ht him ho> mu0h less >as the intrinsi0 differen0e

bet>een the -ood and >ise >oman of one so0ial stratum and the -ood and

>ise >oman of another so0ial stratum, than bet>een the -ood and bad, the>ise and the foolish, of the same stratum or 0lass@

t >as the mornin- of his de;arture@ His brothers had already left thei0ara-e to ;ro0eed on a >al$in- tour in the north, >hen0e one >as to

return to his 0olle-e, and the other to his 0ura0y@ An-el mi-ht havea00om;anied them, but ;referred to re?oin his s>eetheart at Talbothays@ He



This distin0tion, thou-h by no means a subtle one, >as yet too subtle for=r /lare the elder, and he >ent on >ith the story he had been about torelateC >hi0h >as that after the death of the senior so40alled d'Urberville, theyoun- man develo;ed the most 0ul;able ;assions, thou-h he had a blindmother, >hose 0ondition should have made him $no> better@ A $no>led-eof his 0areer havin- 0ome to the ears of =r /lare, >hen he >as in that ;artof the 0ountry ;rea0hin- missionary sermons, he boldly too$ o00asion tos;ea$ to the delin uent on his s;iritual state@ Thou-h he >as a stran-er,o00u;yin- another's ;ul;it, he had felt this to be his duty, and too$ for histe t the >ords from 2t u$e: BThou fool, this ni-ht thy soul shall be re uiredof thee B The youn- man mu0h resented this dire0tness of atta0$, and in the>ar of >ords >hi0h follo>ed >hen they met he did not s0ru;le ;ubli0ly toinsult =r /lare, >ithout res;e0t for his -ray hairs@

An-el flushed >ith distress@

BDear father,B he said sadly, B >ish you >ould not e ;ose yourself tosu0h -ratuitous ;ain from s0oundrels B

BPainEB said his father, his ru--ed fa0e shinin- in the ardour of self4abne-ation@ BThe only ;ain to me >as ;ain on his a00ount, ;oor, foolishyoun- man@ Do you su;;ose his in0ensed >ords 0ould -ive me any ;ain, oreven his blo>sE '#ein- reviled >e blessC bein- ;erse0uted >e suffer itC bein-defamed >e entreatC >e are made as the filth of the >orld, and as theoffs0ourin- of all thin-s unto this day@' Those an0ient and noble >ords to the/orinthians are stri0tly true at this ;resent hour@B

B8ot blo>s, fatherE He did not ;ro0eed to blo>sEB

B8o, he did not@ Thou-h have borne blo>s from men in a mad state ofinto i0ation@B

B8o B

BA doIen times, my boy@ What thenE have saved them from the -uiltof murderin- their o>n flesh and blood therebyC and they have lived to than$me, and ;raise 7od@B

B=ay this youn- man do the same B said An-el fervently@ B#ut fearother>ise, from >hat you say@B



BWe'll ho;e, nevertheless,B said =r /lare@ BAnd 0ontinue to ;ray forhim, thou-h on this side of the -rave >e shall ;robably never meet a-ain@#ut, after all, one of those ;oor >ords of mine may s;rin- u; in his heart asa -ood seed some day@B

8o>, as al>ays, /lare's father >as san-uine as a 0hildC and thou-h theyoun-er 0ould not a00e;t his ;arent's narro> do-ma, he revered his ;ra0ti0eand re0o-niIed the hero under the ;ietist@ Perha;s he revered his father's

;ra0ti0e even more no> than ever, seein- that, in the uestion of ma$in-Tessy his >ife, his father had not on0e thou-ht of in uirin- >hether she>ere >ell ;rovided or ;enniless@ The same un>orldliness >as >hat hadne0essitated An-el's -ettin- a livin- as a farmer, and >ould ;robably $ee;his brothers in the ;osition of ;oor ;arsons for the term of their a0tivitiesCyet An-el admired it none the less@ ndeed, des;ite his o>n heterodo y,

An-el often felt that he >as nearer to his father on the human side than >aseither of his brethren@

<<

An u;4hill and do>n4hill ride of t>enty4odd miles throu-h a -arish mid4day atmos;here brou-ht him in the afternoon to a deta0hed $noll a mile ort>o >est of Talbothays, >hen0e he a-ain loo$ed into that -reen trou-h ofsa;;iness and humidity, the valley of the ar or Froom@ mmediately he

be-an to des0end from the u;land to the fat alluvial soil belo>, theatmos;here -re> heavierC the lan-uid ;erfume of the summer fruits, themists, the hay, the flo>ers, formed therein a vast ;ool of odour >hi0h at thishour seemed to ma$e the animals, the very bees and butterflies dro>sy@/lare >as no> so familiar >ith the s;ot that he $ne> the individual 0o>s bytheir names >hen, a lon- distan0e off, he sa> them dotted about the meads@

t >as >ith a sense of lu ury that he re0o-niIed his ;o>er of vie>in- lifehere from its inner side, in a >ay that had been uite forei-n to him in hisstudent4daysC and, mu0h as he loved his ;arents, he 0ould not hel; bein-

a>are that to 0ome here, as no>, after an e ;erien0e of home4life, affe0tedhim li$e thro>in- off s;lints and banda-esC even the one 0ustomary 0urb onthe humours of .n-lish rural so0ieties bein- absent in this ;la0e, Talbothayshavin- no resident landlord@

8ot a human bein- >as out of doors at the dairy@ The deniIens >ere allen?oyin- the usual afternoon na; of an hour or so >hi0h the e 0eedin-ly



early hours $e;t in summer4time rendered a ne0essity@ At the door the >ood4hoo;ed ;ails, sodden and blea0hed by infinite s0rubbin-s, hun- li$e hats ona stand u;on the for$ed and ;eeled limb of an oa$ fi ed there for that

;ur;oseC all of them ready and dry for the evenin- mil$in-@ An-el entered,and >ent throu-h the silent ;assa-es of the house to the ba0$ uarters, >herehe listened for a moment@ 2ustained snores 0ame from the 0art4house, >heresome of the men >ere lyin- do>nC the -runt and s ueal of s>elterin- ;i-sarose from the still further distan0e@ The lar-e4leaved rhubarb and 0abba-e

;lants sle;t too, their broad lim; surfa0es han-in- in the sun li$e half40losedumbrellas@

He unbridled and fed his horse, and as he re4entered the house the 0lo0$stru0$ three@ Three >as the afternoon s$immin-4hourC and, >ith the stro$e,/lare heard the 0rea$in- of the floor4boards above, and then the tou0h of a

des0endin- foot on the stairs@ t >as Tess's, >ho in another moment 0amedo>n before his eyes@

2he had not heard him enter, and hardly realiIed his ;resen0e there@ 2he>as ya>nin-, and he sa> the red interior of her mouth as if it had been asna$e's@ 2he had stret0hed one arm so hi-h above her 0oiled4u; 0able of hairthat he 0ould see its satin deli0a0y above the sunburnC her fa0e >as flushed>ith slee;, and her eyelids hun- heavy over their ;u;ils@ The brim4fulness ofher nature breathed from her@ t >as a moment >hen a >oman's soul is morein0arnate than at any other timeC >hen the most s;iritual beauty bes;ea$sitself fleshC and se ta$es the outside ;la0e in the ;resentation@

Then those eyes flashed bri-htly throu-h their filmy heaviness, beforethe remainder of her fa0e >as >ell a>a$e@ With an oddly 0om;ounded loo$of -ladness, shyness, and sur;rise, she e 0laimed B3 =r /lare Ho> youfri-htened me B

There had not at first been time for her to thin$ of the 0han-ed relations>hi0h his de0laration had introdu0edC but the full sense of the matter rose u;in her fa0e >hen she en0ountered /lare's tender loo$ as he ste;;ed for>ardto the bottom stair@

BDear, darlin- Tessy B he >his;ered, ;uttin- his arm round her, and hisfa0e to her flushed 0hee$@ BDon't, for Heaven's sa$e, =ister me any more@ have hastened ba0$ so soon be0ause of you B



Tess's e 0itable heart beat a-ainst his by >ay of re;lyC and there theystood u;on the red4bri0$ floor of the entry, the sun slantin- in by the>indo> u;on his ba0$, as he held her ti-htly to his breastC u;on herin0linin- fa0e, u;on the blue veins of her tem;le, u;on her na$ed arm, andher ne0$, and into the de;ths of her hair@ Havin- been lyin- do>n in her0lothes she >as >arm as a sunned 0at@ At first she >ould not loo$ strai-ht u;at him, but her eyes soon lifted, and his ;lumbed the dee;ness of the ever4varyin- ;u;ils, >ith their radiatin- fibrils of blue, and bla0$, and -ray, andviolet, >hile she re-arded him as .ve at her se0ond >a$in- mi-ht havere-arded Adam@

B 've -ot to -o a4s$immin-,B she ;leaded, Band have on'y old Deb tohel; me to4day@ =rs /ri0$ is -one to mar$et >ith =r /ri0$, and Retty is not>ell, and the others are -one out some>here, and >on't be home till

mil$in-@B

As they retreated to the mil$4house Deborah Fyander a;;eared on thestairs@

B have 0ome ba0$, Deborah,B said =r /lare, u;>ards@ B2o 0an hel;Tess >ith the s$immin-C and, as you are very tired, am sure, you needn't0ome do>n till mil$in-4time@B

Possibly the Talbothays mil$ >as not very thorou-hly s$immed that

afternoon@ Tess >as in a dream >herein familiar ob?e0ts a;;eared as havin-li-ht and shade and ;osition, but no ;arti0ular outline@ .very time she heldthe s$immer under the ;um; to 0ool it for the >or$ her hand trembled, theardour of his affe0tion bein- so ;al;able that she seemed to flin0h under itli$e a ;lant in too burnin- a sun@

Then he ;ressed her a-ain to his side, and >hen she had done runnin-her forefin-er round the leads to 0ut off the 0ream4ed-e, he 0leaned it innature's >ayC for the un0onstrained manners of Talbothays dairy 0ame0onvenient no>@

B may as >ell say it no> as later, dearest,B he resumed -ently@ B >ishto as$ you somethin- of a very ;ra0ti0al nature, >hi0h have been thin$in-of ever sin0e that day last >ee$ in the meads@ shall soon >ant to marry,and, bein- a farmer, you see shall re uire for my >ife a >oman >ho $no>sall about the mana-ement of farms@ Will you be that >oman, TessyEB



He ;ut it that >ay that she mi-ht not thin$ he had yielded to an im;ulseof >hi0h his head >ould disa;;rove@

2he turned uite 0are>orn@ 2he had bo>ed to the inevitable result of ;ro imity, the ne0essity of lovin- himC but she had not 0al0ulated u;on thissudden 0orollary, >hi0h, indeed, /lare had ;ut before her >ithout uitemeanin- himself to do it so soon@ With ;ain that >as li$e the bitterness ofdissolution she murmured the >ords of her indis;ensable and s>orn ans>eras an honourable >oman@

B3 =r /lare 0annot be your >ife 0annot be B

The sound of her o>n de0ision seemed to brea$ Tess's very heart, andshe bo>ed her fa0e in her -rief@

B#ut, Tess B he said, amaIed at her re;ly, and holdin- her still more-reedily 0lose@ BDo you say noE 2urely you love meEB

B3 yes, yes And >ould rather be yours than anybody's in the >orld,Breturned the s>eet and honest voi0e of the distressed -irl@ B#ut cannotmarry you B

BTess,B he said, holdin- her at arm's len-th, Byou are en-a-ed to marrysome one else B

B8o, no B

BThen >hy do you refuse meEB

B don't >ant to marry have not thou-ht of doin- it@ 0annot only>ant to love you@B

B#ut >hyEB

Driven to subterfu-e, she stammeredBGour father is a ;arson, and your mother >ouldn' li$e you to marry

su0h as me@ 2he >ill >ant you to marry a lady@B

B8onsense have s;o$en to them both@ That >as ;artly >hy >enthome@B



B feel 0annot never, never B she e0hoed@

B s it too sudden to be as$ed thus, my PrettyEB

BGes did not e ;e0t it@B

B f you >ill let it ;ass, ;lease, Tessy, >ill -ive you time,B he said@ B t>as very abru;t to 0ome home and s;ea$ to you all at on0e@ 'll not allude toit a-ain for a >hile@B

2he a-ain too$ u; the shinin- s$immer, held it beneath the ;um;, and be-an ane>@ #ut she 0ould not, as at other times, hit the e a0t under4surfa0eof the 0ream >ith the deli0ate de terity re uired, try as she mi-htCsometimes she >as 0uttin- do>n into the mil$, sometimes in the air@ 2he0ould hardly see, her eyes havin- filled >ith t>o blurrin- tears dra>n forth

by a -rief >hi0h, to this her best friend and dear advo0ate, she 0ould nevere ;lain@

B 0an't s$im 0an't B she said, turnin- a>ay from him@

8ot to a-itate and hinder her lon-er, the 0onsiderate /lare be-an tal$in-in a more -eneral >ay: BGou uite misa;;rehend my ;arents@ They are themost sim;le4mannered ;eo;le alive, and uite unambitious@ They are t>o ofthe fe> remainin- .van-eli0al s0hool@ Tessy, are you an .van-eli0alEB

B don't $no>@B

BGou -o to 0hur0h very re-ularly, and our ;arson here is not very Hi-h,they tell me@B

Tess's ideas on the vie>s of the ;arish 0ler-yman, >hom she heardevery >ee$, seemed to be rather more va-ue than /lare's, >ho had neverheard him at all@

B >ish 0ould fi my mind on >hat hear there more firmly than do,Bshe remar$ed as a safe -enerality@ B t is often a -reat sorro> to me@B

2he s;o$e so unaffe0tedly that An-el >as sure in his heart that his father0ould not ob?e0t to her on reli-ious -rounds, even thou-h she did not $no>>hether her ;rin0i;les >ere Hi-h, o> or #road@ He himself $ne> that, inreality, the 0onfused beliefs >hi0h she held, a;;arently imbibed in



0hildhood, >ere, if anythin-, Tra0tarian as to ;hraseolo-y, and Pantheisti0 asto essen0e@ /onfused or other>ise, to disturb them >as his last desire:

eave thou thy sister, >hen she ;rays, Her early Heaven, her ha;;y vie>sC 8or thou >ith shado>'d hint 0onfuseA life that leads melodious days@

He had o00asionally thou-ht the 0ounsel less honest than musi0alC buthe -ladly 0onformed to it no>@

He s;o$e further of the in0idents of his visit, of his father's mode of life,

of his Ieal for his ;rin0i;lesC she -re> serener, and the undulationsdisa;;eared from her s$immin-C as she finished one lead after another hefollo>ed her, and dre> the ;lu-s for lettin- do>n the mil$@

B fan0ied you loo$ed a little do>n0ast >hen you 0ame in,B she venturedto observe, an ious to $ee; a>ay from the sub?e0t of herself@

BGes >ell, my father had been tal$in- a -ood deal to me of histroubles and diffi0ulties, and the sub?e0t al>ays tends to de;ress me@ He isso Iealous that he -ets many snubs and buffetin-s from ;eo;le of a different

>ay of thin$in- from himself, and don't li$e to hear of su0h humiliations toa man of his a-e, the more ;arti0ularly as don't thin$ earnestness does any-ood >hen 0arried so far@ He has been tellin- me of a very un;leasant s0enein >hi0h he too$ ;art uite re0ently@ He >ent as the de;uty of somemissionary so0iety to ;rea0h in the nei-hbourhood of Trantrid-e, a ;la0eforty miles from here, and made it his business to e ;ostulate >ith a layoun- 0yni0 he met >ith some>here about there son of some lando>neru; that >ay and >ho has a mother affli0ted >ith blindness@ =y fatheraddressed himself to the -entleman ;oint4blan$, and there >as uite adisturban0e@ t >as very foolish of my father, must say, to intrude his0onversation u;on a stran-er >hen the ;robabilities >ere so obvious that it>ould be useless@ #ut >hatever he thin$s to be his duty, that he'll do, inseason or out of seasonC and, of 0ourse, he ma$es many enemies, not onlyamon- the absolutely vi0ious, but amon- the easy4-oin-, >ho hate bein-

bothered@ He says he -lories in >hat ha;;ened, and that -ood may be done



indire0tlyC but >ish he >ould not >ear himself out no> he is -ettin- old,and >ould leave su0h ;i-s to their >allo>in-@B

Tess's loo$ had -ro>n hard and >orn, and her ri;e mouth tra-i0alC butshe no lon-er sho>ed any tremulousness@ /lare's revived thou-hts of hisfather ;revented his noti0in- her ;arti0ularlyC and so they >ent on do>n the>hite ro> of li uid re0tan-les till they had finished and drained them off,>hen the other maids returned, and too$ their ;ails, and Deb 0ame to s0aldout the leads for the ne> mil$@ As Tess >ithdre> to -o afield to the 0o>s hesaid to her softly

BAnd my uestion, TessyEB

B3 no no B re;lied she >ith -rave ho;elessness, as one >ho had heard

ane> the turmoil of her o>n ;ast in the allusion to Ale0 d'Urberville@ B tcan't be B

2he >ent out to>ards the mead, ?oinin- the other mil$maids >ith a bound, as if tryin- to ma$e the o;en air drive a>ay her sad 0onstraint@ Allthe -irls dre> on>ard to the s;ot >here the 0o>s >ere -raIin- in the farthermead, the bevy advan0in- >ith the bold -ra0e of >ild animals the re0$less,un0hastened motion of >omen a00ustomed to unlimited s;a0e in >hi0hthey abandoned themselves to the air as a s>immer to the >ave@ t seemednatural enou-h to him no> that Tess >as a-ain in si-ht to 0hoose a mate

from un0onstrained 8ature, and not from the abodes of Art@

<<

Her refusal, thou-h une ;e0ted, did not ;ermanently daunt /lare@ Hise ;erien0e of >omen >as -reat enou-h for him to be a>are that the ne-ativeoften meant nothin- more than the ;refa0e to the affirmativeC and it >aslittle enou-h for him not to $no> that in the manner of the ;resent ne-ativethere lay a -reat e 0e;tion to the dallyin-s of 0oyness@ That she had already

;ermitted him to ma$e love to her he read as an additional assuran0e, notfully tro>in- that in the fields and ;astures to Bsi-h -ratisB is by no meansdeemed >asteC love4ma$in- bein- here more often a00e;ted in0onsideratelyand for its o>n s>eet sa$e than in the 0ar$in-, an ious homes of theambitious, >here a -irl's 0ravin- for an establishment ;aralyIes her healthythou-ht of a ;assion as an end@



BTess, >hy did you say 'no' in su0h a ;ositive >ayEB he as$ed her in the0ourse of a fe> days@

2he started@

BDon't as$ me@ told you >hy ;artly@ am not -ood enou-h not>orthy enou-h@B

BHo>E 8ot fine lady enou-hEB

BGes somethin- li$e that,B murmured she@ BGour friends >ould s0ornme@B

B ndeed, you mista$e them my father and mother@ As for my brothers, don't 0are B He 0las;ed his fin-ers behind her ba0$ to $ee; her from

sli;;in- a>ay@ B8o> you did not mean it, s>eetE am sure you did notGou have made me so restless that 0annot read, or ;lay, or do anythin-@ am in no hurry, Tess, but >ant to $no> to hear from your o>n >arm li;s

that you >ill some day be mine any time you may 0hooseC but somedayEB

2he 0ould only sha$e her head and loo$ a>ay from him@

/lare re-arded her attentively, 0onned the 0hara0ters of her fa0e as if

they had been hiero-ly;hi0s@ The denial seemed real@BThen ou-ht not to hold you in this >ay ou-ht E have no ri-ht to

you no ri-ht to see$ out >here you are, or >al$ >ith you Honestly, Tess,do you love any other manEB

BHo> 0an you as$EB she said, >ith 0ontinued self4su;;ression@

B almost $no> that you do not@ #ut then, >hy do you re;ulse meEB

B don't re;ulse you@ li$e you to tell me you love meC and you mayal>ays tell me so as you -o about >ith me and never offend me@B

B#ut you >ill not a00e;t me as a husbandEB

BAh that's different it is for your -ood, indeed, my dearest 3, believe me, it is only for your sa$e don't li$e to -ive myself the -reat



ha;;iness o' ;romisin- to be yours in that >ay be0ause be0ause am sure ou-ht not to do it@B

B#ut you >ill ma$e me ha;;y B

BAh you thin$ so, but you don't $no> B

At su0h times as this, a;;rehendin- the -rounds of her refusal to be hermodest sense of in0om;eten0e in matters so0ial and ;olite, he >ould say thatshe >as >onderfully >ell4informed and versatile >hi0h >as 0ertainly true,her natural ui0$ness and her admiration for him havin- led her to ;i0$ u;his vo0abulary, his a00ent, and fra-ments of his $no>led-e, to a sur;risin-e tent@ After these tender 0ontests and her vi0tory she >ould -o a>ay byherself under the remotest 0o>, if at mil$in-4time, or into the sed-e or into

her room, if at a leisure interval, and mourn silently, not a minute after ana;;arently ;hle-mati0 ne-ative@

The stru--le >as so fearfulC her o>n heart >as so stron-ly on the side ofhis t>o ardent hearts a-ainst one ;oor little 0ons0ien0e that she tried tofortify her resolution by every means in her ;o>er@ 2he had 0ome toTalbothays >ith a made4u; mind@ 3n no a00ount 0ould she a-ree to a ste;>hi0h mi-ht after>ards 0ause bitter ruein- to her husband for his blindnessin >eddin- her@ And she held that >hat her 0ons0ien0e had de0ided for her>hen her mind >as unbiassed ou-ht not to be overruled no>@

BWhy don't somebody tell him all about meEB she said@ B t >as onlyforty miles off >hy hasn't it rea0hed hereE 2omebody must $no> B

Get nobody seemed to $no>C nobody told him@

For t>o or three days no more >as said@ 2he -uessed from the sad0ountenan0es of her 0hamber 0om;anions that they re-arded her not only asthe favourite, but as the 0hosenC but they 0ould see for themselves that shedid not ;ut herself in his >ay@

Tess had never before $no>n a time in >hi0h the thread of her life >asso distin0tly t>isted of t>o strands, ;ositive ;leasure and ;ositive ;ain@ Atthe ne t 0heese4ma$in- the ;air >ere a-ain left alone to-ether@ Thedairyman himself had been lendin- a handC but =r /ri0$, as >ell as his >ife,seemed latterly to have a0 uired a sus;i0ion of mutual interest bet>een



these t>oC thou-h they >al$ed so 0ir0ums;e0tly that sus;i0ion >as but ofthe faintest@ Anyho>, the dairyman left them to themselves@

They >ere brea$in- u; the masses of 0urd before ;uttin- them into thevats@ The o;eration resembled the a0t of 0rumblin- bread on a lar-e s0aleCand amid the imma0ulate >hiteness of the 0urds Tess Durbeyfield's handssho>ed themselves of the ;in$ness of the rose@ An-el, >ho >as fillin- thevats >ith his handful, suddenly 0eased, and laid his hands flat u;on hers@ Hersleeves >ere rolled far above the elbo>, and bendin- lo>er he $issed theinside vein of her soft arm@

Althou-h the early 2e;tember >eather >as sultry, her arm, from herdabblin- in the 0urds, >as as 0old and dam; to his mouth as a ne>4-atheredmushroom, and tasted of the >hey@ #ut she >as su0h a sheaf of

sus0e;tibilities that her ;ulse >as a00elerated by the tou0h, her blood drivento her finder4ends, and the 0ool arms flushed hot@ Then, as thou-h her hearthad said, B s 0oyness lon-er ne0essaryE Truth is truth bet>een man and>oman, as bet>een man and man,B she lifted her eyes and they beameddevotedly into his, as her li; rose in a tender half4smile@

BDo you $no> >hy did that, TessEB he said@

B#e0ause you love me very mu0h B

BGes, and as a ;reliminary to a ne> entreaty@B

B8ot again B

2he loo$ed a sudden fear that her resistan0e mi-ht brea$ do>n under hero>n desire@

B3, Tessy B he >ent on, B cannot thin$ >hy you are so tantaliIin-@Why do you disa;;oint me soE Gou seem almost li$e a 0o uette, u;on mylife you do a 0o uette of the first urban >ater They blo> hot and blo>

0old, ?ust as you do, and it is the very last sort of thin- to e ;e0t to find in aretreat li$e Talbothays@ J And yet, dearest,B he ui0$ly added, observin-no> the remar$ had 0ut her, B $no> you to be the most honest, s;otless0reature that ever lived@ 2o ho> 0an su;;ose you a flirtE Tess, >hy don'tyou li$e the idea of bein- my >ife, if you love me as you seem to doEB



B have never said don't li$e the idea, and never 0ould say itC be0ause it isn't true B

The stress no> -ettin- beyond enduran0e, her li; uivered, and she >asobli-ed to -o a>ay@ /lare >as so ;ained and ;er;le ed that he ran after and0au-ht her in the ;assa-e@

BTell me, tell me B he said, ;assionately 0las;inher, in for-etfulness ofhis 0urdy hands: Bdo tell me that you >on't belon- to anybody but me B

B >ill, >ill tell you B she e 0laimed@ BAnd >ill -ive you a 0om;leteans>er, if you >ill let me -o no>@ >ill tell you my e ;erien0es all aboutmyself all B

BGour e ;erien0es, dearC yes, 0ertainlyC any number@B He e ;ressedassent in lovin- satire, loo$in- into her fa0e@ B=y Tess, no doubt, almost asmany e ;erien0es as that >ild 0onvolvulus out there on the -arden hed-e,that o;ened itself this mornin- for the first time@ Tell me anythin-, but don'tuse that >ret0hed e ;ression any more about not bein- >orthy of me@B

B >ill try not And 'll -ive you my reasons to4morro> ne t >ee$@B

B2ay on 2undayEB

BGes, on 2unday@BAt last she -ot a>ay, and did not sto; in her retreat till she >as in the

thi0$et of ;ollard >illo>s at the lo>er side of the barton, >here she 0ould beuite unseen@ Here Tess flun- herself do>n u;on the rustlin- under-ro>th of

s;ear4-rass, as u;on a bed, and remained 0rou0hin- in ;al;itatin- misery bro$en by momentary shoots of ?oy, >hi0h her fears about the endin- 0ouldnot alto-ether su;;ress@

n reality, she >as driftin- into a0 uies0en0e@ .very see4sa> of her

breath, every >ave of her blood, every ;ulse sin-in- in her ears, >as a voi0ethat ?oined >ith nature in revolt a-ainst her s0ru;ulousness@ Re0$less,in0onsiderate a00e;tan0e of himC to 0lose >ith him at the altar, revealin-nothin-, and 0han0in- dis0overyC to snat0h ri;e ;leasure before the iron teethof ;ain 0ould have time to shut u;on her: that >as >hat love 0ounselledC andin almost a terror of e0stasy Tess divined that, des;ite her many months of



lonely self40hastisement, >restlin-s, 0ommunin-s, s0hemes to lead a futureof austere isolation, love's 0ounsel >ould ;revail@

The afternoon advan0ed, and still she remained amon- the >illo>s@ 2heheard the rattle of ta$indo>n the ;ails from the for$ed standsC the B>ao>4>ao> B >hi0h a00om;anied the -ettin- to-ether of the 0o>s@ #ut she did not-o to the mil$in-@ They >ould see her a-itationC and the dairyman, thin$in-the 0ause to be love alone, >ould -ood4naturedly tease herC and thatharassment 0ould not be borne@

Her lover must have -uessed her over>rou-ht state, and invented somee 0use for her non4a;;earan0e, for no in uiries >ere made or 0alls -iven@ Athalf4;ast si the sun settled do>n u;on the levels >ith the as;e0t of a -reatfor-e in the heavensC and ;resently a monstrous ;um;$in4li$e moon arose

on the other hand@ The ;ollard >illo>s, tortured out of their natural sha;e byin0essant 0ho;;in-s, be0ame s;iny4haired monsters as they stood u; a-ainstit@ 2he >ent in and u;stairs >ithout a li-ht@

t >as no> Wednesday@ Thursday 0ame, and An-el loo$ed thou-htfullyat her from a distan0e, but intruded in no >ay u;on her@ The indoormil$maids, =arian and the rest, seemed to -uess that somethin- definite >asafoot, for they did not for0e any remar$s u;on her in the bed0hamber@ Friday

;assedC 2aturday@ To4morro> >as the day@

B shall -ive >ay shall say yes shall let myself marry him0annot hel; it B she ?ealously ;anted, >ith her hot fa0e to the ;illo> thatni-ht, on hearin- one of the other -irls si-h his name in her slee;@ B 0an't

bear to let anybody have him but me Get it is a >ron- to him, and may $illhim >hen he $no>s 3 my heart 3 3 3 B

<< <

B8o>, >ho mid ye thin$ 've heard ne>s o' this mornin-EB saidDairyman /ri0$, as he sat do>n to brea$fast ne t day, >ith a riddlin- -aIeround u;on the mun0hin- men and maids@ B8o>, ?ust >ho mid ye thin$EB

3ne -uessed, and another -uessed@ =rs /ri0$ did not -uess, be0ause she$ne> already@



BWell,B said the dairyman, B'tis that sla0$4t>isted 'hore's4bird of a feller,(a0$ Dollo;@ He's lately -ot married to a >ido>4>oman@B

B8ot (a0$ Dollo;E A villain to thin$ o' that B said a mil$er@

The name entered ui0$ly into Tess Durbeyfield's 0ons0iousness, for it>as the name of the lover >ho had >ron-ed his s>eetheart, and hadafter>ards been so rou-hly used by the youn- >oman's mother in the butter40hurn@

BAnd had he married the valiant matron's dau-hter, as he ;romisedEBas$ed An-el /lare absently, as he turned over the ne>s;a;er he >as readin-at the little table to >hi0h he >as al>ays banished by =rs /ri0$, in her senseof his -entility@

B8ot he, sir@ 8ever meant to,B re;lied the dairyman@ BAs say, 'tis a>ido>4>oman, and she had money, it seems fifty ;oun' a year or soC andthat >as all he >as after@ They >ere married in a -reat hurryC and then shetold him that by marryin- she had lost her fifty ;oun' a year@ (ust fan0y thestate o' my -entleman's mind at that ne>s 8ever su0h a 0at4and4do- life asthey've been leadin- ever sin0e 2erves him >ell beri-ht@ #ut onlu0$ily the

;oor >oman -ets the >orst o't@B

BWell, the silly body should have told en sooner that the -host of her

first man >ould trouble him,B said =rs /ri0$@

BAy, ay,B res;onded the dairyman inde0isively@ B2till, you 0an seee a0tly ho> 't>as@ 2he >anted a home, and didn't li$e to run the ris$ oflosin- him@ Don't ye thin$ that >as somethin- li$e it, maidensEB

He -lan0ed to>ards the ro> of -irls@

B2he ou-ht to ha' told him ?ust before they >ent to 0hur0h, >hen he0ould hardly have ba0$ed out,B e 0laimed =arian@

BGes, she ou-ht,B a-reed II@

B2he must have seen >hat he >as after, and should ha' refused him,B0ried Retty s;asmodi0ally@

BAnd >hat do you say, my dearEB as$ed the dairyman of Tess@



Their 0ondition of domi0iliary 0omradeshi; ;ut her, as the >oman, to su0hdisadvanta-e by its enfor0ed inter0ourse, that he felt it unfair to her toe er0ise any ;ressure of blandishment >hi0h he mi-ht have honestlyem;loyed had she been better able to avoid him@ He released hermomentarily4im;risoned >aist, and >ithheld the $iss@

t all turned on that release@ What had -iven her stren-th to refuse himthis time >as solely the tale of the >ido> told by the dairymanC and that>ould have been over0ome in another moment@ #ut An-el said no moreC hisfa0e >as ;er;le edC he >ent a>ay@

Day after day they met some>hat less 0onstantly than beforeC and thust>o or three >ee$s >ent by@ The end of 2e;tember dre> near, and she 0ouldsee in his eye that he mi-ht as$ her a-ain@

His ;lan of ;ro0edure >as different no> as thou-h he had made u; hismind that her ne-atives >ere, after all, only 0oyness and youth startled bythe novelty of the ;ro;osal@ The fitful evasiveness of her manner >hen thesub?e0t >as under dis0ussion 0ountenan0ed the idea@ 2o he ;layed a more0oa in- -ameC and >hile never -oin- beyond >ords, or attem;tin- therene>al of 0aresses, he did his utmost orally@

n this >ay /lare ;ersistently >ooed her in undertones li$e that of the ;urlin- mil$ at the 0o>'s side, at s$immin-s, at butter4ma$in-s, at 0heese4

ma$in-s, amon- broody ;oultry, and amon- farro>in- ;i-s as nomil$maid >as ever >ooed before by su0h a man@

Tess $ne> that she must brea$ do>n@ 8either a reli-ious sense of a0ertain moral validity in the ;revious union nor a 0ons0ientious >ish for0andour 0ould hold out a-ainst it mu0h lon-er@ 2he loved him so

;assionately, and he >as so -odli$e in her eyesC and bein-, thou-huntrained, instin0tively refined, her nature 0ried for his tutelary -uidan0e@And thus, thou-h Tess $e;t re;eatin- to herself, B 0an never be his >ife,Bthe >ords >ere vain@ A ;roof of her >ea$ness lay in the very utteran0e of>hat 0alm stren-th >ould not have ta$en the trouble to formulate@ .verysound of his voi0e be-innin- on the old sub?e0t stirred her >ith a terrifyin-

bliss, and she 0oveted the re0antation she feared@

His manner >as >hat man's is notE so mu0h that of one >ho >ouldlove and 0herish and defend her under any 0onditions, 0han-es, 0har-es, orrevelations, that her -loom lessened as she bas$ed in it@ The season



mean>hile >as dra>in- on>ard to the e uino , and thou-h it >as still fine,the days >ere mu0h shorter@ The dairy had a-ain >or$ed by mornin-0andleli-ht for a lon- timeC and a fresh rene>al of /lare's ;leadin- o00urredone mornin- bet>een three and four@

2he had run u; in her bed-o>n to his door to 0all him as usualC then had-one ba0$ to dress and 0all the othersC and in ten minutes >as >al$in- to thehead of the stairs >ith the 0andle in her hand@ At the same moment he 0amedo>n his ste;s from above in his shirt4sleeves and ;ut his arm a0ross thestair>ay@

B8o>, =iss Flirt, before you -o do>n,B he said ;erem;torily@ B t is afortni-ht sin0e s;o$e, and this >on't do any lon-er@ Gou must tell me >hatyou mean, or shall have to leave this house@ =y door >as a?ar ?ust no>,

and sa> you@ For your o>n safety must -o@ Gou don't $no>@ WellE s it to be yes at lastEB

B am only ?ust u;, =r /lare, and it is too early to ta$e me to tas$ B she ;outed@ BGou need not 0all me Flirt@ 'Tis 0ruel and untrue@ Wait till by and by@ Please >ait till by and by >ill really thin$ seriously about it bet>eenno> and then@ et me -o do>nstairs B

2he loo$ed a little li$e >hat he said she >as as, holdin- the 0andleside>ays, she tried to smile a>ay the seriousness of her >ords@

B/all me An-el, then, and not =r /lare@B

BAn-el@B

BAn-el dearest >hy notEB

B'T>ould mean that a-ree, >ouldn't itEB

B t >ould only mean that you love me, even if you 0annot marry meC

and you >ere so -ood as to o>n that lon- a-o@B

B ery >ell, then, 'An-el dearest', if must ,B she murmured, loo$in- ather 0andle, a ro-uish 0url 0omin- u;on her mouth, not>ithstandin- hersus;ense@



/lare had resolved never to $iss her until he had obtained her ;romiseC but someho>, as Tess stood there in her ;rettily tu0$ed4u; mil$in- -o>n,her hair 0arelessly hea;ed u;on her head till there should be leisure toarran-e it >hen s$immin- and mil$in- >ere done, he bro$e his resolve, and

brou-ht his li;s to her 0hee$ for one moment@ 2he ;assed do>nstairs veryui0$ly, never loo$in- ba0$ at him or sayin- another >ord@ The other maids

>ere already do>n, and the sub?e0t >as not ;ursued@ . 0e;t =arian, they allloo$ed >istfully and sus;i0iously at the ;air, in the sad yello> rays >hi0hthe mornin- 0andles emitted in 0ontrast >ith the first 0old si-nals of theda>n >ithout@

When s$immin- >as done >hi0h, as the mil$ diminished >ith thea;;roa0h of autumn, >as a lessenin- ;ro0ess day by day Retty and the rest>ent out@ The lovers follo>ed them@

B3ur tremulous lives are so different from theirs, are they notEB hemusin-ly observed to her, as he re-arded the three fi-ures tri;;in- beforehim throu-h the fri-id ;allor of o;enin- day@

B8ot so very different, thin$,B she said@

BWhy do you thin$ thatEB

BThere are very fe> >omen's lives that are not tremulous,B Tess

re;lied, ;ausin- over the ne> >ord as if it im;ressed her@ BThere's more inthose three than you thin$@B

BWhat is in themEB

BAlmost either of 'em,B she be-an, B>ould ma$e ;erha;s >ould ma$e a ;ro;erer >ife than @ And ;erha;s they love you as >ell as almost@B

B3, Tessy B

There >ere si-ns that it >as an e uisite relief to her to hear theim;atient e 0lamation, thou-h she had resolved so intre;idly to let-enerosity ma$e one bid a-ainst herself@ That >as no> done, and she hadnot the ;o>er to attem;t self4immolation a se0ond time then@ They >ere

?oined by a mil$er from one of the 0otta-es, and no more >as said on that>hi0h 0on0erned them so dee;ly@ #ut Tess $ne> that this day >ould de0ideit@



n the afternoon several of the dairyman's household and assistants >entdo>n to the meads as usual, a lon- >ay from the dairy, >here many of the0o>s >ere mil$ed >ithout bein- driven home@ The su;;ly >as -ettin- lessas the animals advan0ed in 0alf, and the su;ernumerary mil$ers of the lush-reen season had been dismissed@

The >or$ ;ro-ressed leisurely@ .a0h ;ailful >as ;oured into tall 0ansthat stood in a lar-e s;rin-4>a--on >hi0h had been brou-ht u;on the s0eneCand >hen they >ere mil$ed, the 0o>s trailed a>ay@ Dairyman /ri0$, >ho>as there >ith the rest, his >ra;;er -leamin- mira0ulously >hite a-ainst aleaden evenin- s$y, suddenly loo$ed at his heavy >at0h@

BWhy, 'tis later than thou-ht,B he said@ B#e-ad We shan't be soonenou-h >ith this mil$ at the station, if >e don't mind@ There's no time to4day

to ta$e it home and mi it >ith the bul$ afore sendin- off@ t must -o tostation strai-ht from here@ Who'll drive it a0rossEB

=r /lare volunteered to do so, thou-h it >as none of his business,as$in- Tess to a00om;any him@ The evenin-, thou-h sunless, had been >armand mu--y for the season, and Tess had 0ome out >ith her mil$in-4hoodonly, na$ed4armed and ?a0$etlessC 0ertainly not dressed for a drive@ 2hetherefore re;lied by -lan0in- over her s0ant habilimentsC but /lare -entlyur-ed her@ 2he assented by relin uishin- her ;ail and stool to the dairymanto ta$e home, and mounted the s;rin-4>a--on beside /lare@

<<<

n the diminishin- dayli-ht they >ent alon- the level road>ay throu-hthe meads, >hi0h stret0hed a>ay into -ray miles, and >ere ba0$ed in thee treme ed-e of distan0e by the s>arthy and abru;t slo;es of .-don Heath@3n its summit stood 0lum;s and stret0hes of fir4trees, >hose not0hed ti;sa;;eared li$e battlemented to>ers 0ro>nin- bla0$4fronted 0astles ofen0hantment@

They >ere so absorbed in the sense of bein- 0lose to ea0h other thatthey did not be-in tal$in- for a lon- >hile, the silen0e bein- bro$en only bythe 0lu0$in- of the mil$ in the tall 0ans behind them@ The lane they follo>ed>as so solitary that the haIel nuts had remained on the bou-hs till theysli;;ed from their shells, and the bla0$berries hun- in heavy 0lusters@ .very



no> and then An-el >ould flin- the lash of his >hi; round one of these, ;lu0$ it off, and -ive it to his 0om;anion@

The dull s$y soon be-an to tell its meanin- by sendin- do>n herald4dro;s of rain, and the sta-nant air of the day 0han-ed into a fitful breeIe>hi0h ;layed about their fa0es@ The ui0$4silvery -laIe on the rivers and

;ools vanishedC from broad mirrors of li-ht they 0han-ed to lustreless sheetsof lead, >ith a surfa0e li$e a ras;@ #ut that s;e0ta0le did not affe0t her

;reo00u;ation@ Her 0ountenan0e, a natural 0arnation sli-htly embro>ned bythe season, had dee;ened its tin-e >ith the beatin- of the rain4dro;sC and herhair, >hi0h the ;ressure of the 0o>s' flan$s had, as usual, 0aused to tumbledo>n from its fastenin-s and stray beyond the 0urtain of her 0ali0o bonnet,>as made 0lammy by the moisture till it hardly >as better than sea>eed@

B ou-ht not to have 0ome, su;;ose,B she murmured, loo$in- at thes$y@

B am sorry for the rain,B said he@ B#ut ho> -lad am to have you here B

Remote .-don disa;;eared by de-ree behind the li uid -auIe@ Theevenin- -re> dar$er, and the roads bein- 0rossed by -ates, it >as not safe todrive faster than at a >al$in- ;a0e@ The air >as rather 0hill@

B am so afraid you >ill -et 0old, >ith nothin- u;on your arms and

shoulders,B he said@ B/ree; 0lose to me, and ;erha;s the driIIle >on't hurtyou mu0h@ should be sorrier still if did not thin$ that the rain mi-ht behel;inme@B

2he im;er0e;tibly 0re;t 0loser, and he >ra;;ed round them both a lar-e ;ie0e of sail40loth, >hi0h >as sometimes used to $ee; the sun off the mil$40ans@ Tess held it from sli;;in- off him as >ell as herself, /lare's hands

bein- o00u;ied@

B8o> >e are all ri-ht a-ain@ Ah no >e are not t runs do>n into myne0$ a little, and it must still more into yours@ That's better@ Gour arms areli$e >et marble, Tess@ Wi;e them in the 0loth@ 8o>, if you stay uiet, you>ill not -et another dro;@ Well, dear about that uestion of mine thatlon-4standin- uestionEB



The only re;ly that he 0ould hear for a little >hile >as the sma0$ of thehorse's hoofs on the moistenin- road, and the 0lu0$ of the mil$ in the 0ans

behind them@

BDo you remember >hat you saidEB

B do,B she re;lied@

B#efore >e -et home, mind@B

B 'll try@B

He said no more then@ As they drove on, the fra-ment of an old manorhouse of /aroline date rose a-ainst the s$y, and >as in due 0ourse ;assedand left behind@

BThat,B he observed, to entertain her, Bis an interestin- old ;la0e oneof the several seats >hi0h belon-ed to an an0ient 8orman family formerly of-reat influen0e in this 0ounty, the d'Urbervilles@ never ;ass one of theirresiden0es >ithout thin$in- of them@ There is somethin- very sad in thee tin0tion of a family of reno>n, even if it >as fier0e, domineerin-, feudalreno>n@B

BGes,B said Tess@

They 0re;t alon- to>ards a ;oint in the e ;anse of shade ?ust at hand at>hi0h a feeble li-ht >as be-innin- to assert its ;resen0e, a s;ot >here, byday, a fitful >hite strea$ of steam at intervals u;on the dar$ -reen

ba0$-round denoted intermittent moments of 0onta0t bet>een their se0luded>orld and modern life@ =odern life stret0hed out its steam feeler to this

;oint three or four times a day, tou0hed the native e isten0es, and ui0$ly>ithdre> its feeler a-ain, as if >hat it tou0hed had been un0on-enial@

They rea0hed the feeble li-ht, >hi0h 0ame from the smo$y lam; of a

little rail>ay stationC a ;oor enou-h terrestrial star, yet in one sense of moreim;ortan0e to Talbothays Dairy and man$ind than the 0elestial ones to>hi0h it stood in su0h humiliatin- 0ontrast@ The 0ans of ne> mil$ >ereunladen in the rain, Tess -ettin- a little shelter from a nei-hbourin- hollytree@



Then there >as the hissin- of a train, >hi0h dre> u; almost silentlyu;on the >et rails, and the mil$ >as ra;idly s>un- 0an by 0an into the tru0$@The li-ht of the en-ine flashed for a se0ond u;on Tess Durbeyfield's fi-ure,motionless under the -reat holly tree@ 8o ob?e0t 0ould have loo$ed moreforei-n to the -leamin- 0ran$s and >heels than this unso;histi0ated -irl,>ith the round bare arms, the rainy fa0e and hair, the sus;ended attitude of afriendly leo;ard at ;ause, the ;rint -o>n of no date or fashion, and the0otton bonnet droo;in- on her bro>@

2he mounted a-ain beside her lover, >ith a mute obedien0e0hara0teristi0 of im;assioned natures at times, and >hen they had >ra;;edthemselves u; over head and ears in the sail0loth a-ain, they ;lun-ed ba0$into the no> thi0$ ni-ht@ Tess >as so re0e;tive that the fe> minutes of0onta0t >ith the >hirl of material ;ro-ress lin-ered in her thou-ht@

B ondoners >ill drin$ it at their brea$fasts to4morro>, >on't theyEB sheas$ed@ B2tran-e ;eo;le that >e have never seen@B

BGes su;;ose they >ill@ Thou-h not as >e send it@ When its stren-thhas been lo>ered, so that it may not -et u; into their heads@B

B8oble men and noble >omen, ambassadors and 0enturions, ladies andtrades>omen, and babies >ho have never seen a 0o>@B

BWell, yesC ;erha;sC ;arti0ularly 0enturions@B

BWho don't $no> anythin- of us, and >here it 0omes fromC or thin$ ho>>e t>o drove miles a0ross the moor to4ni-ht in the rain that it mi-ht rea0h'em in timeEB

BWe did not drive entirely on a00ount of these ;re0ious ondonersC >edrove a little on our o>n on a00ount of that an ious matter >hi0h you >ill,

am sure, set at rest, dear Tess@ 8o>, ;ermit me to ;ut it in this >ay@ Gou belon- to me already, you $no>C your heart, mean@ Does it notEB

BGou $no> as >ell as @ 3 yes yes B

BThen, if your heart does, >hy not your handEB

B=y only reason >as on a00ount of you on a00ount of a uestion@ have somethin- to tell you B



B#ut su;;ose it to be entirely for my ha;;iness, and my >orldly0onvenien0e alsoEB

B3 yesC if it is for your ha;;iness and >orldly 0onvenien0e@ #ut my life before 0ame here >ant B

BWell, it is for my 0onvenien0e as >ell as my ha;;iness@ f have a verylar-e farm, either .n-lish or 0olonial, you >ill be invaluable as a >ife to meC

better than a >oman out of the lar-est mansion in the 0ountry@ 2o ;lease ;lease, dear Tessy, disabuse your mind of the feelin- that you >ill stand inmy >ay@B

B#ut my history@ >ant you to $no> it you must let me tell you you>ill not li$e me so >ell B

BTell it if you >ish to, dearest@ This ;re0ious history then@ Ges, >as born at so and so, Anno Domini B

B >as born at =arlott,B she said, 0at0hin- at his >ords as a hel;, li-htlyas they >ere s;o$en@ BAnd -re> u; there@ And >as in the 2i th 2tandard>hen left s0hool, and they said had -reat a;tness, and should ma$e a-ood tea0her, so it >as settled that should be one@ #ut there >as trouble inmy familyC father >as not very industrious, and he dran$ a little@B

BGes, yes@ Poor 0hild 8othin- ne>@B He ;ressed her more 0losely to hisside@

BAnd then there is somethin- very unusual about it about me@ >as B

Tess's breath ui0$ened@

BGes, dearest@ 8ever mind@B

B am not a Durbeyfield, but a d'Urberville a des0endant of thesame family as those that o>ned the old house >e ;assed@ And >e are all-one to nothin- B

BA d'Urberville ndeed And is that all the trouble, dear TessEB

BGes,B she ans>ered faintly@



B li$e the other >ay rather best@B

B#ut you must , dearest 7ood heavens, >hy doIens of mushroommillionaires >ould ?um; at su0h a ;ossession #y the bye, there's one of that$idney >ho has ta$en the name >here have heard of himE U; in thenei-hbourhood of The /hase, thin$@ Why, he is the very man >ho had thatrum;us >ith my father told you of@ What an odd 0oin0iden0e B

BAn-el, thin$ >ould rather not ta$e the name t is unlu0$y, ;erha;s B

2he >as a-itated@

B8o> then, =istress Teresa d'Urberville, have you@ Ta$e my name,and so you >ill es0a;e yours The se0ret is out, so >hy should you anylon-er refuse meEB

B f it is sure to ma$e you ha;;y to have me as your >ife, and you feelthat you do >ish to marry me, ery, ery mu0h B

B do, dearest, of 0ourse B

B mean, that it is only your >antin- me very mu0h, and bein- hardlyable to $ee; alive >ithout me, >hatever my offen0es, that >ould ma$e me

feel ou-ht to say >ill@BBGou >ill you do say it, $no> Gou >ill be mine for ever and ever@B

He 0las;ed her 0lose and $issed her@

BGes B

2he had no sooner said it than she burst into a dry hard sobbin-, soviolent that it seemed to rend her@ Tess >as not a hysteri0al -irl by any

means, and he >as sur;rised@BWhy do you 0ry, dearestEB

B 0an't tell uite am so -lad to thin$ of bein- yours, and ma$in-you ha;;y B

B#ut this does not seem very mu0h li$e -ladness, my Tessy B



B mean 0ry be0ause have bro$en do>n in my vo> said >oulddie unmarried B

B#ut, if you love me you >ould li$e me to be your husbandEB

BGes, yes, yes #ut 3, sometimes >ish had never been born B

B8o>, my dear Tess, if did not $no> that you are very mu0h e 0ited,and very ine ;erien0ed, should say that remar$ >as not very0om;limentary@ Ho> 0ame you to >ish that if you 0are for meE Do you 0arefor meE >ish you >ould ;rove it in some >ay@B

BHo> 0an ;rove it more than have doneEB she 0ried, in a distra0tionof tenderness@ BWill this ;rove it moreEB

2he 0las;ed his ne0$, and for the first time /lare learnt >hat anim;assioned >oman's $isses >ere li$e u;on the li;s of one >hom she loved>ith all her heart and soul, as Tess loved him@

BThere no> do you believeEB she as$ed, flushed, and >i;inher eyes@

BGes@ never really doubted never, never B

2o they drove on throu-h the -loom, formin- one bundle inside the sail40loth, the horse -oin- as he >ould, and the rain drivin- a-ainst them@ 2hehad 0onsented@ 2he mi-ht as >ell have a-reed at first@ The Ba;;etite for ?oyB>hi0h ;ervades all 0reation, that tremendous for0e >hi0h s>ays humanity toits ;ur;ose, as the tide s>ays the hel;less >eed, >as not to be 0ontrolled byva-ue lu0ubrations over the so0ial rubri0@

B must >rite to my mother,B she said@ BGou don't mind my doin- thatEB

B3f 0ourse not, dear 0hild@ Gou are a 0hild to me, Tess, not to $no> ho>very ;ro;er it is to >rite to your mother at su0h a time, and ho> >ron- it

>ould be in me to ob?e0t@ Where does she liveEB

BAt the same ;la0e =arlott@ 3n the further side of #la0$moor ale@B

BAh, then ha e seen you before this summer B



2he >as re0o-niIin- ho> li-ht >as the tou0h of events the mosto;;ressive u;on =rs Durbeyfield's elasti0 s;irit@ Her mother did not see lifeas Tess sa> it@ That hauntin- e;isode of by-one days >as to her mother buta ;assin- a00ident@ #ut ;erha;s her mother >as ri-ht as to the 0ourse to befollo>ed, >hatever she mi-ht be in her reasons@ 2ilen0e seemed, on the fa0eof it, best for her adored one's ha;;iness: silen0e it should be@

Thus steadied by a 0ommand from the only ;erson in the >orld >ho hadany shado> of ri-ht to 0ontrol her a0tion, Tess -re> 0almer@ Theres;onsibility >as shifted, and her heart >as li-hter than it had been for>ee$s@ The days of de0linin- autumn >hi0h follo>ed her assent, be-innin->ith the month of 30tober, formed a season throu-h >hi0h she lived ins;iritual altitudes more nearly a;;roa0hin- e0stasy than any other ;eriod ofher life@

There >as hardly a tou0h of earth in her love for /lare@ To her sublimetrustfulness he >as all that -oodness 0ould be $ne> all that a -uide,

;hiloso;her, and friend should $no>@ 2he thou-ht every line in the 0ontourof his ;erson the ;erfe0tion of mas0uline beauty, his soul the soul of a saint,his intelle0t that of a seer@ The >isdom of her love for him, as love, sustainedher di-nityC she seemed to be >earin- a 0ro>n@ The 0om;assion of his lovefor her, as she sa> it, made her lift u; her heart to him in devotion@ He>ould sometimes 0at0h her lar-e, >orshi;ful eyes, that had no bottom tothem loo$in- at him from their de;ths, as if she sa> somethin- immortal

before her@

2he dismissed the ;ast trod u;on it and ;ut it out, as one treads on a0oal that is smoulderin- and dan-erous@

2he had not $no>n that men 0ould be so disinterested, 0hivalrous, ;rote0tive, in their love for >omen as he@ An-el /lare >as far from all thatshe thou-ht him in this res;e0tC absurdly far, indeedC but he >as, in truth,more s;iritual than animalC he had himself >ell in hand, and >as sin-ularlyfree from -rossness@ Thou-h not 0old4natured, he >as rather bri-ht than hot

less #yroni0 than 2helleyanC 0ould love des;erately, but >ith a love morees;e0ially in0lined to the ima-inative and etherealC it >as a fastidiousemotion >hi0h 0ould ?ealously -uard the loved one a-ainst his very self@This amaIed and enra;tured Tess, >hose sli-ht e ;erien0es had been soinfeli0itous till no>C and in her rea0tion from indi-nation a-ainst the malese she s>erved to e 0ess of honour for /lare@



They unaffe0tedly sou-ht ea0h other's 0om;anyC in her honest faith shedid not dis-uise her desire to be >ith him@ The sum of her instin0ts on thismatter, if 0learly stated, >ould have been that the elusive uality of her se>hi0h attra0ts men in -eneral mi-ht be distasteful to so ;erfe0t a man afteran avo>al of love, sin0e it must in its very nature 0arry >ith it a sus;i0ion ofart@

The 0ountry 0ustom of unreserved 0omradeshi; out of doors durin- betrothal >as the only 0ustom she $ne>, and to her it had no stran-enessCthou-h it seemed oddly anti0i;ative to /lare till he sa> ho> normal a thin-she, in 0ommon >ith all the other dairy4fol$, re-arded it@ Thus, durin- this30tober month of >onderful afternoons they roved alon- the meads by0ree;in- ;aths >hi0h follo>ed the brin$s of tri0$lin- tributary broo$s,ho;;in- a0ross by little >ooden brid-es to the other side, and ba0$ a-ain@

They >ere never out of the sound of some ;urlin- >eir, >hose buIIa00om;anied their o>n murmurin-, >hile the beams of the sun, almost ashoriIontal as the mead itself, formed a ;ollen of radian0e over the lands0a;e@They sa> tiny blue fo-s in the shado>s of trees and hed-es, all the time thatthere >as bri-ht sunshine else>here@ The sun >as so near the -round, andthe s>ard so flat, that the shado>s of /lare and Tess >ould stret0h a uarterof a mile ahead of them, li$e t>o lon- fin-ers ;ointin- afar to >here the-reen alluvial rea0hes abutted a-ainst the slo;in- sides of the vale@

=en >ere at >or$ here and there for it >as the season for Bta$in- u;Bthe meado>s, or di--in- the little >ater>ays 0lear for the >inter irri-ation,and mendin- their ban$s >here trodden do>n by the 0o>s@ The shovelfulsof loam, bla0$ as ?et, brou-ht there by the river >hen it >as as >ide as the>hole valley, >ere an essen0e of soils, ;ounded 0ham;ai-ns of the ;ast,stee;ed, refined, and subtiliIed to e traordinary ri0hness, out of >hi0h 0ameall the fertility of the mead, and of the 0attle -raIin- there@

/lare hardily $e;t his arm round her >aist in si-ht of these >atermen,>ith the air of a man >ho >as a00ustomed to ;ubli0 dallian0e, thou-h

a0tually as shy as she >ho, >ith li;s ;arted and eyes as$an0e on thelabourers, >ore the loo$ of a >ary animal the >hile@

BGou are not ashamed of o>nin- me as yours before them B she said-ladly@

B3 no B



B#ut if it should rea0h the ears of your friends at .mminster that you are>al$in- about li$e this >ith me, a mil$maid B

BThe most be>it0hin- mil$maid ever seen@B

BThey mi-ht feel it a hurt to their di-nity@B

B=y dear -irl a d'Urberville hurt the di-nity of a /lare t is a -rand0ard to ;lay that of your belon-in- to su0h a family, and am reservin- itfor a -rand effe0t >hen >e are married, and have the ;roofs of your des0entfrom Parson Trin-ham@ A;art from that, my future is to be totally forei-n tomy family it >ill not affe0t even the surfa0e of their lives@ We shall leavethis ;art of .n-land ;erha;s .n-land itself and >hat does it matter ho>

;eo;le re-ard us hereE Gou >ill li$e -oin-, >ill you notEB

2he 0ould ans>er no more than a bare affirmative, so -reat >as theemotion aroused in her at the thou-ht of -oin- throu-h the >orld >ith himas his o>n familiar friend@ Her feelin-s almost filled her ears li$e a babble of>aves, and sur-ed u; to her eyes@ 2he ;ut her hand in his, and thus they>ent on, to a ;la0e >here the refle0ted sun -lared u; from the river, under a

brid-e, >ith a molten4metalli0 -lo> that daIIled their eyes, thou-h the sunitself >as hidden by the brid-e@ They stood still, >hereu;on little furred andfeathered heads ;o;;ed u; from the smooth surfa0e of the >aterC but,findin- that the disturbin- ;resen0es had ;aused, and not ;assed by, they

disa;;eared a-ain@ U;on this river4brin$ they lin-ered till the fo- be-an to0lose round them >hi0h >as very early in the evenin- at this time of theyear settlin- on the lashes of her eyes, >here it rested li$e 0rystals, and onhis bro>s and hair@

They >al$ed later on 2undays, >hen it >as uite dar$@ 2ome of thedairy4;eo;le, >ho >ere also out of doors on the first 2unday evenin- aftertheir en-a-ement, heard her im;ulsive s;ee0hes, e0stasiIed to fra-ments,thou-h they >ere too far off to hear the >ords dis0oursedC noted thes;asmodi0 0at0h in her remar$s, bro$en into syllables by the lea;in-s of herheart, as she >al$ed leanin- on his armC her 0ontented ;auses, the o00asionallittle lau-h u;on >hi0h her soul seemed to ride the lau-h of a >oman in0om;any >ith the man she loves and has >on from all other >omen unli$eanythin- else in nature@ They mar$ed the buoyan0y of her tread, li$e thes$im of a bird >hi0h has not uite ali-hted@



Her affe0tion for him >as no> the breath and life of Tess's bein-C itenvelo;ed her as a ;hotos;here, irradiated her into for-etfulness of her ;astsorro>s, $ee;in- ba0$ the -loomy s;e0tres that >ould ;ersist in theirattem;ts to tou0h her doubt, fear, moodiness, 0are, shame@ 2he $ne> thatthey >ere >aitin- li$e >olves ?ust outside the 0ir0ums0ribin- li-ht, but shehad lon- s;ells of ;o>er to $ee; them in hun-ry sub?e0tion there@

A s;iritual for-etfulness 0o4e isted >ith an intelle0tual remembran0e@2he >al$ed in bri-htness, but she $ne> that in the ba0$-round those sha;esof dar$ness >ere al>ays s;read@ They mi-ht be re0edin-, or they mi-ht bea;;roa0hin-, one or the other, a little every day@

3ne evenin- Tess and /lare >ere obli-ed to sit indoors $ee;in- house,

all the other o00u;ants of the domi0ile bein- a>ay@ As they tal$ed sheloo$ed thou-htfully u; at him, and met his t>o a;;re0iative eyes@

B am not >orthy of you no, am not B she burst out, ?um;in- u; fromher lo> stool as thou-h a;;alled at his homa-e, and the fulness of her o>n

?oy thereat@

/lare, deemin- the >hole basis of her e 0itement to be that >hi0h >asonly the smaller ;art of it, said

B >on't have you s;ea$ li$e it, dear Tess Distin0tion does not 0onsistin the fa0ile use of a 0ontem;tible set of 0onventions, but in bein- numberedamon- those >ho are true, and honest, and ?ust, and ;ure, and lovely, and of-ood re;ort as you are, my Tess@B

2he stru--led >ith the sob in her throat@ Ho> often had that strin- ofe 0ellen0es made her youn- heart a0he in 0hur0h of late years, and ho>stran-e that he should have 0ited them no>@

BWhy didn't you stay and love me >hen >as si teenC livin- >ith mylittle sisters and brothers, and you dan0ed on the -reenE 3, >hy didn't you,>hy didn't you B she said, im;etuously 0las;inher hands@

An-el be-an to 0omfort and reassure her, thin$in- to himself, trulyenou-h, >hat a 0reature of moods she >as, and ho> 0areful he >ould haveto be of her >hen she de;ended for her ha;;iness entirely on him@



BAh >hy didn't stay B he said@ BThat is ?ust >hat feel@ f had only$no>n #ut you must not be so bitter in your re-ret >hy should you beEB

With the >oman's instin0t to hide she diver-ed hastily

B should have had four years more of your heart than 0an ever haveno>@ Then should not have >asted my time as have done should havehad so mu0h lon-er ha;;iness B

t >as no mature >oman >ith a lon- dar$ vista of intri-ue behind her>ho >as tormented thus, but a -irl of sim;le life, not yet one4and t>enty,>ho had been 0au-ht durin- her days of immaturity li$e a bird in a s;rin-e@To 0alm herself the more 0om;letely, she rose from her little stool and leftthe room, overturnin- the stool >ith her s$irts as she >ent@

He sat on by the 0heerful fireli-ht thro>n from a bundle of -reen ash4sti0$s laid a0ross the do-sC the sti0$s sna;;ed ;leasantly, and hissed out

bubbles of sa; from their ends@ When she 0ame ba0$ she >as herself a-ain@

BDo you not thin$ you are ?ust a >ee bit 0a;ri0ious, fitful, TessEB hesaid, -ood4humouredly, as he s;read a 0ushion for her on the stool, andseated himself in the settle beside her@ B >anted to as$ you somethin-, and

?ust then you ran a>ay@B

BGes, ;erha;s am 0a;ri0ious,B she murmured@ 2he suddenlya;;roa0hed him, and ;ut a hand u;on ea0h of his arms@ B8o, An-el, am notreally so by nature, mean B The more ;arti0ularly to assure him that she>as not, she ;la0ed herself 0lose to him in the settle, and allo>ed her head tofind a restin-4;la0e a-ainst /lare's shoulder@ BWhat did you >ant to as$ me

am sure >ill ans>er it,B she 0ontinued humbly@

BWell, you love me, and have a-reed to marry me, and hen0e therefollo>s a thirdly, 'When shall the day beE'B

B li$e livin- li$e this@B

B#ut must thin$ of startin- in business on my o>n hoo$ >ith the ne>year, or a little later@ And before -et involved in the multifarious details ofmy ne> ;osition, should li$e to have se0ured my ;artner@B



B#ut,B she timidly ans>ered, Bto tal$ uite ;ra0ti0ally, >ouldn't it be best not to marry till after all thatE Thou-h 0an't bear the thou-ht o' your-oin- a>ay and leavin- me here B

B3f 0ourse you 0annot and it is not best in this 0ase@ >ant you to hel;me in many >ays in ma$inmy start@ When shall it beE Why not a fortni-htfrom no>EB

B8o,B she said, be0omin- -rave: B have so many thin-s to thin$ offirst@B

B#ut B

He dre> her -ently nearer to him@

The reality of marria-e >as startlin- >hen it loomed so near@ #eforedis0ussion of the uestion had ;ro0eeded further there >al$ed round the0orner of the settle into the full fireli-ht of the a;artment =r Dairyman/ri0$, =rs /ri0$, and t>o of the mil$maids@

Tess s;ran- li$e an elasti0 ball from his side to her feet, >hile her fa0eflushed and her eyes shone in the fireli-ht@

B $ne> ho> it >ould be if sat so 0lose to him B she 0ried, >ith

ve ation@ B said to myself, they are sure to 0ome and 0at0h us #ut >asn'treally sittin- on his $nee, thou-h it mi-ht ha' seemed as if >as almost B

BWell if so be you hadn't told us, am sure >e shouldn't ha' noti0edthat ye had been sittin- any>here at all in this li-ht,B re;lied the dairyman@He 0ontinued to his >ife, >ith the stolid mien of a man >ho understoodnothin- of the emotions relatin- to matrimony B8o>, /hristianer, thatsho>s that fol$s should never fan0y other fol$s be su;;osin- thin-s >henthey bain't@ 3 no, should never ha' thou-ht a >ord of >here she >as asittin- to, if she hadn't told me not @B

BWe are -oin- to be married soon,B said /lare, >ith im;rovised ;hle-m@

BAh and be ye Well, am truly -lad to hear it, sir@ 've thou-ht youmid do su0h a thin- for some time@ 2he's too -ood for a dairymaid said sothe very first day Iid her and a ;riIe for any manC and >hat's more, a



>onderful >oman for a -entleman4farmer's >ifeC he >on't be at the mer0y ofhis baily >i' her at his side@B

2omeho> Tess disa;;eared@ 2he had been even more stru0$ >ith theloo$ of the -irls >ho follo>ed /ri0$ than abashed by /ri0$'s blunt ;raise@

After su;;er, >hen she rea0hed her bedroom, they >ere all ;resent@ Ali-ht >as burnin-, and ea0h damsel >as sittin- u; >hitely in her bed,a>aitin- Tess, the >hole li$e a ro> of aven-in- -hosts@

#ut she sa> in a fe> moments that there >as no mali0e in their mood@They 0ould s0ar0ely feel as a loss >hat they had never e ;e0ted to have@Their 0ondition >as ob?e0tive, 0ontem;lative@

BHe's -oin- to marry her B murmured Retty, never ta$in- eyes off Tess@BHo> her fa0e do sho> it B

BGou be -oin- to marry himEB as$ed =arian@

BGes,B said Tess@

BWhenEB

B2ome day@B

They thou-ht that this >as evasiveness only@

B2es -oin- to marry him a -entleman B re;eated II Huett@

And by a sort of fas0ination the three -irls, one after another, 0re;t outof their beds, and 0ame and stood barefooted round Tess@ Retty ;ut herhands u;on Tess's shoulders, as if to realiIe her friend's 0or;oreality aftersu0h a mira0le, and the other t>o laid their arms round her >aist, all loo$in-into her fa0e@

BHo> it do seem Almost more than 0an thin$ of B said II Huett@

=arian $issed Tess@ BGes,B she murmured as she >ithdre> her li;s@

BWas that be0ause of love for her, or be0ause other li;s have tou0hedthere by no>EB 0ontinued II drily to =arian@



B >asn't thin$in- o' that,B said =arian sim;ly@ B >as on'y feelin- allthe stran-eness o't that she is to be his >ife, and nobody else@ don't saynay to it, nor either of us, be0ause >e did not thin$ of it only loved him@2till, nobody else is to marry'n in the >orld no fine lady, nobody in sil$sand satinsC but she >ho do live li$e >e@B

BAre you sure you don't disli$e me for itEB said Tess in a lo> voi0e@

They hun- about her in their >hite ni-ht-o>ns before re;lyin-, as ifthey 0onsidered their ans>er mi-ht lie in her loo$@

B don't $no> don't $no>,B murmured Retty Priddle@ B >ant to hate'eeC but 0annot B

BThat's ho> feel,B e0hoed II and =arian@ B 0an't hate her@ 2omeho>she hinders me B

BHe ou-ht to marry one of you,B murmured Tess@

BWhyEB

BGou are all better than @B

BWe better than youEB said the -irls in a lo>, slo> >his;er@ B8o, no,dear Tess B

BGou are B she 0ontradi0ted im;etuously@ And suddenly tearin- a>ayfrom their 0lin-in- arms she burst into a hysteri0al fit of tears, bo>in-herself on the 0hest of dra>ers and re;eatin- in0essantly, B3 yes, yes, yes B

Havin- on0e -iven >ay she 0ould not sto; her >ee;in-@

BHe ou-ht to have had one of you B she 0ried@ B thin$ ou-ht to ma$ehim even no> Gou >ould be better for him than don't $no> >hat 'm

sayin- 3 3 BThey >ent u; to her and 0las;ed her round, but still her sobs tore her@

B7et some >ater,B said =arian, B2he's u;set by us, ;oor thin-, ;oorthin- B



They -ently led her ba0$ to the side of her bed, >here they $issed her>armly@

BGou are best for'n,B said =arian@ B=ore ladyli$e, and a better s0holarthan >e, es;e0ially sin0e he had tau-ht 'ee so mu0h@ #ut even you ou-ht to

be ;roud@ Gou be ;roud, 'm sure B

BGes, am,B she saidC Band am ashamed at so brea$indo>n@B

When they >ere all in bed, and the li-ht >as out, =arian >his;ereda0ross to her

BGou >ill thin$ of us >hen you be his >ife, Tess, and of ho> >e told'ee that >e loved him, and ho> >e tried not to hate you, and did not hateyou, and 0ould not hate you, be0ause you >ere his 0hoi0e, and >e neverho;ed to be 0hose by him@B

They >ere not a>are that, at these >ords, salt, stin-in- tears tri0$leddo>n u;on Tess's ;illo> ane>, and ho> she resolved, >ith a burstin- heart,to tell all her history to An-el /lare, des;ite her mother's 0ommand to lethim for >hom she lived and breathed des;ise her if he >ould, and hermother re-ard her as a fool, rather then ;reserve a silen0e >hi0h mi-ht bedeemed a trea0hery to him, and >hi0h someho> seemed a >ron- to these@

<<<

This ;enitential mood $e;t her from namin- the >eddin-4day@ The be-innin- of 8ovember found its date still in abeyan0e, thou-h he as$ed herat the most tem;tin- times@ #ut Tess's desire seemed to be for a ;er;etual

betrothal in >hi0h everythin- should remain as it >as then@

The meads >ere 0han-inno>C but it >as still >arm enou-h in earlyafternoons before mil$in- to idle there a>hile, and the state of dairy4>or$ at

this time of year allo>ed a s;are hour for idlin-@ oo$in- over the dam; sodin the dire0tion of the sun, a -listenin- ri;;le of -ossamer >ebs >as visibleto their eyes under the luminary, li$e the tra0$ of moonli-ht on the sea@7nats, $no>in- nothin- of their brief -lorifi0ation, >andered a0ross theshimmer of this ;ath>ay, irradiated as if they bore fire >ithin them, then

;assed out of its line, and >ere uite e tin0t@ n the ;resen0e of these thin-she >ould remind her that the date >as still the uestion@



3r he >ould as$ her at ni-ht, >hen he a00om;anied her on somemission invented by =rs /ri0$ to -ive him the o;;ortunity@ This >as mostlya ?ourney to the farmhouse on the slo;es above the vale, to in uire ho> theadvan0ed 0o>s >ere -ettin- on in the stra>4barton to >hi0h they >ererele-ated@ For it >as a time of the year that brou-ht -reat 0han-es to the>orld of $ine@ #at0hes of the animals >ere sent a>ay daily to this lyin-4inhos;ital, >here they lived on stra> till their 0alves >ere born, after >hi0hevent, and as soon as the 0alf 0ould >al$, mother and offs;rin- >ere driven

ba0$ to the dairy@ n the interval >hi0h ela;sed before the 0alves >ere soldthere >as, of 0ourse, little mil$in- to be done, but as soon as the 0alf had

been ta$en a>ay the mil$maids >ould have to set to >or$ as usual@

Returnin- from one of these dar$ >al$s they rea0hed a -reat -ravel40liffimmediately over the levels, >here they stood still and listened@ The >ater

>as no> hi-h in the streams, s uirtin- throu-h the >eirs, and tin$lin- under0ulvertsC the smallest -ullies >ere all fullC there >as no ta$in- short 0utsany>here, and foot4;assen-ers >ere 0om;elled to follo> the ;ermanent>ays@ From the >hole e tent of the invisible vale 0ame a multitudinousintonationC it for0ed u;on their fan0y that a -reat 0ity lay belo> them, andthat the murmur >as the vo0iferation of its ;o;ula0e@

B t seems li$e tens of thousands of them,B said TessC Bholdin- ;ubli04meetin-s in their mar$et4;la0es, ar-uin-, ;rea0hin-, uarrellin-, sobbin-,-roanin-, ;rayin-, and 0ursin-@B

/lare >as not ;arti0ularly heedin-@

BDid /ri0$ s;ea$ to you to4day, dear, about his not >antin- mu0hassistan0e durin- the >inter monthsEB

B8o@B

BThe 0o>s are -oin- dry ra;idly@B

BGes@ 2i or seven >ent to the stra>4barton yesterday, and three the day before, ma$in- nearly t>enty in the stra> already@ Ah is it that the farmerdon't >ant my hel; for the 0alvin-E 3, am not >anted here any more And

have tried so hard to B

B/ri0$ didn't e a0tly say that he >ould no lon-er re uire you@ #ut,$no>in- >hat our relations >ere, he said in the most -ood4natured and



res;e0tful manner ;ossible that he su;;osed on my leavin- at /hristmas should ta$e you >ith me, and on my as$in- >hat he >ould do >ithout youhe merely observed that, as a matter of fa0t, it >as a time of year >hen he0ould do >ith a very little female hel;@ am afraid >as sinner enou-h tofeel rather -lad that he >as in this >ay for0in- your hand@B

B don't thin$ you ou-ht to have felt -lad, An-el@ #e0ause 'tis al>aysmournful not to be >anted, even if at the same time 'tis 0onvenient@B

BWell, it is 0onvenient you have admitted that@B He ;ut his fin-er u;onher 0hee$@ BAh B he said@

BWhatEB

B feel the red risin- u; at her havin- been 0au-ht #ut >hy should trifle so We >ill not trifle life is too serious@B

B t is@ Perha;s sa> that before you did@B

2he >as seein- it then@ To de0line to marry him after all in obedien0eto her emotion of last ni-ht and leave the dairy, meant to -o to somestran-e ;la0e, not a dairyC for mil$maids >ere not in re uest no> 0alvin-4time >as 0omin- onC to -o to some arable farm >here no divine bein- li$eAn-el /lare >as@ 2he hated the thou-ht, and she hated more the thou-ht of

-oin- home@

B2o that, seriously, dearest Tess,B he 0ontinued, Bsin0e you >ill ;robably have to leave at /hristmas, it is in every >ay desirable and0onvenient that should 0arry you off then as my ;ro;erty@ #esides, if you>ere not the most un0al0ulatin- -irl in the >orld you >ould $no> that >e0ould not -o on li$e this for ever@B

B >ish >e 0ould@ That it >ould al>ays be summer and autumn, and youal>ays 0ourtin- me, and al>ays thin$inas mu0h of me as you have done

throu-h the ;ast summer4time B

B al>ays shall@B

B3, $no> you >ill B she 0ried, >ith a sudden fervour of faith in him@BAn-el, >ill fi the day >hen >ill be0ome yours for al>ays B



s0enes@ Unso;histi0ation >as a thin- to tal$ ofC but he had not $no>n ho> itreally stru0$ one until he 0ame here@ Get he >as very far from seein- hisfuture tra0$ 0learly, and it mi-ht be a year or t>o before he >ould be able to0onsider himself fairly started in life@ The se0ret lay in the tin-e ofre0$lessness im;arted to his 0areer and 0hara0ter by the sense that he had

been made to miss his true destiny throu-h the ;re?udi0es of his family@

BDon't you thin$ 't>ould have been better for us to >ait till you >ereuite settled in your midland farmEB she on0e as$ed timidly@ KA midland

farm >as the idea ?ust then@L

BTo tell the truth, my Tess, don't li$e you to be left any>here a>ayfrom my ;rote0tion and sym;athy@B

The reason >as a -ood one, so far as it >ent@ His influen0e over her had been so mar$ed that she had 0au-ht his manner and habits, his s;ee0h and ;hrases, his li$in-s and his aversions@ And to leave her in farmland >ould beto let her sli; ba0$ a-ain out of a00ord >ith him@ He >ished to have herunder his 0har-e for another reason@ His ;arents had naturally desired to seeher on0e at least before he 0arried her off to a distant settlement, .n-lish or0olonialC and as no o;inion of theirs >as to be allo>ed to 0han-e hisintention, he ?ud-ed that a 0ou;le of months' life >ith him in lod-in-s >hilstsee$in- for an advanta-eous o;enin- >ould be of some so0ial assistan0e toher at >hat she mi-ht feel to be a tryin- ordeal her ;resentation to hismother at the i0ara-e@

8e t, he >ished to see a little of the >or$in- of a flour4mill, havin- anidea that he mi-ht 0ombine the use of one >ith 0orn4-ro>in-@ The ;ro;rietorof a lar-e old >ater4mill at Wellbrid-e on0e the mill of an Abbey hadoffered him the ins;e0tion of his time4honoured mode of ;ro0edure, and ahand in the o;erations for a fe> days, >henever he should 0hoose to 0ome@/lare ;aid a visit to the ;la0e, some fe> miles distant, one day at this time,to in uire ;arti0ulars, and returned to Talbothays in the evenin-@ 2he foundhim determined to s;end a short time at the Wellbrid-e flour4mills@ And>hat had determined himE ess the o;;ortunity of an insi-ht into -rindin-and boltin- than the 0asual fa0t that lod-in-s >ere to be obtained in that veryfarmhouse >hi0h, before its mutilation, had been the mansion of a bran0h ofthe d'Urberville family@ This >as al>ays ho> /lare settled ;ra0ti0al

uestionsC by a sentiment >hi0h had nothin- to do >ith them@ They de0ided



to -o immediately after the >eddin-, and remain for a fortni-ht, instead of ?ourneyin- to to>ns and inns@

BThen >e >ill start off to e amine some farms on the other side ofondon that have heard of,B he said, Band by =ar0h or A;ril >e >ill ;ay a

visit to my father and mother@B

Nuestions of ;ro0edure su0h as these arose and ;assed, and the day, thein0redible day, on >hi0h she >as to be0ome his, loomed lar-e in the nearfuture@ The thirty4first of De0ember, 8e> Gear's .ve, >as the date@ His >ife,she said to herself@ /ould it ever beE Their t>o selves to-ether, nothin- todivide them, every in0ident shared by themC >hy notE And yet >hyE

3ne 2unday mornin- II Huett returned from 0hur0h, and s;o$e

;rivately to Tess@BGou >as not 0alled home this mornin-@B

BWhatEB

B t should ha' been the first time of as$in- to4day,B she ans>ered,loo$in- uietly at Tess@ BGou meant to be married 8e> Gear's .ve, dearyEB

The other returned a ui0$ affirmative@

BAnd there must be three times of as$in-@ And no> there be only t>o2undays left bet>een@B

Tess felt her 0hee$ ;alin-C II >as ri-htC of 0ourse there must be three@Perha;s he had for-otten f so, there must be a >ee$'s ;ost;onement, andthat >as unlu0$y@ Ho> 0ould she remind her loverE 2he >ho had been so

ba0$>ard >as suddenly fired >ith im;atien0e and alarm lest she should loseher dear ;riIe@

A natural in0ident relieved her an iety@ II mentioned the omission ofthe banns to =rs /ri0$, and =rs /ri0$ assumed a matron's ;rivile-e ofs;ea$in- to An-el on the ;oint@

BHave ye for-ot 'em, =r /lareE The banns, mean@B

B8o, have not for-ot 'em,B says /lare@



As soon as he 0au-ht Tess alone he assured her:

BDon't let them tease you about the banns@ A li0en0e >ill be uieter forus, and have de0ided on a li0en0e >ithout 0onsultin- you@ 2o if you -o to0hur0h on 2unday mornin- you >ill not hear your o>n name, if you >ishedto@B

B didn't >ish to hear it, dearest,B she said ;roudly@

#ut to $no> that thin-s >ere in train >as an immense relief to Tessnot>ithstandin-, >ho had >ell4ni-h feared that somebody >ould stand u;and forbid the banns on the -round of her history@ Ho> events >erefavourin- her

B don't uite feel easy,B she said to herself@ BAll this -ood fortune may be s0our-ed out of me after>ards by a lot of ill@ That's ho> Heaven mostlydoes@ >ish 0ould have had 0ommon banns B

#ut everythin- >ent smoothly@ 2he >ondered >hether he >ould li$e herto be married in her ;resent best >hite fro0$, or if she ou-ht to buy a ne>one@ The uestion >as set at rest by his forethou-ht, dis0losed by the arrivalof some lar-e ;a0$a-es addressed to her@ nside them she found a >holesto0$ of 0lothin-, from bonnet to shoes, in0ludin- a ;erfe0t mornin-0ostume, su0h as >ould >ell suit the sim;le >eddin- they ;lanned@ He

entered the house shortly after the arrival of the ;a0$a-es, and heard heru;stairs undoin- them@

A minute later she 0ame do>n >ith a flush on her fa0e and tears in hereyes@

BHo> thou-htful you've been B she murmured, her 0hee$ u;on hisshoulder@ B.ven to the -loves and hand$er0hief =y o>n love ho> -ood,ho> $ind B

B8o, no, TessC ?ust an order to a trades>oman in ondon nothin-more@B

And to divert her from thin$in- too hi-hly of him, he told her to -ou;stairs, and ta$e her time, and see if it all fittedC and, if not, to -et thevilla-e sem;stress to ma$e a fe> alterations@



2he did return u;stairs, and ;ut on the -o>n@ Alone, she stood for amoment before the -lass loo$in- at the effe0t of her sil$ attireC and thenthere 0ame into her head her mother's ballad of the mysti0 robe

That never >ould be0ome that >ife That had on0e done amiss,

>hi0h =rs Durbeyfield had used to sin- to her as a 0hild, so blithely and soar0hly, her foot on the 0radle, >hi0h she ro0$ed to the tune@ 2u;;ose thisrobe should betray her by 0han-in- 0olour, as her robe had betrayed Nueen7uinevere@ 2in0e she had been at the dairy she had not on0e thou-ht of thelines till no>@

<<<

An-el felt that he >ould li$e to s;end a day >ith her before the>eddin-, some>here a>ay from the dairy, as a last ?aunt in her 0om;any>hile there >ere yet mere lover and mistressC a romanti0 day, in0ir0umstan0es that >ould never be re;eatedC >ith that other and -reater day

beamin- 0lose ahead of them@ Durin- the ;re0edin- >ee$, therefore, hesu--ested ma$in- a fe> ;ur0hases in the nearest to>n, and they startedto-ether@

/lare's life at the dairy had been that of a re0luse in res;e0t the >orld ofhis o>n 0lass@ For months he had never -one near a to>n, and, re uirin- novehi0le, had never $e;t one, hirin- the dairyman's 0ob or -i- if he rode ordrove@ They >ent in the -i- that day@

And then for the first time in their lives they sho;;ed as ;artners in one0on0ern@ t >as /hristmas .ve, >ith its loads a holly and mistletoe, and theto>n >as very full of stran-ers >ho had 0ome in from all ;arts of the0ountry on a00ount of the day@ Tess ;aid the ;enalty of >al$in- about >ithha;;iness su;eradded to beauty on her 0ountenan0e by bein- mu0h stared atas she moved amid them on his arm@

n the evenin- they returned to the inn at >hi0h they had ;ut u;, andTess >aited in the entry >hile An-el >ent to see the horse and -i- brou-htto the door@ The -eneral sittin-4room >as full of -uests, >ho >ere0ontinually -oinin and out@ As the door o;ened and shut ea0h time for the



;assa-e of these, the li-ht >ithin the ;arlour fell full u;on Tess's fa0e@ T>omen 0ame out and ;assed by her amon- the rest@ 3ne of them had stared heru; and do>n in sur;rise, and she fan0ied he >as a Trantrid-e man, thou-hthat villa-e lay so many miles off that Trantrid-e fol$ >ere rarities here@

BA 0omely maid that,B said the other@

BTrue, 0omely enou-h@ #ut unless ma$e a -reat mista$e B And hene-atived the remainder of the definition forth>ith@

/lare had ?ust returned from the stable4yard, and, 0onfrontin- the manon the threshold, heard the >ords, and sa> the shrin$in- of Tess@ The insultto her stun- him to the ui0$, and before he had 0onsidered anythin- at allhe stru0$ the man on the 0hin >ith the full for0e of his fist, sendin- him

sta--erin- ba0$>ards into the ;assa-e@The man re0overed himself, and seemed in0lined to 0ome on, and /lare,

ste;;in- outside the door, ;ut himself in a ;osture of defen0e@ #ut hiso;;onent be-an to thin$ better of the matter@ He loo$ed ane> at Tess as he

;assed her, and said to /lare

B be- ;ardon, sirC 't>as a 0om;lete mista$e@ thou-ht she >as another>oman, forty miles from here@B

/lare, feelin- then that he had been too hasty, and that he >as,moreover, to blame for leavin- her standin- in an inn4;assa-e, did >hat heusually did in su0h 0ases, -ave the man five shillin-s to ;laster the blo>C andthus they ;arted, biddin- ea0h other a ;a0ifi0 -ood ni-ht@ As soon as /larehad ta$en the reins from the ostler, and the youn- 0ou;le had driven off, thet>o men >ent in the other dire0tion@

BAnd >as it a mista$eEB said the se0ond one@

B8ot a bit of it@ #ut didn't >ant to hurt the -entleman's feelin-s not

@B

n the meantime the lovers >ere drivin- on>ard@

B/ould >e ;ut off our >eddin- till a little laterEB Tess as$ed in a drydull voi0e@ B mean if >e >ishedEB



B8o, my love@ /alm yourself@ Do you mean that the fello> may havetime to summon me for assaultEB he as$ed -ood4humouredly@

B8o only meant if it should have to be ;ut off@B

What she meant >as not very 0lear, and he dire0ted her to dismiss su0hfan0ies from her mind, >hi0h she obediently did as >ell as she 0ould@ #utshe >as -rave, very -rave, all the >ay homeC till she thou-ht, BWe shall -oa>ay, a very lon- distan0e, hundreds of miles from these ;arts, and su0h asthis 0an never ha;;en a-ain, and no -host of the ;ast rea0h there@B

They ;arted tenderly that ni-ht on the landin-, and /lare as0ended to hisatti0@ Tess sat u; -ettin- on >ith some little re uisites, lest the fe>remainin- days should not afford suffi0ient time@ While she sat she heard a

noise in An-el's room overhead, a sound of thum;in- and [email protected] else in the house >as aslee;, and in her an iety lest /lare should be ill she ran u; and $no0$ed at his door, and as$ed him >hat >as thematter@

B3h, nothin-, dear,B he said from >ithin@ B am so sorry disturbed you#ut the reason is rather an amusin- one: fell aslee; and dreamt that >asfi-htin- that fello> a-ain >ho insulted you, and the noise you heard >as my

;ummellin- a>ay >ith my fists at my ;ortmanteau, >hi0h ;ulled out to4day for ;a0$in-@ am o00asionally liable to these frea$s in my slee;@ 7o to

bed and thin$ of it no more@B

This >as the last dra0hm re uired to turn the s0ale of her inde0ision@De0lare the ;ast to him by >ord of mouth she 0ould notC but there >asanother >ay@ 2he sat do>n and >rote on the four ;a-es of a note4sheet asu00in0t narrative of those events of three or four years a-o, ;ut it into anenvelo;e, and dire0ted it to /lare@ Then, lest the flesh should a-ain be >ea$,she 0re;t u;stairs >ithout any shoes and sli;;ed the note under his door@

Her ni-ht >as a bro$en one, as it >ell mi-ht be, and she listened for thefirst faint noise overhead@ t 0ame, as usualC he des0ended, as usual@ 2hedes0ended@ He met her at the bottom of the stairs and $issed her@ 2urely it>as as >armly as ever

He loo$ed a little disturbed and >orn, she thou-ht@ #ut he said not a>ord to her about her revelation, even >hen they >ere alone@ /ould he havehad itE Unless he be-an the sub?e0t she felt that she 0ould say nothin-@ 2o



the day ;assed, and it >as evident that >hatever he thou-ht he meant to $ee;to himself@ Get he >as fran$ and affe0tionate as before@ /ould it be that herdoubts >ere 0hildishE that he for-ave herC that he loved her for >hat she>as, ?ust as she >as, and smiled at her dis uiet as at a foolish ni-htmareEHad he really re0eived her noteE 2he -lan0ed into his room, and 0ould seenothin- of it@ t mi-ht be that he for-ave her@ #ut even if he had not re0eivedit she had a sudden enthusiasti0 trust that he surely >ould for-ive her@

.very mornin- and ni-ht he >as the same, and thus 8e> Gear's .ve bro$e the >eddin- day@

The lovers did not rise at mil$in-4time, havin- throu-h the >hole of thislast >ee$ of their so?ourn at the dairy been a00orded somethin- of the

;osition of -uests, Tess bein- honoured >ith a room of her o>n@ When they

arrived do>nstairs at brea$fast4time they >ere sur;rised to see >hat effe0tshad been ;rodu0ed in the lar-e $it0hen for their -lory sin0e they had last beheld it@ At some unnatural hour of the mornin- the dairyman had 0ausedthe ya>nin- 0himney40orner to be >hitened, and the bri0$ hearth reddened,and a blaIin- yello> damas$ blo>er to be hun- a0ross the ar0h in ;la0e ofthe old -rimy blue 0otton one >ith a bla0$ s;ri- ;attern >hi0h had formerlydone duty there@ This renovated as;e0t of >hat >as the fo0us indeed of theroom on a full >inter mornin- thre> a smilin- demeanour over the >holea;artment@

B >as determined to do summat in honour o'tB, said the dairyman@ BAndas you >ouldn't hear of my -iein- a rattlin- -ood randy >i' fiddles and bass4viols 0om;lete, as >e should ha' done in old times, this >as all 0ould thin$o' as a noiseless thin-@B

Tess's friends lived so far off that none 0ould 0onveniently have been ;resent at the 0eremony, even had any been as$edC but as a fa0t nobody >asinvited from =arlott@ As for An-el's family, he had >ritten and dulyinformed them of the time, and assured them that he >ould be -lad to seeone at least of them there for the day if he >ould li$e to 0ome@ His brothershad not re;lied at all, seemin- to be indi-nant >ith himC >hile his father andmother had >ritten a rather sad letter, de;lorin- his ;re0i;itan0y in rushin-into marria-e, but ma$in- the best of the matter by sayin- that, thou-h adairy>oman >as the last dau-hter4in4la> they 0ould have e ;e0ted, theirson had arrived at an a-e >hi0h he mi-ht be su;;osed to be the best ?ud-e@



This 0oolness in his relations distressed /lare less than it >ould havedone had he been >ithout the -rand 0ard >ith >hi0h he meant to sur;risethem ere lon-@ To ;rodu0e Tess, fresh from the dairy, as a d'Urberville and alady, he had felt to be temerarious and ris$yC hen0e he had 0on0ealed herlinea-e till su0h time as, familiariIed >ith >orldly >ays by a fe> months'travel and readin- >ith him, he 0ould ta$e her on a visit to his ;arents andim;art the $no>led-e >hile trium;hantly ;rodu0in- her as >orthy of su0han an0ient line@ t >as a ;retty lover's dream, if no more@ Perha;s Tess'slinea-e had more value for himself than for anybody in the >orld beside@

Her ;er0e;tion that An-el's bearin- to>ards her still remained in no>hit altered by her o>n 0ommuni0ation rendered Tess -uiltily doubtful if he0ould have re0eived it@ 2he rose from brea$fast before he had finished, andhastened u;stairs@ t had o00urred to her to loo$ on0e more into the ueer

-aunt room >hi0h had been /lare's den, or rather eyrie, for so lon-, and0limbin- the ladder she stood at the o;en door of the a;artment, re-ardin-and ;onderin-@ 2he stoo;ed to the threshold of the door>ay, >here she had

;ushed in the note t>o or three days earlier in su0h e 0itement@ The 0ar;etrea0hed 0lose to the sill, and under the ed-e of the 0ar;et she dis0erned thefaint >hite mar-in of the envelo;e 0ontainin- her letter to him, >hi0h heobviously had never seen, o>in- to her havin- in her haste thrust it beneaththe 0ar;et as >ell as beneath the door@

With a feelin- of faintness she >ithdre> the letter@ There it >as sealedu;, ?ust as it had left her hands@ The mountain had not yet been removed@2he 0ould not let him read it no>, the house bein- in full bustle of

;re;arationC and des0endin- to her o>n room she destroyed the letter there@

2he >as so ;ale >hen he sa> her a-ain that he felt uite an ious@ Thein0ident of the mis;la0ed letter she had ?um;ed at as if it ;revented a0onfessionC but she $ne> in her 0ons0ien0e that it need notC there >as stilltime@ Get everythin- >as in a stirC there >as 0omin- and -oin-C all had todress, the dairyman and =rs /ri0$ havin- been as$ed to a00om;any them as

>itnessesC and refle0tion or deliberate tal$ >as >ell4ni-h im;ossible@ Theonly minute Tess 0ould -et to be alone >ith /lare >as >hen they met u;onthe landin-@

B am so an ious to tal$ to you >ant to 0onfess all my faults and blunders B she said >ith attem;ted li-htness@



B8o, no >e 0an't have faults tal$ed of you must be deemed ;erfe0tto4day at least, my 2>eet B he 0ried@ BWe shall have ;lenty of time,hereafter, ho;e, to tal$ over our failin-s@ >ill 0onfess mine at the sametime@B

B#ut it >ould be better for me to do it no>, thin$, so that you 0ould notsay B

BWell, my ui oti0 one, you shall tell me anythin- say, as soon as >eare settled in our lod-in-C not no>@ , too, >ill tell you my faults then@ #utdo not let us s;oil the day >ith themC they >ill be e 0ellent matter for a dulltime@B

BThen you don't >ish me to, dearestEB

B do not, Tessy, really@B

The hurry of dressin- and startin- left no time for more than this@ Those>ords of his seemed to reassure her on further refle0tion@ 2he >as >hirledon>ard throu-h the ne t 0ou;le of 0riti0al hours by the masterin- tide of herdevotion to him, >hi0h 0losed u; further meditation@ Her one desire, so lon-resisted, to ma$e herself his, to 0all him her lord, her o>n then, ifne0essary, to die had at last lifted her u; from her ;loddin- refle0tive

;ath>ay@ n dressin-, she moved about in a mental 0loud of many40oloured

idealities, >hi0h e0li;sed all sinister 0ontin-en0ies by its bri-htness@

The 0hur0h >as a lon- >ay off, and they >ere obli-ed to drive, ;arti0ularly as it >as >inter@ A 0losed 0arria-e >as ordered from a roadsideinn, a vehi0le >hi0h had been $e;t there ever sin0e the old days of ;ost40haise travellin-@ t had stout >heel4s;o$es and heavy felloes, a -reat 0urved

bed, immense stra;s and s;rin-s, and a ;ole li$e a batterin-4ram@ The ;ostilion >as a venerable BboyB of si ty a martyr to rheumati0 -out, theresult of e 0essive e ;osure in youth, 0ounter4a0ted by stron- li uors >hohad stood at inn4doors doin- nothin- for the >hole five4and4t>enty yearsthat had ela;sed sin0e he had no lon-er been re uired to ride ;rofessionally,as if e ;e0tin- the old times to 0ome ba0$ a-ain@ He had a ;ermanentrunnin- >ound on the outside of his ri-ht le-, ori-inated by the 0onstant

bruisin-s of aristo0rati0 0arria-e4;oles durin- the many years that he had been in re-ular em;loy at the 9in-'s Arms, /asterbrid-e@



nside this 0umbrous and 0rea$in- stru0ture, and behind this de0ayed0ondu0tor, the partie carr$e too$ their seats the bride and bride-room and=r and =rs /ri0$@ An-el >ould have li$ed one at least of his brothers to be

;resent as -roomsman, but their silen0e after his -entle hint to that effe0t byletter had si-nified that they did not 0are to 0ome@ They disa;;roved of themarria-e, and 0ould not be e ;e0ted to 0ountenan0e it@ Perha;s it >as as>ell that they 0ould not be ;resent@ They >ere not >orldly youn- fello>s,

but fraterniIin- >ith dairy4fol$ >ould have stru0$ un;leasantly u;on their biased ni0eness, a;art from their vie>s of the mat0h@

U;held by the momentum of the time, Tess $ne> nothin- of this, didnot see anythin-, did not $no> the road they >ere ta$in- to the 0hur0h@ 2he$ne> that An-el >as 0lose to herC all the rest >as a luminous mist@ 2he >asa sort of 0elestial ;erson, >ho o>ed her bein- to ;oetry one of those

0lassi0al divinities /lare >as a00ustomed to tal$ to her about >hen they too$their >al$s to-ether@

The marria-e bein- by li0en0e there >ere only a doIen or so of ;eo;lein the 0hur0hC had there been a thousand they >ould have ;rodu0ed no moreeffe0t u;on her@ They >ere at stellar distan0es from her ;resent >orld@ n thee0stati0 solemnity >ith >hi0h she s>ore her faith to him the ordinarysensibilities of se seemed a fli;;an0y@ At a ;ause in the servi0e, >hile they>ere $neelin- to-ether, she un0ons0iously in0lined herself to>ards him, sothat her shoulder tou0hed his armC she had been fri-htened by a ;assin-thou-ht, and the movement had been automati0, to assure herself that he >asreally there, and to fortify her belief that his fidelity >ould be ;roof a-ainstall thin-s@

/lare $ne> that she loved him every 0urve of her form sho>ed that but he did not $no> at that time the full de;th of her devotion, its sin-le4mindedness, its mee$nessC >hat lon-4sufferin- it -uaranteed, >hat honesty,>hat enduran0e, >hat -ood faith@

As they 0ame out of 0hur0h the rin-ers s>un- the bells off their rests,and a modest ;eal of three notes bro$e forth that limited amount ofe ;ression havin- been deemed suffi0ient by the 0hur0h builders for the ?oysof su0h a small ;arish@ Passin- by the to>er >ith her husband on the ;ath tothe -ate she 0ould feel the vibrant air hummin- round them from the louvred

belfry in the 0ir0le of sound, and it mat0hed the hi-hly40har-ed mentalatmos;here in >hi0h she >as livin-@



>hat mi-ht be 0onsidered in u;ri-ht souls as 0ul;able reti0en0eE 2he $ne>not >hat >as e ;e0ted of >omen in su0h 0asesC and she had no 0ounsellor@

Ho>ever, >hen she found herself alone in her room for a fe> minutes the last day this on >hi0h she >as ever to enter it she $nelt do>n and

;rayed@ 2he tried to ;ray to 7od, but it >as her husband >ho really had hersu;;li0ation@ Her idolatry of this man >as su0h that she herself almostfeared it to be ill4omened@ 2he >as 0ons0ious of the notion e ;ressed byFriar auren0e: BThese violent deli-hts have violent ends@B t mi-ht be toodes;erate for human 0onditions too ran$, to >ild, too deadly@

B3 my love, >hy do love you so B she >his;ered there aloneC Bfor sheyou love is not my real self, but one in my ima-eC the one mi-ht have

been B

Afternoon 0ame, and >ith it the hour for de;arture@ They had de0ided tofulfil the ;lan of -oin- for a fe> days to the lod-in-s in the old farmhousenear Wellbrid-e =ill, at >hi0h he meant to reside durin- his investi-ation offlour ;ro0esses@ At t>o o'0lo0$ there >as nothin- left to do but to start@ Allthe servantry of the dairy >ere standin- in the red4bri0$ entry to see them -oout, the dairyman and his >ife follo>in- to the door@ Tess sa> her three0hamber4mates in a ro> a-ainst the >all, ;ensively in0linin- their heads@2he had mu0h uestioned if they >ould a;;ear at the ;artin- momentC butthere they >ere, stoi0al and staun0h to the last@ 2he $ne> >hy the deli0ateRetty loo$ed so fra-ile, and II so tra-i0ally sorro>ful, and =arian so blan$Cand she for-ot her o>n do--in- shado> for a moment in 0ontem;latin-theirs@ 2he im;ulsively >his;ered to him

BWill you $iss 'em all, on0e, ;oor thin-s, for the first and last timeEB

/lare had not the least ob?e0tion to su0h a fare>ell formality >hi0h>as all that it >as to him and as he ;assed them he $issed them insu00ession >here they stood, sayin- B7oodbyeB to ea0h as he did so@ Whenthey rea0hed the door Tess femininely -lan0ed ba0$ to dis0ern the effe0t ofthat $iss of 0harityC there >as no trium;h in her -lan0e, as there mi-ht have

been@ f there had it >ould have disa;;eared >hen she sa> ho> moved the-irls all >ere@ The $iss had obviously done harm by a>a$enin- feelin-s they>ere tryin- to subdue@

3f all this /lare >as un0ons0ious@ Passin- on to the >i0$et4-ate heshoo$ hands >ith the dairyman and his >ife, and e ;ressed his last than$s to



them for their attentionsC after >hi0h there >as a moment of silen0e beforethey had moved off@ t >as interru;ted by the 0ro>in- of a 0o0$@ The >hiteone >ith the rose 0omb had 0ome and settled on the ;alin-s in front of thehouse, >ithin a fe> yards of them, and his notes thrilled their ears throu-h,d>indlin- a>ay li$e e0hoes do>n a valley of ro0$s@

B3hEB said =rs /ri0$@ BAn afternoon 0ro> B

T>o men >ere standin- by the yard -ate, holdin- it o;en@

BThat's bad,B one murmured to the other, not thin$in- that the >ords0ould be heard by the -rou; at the door4>i0$et@

The 0o0$ 0re> a-ain strai-ht to>ards /lare@

BWell B said the dairyman@

B don't li$e to hear him B said Tess to her husband@ BTell the man todrive on@ 7oodbye, -oodbye B

The 0o0$ 0re> a-ain@

BHoosh (ust you be off, sir, or 'll t>ist your ne0$ B said the dairyman>ith some irritation, turnin- to the bird and drivin- him a>ay@ And to his>ife as they >ent indoors: B8o>, to thin$ o' that ?ust to4day 've not heardhis 0ro> of an afternoon all the year afore@B

B t only means a 0han-e in the >eather,B said sheC Bnot >hat you thin$:'tis im;ossible B

<<<

They drove by the level road alon- the valley to a distan0e of a fe>

miles, and, rea0hin- Wellbrid-e, turned a>ay from the villa-e to the left,and over the -reat .liIabethan brid-e >hi0h -ives the ;la0e half its name@mmediately behind it stood the house >herein they had en-a-ed lod-in-s,

>hose e terior features are so >ell $no>n to all travellers throu-h theFroom alleyC on0e ;ortion of a fine manorial residen0e, and the ;ro;ertyand seat of a d'Urberville, but sin0e its ;artial demolition a farmhouse@



BWel0ome to one of your an0estral mansions B said /lare as he handedher do>n@ #ut he re-retted the ;leasantryC it >as too near a satire@

3n enterin- they found that, thou-h they had only en-a-ed a 0ou;le ofrooms, the farmer had ta$en advanta-e of their ;ro;osed ;resen0e durin- the0omin- days to ;ay a 8e> Gear's visit to some friends, leavin- a >omanfrom a nei-hbourin- 0otta-e to minister to their fe> >ants@ The absolutenessof ;ossession ;leased them, and they realiIed it as the first moment of theire ;erien0e under their o>n e 0lusive roof4tree@

#ut he found that the mouldy old habitation some>hat de;ressed his bride@ When the 0arria-e >as -one they as0ended the stairs to >ash theirhands, the 0har>oman sho>in- the >ay@ 3n the landin- Tess sto;;ed andstarted@

BWhat's the matterEB said he@

BThose horrid >omen B she ans>ered >ith a smile@ BHo> theyfri-htened me@B

He loo$ed u;, and ;er0eived t>o life4siIe ;ortraits on ;anels built intothe masonry@ As all visitors to the mansion are a>are, these ;aintin-sre;resent >omen of middle a-e, of a date some t>o hundred years a-o,>hose lineaments on0e seen 0an never be for-otten@ The lon- ;ointed

features, narro> eye, and smir$ of the one, so su--estive of mer0ilesstrea0heryC the bill4hoo$ nose, lar-e teeth, and bold eye of the othersu--estin- arro-an0e to the ;oint of fero0ity, haunt the beholder after>ardsin his dreams@

BWhose ;ortraits are thoseEB as$ed /lare of the 0har>oman@

B have been told by old fol$ that they >ere ladies of the d'Urbervillefamily, the an0ient lords of this manor,B she said, B3>in- to their bein-

builded into the >all they 0an't be moved a>ay@B

The un;leasantness of the matter >as that, in addition to their effe0tu;on Tess, her fine features >ere un uestionably tra0eable in thesee a--erated forms@ He said nothin- of this, ho>ever, and, re-rettin- that hehad -one out of his >ay to 0hoose the house for their bridal time, >ent oninto the ad?oinin- room@ The ;la0e havin- been rather hastily ;re;ared for



them, they >ashed their hands in one basin@ /lare tou0hed hers under the>ater@

BWhi0h are my fin-ers and >hi0h are yoursEB he said, loo$in- u;@BThey are very mu0h mi ed@B

BThey are all yours,B said she, very ;rettily, and endeavoured to be-ayer than she >as@ He had not been dis;leased >ith her thou-htfulness onsu0h an o00asionC it >as >hat every sensible >oman >ould sho>: but Tess$ne> that she had been thou-htful to e 0ess, and stru--led a-ainst it@

The sun >as so lo> on that short last afternoon of the year that it shonein throu-h a small o;enin- and formed a -olden staff >hi0h stret0hed a0rossto her s$irt, >here it made a s;ot li$e a ;aint4mar$ set u;on her@ They >ent

into the an0ient ;arlour to tea, and here they shared their first 0ommon mealalone@ 2u0h >as their 0hildishness, or rather his, that he found it interestin-to use the same bread4and4butter ;late as herself, and to brush 0rumbs fromher li;s >ith his o>n@ He >ondered a little that she did not enter into thesefrivolities >ith his o>n Iest@

oo$in- at her silently for a lon- timeC B2he is a dear dear Tess,B hethou-ht to himself, as one de0idin- on the true 0onstru0tion of a diffi0ult

;assa-e@ BDo realiIe solemnly enou-h ho> utterly and irretrievably thislittle >omanly thin- is the 0reature of my -ood or bad faith and fortuneE

thin$ not@ thin$ 0ould not, unless >ere a >oman myself@ What am in>orldly estate, she is@ What be0ome, she must be0ome@ What 0annot be,she 0annot be@ And shall ever ne-le0t her, or hurt her, or even for-et to0onsider herE 7od forbid su0h a 0rime B

They sat on over the tea4table >aitin- for their lu--a-e, >hi0h thedairyman had ;romised to send before it -re> dar$@ #ut evenin- be-an to0lose in, and the lu--a-e did not arrive, and they had brou-ht nothin- morethan they stood in@ With the de;arture of the sun the 0alm mood of the>inter day 0han-ed@ 3ut of doors there be-an noises as of sil$ smartlyrubbedC the restful dead leaves of the ;re0edin- autumn >ere stirred toirritated resurre0tion, and >hirled about un>illin-ly, and ta;;ed a-ainst theshutters@ t soon be-an to rain@

BThat 0o0$ $ne> the >eather >as -oin- to 0han-e,B said /lare@



The >oman >ho had attended u;on them had -one home for the ni-ht, but she had ;la0ed 0andles u;on the table, and no> they lit them@ .a0h0andle4flame dre> to>ards the fire;la0e@

BThese old houses are so drau-hty,B 0ontinued An-el, loo$in- at theflames, and at the -rease -utterin- do>n the sides@ B >onder >here thatlu--a-e is@ We haven't even a brush and 0omb@B

B don't $no>,B she ans>ered, absent4minded@

BTess, you are not a bit 0heerful this evenin- not at all as you used to be@ Those harridans on the ;anels u;stairs have unsettled you@ am sorry brou-ht you here@ >onder if you really love me, after allEB

He $ne> that she did, and the >ords had no serious intentC but she >assur0har-ed >ith emotion, and >in0ed li$e a >ounded animal@ Thou-h shetried not to shed tears, she 0ould not hel; sho>inone or t>o@

B did not mean it B said he, sorry@ BGou are >orried at not havin- yourthin-s, $no>@ 0annot thin$ >hy old (onathan has not 0ome >ith them@Why, it is seven o'0lo0$E Ah, there he is B

A $no0$ had 0ome to the door, and, there bein- nobody else to ans>erit, /lare >ent out@ He returned to the room >ith a small ;a0$a-e in his hand@

B t is not (onathan, after all,B he said@

BHo> ve in- B said Tess@

The ;a0$et had been brou-ht by a s;e0ial messen-er, >ho had arrived atTalbothays from .mminster i0ara-e immediately after the de;arture of themarried 0ou;le, and had follo>ed them hither, bein- under in?un0tion todeliver it into nobody's hands but theirs@ /lare brou-ht it to the li-ht@ t >asless than a foot lon-, se>ed u; in 0anvas, sealed in red >a >ith his father's

seal, and dire0ted in his father's hand to B=rs An-el /lare@B

B t is a little >eddin-4;resent for you, Tess,B said he, handin- it to her@BHo> thou-htful they are B

Tess loo$ed a little flustered as she too$ it@



B thin$ >ould rather have you o;en it, dearest,B said she, turnin- overthe ;ar0el@ B don't li$e to brea$ those -reat sealsC they loo$ so serious@Please o;en it for me B

He undid the ;ar0el@ nside >as a 0ase of moro00o leather, on the to; of>hi0h lay a note and a $ey@

The note >as for /lare, in the follo>in- >ords:

= G D.AR 238

Possibly you have for-otten that on the death of your -odmother, =rsPitney, >hen you >ere a lad, she vain, $ind >oman that she >as left tome a ;ortion of the 0ontents of her ?e>el40ase in trust for your >ife, if youshould ever have one, as a mar$ of her affe0tion for you and >homsoeveryou should 0hoose@ This trust have fulfilled, and the diamonds have beenlo0$ed u; at my ban$er's ever sin0e@ Thou-h feel it to be a some>hatin0on-ruous a0t in the 0ir0umstan0es, am, as you >ill see, bound to handover the arti0les to the >oman to >hom the use of them for her lifetime >illno> ri-htly belon-, and they are therefore ;rom;tly sent@ They be0ome,

believe, heirlooms, stri0tly s;ea$in-, a00ordin- to the terms of your-odmother's >ill@ The ;re0ise >ords of the 0lause that refers to this matterare en0losed@

B do remember,B said /lareC Bbut had uite for-otten@B

Unlo0$in- the 0ase, they found it to 0ontain a ne0$la0e, >ith ;endant, bra0elets, and ear4rin-sC and also some other small ornaments@

Tess seemed afraid to tou0h them at first, but her eyes s;ar$led for amoment as mu0h as the stones >hen /lare s;read out the set@

BAre they mineEB she as$ed in0redulously@

BThey are, 0ertainly,B said he@

He loo$ed into the fire@ He remembered ho>, >hen he >as a lad offifteen, his -odmother, the 2 uire's >ife the only ri0h ;erson >ith >hom



he had ever 0ome in 0onta0t had ;inned her faith to his su00essC had ;ro;hesied a >ondrous 0areer for him@ There had seemed nothin- at all outof $ee;in- >ith su0h a 0on?e0tured 0areer in the storin- u; of these sho>yornaments for his >ife and the >ives of her des0endants@ They -leamedsome>hat ironi0ally no>@ BGet >hyEB he as$ed himself@ t >as but a

uestion of vanity throu-houtC and if that >ere admitted into one side of thee uation it should be admitted into the other@ His >ife >as a d'Urberville:>hom 0ould they be0ome better than herE

2uddenly he said >ith enthusiasm

BTess, ;ut them on ;ut them on B And he turned from the fire to hel;her@

#ut as if by ma-i0 she had already donned them ne0$la0e, ear4rin-s, bra0elets, and all@

B#ut the -o>n isn't ri-ht, Tess,B said /lare@ B t ou-ht to be a lo> one fora set of brilliants li$e that@B

B3u-ht itEB said Tess@

BGes,B said he@

He su--ested to her ho> to tu0$ in the u;;er ed-e of her bodi0e, so as toma$e it rou-hly a;;ro imate to the 0ut for evenin- >earC and >hen she haddone this, and the ;endant to the ne0$la0e hun- isolated amid the >hitenessof her throat, as it >as desi-ned to do, he ste;;ed ba0$ to survey her@

B=y heavens,B said /lare, Bho> beautiful you are B

As everybody $no>s, fine feathers ma$e fine birdsC a ;easant -irl butvery moderately ;re;ossessin- to the 0asual observer in her sim;le 0onditionand attire >ill bloom as an amaIin- beauty if 0lothed as a >oman of fashion

>ith the aids that Art 0an renderC >hile the beauty of the midni-ht 0rush>ould often 0ut but a sorry fi-ure if ;la0ed inside the field4>oman's >ra;;eru;on a monotonous a0rea-e of turni;s on a dull day@ He had never till no>estimated the artisti0 e 0ellen0e of Tess's limbs and features@



B f you >ere only to a;;ear in a ball4room B he said@ B#ut no no,dearestC thin$ love you best in the >in-4bonnet and 0otton4fro0$ yes,

better than in this, >ell as you su;;ort these di-nities@B

Tess's sense of her stri$in- a;;earan0e had -iven her a flush ofe 0itement, >hi0h >as yet not ha;;iness@

B 'll ta$e them off,B she said, Bin 0ase (onathan should see me@ They arenot fit for me, are theyE They must be sold, su;;oseEB

B et them stay a fe> minutes lon-er@ 2ell themE 8ever@ t >ould be a brea0h of faith@B

nfluen0ed by a se0ond thou-ht she readily obeyed@ 2he had somethin-to tell, and there mi-ht be hel; in these@ 2he sat do>n >ith the ?e>els u;onherC and they a-ain indul-ed in 0on?e0tures as to >here (onathan 0ould

;ossibly be >ith their ba--a-e@ The ale they had ;oured out for his0onsum;tion >hen he 0ame had -one flat >ith lon- standin-@

2hortly after this they be-an su;;er, >hi0h >as already laid on a side4table@ .re they had finished there >as a ?er$ in the fire4smo$e, the risin-s$ein of >hi0h bul-ed out into the room, as if some -iant had laid his handon the 0himney4to; for a moment@ t had been 0aused by the o;enin- of theouter door@ A heavy ste; >as no> heard in the ;assa-e, and An-el >ent out@

B 0ouldn' ma$e nobody hear at all by $no0$in-,B a;olo-iIed (onathan9ail, for it >as he at lastC Band as't >as rainin- out o;ened the door@ 've

brou-ht the thin-s, sir@B

B am very -lad to see them@ #ut you are very late@B

BWell, yes, sir@B

There >as somethin- subdued in (onathan 9ail's tone >hi0h had not

been there in the day, and lines of 0on0ern >ere ;lou-hed u;on his foreheadin addition to the lines of years@ He 0ontinued

BWe've all been -allied at the dairy at >hat mi-ht ha' been a mostterrible affli0tion sin0e you and your =is'ess so to name her no> left usthis a'ternoon@ Perha;s you ha'nt for-ot the 0o0$'s afternoon 0ro>EB



BDear meC >hat B

BWell, some says it do mane one thin-, and some anotherC but >hat'sha;;ened is that ;oor little Retty Priddle hev tried to dro>n herself@B

B8o Really Why, she bade us -oodbye >ith the rest B

BGes@ Well, sir, >hen you and your =is'ess so to name >hat shela>ful is >hen you t>o drove a>ay, as say, Retty and =arian ;ut ontheir bonnets and >ent outC and as there is not mu0h doin- no>, bein- 8e>Gear's .ve, and fol$s mo;s and brooms from >hat's inside 'em, nobody too$mu0h noti0e@ They >ent on to e>4.verard, >here they had summut todrin$, and then on they vam;ed to Dree4armed /ross, and there they seemedto have ;arted, Retty stri$in- a0ross the >ater4meads as if for home, and

=arian -oin- on to the ne t villa-e, >here there's another ;ubli04house@ 8othin- more >as Ieed or heard o' Retty till the >aterman, on his >ayhome, noti0ed somethin- by the 7reat PoolC 't>as her bonnet and sha>l

;a0$ed u;@ n the >ater he found her@ He and another man brou-ht her home,thin$in- a' >as deadC but she fet0hed round by de-rees@B

An-el, suddenly re0olle0tin- that Tess >as overhearin- this -loomytale, >ent to shut the door bet>een the ;assa-e and the ante4room to theinner ;arlour >here she >asC but his >ife, flin-in- a sha>l round her, had0ome to the outer room and >as listenin- to the man's narrative, her eyes

restin- absently on the lu--a-e and the dro;s of rain -listenin- u;on it@

BAnd, more than this, there's =arianC she's been found dead drun$ bythe >ithy4bed a -irl >ho hev never been $no>n to tou0h anythin- beforee 0e;t shillin- aleC thou-h, to be sure, 'a >as al>ays a -ood tren0her4>oman, as her fa0e sho>ed@ t seems as if the maids had all -one out o' theirminds B

BAnd IIEB as$ed Tess@

B II is about house as usualC but 'a do say 'a 0an -uess ho> it ha;;enedCand she seems to be very lo> in mind about it, ;oor maid, as >ell she mid

be@ And so you see, sir, as all this ha;;ened ?ust >hen >e >as ;a0$in- yourfe> tra;s and your =is'ess's ni-ht4rail and dressin- thin-s into the 0art, >hy,it belated me@B



BGes@ Well, (onathan, >ill you -et the trun$s u;stairs, and drin$ a 0u; ofale, and hasten ba0$ as soon as you 0an, in 0ase you should be >antedEB

Tess had -one ba0$ to the inner ;arlour, and sat do>n by the fire,loo$in- >istfully into it@ 2he heard (onathan 9ail's heavy footste;s u; anddo>n the stairs till he had done ;la0in- the lu--a-e, and heard him e ;resshis than$s for the ale her husband too$ out to him, and for the -ratuity here0eived@ (onathan's footste;s then died from the door, and his 0art 0rea$eda>ay@

An-el slid for>ard the massive oa$ bar >hi0h se0ured the door, and0omin- in to >here she sat over the hearth, ;ressed her 0hee$s bet>een hishands from behind@ He e ;e0ted her to ?um; u; -aily and un;a0$ the toilet4-ear that she had been so an ious about, but as she did not rise he sat do>n

>ith her in the fireli-ht, the 0andles on the su;;er4table bein- too thin and-limmerin- to interfere >ith its -lo>@

B am so sorry you should have heard this sad story about the -irls,B hesaid@ B2till, don't let it de;ress you@ Retty >as naturally morbid, you $no>@B

BWithout the least 0ause,B said Tess@ BWhile they >ho have 0ause to be,hide it, and ;retend they are not@B

This in0ident had turned the s0ale for her@ They >ere sim;le and

inno0ent -irls on >hom the unha;;iness of unre uited love had fallenC theyhad deserved better at the hands of Fate@ 2he had deserved >orse yet she>as the 0hosen one@ t >as >i0$ed of her to ta$e all >ithout ;ayin-@ 2he>ould ;ay to the uttermost farthin-C she >ould tell, there and then@ This finaldetermination she 0ame to >hen she loo$ed into the fire, he holdin- herhand@

A steady -lare from the no> flameless embers ;ainted the sides and ba0$ of the fire;la0e >ith its 0olour, and the >ell4;olished andirons, and theold brass ton-s that >ould not meet@ The underside of the mantel4shelf >asflushed >ith the hi-h40oloured li-ht, and the le-s of the table nearest thefire@ Tess's fa0e and ne0$ refle0ted the same >armth, >hi0h ea0h -em turnedinto an Aldebaran or a 2irius a 0onstellation of >hite, red, and -reenflashes, that inter0han-ed their hues >ith her every ;ulsation@

BDo you remember >hat >e said to ea0h other this mornin- abouttellin- our faultsEB he as$ed abru;tly, findin- that she still remained



immovable@ BWe s;o$e li-htly ;erha;s, and you may >ell have done so@ #utfor me it >as no li-ht ;romise@ >ant to ma$e a 0onfession to you, ove@B

This, from him, so une ;e0tedly a;;osite, had the effe0t u;on her of aProvidential inter;osition@

BGou have to 0onfess somethin-EB she said ui0$ly, and even >ith-ladness and relief@

BGou did not e ;e0t itE Ah you thou-ht too hi-hly of me@ 8o> listen@Put your head there, be0ause >ant you to for-ive me, and not to beindi-nant >ith me for not tellin- you before, as ;erha;s ou-ht to havedone@B

Ho> stran-e it >as He seemed to be her double@ 2he did not s;ea$, and/lare >ent on

B did not mention it be0ause >as afraid of endan-erin- my 0han0e ofyou, darlin-, the -reat ;riIe of my life my Fello>shi; 0all you@ =y

brother's Fello>shi; >as >on at his 0olle-e, mine at Talbothays Dairy@ Well, >ould not ris$ it@ >as -oin- to tell you a month a-o at the time you

a-reed to be mine, but 0ould notC thou-ht it mi-ht fri-hten you a>ay fromme@ ;ut it offC then thou-ht >ould tell you yesterday, to -ive you a0han0e at least of es0a;inme@ #ut did not@ And did not this mornin-,

>hen you ;ro;osed our 0onfessin- our faults on the landin- the sinner that >as #ut must, no> see you sittin- there so solemnly@ >onder if you

>ill for-ive meEB

B3 yes am sure that B

BWell, ho;e so@ #ut >ait a minute@ Gou don't $no>@ To be-in at the be-innin-@ Thou-h ima-ine my ;oor father fears that am one of theeternally lost for my do0trines, am of 0ourse, a believer in -ood morals,Tess, as mu0h as you@ used to >ish to be a tea0her of men, and it >as a-reat disa;;ointment to me >hen found 0ould not enter the /hur0h@ admired s;otlessness, even thou-h 0ould lay no 0laim to it, and hatedim;urity, as ho;e do no>@ Whatever one may thin$ of ;lenary ins;iration,one must heartily subs0ribe to these >ords of Paul: '#e thou an e am;le in>ord, in 0onversation, in 0harity, in s;irit, in faith, in ;urity@' t is the onlysafe-uard for us ;oor human bein-s@ ' Integer itae ,' says a Roman ;oet, >ho



/lare ;erformed the irrelevant a0t of stirrin- the fireC the intelli-en0ehad not even yet -ot to the bottom of him@ After stirrin- the embers he roseto his feetC all the for0e of her dis0losure had im;arted itself no>@ His fa0ehad >ithered@ n the strenuousness of his 0on0entration he treadled fitfullyon the floor@ He 0ould not, by any 0ontrivan0e, thin$ 0losely enou-hC that>as the meanin- of his va-ue movement@ When he s;o$e it >as in the mostinade uate, 0ommon;la0e voi0e of the many varied tones she had heardfrom him@

BTess B

BGes, dearest@B

BAm to believe thisE From your manner am to ta$e it as true@ 3 you

0annot be out of your mind Gou ou-ht to be Get you are notJ =y >ife,my Tess nothin- in you >arrants su0h a su;;osition as thatEB

B am not out of my mind,B she said@

BAnd yet B He loo$ed va0antly at her, to resume >ith daIed senses:BWhy didn't you tell me beforeE Ah, yes, you >ould have told me, in a >ay

but hindered you, remember B

These and other of his >ords >ere nothin- but the ;erfun0tory babble of

the surfa0e >hile the de;ths remained ;aralyIed@ He turned a>ay, and bentover a 0hair@ Tess follo>ed him to the middle of the room, >here he >as,and stood there starin- at him >ith eyes that did not >ee;@ Presently she sliddo>n u;on her $nees beside his foot, and from this ;osition she 0rou0hed ina hea;@

B n the name of our love, for-ive me B she >his;ered >ith a dry mouth@B have for-iven you for the same B

And, as he did not ans>er, she said a-ain

BFor-ive me as you are for-iven I for-ive you , An-el@B

BGou yes, you do@B

B#ut you do not for-ive meEB



deadened her that she sta--ered, and he ste;;ed for>ard, thin$in- she >as-oin- to fall@

B2it do>n, sit do>n,B he said -ently@ BGou are illC and it is natural thatyou should be@B

2he did sit do>n, >ithout $no>in- >here she >as, that strained loo$still u;on her fa0e, and her eyes su0h as to ma$e his flesh 0ree;@

B don't belon- to you any more, thenC do , An-elEB she as$edhel;lessly@ B t is not me, but another >oman li$e me that he loved, he says@B

The ima-e raised 0aused her to ta$e ;ity u;on herself as one >ho >asill4used@ Her eyes filled as she re-arded her ;osition furtherC she turnedround and burst into a flood of self4sym;atheti0 tears@

/lare >as relieved at this 0han-e, for the effe0t on her of >hat hadha;;ened >as be-innin- to be a trouble to him only less than the >oe of thedis0losure itself@ He >aited ;atiently, a;atheti0ally, till the violen0e of her-rief had >orn itself out, and her rush of >ee;in- had lessened to a 0at0hin--as; at intervals@

BAn-el,B she said suddenly, in her natural tones, the insane, dry voi0e ofterror havin- left her no>@ BAn-el, am too >i0$ed for you and me to live

to-etherEB

B have not been able to thin$ >hat >e 0an do@B

B shan't as$ you to let me live >ith you, An-el, be0ause have no ri-htto shall not >rite to mother and sisters to say >e be married, as said >ould doC and shan't finish the -ood4hussif' 0ut out and meant to ma$e>hile >e >ere in lod-in-s@B

B2han't youEB

B8o, shan't do anythin-, unless you order me toC and if you -o a>ayfrom me shall not follo> 'eeC and if you never s;ea$ to me any more shallnot as$ >hy, unless you tell me may@B

BAnd if order you to do anythin-EB



B >ill obey you li$e your >ret0hed slave, even if it is to lie do>n anddie@B

BGou are very -ood@ #ut it stri$es me that there is a >ant of harmony bet>een your ;resent mood of self4sa0rifi0e and your ;ast mood of self4 ;reservation@B

These >ere the first >ords of anta-onism@ To flin- elaborate sar0asms atTess, ho>ever, >as mu0h li$e flin-in- them at a do- or 0at@ The 0harms oftheir subtlety ;assed by her una;;re0iated, and she only re0eived them asinimi0al sounds >hi0h meant that an-er ruled@ 2he remained mute, not$no>in- that he >as smotherin- his affe0tion for her@ 2he hardly observedthat a tear des0ended slo>ly u;on his 0hee$, a tear so lar-e that it ma-nifiedthe ;ores of the s$in over >hi0h it rolled, li$e the ob?e0t lens of a

mi0ros0o;e@ =ean>hile reillumination as to the terrible and total 0han-e thather 0onfession had >rou-ht in his life, in his universe, returned to him, andhe tried des;erately to advan0e amon- the ne> 0onditions in >hi0h he stood@2ome 0onse uent a0tion >as ne0essaryC yet >hatE

BTess,B he said, as -ently as he 0ould s;ea$, B 0annot stay in thisroom ?ust no>@ >ill >al$ out a little >ay@B

He uietly left the room, and the t>o -lasses of >ine that he had ;ouredout for their su;;er one for her, one for him remained on the table

untasted@ This >as >hat their agape had 0ome to@ At tea, t>o or three hoursearlier, they had, in the frea$ishness of affe0tion, drun$ from one 0u;@

The 0losin- of the door behind him, -ently as it had been ;ulled to,roused Tess from her stu;or@ He >as -oneC she 0ould not stay@ Hastilyflin-inher 0loa$ around her she o;ened the door and follo>ed, ;uttin- outthe 0andles as if she >ere never 0omin- ba0$@ The rain >as over and theni-ht >as no> 0lear@

2he >as soon 0lose at his heels, for /lare >al$ed slo>ly and >ithout ;ur;ose@ His form beside her li-ht -ray fi-ure loo$ed bla0$, sinister, andforbiddin-, and she felt as sar0asm the tou0h of the ?e>els of >hi0h she had

been momentarily so ;roud@ /lare turned at hearin- her footste;s, but hisre0o-nition of her ;resen0e seemed to ma$e no differen0e to him, and he>ent on over the five ya>nin- ar0hes of the -reat brid-e in front of thehouse@



The 0o> and horse tra0$s in the road >ere full of >ater, the rain havin- been enou-h to 0har-e them, but not enou-h to >ash them a>ay@ A0rossthese minute ;ools the refle0ted stars flitted in a ui0$ transit as she ;assedCshe >ould not have $no>n they >ere shinin- overhead if she had not seenthem there the vastest thin-s of the universe ima-ed in ob?e0ts so mean@

The ;la0e to >hi0h they had travelled to4day >as in the same valley asTalbothays, but some miles lo>er do>n the riverC and the surroundin-s

bein- o;en, she $e;t easily in si-ht of him@ A>ay from the house the road>ound throu-h the meads, and alon- these she follo>ed /lare >ithout anyattem;t to 0ome u; >ith him or to attra0t him, but >ith dumb and va0antfidelity@

At last, ho>ever, her listless >al$ brou-ht her u; alon-side him, and

still he said nothin-@ The 0ruelty of fooled honesty is often -reat afterenli-htenment, and it >as mi-hty in /lare no>@ The outdoor air hada;;arently ta$en a>ay from him all tenden0y to a0t on im;ulseC she $ne>that he sa> her >ithout irradiation in all her barenessC that Time >as0hantin- his satiri0 ;salm at her then

#ehold, >hen thy fa0e is made bare, he that loved thee shall hateCThy fa0e shall be no more fair at the fall of thy fate@For thy life shall fall as a leaf and be shed as the rainCAnd the veil of thine head shall be -rief, and the 0ro>n shall be ;ain@

He >as still intently thin$in-, and her 0om;anionshi; had no>insuffi0ient ;o>er to brea$ or divert the strain of thou-ht@ What a >ea$ thin-her ;resen0e must have be0ome to him 2he 0ould not hel; addressin- /lare@

BWhat have done >hat ha e done have not told of anythin- thatinterferes >ith or belies my love for you@ Gou don't thin$ ;lanned it, doyouE t is in your o>n mind >hat you are an-ry at, An-elC it is not in me@ 3,it is not in me, and am not that de0eitful >oman you thin$ me B

BH'm >ell@ 8ot de0eitful, my >ifeC but not the same@ 8o, not the same@#ut do not ma$e me re;roa0h you@ have s>orn that >ill notC and >ill doeverythin- to avoid it@B



#ut she >ent on ;leadin- in her distra0tionC and ;erha;s said thin-s that>ould have been better left to silen0e@

BAn-el An-el >as a 0hild a 0hild >hen it ha;;ened $ne>nothin- of men@B

BGou >ere more sinned a-ainst than sinnin-, that admit@B

BThen >ill you not for-ive meEB

B do for-ive you, but for-iveness is not all@B

BAnd love meEB

To this uestion he did not ans>er@

B3 An-el my mother says that it sometimes ha;;ens so she $no>sseveral 0ases >here they >ere >orse than , and the husband has not mindedit mu0h has -ot over it at least@ And yet the >oman had not loved him as do you B

BDon't, TessC don't ar-ue@ Different so0ieties, different manners@ Goualmost ma$e me say you are an una;;rehendin- ;easant >oman, >ho havenever been initiated into the ;ro;ortions of so0ial thin-s@ Gou don't $no>>hat you say@B

B am only a ;easant by ;osition, not by nature B

2he s;o$e >ith an im;ulse to an-er, but it >ent as it 0ame@

B2o mu0h the >orse for you@ thin$ that ;arson >ho unearthed your ;edi-ree >ould have done better if he had held his ton-ue@ 0annot hel;asso0iatin- your de0line as a family >ith this other fa0t of your >ant offirmness@ De0re;it families im;ly de0re;it >ills, de0re;it 0ondu0t@ Heaven,

>hy did you -ive me a handle for des;isin- you more by informin- me ofyour des0ent Here >as thin$in- you a ne>4s;run- 0hild of natureC there>ere you, the belated seedlin- of an effete aristo0ra0y B

B ots of families are as bad as mine in that Retty's family >ere on0elar-e lando>ners, and so >ere Dairyman #illett's@ And the Debbyhouses,



>ho no> are 0arters, >ere on0e the De #ayeu family@ Gou find su0h as every>hereC 'tis a feature of our 0ounty, and 0an't hel; it@B

B2o mu0h the >orse for the 0ounty@B

2he too$ these re;roa0hes in their bul$ sim;ly, not in their ;arti0ularsChe did not love her as he had loved her hitherto, and to all else she >asindifferent@

They >andered on a-ain in silen0e@ t >as said after>ards that a 0otta-erof Wellbrid-e, >ho >ent out late that ni-ht for a do0tor, met t>o lovers inthe ;astures, >al$in- very slo>ly, >ithout 0onverse, one behind the other, asin a funeral ;ro0ession, and the -lim;se that he obtained of their fa0esseemed to denote that they >ere an ious and sad@ Returnin- later, he ;assed

them a-ain in the same field, ;ro-ressin- ?ust as slo>ly, and as re-ardless ofthe hour and of the 0heerless ni-ht as before@ t >as only on a00ount of his ;reo00u;ation >ith his o>n affairs, and the illness in his house, that he didnot bear in mind the 0urious in0ident, >hi0h, ho>ever, he re0alled a lon->hile after@

Durin- the interval of the 0otta-er's -oin- and 0omin-, she had said toher husband B don't see ho> 0an hel; bein- the 0ause of mu0h misery toyou all your life@ The river is do>n there@ 0an ;ut an end to myself in it@ am not afraid@B

B don't >ish to add murder to my other follies,B he said@

B >ill leave somethin- to sho> that did it myself on a00ount of myshame@ They >ill not blame you then@B

BDon't s;ea$ so absurdly >ish not to hear it@ t is nonsense to havesu0h thou-hts in this $ind of 0ase, >hi0h is rather one for satiri0al lau-hterthan for tra-edy@ Gou don't in the least understand the uality of the misha;@

t >ould be vie>ed in the li-ht of a ?o$e by nine4tenths of the >orld if it>ere $no>n@ Please obli-e me by returnin- to the house, and -oin- to bed@B

B >ill,B said she dutifully@

They had rambled round by a road >hi0h led to the >ell4$no>n ruins ofthe /ister0ian abbey behind the mill, the latter havin-, in 0enturies ;ast,

been atta0hed to the monasti0 establishment@ The mill still >or$ed on, food



bein- a ;erennial ne0essityC the abbey had ;erished, 0reeds bein- transient@3ne 0ontinually sees the ministration of the tem;orary outlastin- theministration of the eternal@ Their >al$ havin- been 0ir0uitous, they >ere stillnot far from the house, and in obeyin- his dire0tion she only had to rea0h thelar-e stone brid-e a0ross the main river and follo> the road for a fe> yards@When she -ot ba0$, everythin- remained as she had left it, the fire bein- still

burnin-@ 2he did not stay do>nstairs for more than a minute, but ;ro0eededto her 0hamber, >hither the lu--a-e had been ta$en@ Here she sat do>n onthe ed-e of the bed, loo$in- blan$ly around, and ;resently be-an to undress@

n removin- the li-ht to>ards the bedstead its rays fell u;on the tester of>hite dimityC somethin- >as han-in- beneath it, and she lifted the 0andle tosee >hat it >as@ A bou-h of mistletoe@ An-el had ;ut it thereC she $ne> thatin an instant@ This >as the e ;lanation of that mysterious ;ar0el >hi0h it had

been so diffi0ult to ;a0$ and brin-C >hose 0ontents he >ould not e ;lain to

her, sayin- that time >ould soon sho> her the ;ur;ose thereof@ n his Iestand his -aiety he had hun- it there@ Ho> foolish and ino;;ortune thatmistletoe loo$ed no>@

Havin- nothin- more to fear, havin- s0ar0e anythin- to ho;e, for that he>ould relent there seemed no ;romise >hatever, she lay do>n dully@ Whensorro> 0eases to be s;e0ulative, slee; sees her o;;ortunity@ Amon- so manyha;;ier moods >hi0h forbid re;ose this >as a mood >hi0h >el0omed it, andin a fe> minutes the lonely Tess for-ot e isten0e, surrounded by thearomati0 stillness of the 0hamber that had on0e, ;ossibly, been the bride40hamber of her o>n an0estry@

ater on that ni-ht /lare also retra0ed his ste;s to the house@ .nterin-softly to the sittin-4room he obtained a li-ht, and >ith the manner of one>ho had 0onsidered his 0ourse he s;read his ru-s u;on the old horse4hairsofa >hi0h stood there, and rou-hly sha;ed it to a slee;in-40ou0h@ #eforelyin- do>n he 0re;t shoeless u;stairs, and listened at the door of hera;artment@ Her measured breathin- told that she >as slee;in- ;rofoundly@

BThan$ 7od B murmured /lareC and yet he >as 0ons0ious of a ;an- of bitterness at the thou-ht a;;ro imately true, thou-h not >holly so thathavin- shifted the burden of her life to his shoulders, she >as no> re;osin->ithout 0are@

He turned a>ay to des0endC then, irresolute, fa0ed round to her doora-ain@ n the a0t he 0au-ht si-ht of one of the d'Urberville dames, >hose



;ortrait >as immediately over the entran0e to Tess's bed0hamber@ n the0andleli-ht the ;aintin- >as more than un;leasant@ 2inister desi-n lur$ed inthe >oman's features, a 0on0entrated ;ur;ose of reven-e on the other se so it seemed to him then@ The /aroline bodi0e of the ;ortrait >as lo>

;re0isely as Tess's had been >hen he tu0$ed it in to sho> the ne0$la0eC anda-ain he e ;erien0ed the distressin- sensation of a resemblan0e bet>eenthem@

The 0he0$ >as suffi0ient@ He resumed his retreat and des0ended@

His air remained 0alm and 0old, his small 0om;ressed mouth inde in-his ;o>ers of self40ontrolC his fa0e >earin- still that terrible sterilee ;ression >hi0h had s;read thereon sin0e her dis0losure@ t >as the fa0e ofa man >ho >as no lon-er ;assion's slave, yet >ho found no advanta-e in his

enfran0hisement@ He >as sim;ly re-ardin- the harro>in- 0ontin-en0ies ofhuman e ;erien0e, the une ;e0tedness of thin-s@ 8othin- so ;ure, so s>eet,so vir-inal as Tess had seemed ;ossible all the lon- >hile that he had adoredher, u; to an hour a-oC but

The little less, and >hat >orlds a>ay

He ar-ued erroneously >hen he said to himself that her heart >as notinde ed in the honest freshness of her fa0eC but Tess had no advo0ate to sethim ri-ht@ /ould it be ;ossible, he 0ontinued, that eyes >hi0h as they -aIednever e ;ressed any diver-en0e from >hat the ton-ue >as tellin-, >ere yetever seein- another >orld behind her ostensible one, dis0ordant and0ontrastin-E

He re0lined on his 0ou0h in the sittin-4room, and e tin-uished the li-ht@The ni-ht 0ame in, and too$ u; its ;la0e there, un0on0erned and indifferentCthe ni-ht >hi0h had already s>allo>ed u; his ha;;iness, and >as no>di-estin- it listlesslyC and >as ready to s>allo> u; the ha;;iness of athousand other ;eo;le >ith as little disturban0e or 0han-e of mien@

<<<

/lare arose in the li-ht of a da>n that >as ashy and furtive, as thou-hasso0iated >ith 0rime@ The fire;la0e 0onfronted him >ith its e tin0t embersCthe s;read su;;er4table, >hereon stood the t>o full -lasses of untasted >ine,



no> flat and filmyC her va0ated seat and his o>nC the other arti0les offurniture, >ith their eternal loo$ of not bein- able to hel; it, their intolerablein uiry >hat >as to be doneE From above there >as no soundC but in a fe>minutes there 0ame a $no0$ at the door@ He remembered that it >ould be thenei-hbourin- 0otta-er's >ife, >ho >as to minister to their >ants >hile theyremained here@

The ;resen0e of a third ;erson in the house >ould be e tremelya>$>ard ?ust no>, and, bein- already dressed, he o;ened the >indo> andinformed her that they 0ould mana-e to shift for themselves that mornin-@2he had a mil$40an in her hand, >hi0h he told her to leave at the door@ Whenthe dame had -one a>ay he sear0hed in the ba0$ uarters of the house forfuel, and s;eedily lit a fire@ There >as ;lenty of e--s, butter, bread, and soon in the larder, and /lare soon had brea$fast laid, his e ;erien0es at the

dairy havin- rendered him fa0ile in domesti0 ;re;arations@ The smo$e of the$indled >ood rose from the 0himney >ithout li$e a lotus4headed 0olumnClo0al ;eo;le >ho >ere ;assin- by sa> it, and thou-ht of the ne>ly4married0ou;le, and envied their ha;;iness@

An-el 0ast a final -lan0e round, and then -oin- to the foot of the stairs,0alled in a 0onventional voi0e

B#rea$fast is ready B

He o;ened the front door, and too$ a fe> ste;s in the mornin- air@When, after a short s;a0e, he 0ame ba0$ she >as already in the sittin-4roomme0hani0ally read?ustin- the brea$fast thin-s@ As she >as fully attired, andthe interval sin0e his 0allin- her had been but t>o or three minutes, she musthave been dressed or nearly so before he >ent to summon her@ Her hair >ast>isted u; in a lar-e round mass at the ba0$ of her head, and she had ;ut onone of the ne> fro0$s a ;ale blue >oollen -arment >ith ne0$4frillin-s of>hite@ Her hands and fa0e a;;eared to be 0old, and she had ;ossibly beensittin- dressed in the bedroom a lon- time >ithout any fire@ The mar$ed0ivility of /lare's tone in 0allin- her seemed to have ins;ired her, for themoment, >ith a ne> -limmer of ho;e@ #ut it soon died >hen she loo$ed athim@

The ;air >ere, in truth, but the ashes of their former fires@ To the hotsorro> of the ;revious ni-ht had su00eeded heavinessC it seemed as ifnothin- 0ould $indle either of them to fervour of sensation any more@



He s;o$e -ently to her, and she re;lied >ith a li$e undemonstrativeness@At last she 0ame u; to him, loo$in- in his shar;ly4defined fa0e as one >hohad no 0ons0iousness that her o>n formed a visible ob?e0t also@

BAn-el B she said, and ;aused, tou0hin- him >ith her fin-ers li-htly as a breeIe, as thou-h she 0ould hardly believe to be there in the flesh the man>ho >as on0e her lover@ Her eyes >ere bri-ht, her ;ale 0hee$ still sho>edits >onted roundness, thou-h half4dried tears had left -listenin- tra0esthereonC and the usually ri;e red mouth >as almost as ;ale as her 0hee$@Throbbin-ly alive as she >as still, under the stress of her mental -rief thelife beat so bro$enly that a little further ;ull u;on it >ould 0ause real illness,dull her 0hara0teristi0 eyes, and ma$e her mouth thin@

2he loo$ed absolutely ;ure@ 8ature, in her fantasti0 tri0$ery, had set

su0h a seal of maidenhood u;on Tess's 0ountenan0e that he -aIed at her >itha stu;efied air@

BTess 2ay it is not true 8o, it is not true B

B t is true@B

B.very >ordEB

B.very >ord@B

He loo$ed at her im;lorin-ly, as if he >ould >illin-ly have ta$en a liefrom her li;s, $no>in- it to be one, and have made of it, by some sort ofso;histry, a valid denial@ Ho>ever, she only re;eated

B t is true@B

B s he livin-EB An-el then as$ed@

BThe baby died@B

B#ut the manEB

BHe is alive@B

A last des;air ;assed over /lare's fa0e@

B s he in .n-landEB



BGes@B

He too$ a fe> va-ue ste;s@

B=y ;osition is this,B he said abru;tly@ B thou-ht any man >ouldhave thou-ht that by -ivin- u; all ambition to >in a >ife >ith so0ialstandin-, >ith fortune, >ith $no>led-e of the >orld, should se0ure rusti0inno0en0e as surely as should se0ure ;in$ 0hee$sC but Ho>ever, am noman to re;roa0h you, and >ill not@B

Tess felt his ;osition so entirely that the remainder had not been needed@Therein lay ?ust the distress of itC she sa> that he had lost all round@

BAn-el should not have let it -o on to marria-e >ith you if had not$no>n that, after all, there >as a last >ay out of it for youC thou-h ho;edyou >ould never B

Her voi0e -re> hus$y@

BA last >ayEB

B mean, to -et rid of me@ Gou can -et rid of me@B

BHo>EB

B#y divor0in- me@B

B7ood heavens ho> 0an you be so sim;le Ho> 0an divor0e youEB

B/an't you no> have told youE thou-ht my 0onfession >ould -iveyou -rounds for that@B

B3 Tess you are too, too 0hildish unformed 0rude, su;;ose don't $no> >hat you are@ Gou don't understand the la> you don'tunderstand B

BWhat you 0annotEB

B ndeed 0annot@B

A ui0$ shame mi ed >ith the misery u;on his listener's fa0e@



B thou-ht thou-ht,B she >his;ered@ B3, no> see ho> >i0$ed seem to you #elieve me believe me, on my soul, never thou-ht but thatyou 0ould ho;ed you >ould notC yet believed, >ithout a doubt, that you0ould 0ast me off if you >ere determined, and didn't love me at at all B

BGou >ere mista$en,B he said@

B3, then ou-ht to have done it, to have done it last ni-ht #ut hadn'tthe 0oura-e@ That's ?ust li$e me B

BThe 0oura-e to do >hatEB

As she did not ans>er he too$ her by the hand@

BWhat >ere you thin$in- of doin-EB he in uired@

B3f ;uttin- an end to myself@B

BWhenEB

2he >rithed under this in uisitorial manner of his@ B ast ni-ht,B sheans>ered@

BWhereEB

BUnder your mistletoe@B

B=y -ood Ho>EB he as$ed sternly@

B 'll tell you, if you >on't be an-ry >ith me B she said, shrin$in-@ B t >as>ith the 0ord of my bo @ #ut 0ould not do the last thin- >as afraid thatit mi-ht 0ause a s0andal to your name@B

The une ;e0ted uality of this 0onfession, >run- from her, and notvolunteered, shoo$ him ;er0e;tibly@ #ut he still held her, and, lettin- his-lan0e fall from her fa0e do>n>ards, he said, B8o>, listen to this@ Gou mustnot dare to thin$ of su0h a horrible thin- Ho> 0ould you Gou >ill ;romiseme as your husband to attem;t that no more@B

B am ready to ;romise@ sa> ho> >i0$ed it >as@B

BWi0$ed The idea >as un>orthy of you beyond des0ri;tion@B



B#ut, An-el,B she ;leaded, enlar-inher eyes in 0alm un0on0ern u;onhim, Bit >as thou-ht of entirely on your a00ount to set you free >ithout thes0andal of the divor0e that thou-ht you >ould have to -et@ should neverhave dreamt of doin- it on mine@ Ho>ever, to do it >ith my o>n hand is too-ood for me, after all@ t is you, my ruined husband, >ho ou-ht to stri$e the

blo>@ thin$ should love you more, if that >ere ;ossible, if you 0ould brin- yourself to do it, sin0e there's no other >ay of es0a;e for 'ee@ feel am so utterly >orthless 2o very -reatly in the >ay B

B2sh B

BWell, sin0e you say no, >on't@ have no >ish o;;osed to yours@B

He $ne> this to be true enou-h@ 2in0e the des;eration of the ni-ht her

a0tivities had dro;;ed to Iero, and there >as no further rashness to befeared@

Tess tried to busy herself a-ain over the brea$fast4table >ith more orless su00ess, and they sat do>n both on the same side, so that their -lan0esdid not meet@ There >as at first somethin- a>$>ard in hearin- ea0h othereat and drin$, but this 0ould not be es0a;edC moreover, the amount of eatin-done >as small on both sides@ #rea$fast over, he rose, and tellin- her thehour at >hi0h he mi-ht be e ;e0ted to dinner, >ent off to the miller's in ame0hani0al ;ursuan0e of the ;lan of studyin- that business, >hi0h had been

his only ;ra0ti0al reason for 0omin- here@

When he >as -one Tess stood at the >indo>, and ;resently sa> hisform 0rossin- the -reat stone brid-e >hi0h 0ondu0ted to the mill ;remises@He san$ behind it, 0rossed the rail>ay beyond, and disa;;eared@ Then,>ithout a si-h, she turned her attention to the room, and be-an 0learin- thetable and settin- it in order@

The 0har>oman soon 0ame@ Her ;resen0e >as at first a strain u;on Tess, but after>ards an alleviation@ At half4;ast t>elve she left her assistant alonein the $it0hen, and, returnin- to the sittin-4room, >aited for the rea;;earan0eof An-el's form behind the brid-e@

About one he sho>ed himself@ Her fa0e flushed, althou-h he >as auarter of a mile off@ 2he ran to the $it0hen to -et the dinner served by the

time he should enter@ He >ent first to the room >here they had >ashed their



hands to-ether the day before, and as he entered the sittin-4room the dish40overs rose from the dishes as if by his o>n motion@

BHo> ;un0tual B he said@

BGes@ sa> you 0omin- over the brid-e,B said she@

The meal >as ;assed in 0ommon;la0e tal$ of >hat he had been doin-durin- the mornin- at the Abbey =ill, of the methods of boltin- and the old4fashioned ma0hinery, >hi0h he feared >ould not enli-hten him -reatly onmodern im;roved methods, some of it seemin- to have been in use eversin0e the days it -round for the mon$s in the ad?oinin- 0onventual buildin-s

no> a hea; of ruins@ He left the house a-ain in the 0ourse of an hour,0omin- home at dus$, and o00u;yin- himself throu-h the evenin- >ith his

;a;ers@ 2he feared she >as in the >ay and, >hen the old >oman >as -one,retired to the $it0hen, >here she made herself busy as >ell as she 0ould formore than an hour@

/lare's sha;e a;;eared at the door@ BGou must not >or$ li$e this,B hesaid@ BGou are not my servantC you are my >ife@B

2he raised her eyes, and bri-htened some>hat@ B may thin$ myself that indeedEB she murmured, in ;iteous raillery@ BGou mean in name Well, don't >ant to be anythin- more@B

BGou may thin$ so, Tess Gou are@ What do you meanEB

B don't $no>,B she said hastily, >ith tears in her a00ents@ B thou-ht be0ause am not res;e0table, mean@ told you thou-ht >as notres;e0table enou-h lon- a-o and on that a00ount didn't >ant to marryyou, only only you ur-ed me B

2he bro$e into sobs, and turned her ba0$ to him@ t >ould almost have>on round any man but An-el /lare@ Within the remote de;ths of his

0onstitution, so -entle and affe0tionate as he >as in -eneral, there lay hiddena hard lo-i0al de;osit, li$e a vein of metal in a soft loam, >hi0h turned theed-e of everythin- that attem;ted to traverse it@ t had blo0$ed hisa00e;tan0e of the /hur0hC it blo0$ed his a00e;tan0e of Tess@ =oreover, hisaffe0tion itself >as less fire than radian0e, and, >ith re-ard to the other se ,>hen he 0eased to believe he 0eased to follo>: 0ontrastin- in this >ith many



im;ressionable natures, >ho remain sensuously infatuated >ith >hat theyintelle0tually des;ise@ He >aited till her sobbin- 0eased@

B >ish half the >omen in .n-land >ere as res;e0table as you,B he said,in an ebullition of bitterness a-ainst >oman$ind in -eneral@ B t isn't a

uestion of res;e0tability, but one of ;rin0i;le B

He s;o$e su0h thin-s as these and more of a $indred sort to her, bein-still s>ayed by the anti;atheti0 >ave >hi0h >ar;s dire0t souls >ith su0h

;ersisten0e >hen on0e their vision finds itself mo0$ed by a;;earan0es@There >as, it is true, underneath, a ba0$ 0urrent of sym;athy throu-h >hi0ha >oman of the >orld mi-ht have 0on uered him@ #ut Tess did not thin$ ofthisC she too$ everythin- as her deserts, and hardly o;ened her mouth@ Thefirmness of her devotion to him >as indeed almost ;itifulC ui0$4tem;ered

as she naturally >as, nothin- that he 0ould say made her unseemlyC shesou-ht not her o>nC >as not ;rovo$edC thou-ht no evil of his treatment ofher@ 2he mi-ht ?ust no> have been A;ostoli0 /harity herself returned to aself4see$in- modern >orld@

This evenin-, ni-ht, and mornin- >ere ;assed ;re0isely as the ;re0edin-ones had been ;assed@ 3n one, and only one, o00asion did she the formerlyfree and inde;endent Tess venture to ma$e any advan0es@ t >as on thethird o00asion of his startin- after a meal to -o out to the flour4mill@ As he>as leavin- the table he said B7oodbye,B and she re;lied in the same >ords,at the same time in0linin- her mouth in the >ay of his@ He did not availhimself of the invitation, sayin-, as he turned hastily aside

B shall be home ;un0tually@B

Tess shran$ into herself as if she had been stru0$@ 3ften enou-h had hetried to rea0h those li;s a-ainst her 0onsent often had he said -aily that hermouth and breath tasted of the butter and e--s and mil$ and honey on >hi0hshe mainly lived, that he dre> sustenan0e from them, and other follies ofthat sort@ #ut he did not 0are for them no>@ He observed her suddenshrin$in-, and said -ently

BGou $no>, have to thin$ of a 0ourse@ t >as im;erative that >e shouldstay to-ether a little >hile, to avoid the s0andal to you that >ould haveresulted from our immediate ;artin-@ #ut you must see it is only for form'ssa$e@B



BGes,B said Tess absently@

He >ent out, and on his >ay to the mill stood still, and >ished for amoment that he had res;onded yet more $indly, and $issed her on0e at least@

Thus they lived throu-h this des;airin- day or t>oC in the same house,trulyC but more >idely a;art than before they >ere lovers@ t >as evident toher that he >as, as he had said, livin- >ith ;aralyIed a0tivities in hisendeavour to thin$ of a ;lan of ;ro0edure@ 2he >as a>e4stri0$en to dis0oversu0h determination under su0h a;;arent fle ibility@ His 0onsisten0y >as,indeed, too 0ruel@ 2he no lon-er e ;e0ted for-iveness no>@ =ore than on0eshe thou-ht of -oin- a>ay from him durin- his absen0e at the millC but shefeared that this, instead of benefitin- him, mi-ht be the means of ham;erin-and humiliatin- him yet more if it should be0ome $no>n@

=ean>hile /lare >as meditatin-, verily@ His thou-ht had beenunsus;endedC he >as be0omin- ill >ith thin$in-C eaten out >ith thin$in-,>ithered by thin$in-C s0our-ed out of all his former ;ulsatin-, fle uousdomesti0ity@ He >al$ed about sayin- to himself, BWhat's to be done >hat'sto be doneEB and by 0han0e she overheard him@ t 0aused her to brea$ thereserve about their future >hi0h had hitherto ;revailed@

B su;;ose you are not -oin- to live >ith me lon-, are you, An-elEBshe as$ed, the sun$ 0orners of her mouth betrayin- ho> ;urely me0hani0al

>ere the means by >hi0h she retained that e ;ression of 0hastened 0almu;on her fa0e@

B 0annotB he said, B>ithout des;isin- myself, and >hat is >orse, ;erha;s, des;isin- you@ mean, of 0ourse, 0annot live >ith you in theordinary sense@ At ;resent, >hatever feel, do not des;ise you@ And, let mes;ea$ ;lainly, or you may not see all my diffi0ulties@ Ho> 0an >e liveto-ether >hile that man livesE he bein- your husband in nature, and not @

f he >ere dead it mi-ht be differentJ #esides, that's not all the diffi0ultyC itlies in another 0onsideration one bearin- u;on the future of other ;eo;lethan ourselves@ Thin$ of years to 0ome, and 0hildren bein- born to us, andthis ;ast matter -ettin- $no>n for it must -et $no>n@ There is not anuttermost ;art of the earth but somebody 0omes from it or -oes to it fromelse>here@ Well, thin$ of >ret0hes of our flesh and blood -ro>in- u; undera taunt >hi0h they >ill -radually -et to feel the full for0e of >ith theire ;andin- years@ What an a>a$enin- for them What a ;ros;e0t /an you



honestly say 'Remain' after 0ontem;latin- this 0ontin-en0yE Don't you thin$>e had better endure the ills >e have than fly to othersEB

Her eyelids, >ei-hted >ith trouble, 0ontinued droo;inas before@

B 0annot say 'Remain,'B she ans>ered, B 0annotC had not thou-ht sofar@B

Tess's feminine ho;e shall >e 0onfess itE had been so obstinatelyre0u;erative as to revive in her surre;titious visions of a domi0iliaryintima0y 0ontinued lon- enou-h to brea$ do>n his 0oldness even a-ainst his

?ud-ement@ Thou-h unso;histi0ated in the usual sense, she >as notin0om;leteC and it >ould have denoted defi0ien0y of >omanhood if she hadnot instin0tively $no>n >hat an ar-ument lies in ;ro;in uity@ 8othin- else

>ould serve her, she $ne>, if this failed@ t >as >ron- to ho;e in >hat >asof the nature of strate-y, she said to herself: yet that sort of ho;e she 0ouldnot e tin-uish@ His last re;resentation had no> been made, and it >as, as shesaid, a ne> vie>@ 2he had truly never thou-ht so far as that, and his lu0id

;i0ture of ;ossible offs;rin- >ho >ould s0orn her >as one that brou-htdeadly 0onvi0tions to an honest heart >hi0h >as humanitarian to its 0entre@2heer e ;erien0e had already tau-ht her that in some 0ir0umstan0es there>as one thin- better than to lead a -ood life, and that >as to be saved fromleadin- any life >hatever@ i$e all >ho have been ;revisioned by sufferin-,she 0ould, in the >ords of =@ 2ully4Prudhomme, hear a ;enal senten0e in thefiat, BGou shall be born,B ;arti0ularly if addressed to ;otential issue of hers@

Get su0h is the vul;ine slyness of Dame 8ature, that, till no>, Tess had been hood>in$ed by her love for /lare into for-ettin- it mi-ht result invitaliIations that >ould infli0t u;on others >hat she had be>ailed asmisfortune to herself@

2he therefore 0ould not >ithstand his ar-ument@ #ut >ith the self40ombatin- ;ro0livity of the su;ersensitive, an ans>er thereto arose in /lare'so>n mind, and he almost feared it@ t >as based on her e 0e;tional ;hysi0alnatureC and she mi-ht have used it ;romisin-ly@ 2he mi-ht have added

besides: B3n an Australian u;land or Te an ;lain, >ho is to $no> or 0areabout my misfortunes, or to re;roa0h me or youEB Get, li$e the ma?ority of>omen, she a00e;ted the momentary ;resentment as if it >ere the inevitable@And she may have been ri-ht@ The intuitive heart of >oman $no>eth notonly its o>n bitterness, but its husband's, and even if these assumed



re;roa0hes >ere not li$ely to be addressed to him or to his by stran-ers, theymi-ht have rea0hed his ears from his o>n fastidious brain@

t >as the third day of the estran-ement@ 2ome mi-ht ris$ the odd ;arado that >ith more animalism he >ould have been the nobler man@ Wedo not say it@ Get /lare's love >as doubtless ethereal to a fault, ima-inativeto im;ra0ti0ability@ With these natures, 0or;oral ;resen0e is somethin- lessa;;ealin- than 0or;oral absen0eC the latter 0reatin- an ideal ;resen0e that0onveniently dro;s the defe0ts of the real@ 2he found that her ;ersonality didnot ;lead her 0ause so for0ibly as she had anti0i;ated@ The fi-urative ;hrase>as true: she >as another >oman than the one >ho had e 0ited his desire@

B have thou-ht over >hat you say,B she remar$ed to him, movin- herforefin-er over the table0loth, her other hand, >hi0h bore the rin- that

mo0$ed them both, su;;ortin- her forehead@ B t is uite true, all of itC it must be@ Gou must -o a>ay from me@B

B#ut >hat 0an you doEB

B 0an -o home@B

/lare had not thou-ht of that@

BAre you sureEB he in uired@

BNuite sure@ We ou-ht to ;art, and >e may as >ell -et it ;ast and done@Gou on0e said that >as a;t to >in men a-ainst their better ?ud-ementC andif am 0onstantly before your eyes may 0ause you to 0han-e your ;lans ino;;osition to your reason and >ishC and after>ards your re;entan0e and mysorro> >ill be terrible@B

BAnd you >ould li$e to -o homeEB he as$ed@

B >ant to leave you, and -o home@B

BThen it shall be so@B

Thou-h she did not loo$ u; at him, she started@ There >as a differen0e bet>een the ;ro;osition and the 0ovenant, >hi0h she had felt only too

ui0$ly@



B feared it >ould 0ome to this,B she murmured, her 0ountenan0e mee$lyfi ed@ B don't 0om;lain, An-el, thin$ it best@ What you said has uite0onvin0ed me@ Ges, thou-h nobody else should re;roa0h me if >e shouldstay to-ether, yet some>hen, years hen0e, you mi-ht -et an-ry >ith me forany ordinary matter, and $no>in- >hat you do of my by-ones, you yourselfmi-ht be tem;ted to say >ords, and they mi-ht be overheard, ;erha;s by myo>n 0hildren@ 3, >hat only hurts me no> >ould torture and $ill me then >ill -o to4morro>@B

BAnd shall not stay here@ Thou-h didn't li$e to initiate it, have seenthat it >as advisable >e should ;art at least for a >hile, till 0an better seethe sha;e that thin-s have ta$en, and 0an >rite to you@B

Tess stole a -lan0e at her husband@ He >as ;ale, even tremulousC but, as

before, she >as a;;alled by the determination revealed in the de;ths of this-entle bein- she had married the >ill to subdue the -rosser to the subtleremotion, the substan0e to the 0on0e;tion, the flesh to the s;irit@ Pro;ensities,tenden0ies, habits, >ere as dead leaves u;on the tyrannous >ind of hisima-inative as0enden0y@

He may have observed her loo$, for he e ;lained

B thin$ of ;eo;le more $indly >hen am a>ay from themBC addin-0yni0ally, B7od $no>sC ;erha;s >e >ill sha$e do>n to-ether some day, for

>earinessC thousands have done it B

That day he be-an to ;a0$ u;, and she >ent u;stairs and be-an to ;a0$also@ #oth $ne> that it >as in their t>o minds that they mi-ht ;art the ne tmornin- for ever, des;ite the -loss of assua-in- 0on?e0tures thro>n overtheir ;ro0eedin- be0ause they >ere of the sort to >hom any ;artin- >hi0hhas an air of finality is a torture@ He $ne>, and she $ne>, that, thou-h thefas0ination >hi0h ea0h had e er0ised over the other on her ;artinde;endently of a00om;lishments >ould ;robably in the first days oftheir se;aration be even more ;otent than ever, time must attenuate thateffe0tC the ;ra0ti0al ar-uments a-ainst a00e;tin- her as a housemate mi-ht

;ronoun0e themselves more stron-ly in the boreal li-ht of a remoter vie>@=oreover, >hen t>o ;eo;le are on0e ;arted have abandoned a 0ommondomi0ile and a 0ommon environment ne> -ro>ths insensibly bud u;>ardto fill ea0h va0ated ;la0eC unforeseen a00idents hinder intentions, and old



;lans are for-otten@

<<<

=idni-ht 0ame and ;assed silently, for there >as nothin- to announ0e itin the alley of the Froom@

8ot lon- after one o'0lo0$ there >as a sli-ht 0rea$ in the dar$enedfarmhouse on0e the mansion of the d'Urbervilles@ Tess, >ho used the u;;er0hamber, heard it and a>o$e@ t had 0ome from the 0orner ste; of thestair0ase, >hi0h, as usual, >as loosely nailed@ 2he sa> the door of her

bedroom o;en, and the fi-ure of her husband 0rossed the stream ofmoonli-ht >ith a 0uriously 0areful tread@ He >as in his shirt and trousers

only, and her first flush of ?oy died >hen she ;er0eived that his eyes >erefi ed in an unnatural stare on va0an0y@ When he rea0hed the middle of theroom he stood still and murmured in tones of indes0ribable sadness

BDead dead dead B

Under the influen0e of any stron-ly4disturbin- for0e, /lare >ouldo00asionally >al$ in his slee;, and even ;erform stran-e feats, su0h as hehad done on the ni-ht of their return from mar$et ?ust before their marria-e,>hen he re4ena0ted in his bedroom his 0ombat >ith the man >ho had

insulted her@ Tess sa> that 0ontinued mental distress had >rou-ht him intothat somnambulisti0 state no>@

Her loyal 0onfiden0e in him lay so dee; do>n in her heart, that, a>a$eor aslee;, he ins;ired her >ith no sort of ;ersonal fear@ f he had entered >itha ;istol in his hand he >ould s0ar0ely have disturbed her trust in his

;rote0tiveness@

/lare 0ame 0lose, and bent over her@ BDead, dead, dead B he murmured@

After fi edly re-ardin- her for some moments >ith the same -aIe ofunmeasurable >oe, he bent lo>er, en0losed her in his arms, and rolled her inthe sheet as in a shroud@ Then liftin- her from the bed >ith as mu0h res;e0tas one >ould sho> to a dead body, he 0arried her a0ross the room,murmurin-



B=y ;oor, ;oor Tess my dearest, darlin- Tess 2o s>eet, so -ood, sotrue B

The >ords of endearment, >ithheld so severely in his >a$in- hours,>ere ine ;ressibly s>eet to her forlorn and hun-ry heart@ f it had been tosave her >eary life she >ould not, by movin- or stru--lin-, have ;ut an endto the ;osition she found herself in@ Thus she lay in absolute stillness,s0ar0ely venturin- to breathe, and, >onderin- >hat he >as -oin- to do >ithher, suffered herself to be borne out u;on the landin-@

B=y >ife dead, dead B he said@

He ;aused in his labours for a moment to lean >ith her a-ainst the banister@ Was he -oin- to thro> her do>nE 2elf4soli0itude >as near

e tin0tion in her, and in the $no>led-e that he had ;lanned to de;art on themorro>, ;ossibly for al>ays, she lay in his arms in this ;re0arious ;osition>ith a sense rather of lu ury than of terror@ f they 0ould only fall to-ether,and both be dashed to ;ie0es, ho> fit, ho> desirable@

Ho>ever, he did not let her fall, but too$ advanta-e of the su;;ort of thehandrail to im;rint a $iss u;on her li;s li;s in the day4time s0orned@ Thenhe 0las;ed her >ith a rene>ed firmness of hold, and des0ended the stair0ase@The 0rea$ of the loose stair did not a>a$en him, and they rea0hed the-round4floor safely@ Freein- one of his hands from his -ras; of her for a

moment, he slid ba0$ the door4bar and ;assed out, sli-htly stri$in- hissto0$in-ed toe a-ainst the ed-e of the door@ #ut this he seemed not to mind,and, havin- room for e tension in the o;en air, he lifted her a-ainst hisshoulder, so that he 0ould 0arry her >ith ease, the absen0e of 0lothes ta$in-mu0h from his burden@ Thus he bore her off the ;remises in the dire0tion ofthe river a fe> yards distant@

His ultimate intention, if he had any, she had not yet divinedC and shefound herself 0on?e0turin- on the matter as a third ;erson mi-ht have done@2o easefully had she delivered her >hole bein- u; to him that it ;leased herto thin$ he >as re-ardin- her as his absolute ;ossession, to dis;ose of as heshould 0hoose@ t >as 0onsolin-, under the hoverin- terror of to4morro>'sse;aration, to feel that he really re0o-niIed her no> as his >ife Tess, and didnot 0ast her off, even if in that re0o-nition he >ent so far as to arro-ate tohimself the ri-ht of harmin- her@



Ah no> she $ne> >hat he >as dreamin- of that 2unday mornin->hen he had borne her alon- throu-h the >ater >ith the other dairymaids,>ho had loved him nearly as mu0h as she, if that >ere ;ossible, >hi0h Tess0ould hardly admit@ /lare did not 0ross the brid-e >ith her, but ;ro0eedin-several ;a0es on the same side to>ards the ad?oinin- mill, at len-th stoodstill on the brin$ of the river@

ts >aters, in 0ree;indo>n these miles of meado>land, fre uentlydivided, ser;entinin- in ;ur;oseless 0urves, loo;in- themselves around littleislands that had no name, returnin- and re4embodyin- themselves as a broadmain stream further on@ 3;;osite the s;ot to >hi0h he had brou-ht her >assu0h a -eneral 0onfluen0e, and the river >as ;ro;ortionately voluminous anddee;@ A0ross it >as a narro> foot4brid-eC but no> the autumn flood had>ashed the handrail a>ay, leavin- the bare ;lan$ only, >hi0h, lyin- a fe>

in0hes above the s;eedin- 0urrent, formed a -iddy ;ath>ay for even steadyheadsC and Tess had noti0ed from the >indo> of the house in the day4timeyoun- men >al$in- a0ross u;on it as a feat in balan0in-@ Her husband had

;ossibly observed the same ;erforman0eC anyho>, he no> mounted the ;lan$, and, slidin- one foot for>ard, advan0ed alon- it@

Was he -oin- to dro>n herE Probably he >as@ The s;ot >as lonely, theriver dee; and >ide enou-h to ma$e su0h a ;ur;ose easy ofa00om;lishment@ He mi-ht dro>n her if he >ouldC it >ould be better than

;artin- to4morro> to lead severed lives@

The s>ift stream ra0ed and -yrated under them, tossin-, distortin-, ands;littin- the moon's refle0ted fa0e@ 2;ots of froth travelled ;ast, andinter0e;ted >eeds >aved behind the ;iles@ f they 0ould both fall to-etherinto the 0urrent no>, their arms >ould be so ti-htly 0las;ed to-ether thatthey 0ould not be savedC they >ould -o out of the >orld almost ;ainlessly,and there >ould be no more re;roa0h to her, or to him for marryin- her@ Hislast half4hour >ith her >ould have been a lovin- one, >hile if they lived tillhe a>o$e, his day4time aversion >ould return, and this hour >ould remain to

be 0ontem;lated only as a transient dream@The im;ulse stirred in her, yet she dared not indul-e it, to ma$e a

movement that >ould have ;re0i;itated them both into the -ulf@ Ho> shevalued her o>n life had been ;rovedC but his she had no ri-ht to tam;er>ith it@ He rea0hed the other side >ith her in safety@



Here they >ere >ithin a ;lantation >hi0h formed the Abbey -rounds,and ta$in- a ne> hold of her he >ent on>ard a fe> ste;s till they rea0hedthe ruined 0hoir of the Abbey40hur0h@ A-ainst the north >all >as the em;tystone 0offin of an abbot, in >hi0h every tourist >ith a turn for -rim humour>as a00ustomed to stret0h himself@ n this /lare 0arefully laid Tess@ Havin-$issed her li;s a se0ond time he breathed dee;ly, as if a -reatly desired end>ere attained@ /lare then lay do>n on the -round alon-side, >hen heimmediately fell into the dee; dead slumber of e haustion, and remainedmotionless as a lo-@ The s;urt of mental e 0itement >hi0h had ;rodu0ed theeffort >as no> over@

Tess sat u; in the 0offin@ The ni-ht, thou-h dry and mild for the season,>as more than suffi0iently 0old to ma$e it dan-erous for him to remain herelon-, in his half40lothed state@ f he >ere left to himself he >ould in all

;robability stay there till the mornin-, and be 0hilled to 0ertain death@ 2hehad heard of su0h deaths after slee;4>al$in-@ #ut ho> 0ould she dare toa>a$en him, and let him $no> >hat he had been doin-, >hen it >ouldmortify him to dis0over his folly in res;e0t of herE Tess, ho>ever, ste;;in-out of her stone 0onfine, shoo$ him sli-htly, but >as unable to arouse him>ithout bein- violent@ t >as indis;ensable to do somethin-, for she >as

be-innin- to shiver, the sheet bein- but a ;oor ;rote0tion@ Her e 0itementhad in a measure $e;t her >arm durin- the fe> minutes' adventureC but that

beatifi0 interval >as over@

t suddenly o00urred to her to try ;ersuasionC and a00ordin-ly she>his;ered in his ear, >ith as mu0h firmness and de0ision as she 0ouldsummon

B et us >al$ on, darlin-,B at the same time ta$in- him su--estively bythe arm@ To her relief, he unresistin-ly a0 uies0edC her >ords had a;;arentlythro>n him ba0$ into his dream, >hi0h then0efor>ard seemed to enter on ane> ;hase, >herein he fan0ied she had risen as a s;irit, and >as leadin- himto Heaven@ Thus she 0ondu0ted him by the arm to the stone brid-e in front of

their residen0e, 0rossin- >hi0h they stood at the manor4house door@ Tess'sfeet >ere uite bare, and the stones hurt her, and 0hilled her to the boneC but/lare >as in his >oollen sto0$in-s and a;;eared to feel no dis0omfort@

There >as no further diffi0ulty@ 2he indu0ed him to lie do>n on his o>nsofa bed, and 0overed him u; >armly, li-htin- a tem;orary fire of >ood, todry any dam;ness out of him@ The noise of these attentions she thou-ht



mi-ht a>a$en him, and se0retly >ished that they mi-ht@ #ut the e haustionof his mind and body >as su0h that he remained undisturbed@

As soon as they met the ne t mornin- Tess divined that An-el $ne>little or nothin- of ho> far she had been 0on0erned in the ni-ht's e 0ursion,thou-h, as re-arded himself, he may have been a>are that he had not lainstill@ n truth, he had a>a$ened that mornin- from a slee; dee; asannihilationC and durin- those first fe> moments in >hi0h the brain, li$e a2amson sha$in- himself, is tryin- its stren-th, he had some dim notion of anunusual no0turnal ;ro0eedin-@ #ut the realities of his situation soondis;la0ed 0on?e0ture on the other sub?e0t@

He >aited in e ;e0tan0y to dis0ern some mental ;ointin-C he $ne> thatif any intention of his, 0on0luded over4ni-ht, did not vanish in the li-ht of

mornin-, it stood on a basis a;;ro imatin- to one of ;ure reason, even ifinitiated by im;ulse of feelin-C that it >as so far, therefore, to be trusted@ Hethus beheld in the ;ale mornin- li-ht the resolve to se;arate from herC not asa hot and indi-nant instin0t, but denuded of the ;assionateness >hi0h hadmade it s0or0h and burnC standin- in its bonesC nothin- but a s$eleton, butnone the less there@ /lare no lon-er hesitated@

At brea$fast, and >hile they >ere ;a0$in- the fe> remainin- arti0les, hesho>ed his >eariness from the ni-ht's effort so unmista$eably that Tess >ason the ;oint of revealin- all that had ha;;enedC but the refle0tion that it>ould an-er him, -rieve him, stultify him, to $no> that he had instin0tivelymanifested a fondness for her of >hi0h his 0ommon4sense did not a;;rove,that his in0lination had 0om;romised his di-nity >hen reason sle;t, a-aindeterred her@ t >as too mu0h li$e lau-hin- at a man >hen sober for hiserrati0 deeds durin- into i0ation@

t ?ust 0rossed her mind, too, that he mi-ht have a faint re0olle0tion ofhis tender va-ary, and >as disin0lined to allude to it from a 0onvi0tion thatshe >ould ta$e amatory advanta-e of the o;;ortunity it -ave her ofa;;ealin- to him ane> not to -o@

He had ordered by letter a vehi0le from the nearest to>n, and soon after brea$fast it arrived@ 2he sa> in it the be-innin- of the end the tem;oraryend, at least, for the revelation of his tenderness by the in0ident of the ni-htraised dreams of a ;ossible future >ith him@ The lu--a-e >as ;ut on the to;,and the man drove them off, the miller and the old >aitin-4>oman



e ;ressin- some sur;rise at their ;re0i;itate de;arture, >hi0h /lareattributed to his dis0overy that the mill4>or$ >as not of the modern $ind>hi0h he >ished to investi-ate, a statement that >as true so far as it >ent@#eyond this there >as nothin- in the manner of their leavin- to su--est afias0o, or that they >ere not -oin- to-ether to visit friends@

Their route lay near the dairy from >hi0h they had started >ith su0hsolemn ?oy in ea0h other a fe> days ba0$, and as /lare >ished to >ind u;his business >ith =r /ri0$, Tess 0ould hardly avoid ;ayin- =rs /ri0$ a 0allat the same time, unless she >ould e 0ite sus;i0ion of their unha;;y state@

To ma$e the 0all as unobtrusive as ;ossible, they left the 0arria-e by the>i0$et leadin- do>n from the hi-h road to the dairy4house, and des0endedthe tra0$ on foot, side by side@ The >ithy4bed had been 0ut, and they 0ould

see over the stum;s the s;ot to >hi0h /lare had follo>ed her >hen he ;ressed her to be his >ifeC to the left the en0losure in >hi0h she had beenfas0inated by his har;C and far a>ay behind the 0o>4stalls the mead >hi0hhad been the s0ene of their first embra0e@ The -old of the summer ;i0ture>as no> -ray, the 0olours mean, the ri0h soil mud, and the river 0old@

3ver the barton4-ate the dairyman sa> them, and 0ame for>ard,thro>in- into his fa0e the $ind of ?o0ularity deemed a;;ro;riate inTalbothays and its vi0inity on the re4a;;earan0e of the ne>ly4married@ Then=rs /ri0$ emer-ed from the house, and several others of their olda0 uaintan0e, thou-h =arian and Retty did not seem to be there@

Tess valiantly bore their sly atta0$s and friendly humours, >hi0haffe0ted her far other>ise than they su;;osed@ n the ta0it a-reement ofhusband and >ife to $ee; their estran-ement a se0ret they behaved as >ouldhave been ordinary@ And then, althou-h she >ould rather there had been no>ord s;o$en on the sub?e0t, Tess had to hear in detail the story of =arianand Retty@ The later had -one home to her father's, and =arian had left toloo$ for em;loyment else>here@ They feared she >ould 0ome to no -ood@

To dissi;ate the sadness of this re0ital Tess >ent and bade all herfavourite 0o>s -oodbye, tou0hin- ea0h of them >ith her hand, and as sheand /lare stood side by side at leavin-, as if united body and soul, there>ould have been somethin- ;e0uliarly sorry in their as;e0t to one >hoshould have seen it trulyC t>o limbs of one life, as they out>ardly >ere, hisarm tou0hin- hers, her s$irts tou0hin- him, fa0in- one >ay, as a-ainst all the



B3 yes if you are ill, or >ant anythin- at all@ ho;e that >ill not be the0aseC so that it may ha;;en that >rite first to you@B

B a-ree to the 0onditions, An-elC be0ause you $no> best >hat my ;unishment ou-ht to beC only only don't ma$e it more than 0an bear B

That >as all she said on the matter@ f Tess had been artful, had shemade a s0ene, fainted, >e;t hysteri0ally, in that lonely lane, not>ithstandin-the fury of fastidiousness >ith >hi0h he >as ;ossessed, he >ould ;robablynot have >ithstood her@ #ut her mood of lon-4sufferin- made his >ay easyfor him, and she herself >as his best advo0ate@ Pride, too, entered into hersubmission >hi0h ;erha;s >as a sym;tom of that re0$less a0 uies0en0e in0han0e too a;;arent in the >hole d'Urberville family and the manyeffe0tive 0hords >hi0h she 0ould have stirred by an a;;eal >ere left

untou0hed@

The remainder of their dis0ourse >as on ;ra0ti0al matters only@ He no>handed her a ;a0$et 0ontainin- a fairly -ood sum of money, >hi0h he hadobtained from his ban$ers for the ;ur;ose@ The brilliants, the interest in>hi0h seemed to be Tess's for her life only Kif he understood the >ordin- ofthe >illL, he advised her to let him send to a ban$ for safetyC and to this shereadily a-reed@

These thin-s arran-ed, he >al$ed >ith Tess ba0$ to the 0arria-e, and

handed her in@ The 0oa0hman >as ;aid and told >here to drive her@ Ta$in-ne t his o>n ba- and umbrella the sole arti0les he had brou-ht >ith himhither>ards he bade her -oodbyeC and they ;arted there and then@

The fly moved 0ree;in-ly u; a hill, and /lare >at0hed it -o >ith anun;remeditated ho;e that Tess >ould loo$ out of the >indo> for onemoment@ #ut that she never thou-ht of doin-, >ould not have ventured todo, lyin- in a half4dead faint inside@ Thus he beheld her re0ede, and in thean-uish of his heart uoted a line from a ;oet, >ith ;e0uliar emendations ofhis o>n

7od's not in his heaven:All's /rong >ith the >orld



When Tess had ;assed over the 0rest of the hill he turned to -o his o>n>ay, and hardly $ne> that he loved her still@

<<<

As she drove on throu-h #la0$moor ale, and the lands0a;e of heryouth be-an to o;en around her, Tess aroused herself from her stu;or@ Herfirst thou-ht >as ho> >ould she be able to fa0e her ;arentsE

2he rea0hed a turn;i$e4-ate >hi0h stood u;on the hi-h>ay to thevilla-e@ t >as thro>n o;en by a stran-er, not by the old man >ho had $e;t itfor many years, and to >hom she had been $no>nC he had ;robably left on

8e> Gear's Day, the date >hen su0h 0han-es >ere made@ Havin- re0eived

no intelli-en0e lately from her home, she as$ed the turn;i$e4$ee;er forne>s@

B3h nothin-, miss,B he ans>ered@ B=arlott is =arlott still@ Fol$s havedied and that@ (ohn Durbeyfield, too, hev had a dau-hter married this >ee$to a -entleman4farmerC not from (ohn's o>n house, you $no>C they >asmarried else>hereC the -entleman bein- of that hi-h standin- that (ohn'so>n fol$ >as not 0onsidered >ell4be4doin- enou-h to have any ;art in it, the

bride-room seemin- not to $no> ho>'t have been dis0overed that (ohn is aold and an0ient nobleman himself by blood, >ith family s$illentons in their

o>n vaults to this day, but done out of his ;ro;erty in the time o' theRomans@ Ho>ever, 2ir (ohn, as >e 0all 'n no>, $e;t u; the >eddin-4day as>ell as he 0ould, and stood treat to everybody in the ;arishC and (ohn's >ifesun- son-s at The Pure Dro; till ;ast eleven o'0lo0$@B

Hearin- this, Tess felt so si0$ at heart that she 0ould not de0ide to -ohome ;ubli0ly in the fly >ith her lu--a-e and belon-in-s@ 2he as$ed theturn;i$e4$ee;er if she mi-ht de;osit her thin-s at his house for a >hile, and,on his offerin- no ob?e0tion, she dismissed her 0arria-e, and >ent on to thevilla-e alone by a ba0$ lane@

At si-ht of her father's 0himney she as$ed herself ho> she 0ould ;ossibly enter the houseE nside that 0otta-e her relations >ere 0almlysu;;osin- her far a>ay on a >eddin-4tour >ith a 0om;aratively ri0h man,>ho >as to 0ondu0t her to boun0in- ;ros;erityC >hile here she >as,friendless, 0ree;in- u; to the old door uite by herself, >ith no better ;la0eto -o to in the >orld@



2he did not rea0h the house unobserved@ (ust by the -arden4hed-e she>as met by a -irl >ho $ne> her one of the t>o or three >ith >hom shehad been intimate at s0hool@ After ma$in- a fe> in uiries as to ho> Tess0ame there, her friend, unheedin- her tra-i0 loo$, interru;ted >ith

B#ut >here's thy -entleman, TessEB

Tess hastily e ;lained that he had been 0alled a>ay on business, and,leavin- her interlo0utor, 0lambered over the -arden4hed-e, and thus madeher >ay to the house@

As she >ent u; the -arden4;ath she heard her mother sin-in- by the ba0$ door, 0omin- in si-ht of >hi0h she ;er0eived =rs Durbeyfield on thedoorste; in the a0t of >rin-in- a sheet@ Havin- ;erformed this >ithout

observin- Tess, she >ent indoors, and her dau-hter follo>ed her@The >ashin-4tub stood in the same old ;la0e on the same old uarter4

ho-shead, and her mother, havin- thro>n the sheet aside, >as about to ;lun-e her arms in ane>@

BWhy Tess my 0hil' thou-ht you >as married married reallyand truly this time >e sent the 0ider B

BGes, motherC so am@B

B7oin- to beEB

B8o am married@B

B=arried Then >here's thy husbandEB

B3h, he's -one a>ay for a time@B

B7one a>ay When >as you married, thenE The day you saidEB

BGes, Tuesday, mother@B

BAnd no> 'tis on'y 2aturday, and he -one a>ayEB

BGes, he's -one@B



BWhat's the meanin- o' thatE '8ation seiIe su0h husbands as you seem to-et, say B

B=other B Tess >ent a0ross to (oan Durbeyfield, laid her fa0e u;on thematron's bosom, and burst into sobs@ B don't $no> ho> to tell 'ee, motherGou said to me, and >rote to me, that >as not to tell him@ #ut did tell him

0ouldn't hel; it and he >ent a>ay B

B3 you little fool you little fool B burst out =rs Durbeyfield, s;lashin-Tess and herself in her a-itation@ B=y -ood 7od that ever should ha' livedto say it, but say it a-ain, you little fool B

Tess >as 0onvulsed >ith >ee;in-, the tension of so many days havin-rela ed at last@

B $no> it $no> $no> B she -as;ed throu-h her sobs@ B#ut, 3 mymother, 0ould not hel; it He >as so -ood and felt the >i0$edness oftryin- to blind him as to >hat had ha;;ened f if it >ere to be donea-ain should do the same@ 0ould not dared not so sin a-ainsthim B

B#ut you sinned enou-h to marry him first B

BGes, yesC that's >here my misery do lie #ut thou-ht he 0ould -et rid

o' me by la> if he >ere determined not to overloo$ it@ And 3, if you $ne> if you 0ould only half $no> ho> loved him ho> an ious >as to havehim and ho> >run- >as bet>een 0arin- so mu0h for him and my >ish to

be fair to him B

Tess >as so sha$en that she 0ould -et no further, and san$, a hel;lessthin-, into a 0hair@

BWell, >ellC >hat's done 0an't be undone 'm sure don't $no> >hy0hildren o' my brin-in- forth should all be bi--er sim;letons than other

;eo;le's not to $no> better than to blab su0h a thin- as that, >hen he0ouldn't ha' found it out till too late B Here =rs Durbeyfield be-an sheddin-tears on her o>n a00ount as a mother to be ;itied@ BWhat your father >ill say

don't $no>,B she 0ontinuedC Bfor he's been tal$in- about the >eddin- u; atRolliver's and The Pure Dro; every day sin0e, and about his family -ettin-

ba0$ to their ri-htful ;osition throu-h you ;oor silly man and no>you've made this mess of it The ord4a4 ord B



As if to brin- matters to a fo0us, Tess's father >as heard a;;roa0hin- atthat moment@ He did not, ho>ever, enter immediately, and =rs Durbeyfieldsaid that she >ould brea$ the bad ne>s to him herself, Tess $ee;in- out ofsi-ht for the ;resent@ After her first burst of disa;;ointment (oan be-an tota$e the misha; as she had ta$en Tess's ori-inal trouble, as she >ould haveta$en a >et holiday or failure in the ;otato40ro;C as a thin- >hi0h had 0omeu;on them irres;e0tive of desert or follyC a 0han0e e ternal im;in-ement to

be borne >ithC not a lesson@

Tess retreated u;stairs and beheld 0asually that the beds had beenshifted, and ne> arran-ements made@ Her old bed had been ada;ted for t>oyoun-er 0hildren@ There >as no ;la0e here for her no>@

The room belo> bein- un0eiled she 0ould hear most of >hat >ent on

there@ Presently her father entered, a;;arently 0arryin- in a live hen@ He >asa foot4ha--ler no>, havin- been obli-ed to sell his se0ond horse, and hetravelled >ith his bas$et on his arm@ The hen had been 0arried about thismornin- as it >as often 0arried, to sho> ;eo;le that he >as in his >or$,thou-h it had lain, >ith its le-s tied, under the table at Rolliver's for morethan an hour@

BWe've ?ust had u; a story about B Durbeyfield be-an, and thereu;onrelated in detail to his >ife a dis0ussion >hi0h had arisen at the inn about the0ler-y, ori-inated by the fa0t of his dau-hter havin- married into a 0leri0alfamily@ BThey >as formerly styled 'sir', li$e my o>n an0estry,B he said,Bthou-h no>adays their true style, stri0tly s;ea$in-, is '0ler$' only@B As Tesshad >ished that no -reat ;ubli0ity should be -iven to the event, he hadmentioned no ;arti0ulars@ He ho;ed she >ould remove that ;rohibition soon@He ;ro;osed that the 0ou;le should ta$e Tess's o>n name, d'Urberville, asun0orru;ted@ t >as better than her husbands's@ He as$ed if any letter had0ome from her that day@

Then =rs Durbeyfield informed him that no letter had 0ome, but Tessunfortunately had 0ome herself@

When at len-th the 0olla;se >as e ;lained to him, a sullenmortifi0ation, not usual >ith Durbeyfield, over;o>ered the influen0e of the0heerin- -lass@ Get the intrinsi0 uality of the event moved his tou0hysensitiveness less than its 0on?e0tured effe0t u;on the minds of others@



BTo thin$, no>, that this >as to be the end o't B said 2ir (ohn@ BAnd >ith a family vault under that there 0hur0h of 9in-sbere as bias 2 uire(ollard's ale40ellar, and my fol$ lyin- there in si es and sevens, as -enuine0ounty bones and marro> as any re0orded in history@ And no> to be sure>hat they fellers at Rolliver's and The Pure Dro; >ill say to me Ho> they'lls uint and -lane, and say, 'This is yer mi-hty mat0h is itC this is yer -ettin-

ba0$ to the true level of yer forefathers in 9in- 8orman's time ' feel this istoo mu0h, (oanC shall ;ut an end to myself, title and all 0an bear it nolon-er J #ut she 0an ma$e him $ee; her if he's married herEB

BWhy, yes@ #ut she >on't thin$ o' doin- that@B

BD'ye thin$ he really have married herE or is it li$e the first B

Poor Tess, >ho had heard as far as this, 0ould not bear to hear more@The ;er0e;tion that her >ord 0ould be doubted even here, in her o>n ;arental house, set her mind a-ainst the s;ot as nothin- else 0ould havedone@ Ho> une ;e0ted >ere the atta0$s of destiny And if her father doubtedher a little, >ould not nei-hbours and a0 uaintan0e doubt her mu0hE 3, she0ould not live lon- at home

A fe> days, a00ordin-ly, >ere all that she allo>ed herself here, at theend of >hi0h time she re0eived a short note from /lare, informin- her thathe had -one to the 8orth of .n-land to loo$ at a farm@ n her 0ravin- for the

lustre of her true ;osition as his >ife, and to hide from her ;arents the vaste tent of the division bet>een them, she made use of this letter as her reasonfor a-ain de;artin-, leavin- them under the im;ression that she >as settin-out to ?oin him@ 2till further to s0reen her husband from any im;utation ofun$indness to her, she too$ t>enty4five of the fifty ;ounds /lare had -ivenher, and handed the sum over to her mother, as if the >ife of a man li$eAn-el /lare 0ould >ell afford it, sayin- that it >as a sli-ht return for thetrouble and humiliation she had brou-ht u;on them in years ;ast@ With thisassertion of her di-nity she bade them fare>ellC and after that there >erelively doin-s in the Durbeyfield household for some time on the stren-th ofTess's bounty, her mother sayin-, and, indeed, believin-, that the ru;ture>hi0h had arisen bet>een the youn- husband and >ife had ad?usted itselfunder their stron- feelin- that they 0ould not live a;art from ea0h other@

<<< <



t >as three >ee$s after the marria-e that /lare found himselfdes0endin- the hill >hi0h led to the >ell4$no>n ;arsona-e of his father@With his do>n>ard 0ourse the to>er of the 0hur0h rose into the evenin- s$yin a manner of in uiry as to >hy he had 0omeC and no livin- ;erson in thet>ili-hted to>n seemed to noti0e him, still less to e ;e0t him@ He >asarrivin- li$e a -host, and the sound of his o>n footste;s >as almost anen0umbran0e to be -ot rid of@

The ;i0ture of life had 0han-ed for him@ #efore this time he had $no>nit but s;e0ulativelyC no> he thou-ht he $ne> it as a ;ra0ti0al manC thou-h

;erha;s he did not, even yet@ 8evertheless humanity stood before him nolon-er in the ;ensive s>eetness of talian art, but in the starin- and -hastlyattitudes of a WiertI =useum, and >ith the leer of a study by an #eers@

His 0ondu0t durin- these first >ee$s had been desultory beyonddes0ri;tion@ After me0hani0ally attem;tin- to ;ursue his a-ri0ultural ;lans asthou-h nothin- unusual had ha;;ened, in the manner re0ommended by the-reat and >ise men of all a-es, he 0on0luded that very fe> of those -reat and>ise men had ever -one so far outside themselves as to test the feasibility oftheir 0ounsel@ BThis is the 0hief thin-: be not ;erturbed,B said the Pa-anmoralist@ That >as ?ust /lare's o>n o;inion@ #ut he >as ;erturbed@ B et notyour heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid,B said the 8aIarene@ /lare0himed in 0ordiallyC but his heart >as troubled all the same@ Ho> he >ouldhave li$ed to 0onfront those t>o -reat thin$ers, and earnestly a;;eal to themas fello>4man to fello>4men, and as$ them to tell him their method

His mood transmuted itself into a do--ed indifferen0e till at len-th hefan0ied he >as loo$in- on his o>n e isten0e >ith the ;assive interest of anoutsider@

He >as embittered by the 0onvi0tion that all this desolation had been brou-ht about by the a00ident of her bein- a d'Urberville@ When he foundthat Tess 0ame of that e hausted an0ient line, and >as not of the ne> tribesfrom belo>, as he had fondly dreamed, >hy had he not stoi0ally abandonedher in fidelity to his ;rin0i;lesE This >as >hat he had -ot by a;ostasy, andhis ;unishment >as deserved@

Then he be0ame >eary and an ious, and his an iety in0reased@ He>ondered if he had treated her unfairly@ He ate >ithout $no>in- that he ate,and dran$ >ithout tastin-@ As the hours dro;;ed ;ast, as the motive of ea0h



a0t in the lon- series of by-one days ;resented itself to his vie>, he ;er0eived ho> intimately the notion of havin- Tess as a dear ;ossession >asmi ed u; >ith all his s0hemes and >ords and >ays@

n -oin- hither and thither he observed in the outs$irts of a small to>n ared4and4blue ;la0ard settin- forth the -reat advanta-es of the .m;ire of#raIil as a field for the emi-ratin- a-ri0ulturist@ and >as offered there one 0e;tionally advanta-eous terms@ #raIil some>hat attra0ted him as a ne>idea@ Tess 0ould eventually ?oin him there, and ;erha;s in that 0ountry of0ontrastin- s0enes and notions and habits the 0onventions >ould not be soo;erative >hi0h made life >ith her seem im;ra0ti0able to him here@ n briefhe >as stron-ly in0lined to try #raIil, es;e0ially as the season for -oin-thither >as ?ust at hand@

With this vie> he >as returnin- to .mminster to dis0lose his ;lan to his ;arents, and to ma$e the best e ;lanation he 0ould ma$e of arrivin- >ithoutTess, short of revealin- >hat had a0tually se;arated them@ As he rea0hed thedoor the ne> moon shone u;on his fa0e, ?ust as the old one had done in thesmall hours of that mornin- >hen he had 0arried his >ife in his arms a0rossthe river to the -raveyard of the mon$sC but his fa0e >as thinner no>@

/lare had -iven his ;arents no >arnin- of his visit, and his arrivalstirred the atmos;here of the i0ara-e as the dive of the $in-fisher stirs a

uiet ;ool@ His father and mother >ere both in the dra>in-4room, but neitherof his brothers >as no> at home@ An-el entered, and 0losed the door uietly

behind him@

B#ut >here's your >ife, dear An-elEB 0ried his mother@ BHo> yousur;rise us B

B2he is at her mother's tem;orarily@ have 0ome home rather in ahurry be0ause 've de0ided to -o to #raIil@B

B#raIil Why they are all Roman /atholi0s there surely B

BAre theyE hadn't thou-ht of that@B

#ut even the novelty and ;ainfulness of his -oin- to a Pa;isti0al land0ould not dis;la0e for lon- =r and =rs /lare's natural interest in their son'smarria-e@



BWe had your brief note three >ee$s a-o announ0in- that it had ta$en ;la0e,B said =rs /lare, Band your father sent your -odmother's -ift to her, asyou $no>@ 3f 0ourse it >as best that none of us should be ;resent, es;e0iallyas you ;referred to marry her from the dairy, and not at her home, >hereverthat may be@ t >ould have embarrassed you, and -iven us no ;leasure@ Gour

bothers felt that very stron-ly@ 8o> it is done >e do not 0om;lain, ;arti0ularly if she suits you for the business you have 0hosen to follo>instead of the ministry of the 7os;el@ J Get >ish 0ould have seen herfirst, An-el, or have $no>n a little more about her@ We sent her no ;resent ofour o>n, not $no>in- >hat >ould best -ive her ;leasure, but you mustsu;;ose it only delayed@ An-el, there is no irritation in my mind or yourfather's a-ainst you for this marria-eC but >e have thou-ht it mu0h better toreserve our li$in- for your >ife till >e 0ould see her@ And no> you have not

brou-ht her@ t seems stran-e@ What has ha;;enedEB

He re;lied that it had been thou-ht best by them that she should to -oher ;arents' home for the ;resent, >hilst he 0ame there@

B don't mind tellin- you, dear mother,B he said, Bthat al>ays meant to$ee; her a>ay from this house till should feel she 0ould some >ith 0reditto you@ #ut this idea of #raIil is uite a re0ent one@ f do -o it >ill beunadvisable for me to ta$e her on this my first ?ourney@ 2he >ill remain ather mother's till 0ome ba0$@B

BAnd shall not see her before you startEB

He >as afraid they >ould not@ His ori-inal ;lan had been, as he hadsaid, to refrain from brin-inher there for some little >hile not to >oundtheir ;re?udi0es feelin-s in any >ayC and for other reasons he hadadhered to it@ He >ould have to visit home in the 0ourse of a year, if he >entout at on0eC and it >ould be ;ossible for them to see her before he started ase0ond time >ith her@

A hastily ;re;ared su;;er >as brou-ht in, and /lare made furthere ;osition of his ;lans@ His mother's disa;;ointment at not seein- the bridestill remained >ith her@ /lare's late enthusiasm for Tess had infe0ted herthrou-h her maternal sym;athies, till she had almost fan0ied that a -oodthin- 0ould 0ome out of 8aIareth a 0harmin- >oman out of TalbothaysDairy@ 2he >at0hed her son as he ate@

B/annot you des0ribe herE am sure she is very ;retty, An-el@B



B3f that there 0an be no uestion B he said, >ith a Iest >hi0h 0overed its bitterness@

BAnd that she is ;ure and virtuous -oes >ithout uestionEB

BPure and virtuous, of 0ourse, she is@B

B 0an see her uite distin0tly@ Gou said the other day that she >as finein fi-ureC roundly builtC had dee; red li;s li$e /u;id's bo>C dar$ eyelashesand bro>s, an immense ro;e of hair li$e a shi;'s 0ableC and lar-e eyesviolety4bluey4bla0$ish@B

B did, mother@B

B uite see her@ And livin- in su0h se0lusion she naturally had s0ar0eever seen any youn- man from the >orld >ithout till she sa> you@B

B20ar0ely@B

BGou >ere her first loveEB

B3f 0ourse@B

BThere are >orse >ives than these sim;le, rosy4mouthed, robust -irls ofthe farm@ /ertainly 0ould have >ished >ell, sin0e my son is to be ana-ri0ulturist, it is ;erha;s but ;ro;er that his >ife should have beena00ustomed to an outdoor life@B

His father >as less in uisitiveC but >hen the time 0ame for the 0ha;terfrom the #ible >hi0h >as al>ays read before evenin- ;rayers, the i0arobserved to =rs /lare

B thin$, sin0e An-el has 0ome, that it >ill be more a;;ro;riate to readthe thirty4first of Proverbs than the 0ha;ter >hi0h >e should have had in the

usual 0ourse of our readin-EBBGes, 0ertainly,B said =rs /lare@ BThe >ords of 9in- emuelB Kshe

0ould 0ite 0ha;ter and verse as >ell as her husbandL@ B=y dear son, yourfather has de0ided to read us the 0ha;ter in Proverbs in ;raise of a virtuous>ife@ We shall not need to be reminded to a;;ly the >ords to the absent one@=ay Heaven shield her in all her >ays B



A lum; rose in /lare's throat@ The ;ortable le0tern >as ta$en out fromthe 0orner and set in the middle of the fire;la0e, the t>o old servants 0amein, and An-el's father be-an to read at the tenth verse of the aforesaid0ha;ter

BWho 0an find a virtuous >omanE for her ;ri0e is far above rubies@ 2heriseth >hile it is yet ni-ht, and -iveth meat to her household@ 2he -irdeth herloins >ith stren-th and stren-theneth her arms@ 2he ;er0eiveth that hermer0handise is -oodC her 0andle -oeth not out by ni-ht@ 2he loo$eth >ell tothe >ays of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness@ Her 0hildrenarise u; and 0all her blessedC her husband also, and he ;raiseth her@ =anydau-hters have done virtuously, but thou e 0ellest them all@B

When ;rayers >ere over, his mother said

B 0ould not hel; thin$in- ho> very a;tly that 0ha;ter your dear fatherread a;;lied, in some of its ;arti0ulars, to the >oman you have 0hosen@ The

;erfe0t >oman, you see, >as a >or$in- >omanC not an idlerC not a fine ladyC but one >ho used her hands and her head and her heart for the -ood ofothers@ 'Her 0hildren arise u; and 0all her blessedC her husband also, and he

;raiseth her@ =any dau-hters have done virtuously, but she e 0elleth them

all@' Well, >ish 0ould have seen her, An-el@ 2in0e she is ;ure and 0haste,she >ould have been refined enou-h for me@B

/lare 0ould bear this no lon-er@ His eyes >ere full of tears, >hi0hseemed li$e dro;s of molten lead@ He bade a ui0$ -ood ni-ht to thesesin0ere and sim;le souls >hom he loved so >ellC >ho $ne> neither the>orld, the flesh, nor the devil in their o>n hearts, only as somethin- va-ueand e ternal to themselves@ He >ent to his o>n 0hamber@

His mother follo>ed him, and ta;;ed at his door@ /lare o;ened it todis0over her standin- >ithout, >ith an ious eyes@

BAn-el,B she as$ed, Bis there somethin- >ron- that you -o a>ay sosoonE am uite sure you are not yourself@B

B am not, uite, mother,B said he@



BAbout herE 8o>, my son, $no> it is that $no> it is about herHave you uarrelled in these three >ee$sEB

BWe have not e a0tly uarrelled,B he said@ B#ut >e have had adifferen0e B

BAn-el is she a youn- >oman >hose history >ill bear investi-ationEB

With a mother's instin0t =rs /lare had ;ut her fin-er on the $ind oftrouble that >ould 0ause su0h a dis uiet as seemed to a-itate her son@

B2he is s;otless B he re;liedC and felt that if it had sent him to eternalhell there and then he >ould have told that lie@

BThen never mind the rest@ After all, there are fe> ;urer thin-s in naturethen an unsullied 0ountry maid@ Any 0rudeness of manner >hi0h may offendyour more edu0ated sense at first, >ill, am sure, disa;;ear under theinfluen0e or your 0om;anionshi; and tuition@B

2u0h terrible sar0asm of blind ma-nanimity brou-ht home to /lare these0ondary ;er0e;tion that he had utterly >re0$ed his 0areer by this marria-e,>hi0h had not been amon- his early thou-hts after the dis0losure@ True, onhis o>n a00ount he 0ared very little about his 0areerC but he had >ished toma$e it at least a res;e0table one on a00ount of his ;arents and brothers@ And

no> as he loo$ed into the 0andle its flame dumbly e ;ressed to him that it>as made to shine on sensible ;eo;le, and that it abhorred li-htin- the fa0eof a du;e and a failure@

When his a-itation had 0ooled he >ould be at moments in0ensed >ithhis ;oor >ife for 0ausin- a situation in >hi0h he >as obli-ed to ;ra0tisede0e;tion on his ;arents@ He almost tal$ed to her in his an-er, as if she had

been in the room@ And then her 0ooin- voi0e, ;laintive in e ;ostulation,disturbed the dar$ness, the velvet tou0h of her li;s ;assed over his bro>, andhe 0ould distin-uish in the air the >armth of her breath@

This ni-ht the >oman of his belittlin- de;re0ations >as thin$in- ho>-reat and -ood her husband >as@ #ut over them both there hun- a dee;ershade than the shade >hi0h An-el /lare ;er0eived, namely, the shade of hiso>n limitations@ With all his attem;ted inde;enden0e of ?ud-ement thisadvan0ed and >ell4meanin- youn- man, a sam;le ;rodu0t of the last five4and4t>enty years, >as yet the slave to 0ustom and 0onventionality >hen



sur;rised ba0$ into his early tea0hin-s@ 8o ;ro;het had told him, and he >asnot ;ro;het enou-h to tell himself, that essentially this youn- >ife of his >asas deservin- of the ;raise of 9in- emuel as any other >oman endo>ed>ith the same disli$e of evil, her moral value havin- to be re0$oned not bya0hievement but by tenden0y@ =oreover, the fi-ure near at hand suffers onsu0h o00asion, be0ause it sho>s u; its sorriness >ithout shadeC >hile va-uefi-ures afar off are honoured, in that their distan0e ma$es artisti0 virtues oftheir stains@ n 0onsiderin- >hat Tess >as not, he overloo$ed >hat she >as,and for-ot that the defe0tive 0an be more than the entire@

<

At brea$fast #raIil >as the to;i0, and all endeavoured to ta$e a ho;eful

vie> of /lare's ;ro;osed e ;eriment >ith that 0ountry's soil,not>ithstandin- the dis0oura-in- re;orts of some farm4labourers >ho hademi-rated thither and returned home >ithin the t>elve months@ After

brea$fast /lare >ent into the little to>n to >ind u; su0h triflin- matters ashe >as 0on0erned >ith there, and to -et from the lo0al ban$ all the money he

;ossessed@ 3n his >ay ba0$ he en0ountered =iss =er0y /hant by the0hur0h, from >hose >alls she seemed to be a sort of emanation@ 2he >as0arryin- an armful of #ibles for her 0lass, and su0h >as her vie> of life thatevents >hi0h ;rodu0ed hearta0he in others >rou-ht beatifi0 smiles u;on her

an enviable result, althou-h, in the o;inion of An-el, it >as obtained by a0uriously unnatural sa0rifi0e of humanity to mysti0ism@

2he had learnt that he >as about to leave .n-land, and observed >hat ane 0ellent and ;romisin- s0heme it seemed to be@

BGesC it is a li$ely s0heme enou-h in a 0ommer0ial sense, no doubt,B here;lied@ B#ut, my dear =er0y, it sna;s the 0ontinuity of e isten0e@ Perha;s a0loister >ould be ;referable@B

BA 0loister 3, An-el /lare B

BWellEB

BWhy, you >i0$ed man, a 0loister im;lies a mon$, and a mon$ Roman/atholi0ism@B



He soon found the farmer, and settled the a00ount for his rent and thefe> other items >hi0h had to be 0onsidered by reason of the suddenabandonment of the lod-in-s@ 3n /lare's return to his horse and -i-, II

?um;ed u; beside him@

B am -oin- to leave .n-land, II,B he said, as they drove on@ B7oin- to#raIil@B

BAnd do =rs /lare li$e the notion of su0h a ?ourneyEB she as$ed@

B2he is not -oin- at ;resent say for a year or so@ am -oin- out tore0onnoitre to see >hat life there is li$e@B

They s;ed alon- east>ard for some 0onsiderable distan0e, II ma$in-no observation@

BHo> are the othersEB he in uired@ BHo> is RettyEB

B2he >as in a sort of nervous state >hen Iid her lastC and so thin andhollo>40hee$ed that 'a do seem in a de0line@ 8obody >ill ever fall in love>i' her any more,B said II absently@

BAnd =arianEB

II lo>ered her voi0e@

B=arian drin$s@B

B ndeed B

BGes@ The dairyman has -ot rid of her@B

BAnd you B

B don't drin$, and bain't in a de0line@ #ut am no -reat thin-s atsin-inafore brea$fast no> B

BHo> is thatE Do you remember ho> neatly you used to turn ''T>asdo>n in /u;id's 7ardens' and 'The Tailor's #ree0hes' at mornin- mil$in-EB

BAh, yes When you first 0ame, sir, that >as@ 8ot >hen you had beenthere a bit@B



BWhy >as that fallin-4offEB

Her bla0$ eyes flashed u; to his fa0e for one moment by >ay of ans>er@

B II ho> >ea$ of you for su0h as B he said, and fell into reverie@BThen su;;ose had as$ed you to marry meEB

B f you had should have said 'Ges', and you >ould have married a>oman >ho loved 'ee B

BReally B

BDo>n to the -round B she >his;ered vehemently@ B3 my 7od did younever -uess it till no> B

#y4and4by they rea0hed a bran0h road to a villa-e@

B must -et do>n@ live out there,B said II abru;tly, never havin-s;o$en sin0e her avo>al@

/lare slo>ed the horse@ He >as in0ensed a-ainst his fate, bitterlydis;osed to>ards so0ial ordinan0esC for they had 0oo;ed him u; in a 0orner,out of >hi0h there >as no le-itimate ;ath>ay@ Why not be reven-ed onso0iety by sha;inhis future domesti0ities loosely, instead of $issin- the

;eda-o-i0 rod of 0onvention in this ensnarin- mannerE

B am -oin- to #raIil alone, II,B said he@ B have se;arated from my>ife for ;ersonal, not voya-in-, reasons@ may never live >ith her a-ain@ may not be able to love youC but >ill you -o >ith me instead of herEB

BGou truly >ish me to -oEB

B do@ have been badly used enou-h to >ish for relief@ And you at leastlove me disinterestedly@B

BGes >ill -o,B said II, after a ;ause@

BGou >illE Gou $no> >hat it means, IIEB

B t means that shall live >ith you for the time you are over there that's -ood enou-h for me@B



BRemember, you are not to trust me in morals no>@ #ut ou-ht toremind you that it >ill be >ron-4doin- in the eyes of 0iviliIation Western0iviliIation, that is to say@B

B don't mind thatC no >oman do >hen it 0omes to a-ony4;oint, andthere's no other >ay B

BThen don't -et do>n, but sit >here you are@B

He drove ;ast the 0ross4roads, one mile, t>o miles, >ithout sho>in-any si-ns of affe0tion@

BGou love me very, very mu0h, IIEB he suddenly as$ed@

B do have said do loved you all the time >e >as at the dairyto-ether B

B=ore than TessEB

2he shoo$ her head@

B8o,B she murmured, Bnot more than she@B

BHo>'s thatEB

B#e0ause nobody 0ould love 'ee more than Tess did J 2he >ould havelaid do>n her life for 'ee@ 0ould do no more@B

i$e the ;ro;het on the to; of Peor, II Huett >ould fain have s;o$en ;erversely at su0h a moment, but the fas0ination e er0ised over her rou-hernature by Tess's 0hara0ter 0om;elled her to -ra0e@

/lare >as silentC his heart had risen at these strai-htfor>ard >ords fromsu0h an une ;e0ted unim;ea0hable uarter@ n his throat >as somethin- as ifa sob had solidified there@ His ears re;eated, B She /ould ha e laid do/n herli#e #or 'ee I could do no more3 B

BFor-et our idle tal$, II,B he said, turnin- the horse's head suddenly@ Bdon't $no> >hat 've been sayin- >ill no> drive you ba0$ to >here yourlane bran0hes off@B



B2o mu0h for honesty to>ards 'ee 3 ho> 0an bear it ho> 0an ho> 0an B

II Huett burst into >ild tears, and beat her forehead as she sa> >hatshe had done@

BDo you re-ret that ;oor little a0t of ?usti0e to an absent oneE 3, II,don't s;oil it by re-ret B

2he stilled herself by de-rees@

B ery >ell, sir@ Perha;s didn't $no> >hat >as sayin-, either, >h >hen a-reed to -o >ish >hat 0annot be B

B#e0ause have a lovin- >ife already@B

BGes, yes Gou have B

They rea0hed the 0orner of the lane >hi0h they had ;assed half an hourearlier, and she ho;;ed do>n@

B II ;lease, ;lease for-et my momentary levity B he 0ried@ B t >as soill40onsidered, so ill4advised B

BFor-et itE 8ever, never 3, it >as no levity to me B

He felt ho> ri0hly he deserved the re;roa0h that the >ounded 0ry0onveyed, and, in a sorro> that >as ine ;ressible, lea;t do>n and too$ herhand@

BWell, but, II, >e'll ;art friends, anyho>E Gou don't $no> >hat 'vehad to bear B

2he >as a really -enerous -irl, and allo>ed no further bitterness to martheir adieu @

B for-ive 'ee, sir B she said@

B8o>, II,B he said, >hile she stood beside him there, for0in- himself tothe mentor's ;art he >as far from feelin-C B >ant you to tell =arian >henyou see her that she is to be a -ood >oman, and not to -ive >ay to folly@Promise that, and tell Retty that there are more >orthy men than in the



>orld, that for my sa$e she is to a0t >isely and >ell remember the >ords >isely and >ell for my sa$e@ send this messa-e to them as a dyin- manto the dyin-C for shall never see them a-ain@ And you, IIy, you have savedme by your honest >ords about my >ife from an in0redible im;ulse to>ardsfolly and trea0hery@ Women may be bad, but they are not so bad as men inthese thin-s 3n that one a00ount 0an never for-et you@ #e al>ays the -oodand sin0ere -irl you have hitherto beenC and thin$ of me as a >orthless lover,

but a faithful friend@ Promise@B

2he -ave the ;romise@

BHeaven bless and $ee; you, sir@ 7oodbye B

He drove onC but no sooner had II turned into the lane, and /lare >as

out of si-ht, than she flun- herself do>n on the ban$ in a fit of ra0$in-an-uishC and it >as >ith a strained unnatural fa0e that she entered hermother's 0otta-e late that ni-ht@ 8obody ever >as told ho> II s;ent thedar$ hours that intervened bet>een An-el /lare's ;artin- from her and herarrival home@

/lare, too, after biddin- the -irl fare>ell, >as >rou-ht to a0hin-thou-hts and uiverin- li;s@ #ut his sorro> >as not for II@ That evenin- he>as >ithin a feather4>ei-ht's turn of abandonin- his road to the neareststation, and drivin- a0ross that elevated dorsal line of 2outh Wesse >hi0h

divided him from his Tess's home@ t >as neither a 0ontem;t for her nature,nor the ;robable state of her heart, >hi0h deterred him@

8oC it >as a sense that, des;ite her love, as 0orroborated by II'sadmission, the fa0ts had not 0han-ed@ f he >as ri-ht at first, he >as ri-htno>@ And the momentum of the 0ourse on >hi0h he had embar$ed tended to$ee; him -oinin it, unless diverted by a stron-er, more sustained for0ethan had ;layed u;on him this afternoon@ He 0ould soon 0ome ba0$ to her@He too$ the train that ni-ht for ondon, and five days after shoo$ hands infare>ell of his brothers at the ;ort of embar$ation@

<

From the fore-oin- events of the >inter4time let us ;ress on to an30tober day, more than ei-ht months subse uent to the ;artin- of /lare andTess@ We dis0over the latter in 0han-ed 0onditionsC instead of a bride >ith



bo es and trun$s >hi0h others bore, >e see her a lonely >oman >ith a bas$et and a bundle in her o>n ;ortera-e, as at an earlier time >hen she >asno brideC instead of the am;le means that >ere ;ro?e0ted by her husband forher 0omfort throu-h this ;robationary ;eriod, she 0an ;rodu0e only aflattened ;urse@

After a-ain leavin- =arlott, her home, she had -ot throu-h the s;rin-and summer >ithout any -reat stress u;on her ;hysi0al ;o>ers, the time

bein- mainly s;ent in renderin- li-ht irre-ular servi0e at dairy4>or$ nearPort4#redy to the >est of the #la0$moor alley, e ually remote from hernative ;la0e and from Talbothays@ 2he ;referred this to livin- on hisallo>an0e@ =entally she remained in utter sta-nation, a 0ondition >hi0h theme0hani0al o00u;ation rather fostered than 0he0$ed@ Her 0ons0iousness >asat that other dairy, at that other season, in the ;resen0e of the tender lover

>ho had 0onfronted her there he >ho, the moment she had -ras;ed him to$ee; for her o>n, had disa;;eared li$e a sha;e in a vision@

The dairy4>or$ lasted only till the mil$ be-an to lessen, for she had notmet >ith a se0ond re-ular en-a-ement as at Talbothays, but had done dutyas a su;ernumerary only@ Ho>ever, as harvest >as no> be-innin-, she hadsim;ly to remove from the ;asture to the stubble to find ;lenty of furthero00u;ation, and this 0ontinued till harvest >as done@

3f the five4and4t>enty ;ounds >hi0h had remained to her of /lare'sallo>an0e, after dedu0tin- the other half of the fifty as a 0ontribution to her

;arents for the trouble and e ;ense to >hi0h she had ;ut them, she had asyet s;ent but little@ #ut there no> follo>ed an unfortunate interval of >et>eather, durin- >hi0h she >as obli-ed to fall ba0$ u;on her soverei-ns@

2he 0ould not bear to let them -o@ An-el had ;ut them into her hand,had obtained them bri-ht and ne> from his ban$ for herC his tou0h had0onse0rated them to souvenirs of himself they a;;eared to have had as yetno other history than su0h as >as 0reated by his and her o>n e ;erien0es and to dis;erse them >as li$e -ivin- a>ay reli0s@ #ut she had to do it, andone by one they left her hands@

2he had been 0om;elled to send her mother her address from time totime, but she 0on0ealed her 0ir0umstan0es@ When her money had almost-one a letter from her mother rea0hed her@ (oan stated that they >ere indreadful diffi0ultyC the autumn rains had -one throu-h the that0h of the



house, >hi0h re uired entire rene>alC but this 0ould not be done be0ause the ;revious that0hin- had never been ;aid for@ 8e> rafters and a ne> 0eilin-u;stairs also >ere re uired, >hi0h, >ith the ;revious bill, >ould amount to asum of t>enty ;ounds@ As her husband >as a man of means, and haddoubtless returned by this time, 0ould she not send them the moneyE

Tess had thirty ;ounds 0omin- to her almost immediately from An-el's ban$ers, and, the 0ase bein- so de;lorable, as soon as the sum >as re0eivedshe sent the t>enty as re uested@ Part of the remainder she >as obli-ed toe ;end in >inter 0lothin-, leavin- only a nominal sum for the >holein0lement season at hand@ When the last ;ound had -one, a remar$ ofAn-el's that >henever she re uired further resour0es she >as to a;;ly to hisfather, remained to be 0onsidered@

#ut the more Tess thou-ht of the ste;, the more relu0tant >as she tota$e it@ The same deli0a0y, ;ride, false shame, >hatever it may be 0alled, on/lare's a00ount, >hi0h had led her to hide from her o>n ;arents the

;rolon-ation of the estran-ement, hindered her o>nin- to his that she >as in>ant after the fair allo>an0e he had left her@ They ;robably des;ised heralreadyC ho> mu0h more they >ould des;ise her in the 0hara0ter of amendi0ant The 0onse uen0e >as that by no effort 0ould the ;arson'sdau-hter4in4la> brin- herself to let him $no> her state@

Her relu0tan0e to 0ommuni0ate >ith her husband's ;arents mi-ht, shethou-ht, lessen >ith the la;se of timeC but >ith her o>n the reverse obtained@3n her leavin- their house after the short visit subse uent to her marria-ethey >ere under the im;ression that she >as ultimately -oin- to ?oin herhusbandC and from that time to the ;resent she had done nothin- to disturbtheir belief that she >as a>aitin- his return in 0omfort, ho;in- a-ainst ho;ethat his ?ourney to #raIil >ould result in a short stay only, after >hi0h he>ould 0ome to fet0h her, or that he >ould >rite for her to ?oin himC in any0ase that they >ould soon ;resent a united front to their families and the>orld@ This ho;e she still fostered@ To let her ;arents $no> that she >as a

deserted >ife, de;endent, no> that she had relieved their ne0essities, on hero>n hands for a livin-, after the $clat of a marria-e >hi0h >as to nullify the0olla;se of the first attem;t, >ould be too mu0h indeed@

The set of brilliants returned to her mind@ Where /lare had de;ositedthem she did not $no>, and it mattered little, if it >ere true that she 0ouldonly use and not sell them@ .ven >ere they absolutely hers it >ould be



se;arated from her husband ;robably throu-h II Huett and the -ood4natured and no> ti;;lin- -irl, deemin- Tess in trouble, had hastened tonotify to her former friend that she herself had -one to this u;land s;ot afterleavin- the dairy, and >ould li$e to see her there, >here there >as room forother hands, if it >as really true that she >or$ed a-ain as of old@

With the shortenin- of the days all ho;e of obtainin- her husband'sfor-iveness be-an to leave herC and there >as somethin- of the habitude ofthe >ild animal in the unrefle0tin- instin0t >ith >hi0h she rambled on dis0onne0tin- herself by littles from her eventful ;ast at every ste;,obliteratin- her identity, -ivin- no thou-ht to a00idents or 0ontin-en0ies>hi0h mi-ht ma$e a ui0$ dis0overy of her >hereabouts by others ofim;ortan0e to her o>n ha;;iness, if not to theirs@

Amon- the diffi0ulties of her lonely ;osition not the least >as theattention she e 0ited by her a;;earan0e, a 0ertain bearin- of distin0tion,>hi0h she had 0au-ht from /lare, bein- su;eradded to her naturalattra0tiveness@ Whilst the 0lothes lasted >hi0h had been ;re;ared for hermarria-e, these 0asual -lan0es of interest 0aused her no in0onvenien0e, butas soon as she >as 0om;elled to don the >ra;;er of a field>oman, rude>ords >ere addressed to her more than on0eC but nothin- o00urred to 0auseher bodily fear till a ;arti0ular 8ovember afternoon@

2he had ;referred the 0ountry >est of the River #rit to the u;land farmfor >hi0h she >as no> bound, be0ause, for one thin-, it >as nearer to thehome of her husband's fatherC and to hover about that re-ion unre0o-niIed,>ith the notion that she mi-ht de0ide to 0all at the i0ara-e some day, -aveher ;leasure@ #ut havin- on0e de0ided to try the hi-her and drier levels, she

;ressed ba0$ east>ard, mar0hin- afoot to>ards the villa-e of /hal$48e>ton,>here she meant to ;ass the ni-ht@

The lane >as lon- and unvaried, and, o>in- to the ra;id shortenin- ofthe days, dus$ 0ame u;on her before she >as a>are@ 2he had rea0hed the to;of a hill do>n >hi0h the lane stret0hed its ser;entine len-th in -lim;ses,>hen she heard footste;s behind her ba0$, and in a fe> moments she >asoverta$en by a man@ He ste;;ed u; alon-side Tess and said

B7ood ni-ht, my ;retty maidB: to >hi0h she 0ivilly re;lied@

The li-ht still remainin- in the s$y lit u; her fa0e, thou-h the lands0a;e>as nearly dar$@ The man turned and stared hard at her@



BWhy, surely, it is the youn- >en0h >ho >as at Trantrid-e a>hile youn- 2 uire d'Urberville's friendE >as there at that time, thou-h don'tlive there no>@B

2he re0o-niIed in him the >ell4to4do boor >hom An-el had $no0$eddo>n at the inn for addressin- her 0oarsely@ A s;asm of an-uish shotthrou-h her, and she returned him no ans>er@

B#e honest enou-h to o>n it, and that >hat said in the to>n >as true,thou-h your fan0y4man >as so u; about it hey, my sly oneE Gou ou-ht to

be- my ;ardon for that blo> of his, 0onsiderin-@B

2till no ans>er 0ame from Tess@ There seemed only one es0a;e for herhunted soul@ 2he suddenly too$ to her heels >ith the s;eed of the >ind, and,

>ithout loo$in- behind her, ran alon- the road till she 0ame to a -ate >hi0ho;ened dire0tly into a ;lantation@ nto this she ;lun-ed, and did not ;ause tillshe >as dee; enou-h in its shade to be safe a-ainst any ;ossibility ofdis0overy@

Under foot the leaves >ere dry, and the folia-e of some holly bushes>hi0h -re> amon- the de0iduous trees >as dense enou-h to $ee; offdrau-hts@ 2he s0ra;ed to-ether the dead leaves till she had formed them intoa lar-e hea;, ma$in- a sort of nest in the middle@ nto this Tess 0re;t@

2u0h slee; as she -ot >as naturally fitfulC she fan0ied she heard stran-enoises, but ;ersuaded herself that they >ere 0aused by the breeIe@ 2hethou-ht of her husband in some va-ue >arm 0lime on the other side of the-lobe, >hile she >as here in the 0old@ Was there another su0h a >ret0hed

bein- as she in the >orldE Tess as$ed herselfC and, thin$in- of her >astedlife, said, BAll is vanity@B 2he re;eated the >ords me0hani0ally, till sherefle0ted that this >as a most inade uate thou-ht for modern days@ 2olomonhad thou-ht as far as that more than t>o thousand years a-oC she herself,thou-h not in the van of thin$ers, had -ot mu0h further@ f all >ere onlyvanity, >ho >ould mind itE All >as, alas, >orse than vanity in?usti0e,

;unishment, e a0tion, death@ The >ife of An-el /lare ;ut her hand to her bro>, and felt its 0urve, and the ed-es of her eye4so0$ets ;er0e;tible underthe soft s$in, and thou-ht as she did so that a time >ould 0ome >hen that

bone >ould be bare@ B >ish it >ere no>,B she said@

n the midst of these >himsi0al fan0ies she heard a ne> stran-e soundamon- the leaves@ t mi-ht be the >indC yet there >as s0ar0ely any >ind@



2ometimes it >as a ;al;itation, sometimes a flutterC sometimes it >as a sortof -as; or -ur-le@ 2oon she >as 0ertain that the noises 0ame from >ild0reatures of some $ind, the more so >hen, ori-inatin- in the bou-hsoverhead, they >ere follo>ed by the fall of a heavy body u;on the -round@Had she been ens0on0ed here under other and more ;leasant 0onditions she>ould have be0ome alarmedC but, outside humanity, she had at ;resent nofear@

Day at len-th bro$e in the s$y@ When it had been day aloft for somelittle >hile it be0ame day in the >ood@

Dire0tly the assurin- and ;rosai0 li-ht of the >orld's a0tive hours had-ro>n stron-, she 0re;t from under her hillo0$ of leaves, and loo$ed around

boldly@ Then she ;er0eived >hat had been -oin- on to disturb her@ The

;lantation >herein she had ta$en shelter ran do>n at this s;ot into a ;ea$,>hi0h ended it hither>ard, outside the hed-e bein- arable -round@ Under thetrees several ;heasants lay about, their ri0h ;luma-e dabbled >ith bloodCsome >ere dead, some feebly t>it0hin- a >in-, some starin- u; at the s$y,some ;ulsatin- ui0$ly, some 0ontorted, some stret0hed out all of them>rithin- in a-ony, e 0e;t the fortunate ones >hose tortures had endeddurin- the ni-ht by the inability of nature to bear more@

Tess -uessed at on0e the meanin- of this@ The birds had been drivendo>n into this 0orner the day before by some shootin-4;artyC and >hilethose that had dro;;ed dead under the shot, or had died before ni-htfall, had

been sear0hed for and 0arried off, many badly >ounded birds had es0a;edand hidden themselves a>ay, or risen amon- the thi0$ bou-hs, >here theyhad maintained their ;osition till they -re> >ea$er >ith loss of blood in theni-ht4time, >hen they had fallen one by one as she had heard them@

2he had o00asionally 0au-ht -lim;ses of these men in -irlhood, loo$in-over hed-es, or ;ee;inthrou-h bushes, and ;ointin- their -uns, stran-elya00outred, a bloodthirsty li-ht in their eyes@ 2he had been told that, rou-hand brutal as they seemed ?ust then, they >ere not li$e this all the yearround, but >ere, in fa0t, uite 0ivil ;ersons save durin- 0ertain >ee$s ofautumn and >inter, >hen, li$e the inhabitants of the =alay Peninsula, theyran amu0$, and made it their ;ur;ose to destroy life in this 0ase harmlessfeathered 0reatures, brou-ht into bein- by artifi0ial means solely to -ratifythese ;ro;ensities at on0e so unmannerly and so un0hivalrous to>ardstheir >ea$er fello>s in 8ature's teemin- family@



With the im;ulse of a soul >ho 0ould feel for $indred sufferers as mu0has for herself, Tess's first thou-ht >as to ;ut the still livin- birds out of theirtorture, and to this end >ith her o>n hands she bro$e the ne0$s of as manyas she 0ould find, leavin- them to lie >here she had found them till the-ame4$ee;ers should 0ome as they ;robably >ould 0ome to loo$ forthem a se0ond time@

BPoor darlin-s to su;;ose myself the most miserable bein- on earth inthe si-ht o' su0h misery as yours B she e 0laimed, her tears runnin- do>n asshe $illed the birds tenderly@ BAnd not a t>in-e of bodily ;ain about me benot man-led, and be not bleedin-, and have t>o hands to feed and 0lotheme@B 2he >as ashamed of herself for her -loom of the ni-ht, based onnothin- more tan-ible than a sense of 0ondemnation under an arbitrary la>of so0iety >hi0h had no foundation in 8ature@

<

t >as no> broad day, and she started a-ain, emer-in- 0autiously u;onthe hi-h>ay@ #ut there >as no need for 0autionC not a soul >as at hand, andTess >ent on>ard >ith fortitude, her re0olle0tion of the birds' silentenduran0e of their ni-ht of a-ony im;ressin- u;on her the relativity ofsorro>s and the tolerable nature of her o>n, if she 0ould on0e rise hi-henou-h to des;ise o;inion@ #ut that she 0ould not do so lon- as it >as held

by /lare@

2he rea0hed /hal$48e>ton, and brea$fasted at an inn, >here severalyoun- men >ere troublesomely 0om;limentary to her -ood loo$s@ 2omeho>she felt ho;eful, for >as it not ;ossible that her husband also mi-ht say thesesame thin-s to her even yetE 2he >as bound to ta$e 0are of herself on the0han0e of it, and $ee; off these 0asual lovers@ To this end Tess resolved torun no further ris$s from her a;;earan0e@ As soon as she -ot out of thevilla-e she entered a thi0$et and too$ from her bas$et one of the oldest field4-o>ns, >hi0h she had never ;ut on even at the dairy never sin0e she had>or$ed amon- the stubble at =arlott@ 2he also, by a feli0itous thou-ht, too$a hand$er0hief from her bundle and tied it round her fa0e under her bonnet,0overin- her 0hin and half her 0hee$s and tem;les, as if she >ere sufferin-from tootha0he@ Then >ith her little s0issors, by the aid of a ;o0$et loo$in-4-lass, she mer0ilessly ni;;ed her eyebro>s off, and thus insured a-ainsta--ressive admiration, she >ent on her uneven >ay@



BWhat a mommet of a maid B said the ne t man >ho met her to a0om;anion@

Tears 0ame into her eyes for very ;ity of herself as she heard him@

B#ut don't 0are B she said@ B3 no don't 0are 'll al>ays be u-lyno>, be0ause An-el is not here, and have nobody to ta$e 0are of me@ =yhusband that >as is -one a>ay, and never >ill love me any moreC but lovehim ?ust the same, and hate all other men, and li$e to ma$e 'em thin$s0ornfully of me B

Thus Tess >al$s onC a fi-ure >hi0h is ;art of the lands0a;eC afield>oman ;ure and sim;le, in >inter -uiseC a -ray ser-e 0a;e, a red>oollen 0ravat, a stuff s$irt 0overed by a >hitey4bro>n rou-h >ra;;er, and

buff4leather -loves@ .very thread of that old attire has be0ome faded and thinunder the stro$e of raindro;s, the burn of sunbeams, and the stress of >inds@There is no si-n of youn- ;assion in her no>

The maiden's mouth is 0oldJFold over sim;le fold#indin- her head@

nside this e terior, over >hi0h the eye mi-ht have roved as over a thin-s0ar0ely ;er0i;ient, almost inor-ani0, there >as the re0ord of a ;ulsin- life>hi0h had learnt too >ell, for its years, of the dust and ashes of thin-s, of the0ruelty of lust and the fra-ility of love@

8e t day the >eather >as bad, but she trud-ed on, the honesty,dire0tness, and im;artiality of elemental enmity dis0on0ertin- her but little@Her ob?e0t bein- a >inter's o00u;ation and a >inter's home, there >as notime to lose@ Her e ;erien0e of short hirin-s had been su0h that she >asdetermined to a00e;t no more@

Thus she >ent for>ard from farm to farm in the dire0tion of the ;la0e>hen0e =arian had >ritten to her, >hi0h she determined to ma$e use of as alast shift only, its rumoured strin-en0ies bein- the reverse of tem;tin-@ Firstshe in uired for the li-hter $inds of em;loyment, and, as a00e;tan0e in anyvariety of these -re> ho;eless, a;;lied ne t for the less li-ht, till, be-innin-



>ith the dairy and ;oultry tendan0e that she li$ed best, she ended >ith theheavy and 0ourse ;ursuits >hi0h she li$ed least >or$ on arable land: >or$of su0h rou-hness, indeed, as she >ould never have deliberately voluteeredfor@

To>ards the se0ond evenin- she rea0hed the irre-ular 0hal$ table4landor ;lateau, bosomed >ith semi4-lobular tumuli as if /ybele the =any4

breasted >ere su;inely e tended there >hi0h stret0hed bet>een the valleyof her birth and the valley of her love@

Here the air >as dry and 0old, and the lon- 0art4roads >ere blo>n >hiteand dusty >ithin a fe> hours after rain@ There >ere fe> trees, or none, thosethat >ould have -ro>n in the hed-es bein- mer0ilessly ;lashed do>n >iththe ui0$set by the tenant4farmers, the natural enemies of tree, bush, and

bra$e@ n the middle distan0e ahead of her she 0ould see the summits of#ulbarro> and of 8ettle0ombe Tout, and they seemed friendly@ They had alo> and unassumin- as;e0t from this u;land, thou-h as a;;roa0hed on theother side from #la0$moor in her 0hildhood they >ere as lofty bastionsa-ainst the s$y@ 2outherly, at many miles' distan0e, and over the hills andrid-es 0oast>ard, she 0ould dis0ern a surfa0e li$e ;olished steel: it >as the.n-lish /hannel at a ;oint far out to>ards Fran0e@

#efore her, in a sli-ht de;ression, >ere the remains of a villa-e@ 2hehad, in fa0t, rea0hed Flint0omb4Ash, the ;la0e of =arian's so?ourn@ Thereseemed to be no hel; for itC hither she >as doomed to 0ome@ The stubbornsoil around her sho>ed ;lainly enou-h that the $ind of labour in demandhere >as of the rou-hest $indC but it >as time to rest from sear0hin-, and sheresolved to stay, ;arti0ularly as it be-an to rain@ At the entran0e to the villa-e>as a 0otta-e >hose -able ?utted into the road, and before a;;lyin- for alod-in- she stood under its shelter, and >at0hed the evenin- 0lose in@

BWho >ould thin$ >as =rs An-el /lare B she said@

The >all felt >arm to her ba0$ and shoulders, and she found thatimmediately >ithin the -able >as the 0otta-e fire;la0e, the heat of >hi0h0ame throu-h the bri0$s@ 2he >armed her hands u;on them, and also ;ut her0hee$ red and moist >ith the driIIle a-ainst their 0omfortin- surfa0e@The >all seemed to be the only friend she had@ 2he had so little >ish toleave it that she 0ould have stayed there all ni-ht@



Tess 0ould hear the o00u;ants of the 0otta-e -athered to-ether aftertheir day's labour tal$in- to ea0h other >ithin, and the rattle of theirsu;;er4;lates >as also audible@ #ut in the villa-e4street she had seen no soulas yet@ The solitude >as at last bro$en by the a;;roa0h of one femininefi-ure, >ho, thou-h the evenin- >as 0old, >ore the ;rint -o>n and the tilt4

bonnet of summer time@ Tess instin0tively thou-ht it mi-ht be =arian, and>hen she 0ame near enou-h to be distin-uishable in the -loom, surelyenou-h it >as she@ =arian >as even stouter and redder in the fa0e thanformerly, and de0idedly shabbier in attire@ At any ;revious ;eriod of here isten0e Tess >ould hardly have 0ared to rene> the a0 uaintan0e in su0h0onditionsC but her loneliness >as e 0essive, and she res;onded readily to=arian's -reetin-@

=arian >as uite res;e0tful in her in uiries, but seemed mu0h moved

by the fa0t that Tess should still 0ontinue in no better 0ondition than at firstCthou-h she had dimly heard of the se;aration@

BTess =rs /lare the dear >ife of dear he And is it really so bad asthis, my 0hildE Why is your 0>omely fa0e tied u; in su0h a >ayE Anybody

been beatin- 'eeE 8ot heEB

B8o, no, no merely did it not to be 0li;sed or 0olled, =arian@B

2he ;ulled off in dis-ust a banda-e >hi0h 0ould su--est su0h >ild

thou-hts@

BAnd you've -ot no 0ollar onB KTess had been a00ustomed to >ear alittle >hite 0ollar at the dairyL@

B $no> it, =arian@B

BGou've lost it travellin-@B

B 've not lost it@ The truth is, don't 0are anythin- about my loo$sC and

so didn't ;ut it on@B

BAnd you don't >ear your >eddin-4rin-EB

BGes, doC but not in ;ubli0@ >ear it round my ne0$ on a ribbon@ don't>ish ;eo;le to thin$ >ho am by marria-e, or that am married at allC it>ould be so a>$>ard >hile lead my ;resent life@B



=arian ;aused@

B#ut you be a -entleman's >ifeC and it seems hardly fair that you shouldlive li$e this B

B3 yes it is, uite fairC thou-h am very unha;;y@B

BWell, >ell@ %e married you and you 0an be unha;;y B

BWives are unha;;y sometimesC from no fault of their husbands fromtheir o>n@B

BGou've no faults, dearyC that 'm sure of@ And he's none@ 2o it must besomethin- outside ye both@B

B=arian, dear =arian, >ill you do me a -ood turn >ithout as$in-uestionsE =y husband has -one abroad, and someho> have overrun my

allo>an0e, so that have to fall ba0$ u;on my old >or$ for a time@ Do not0all me =rs /lare, but Tess, as before@ Do they >ant a hand hereEB

B3 yesC they'll ta$e one al>ays, be0ause fe> 0are to 0ome@ 'Tis a starve4a0re ;la0e@ /orn and s>edes are all they -ro>@ Thou-h be here myself, feel 'tis a ;ity for su0h as you to 0ome@B

B#ut you used to be as -ood a dairy>oman as @B

BGesC but 've -ot out o' that sin0e too$ to drin$@ ord, that's the only0omfort 've -ot no> f you en-a-e, you'll be set s>ede4ha0$in-@ That's>hat be doin-C but you >on't li$e it@B

B3 anythin- Will you s;ea$ for meEB

BGou >ill do better by s;ea$in- for yourself@B

B ery >ell@ 8o>, =arian, remember nothin- about him if -et the ;la0e@ don't >ish to brin- his name do>n to the dirt@B

=arian, >ho >as really a trust>orthy -irl thou-h of 0oarser -rain thanTess, ;romised anythin- she as$ed@

BThis is ;ay4ni-ht,B she said, Band if you >ere to 0ome >ith me you>ould $no> at on0e@ be real sorry that you are not ha;;yC but 'tis be0ause



he's a>ay, $no>@ Gou 0ouldn't be unha;;y if he >ere here, even if he -ie'dye no money even if he used you li$e a drud-e@B

BThat's trueC 0ould not B

They >al$ed on to-ether and soon rea0hed the farmhouse, >hi0h >asalmost sublime in its dreariness@ There >as not a tree >ithin si-htC there >asnot, at this season, a -reen ;asture nothin- but fallo> and turni;severy>here, in lar-e fields divided by hed-es ;lashed to unrelieved levels@

Tess >aited outside the door of the farmhouse till the -rou; of >or$fol$had re0eived their >a-es, and then =arian introdu0ed her@ The farmerhimself, it a;;eared, >as not at home, but his >ife, >ho re;resented him thisevenin-, made no ob?e0tion to hirin- Tess, on her a-reein- to remain till 3ld

ady4Day@ Female field4labour >as seldom offered no>, and its 0hea;nessmade it ;rofitable for tas$s >hi0h >omen 0ould ;erform as readily as men@

Havin- si-ned the a-reement, there >as nothin- more for Tess to do at ;resent than to -et a lod-in-, and she found one in the house at >hose -able4>all she had >armed herself@ t >as a ;oor subsisten0e that she had ensured,

but it >ould afford a shelter for the >inter at any rate@

That ni-ht she >rote to inform her ;arents of her ne> address, in 0ase aletter should arrive at =arlott from her husband@ #ut she did not tell them of

the sorriness of her situation: it mi-ht have brou-ht re;roa0h u;on him@

<

There >as no e a--eration in =arian's definition of Flint0omb4Ashfarm as a starve4a0re ;la0e@ The sin-le fat thin- on the soil >as =arianherselfC and she >as an im;ortation@ 3f the three 0lasses of villa-e, thevilla-e 0ared for by its lord, the villa-e 0ared for by itself, and the villa-eun0ared for either by itself or by its lord Kin other >ords, the villa-e of aresident s uires's tenantry, the villa-e of free4 or 0o;y4holders, and theabsentee4o>ner's villa-e, farmed >ith the landL this ;la0e, Flint0omb4Ash,>as the third@

#ut Tess set to >or$@ Patien0e, that blendin- of moral 0oura-e >ith ;hysi0al timidity, >as no> no lon-er a minor feature in =rs An-el /lareCand it sustained her@



The s>ede4field in >hi0h she and her 0om;anion >ere set ha0$in- >asa stret0h of a hundred odd a0res in one ;at0h, on the hi-hest -round of thefarm, risin- above stony lan0hets or lyn0hets the out0ro; of sili0eous veinsin the 0hal$ formation, 0om;osed of myriads of loose >hite flints in

bulbous, 0us;ed, and ;halli0 sha;es@ The u;;er half of ea0h turni; had beeneaten off by the live4sto0$, and it >as the business of the t>o >omen to -rubu; the lo>er or earthy half of the root >ith a hoo$ed for$ 0alled a ha0$er,that it mi-ht be eaten also@ .very leaf of the ve-etable havin- already been0onsumed, the >hole field >as in 0olour a desolate drabC it >as a0om;le ion >ithout features, as if a fa0e, from 0hin to bro>, should be onlyan e ;anse of s$in@ The s$y >ore, in another 0olour, the same li$enessC a>hite va0uity of 0ountenan0e >ith the lineaments -one@ 2o these t>o u;;erand nether visa-es 0onfronted ea0h other all day lon-, the >hite fa0e loo$in-do>n on the bro>n fa0e, and the bro>n fa0e loo$in- u; at the >hite fa0e,

>ithout anythin- standin- bet>een them but the t>o -irls 0ra>lin- over thesurfa0e of the former li$e flies@

8obody 0ame near them, and their movements sho>ed a me0hani0alre-ularityC their forms standin- enshrouded in Hessian B>ro;;ersB sleeved

bro>n ;inafores, tied behind to the bottom, to $ee; their -o>ns from blo>in- about s0ant s$irts revealin- boots that rea0hed hi-h u; the an$les,and yello> shee;s$in -loves >ith -auntlets@ The ;ensive 0hara0ter >hi0h the0urtained hood lent to their bent heads >ould have reminded the observer ofsome early talian 0on0e;tion of the t>o =arys@

They >or$ed on hour after hour, un0ons0ious of the forlorn as;e0t they bore in the lands0a;e, not thin$in- of the ?usti0e or in?usti0e of their [email protected] in su0h a ;osition as theirs it >as ;ossible to e ist in a dream@ n theafternoon the rain 0ame on a-ain, and =arian said that they need not >or$any more@ #ut if they did not >or$ they >ould not be ;aidC so they >or$edon@ t >as so hi-h a situation, this field, that the rain had no o00asion to fall,

but ra0ed alon- horiIontally u;on the yellin- >ind, sti0$in- into them li$e-lass s;linters till they >ere >et throu-h@ Tess had not $no>n till no> >hat

>as really meant by that@ There are de-rees of dam;ness, and a very little is0alled bein- >et throu-h in 0ommon tal$@ #ut to stand >or$in- slo>ly in afield, and feel the 0ree; of rain4>ater, first in le-s and shoulders, then onhi;s and head, then at ba0$, front, and sides, and yet to >or$ on till theleaden li-ht diminishes and mar$s that the sun is do>n, demands a distin0tmodi0um of stoi0ism, even of valour@



Get they did not feel the >etness so mu0h as mi-ht be su;;osed@ They>ere both youn-, and they >ere tal$in- of the time >hen they lived andloved to-ether at Talbothays Dairy, that ha;;y -reen tra0t of land >heresummer had been liberal in her -iftsC in substan0e to all, emotionally tothese@ Tess >ould fain not have 0onversed >ith =arian of the man >ho >asle-ally, if not a0tually, her husbandC but the irresistible fas0ination of thesub?e0t betrayed her into re0i;ro0atin- =arian's remar$s@ And thus, as has

been said, thou-h the dam; 0urtains of their bonnets fla;;ed smartly intotheir fa0es, and their >ra;;ers 0lun- about them to >earisomeness, theylived all this afternoon in memories of -reen, sunny, romanti0 Talbothays@

BGou 0an see a -leam of a hill >ithin a fe> miles o' Froom alley fromhere >hen 'tis fine,B said =arian@

BAh /an youEB said Tess, a>a$e to the ne> value of this lo0ality@

2o the t>o for0es >ere at >or$ here as every>here, the inherent >ill toen?oy, and the 0ir0umstantial >ill a-ainst en?oyment@ =arian's >ill had amethod of assistin- itself by ta$in- from her ;o0$et as the afternoon >ore ona ;int bottle 0or$ed >ith >hite ra-, from >hi0h she invited Tess to drin$@Tess's unassisted ;o>er of dreamin-, ho>ever, bein- enou-h for hersublimation at ;resent, she de0lined e 0e;t the merest si;, and then =ariantoo$ a ;ull from the s;irits@

B 've -ot used to it,B she said, Band 0an't leave it off no>@ 'Tis my only0omfort Gou see lost him: you didn'tC and you 0an do >ithout it ;erha;s@B

Tess thou-ht her loss as -reat as =arian's, but u;held by the di-nity of bein- An-el's >ife, in the letter at least, she a00e;ted =arian'sdifferentiation@

Amid this s0ene Tess slaved in the mornin- frosts and in the afternoonrains@ When it >as not s>ede4-rubbin- it >as s>ede4trimmin-, in >hi0h

;ro0ess they sli0ed off the earth and the fibres >ith a bill4hoo$ beforestorin- the roots for future use@ At this o00u;ation they 0ould shelterthemselves by a that0hed hurdle if it rainedC but if it >as frosty even theirthi0$ leather -loves 0ould not ;revent the froIen masses they handled from

bitin- their fin-ers@ 2till Tess ho;ed@ 2he had a 0onvi0tion that sooner orlater the ma-nanimity >hi0h she ;ersisted in re0$onin- as a 0hief in-redientof /lare's 0hara0ter >ould lead him to re?oin her@



=arian, ;rimed to a humorous mood, >ould dis0over the ueer4sha;edflints aforesaid, and shrie$ >ith lau-hter, Tess remainin- severely obtuse@They often loo$ed a0ross the 0ountry to >here the ar or Froom >as $no>to stret0h, even thou-h they mi-ht not be able to see itC and, fi intheir eyeson the 0loa$in- -ray mist, ima-ined the old times they had s;ent out there@

BAh,B said =arian, Bho> should li$e another or t>o of our old set to0ome here Then >e 0ould brin- u; Talbothays every day here afield, andtal$ of he, and of >hat ni0e times >e had there, and o' the old thin-s >e usedto $no>, and ma$e it all 0ome ba0$ a'most, in seemin- B =arian's eyessoftened, and her voi0e -re> va-ue as the visions returned@ B 'll >rite to IIHuett,B she said@ B2he's bidin- at home doin- nothin- no>, $no>, and 'lltell her >e be here, and as$ her to 0omeC and ;erha;s Retty is >ell enou-hno>@B

Tess had nothin- to say a-ainst the ;ro;osal, and the ne t she heard ofthis ;lan for im;ortin- old Talbothays' ?oys >as t>o or three days later,>hen =arian informed her that II had re;lied to her in uiry, and had

;romised to 0ome if she 0ould@

There had not been su0h a >inter for years@ t 0ame on in stealthy andmeasured -lides, li$e the moves of a 0hess4;layer@ 3ne mornin- the fe>lonely trees and the thorns of the hed-ero>s a;;eared as if they had ;ut off ave-etable for an animal inte-ument@ .very t>i- >as 0overed >ith a >hitena; as of fur -ro>n from the rind durin- the ni-ht, -ivin- it four times itsusual stoutnessC the >hole bush or tree formin- a starin- s$et0h in >hitelines on the mournful -ray of the s$y and horiIon@ /ob>ebs revealed their

;resen0e on sheds and >alls >here none had ever been observed till brou-htout into visibility by the 0rystalliIin- atmos;here, han-in- li$e loo;s of>hite >orsted from salient ;oints of the out4houses, ;osts, and -ates@

After this season of 0on-ealed dam;ness 0ame a s;ell of dry frost, >henstran-e birds from behind the 8orth Pole be-an to arrive silently on theu;land of Flint0omb4AshC -aunt s;e0tral 0reatures >ith tra-i0al eyes eyes>hi0h had >itnessed s0enes of 0ata0lysmal horror in ina00essible ;olarre-ions of a ma-nitude su0h as no human bein- had ever 0on0eived, in0urdlin- tem;eratures that no man 0ould endureC >hi0h had beheld the 0rashof i0eber-s and the slide of sno>4hills by the shootin- li-ht of the AuroraC

been half blinded by the >hirl of 0olossal storms and terra ueousdistortionsC and retained the e ;ression of feature that su0h s0enes had



en-endered@ These nameless birds 0ame uite near to Tess and =arian, butof all they had seen >hi0h humanity >ould never see, they brou-ht noa00ount@ The traveller's ambition to tell >as not theirs, and, >ith dumbim;assivity, they dismissed e ;erien0es >hi0h they did not value for theimmediate in0idents of this homely u;land the trivial movements of thet>o -irls in disturbin- the 0lods >ith their ha0$ers so as to un0oversomethin- or other that these visitants relished as food@

Then one day a ;e0uliar uality invaded the air of this o;en 0ountry@There 0ame a moisture >hi0h >as not of rain, and a 0old >hi0h >as not offrost@ t 0hilled the eyeballs of the t>ain, made their bro>s a0he, ;enetratedto their s$eletons, affe0tin- the surfa0e of the body less than its 0ore@ They$ne> that it meant sno>, and in the ni-ht the sno> 0ame@ Tess, >ho0ontinued to live at the 0otta-e >ith the >arm -able that 0heered any lonely

;edestrian >ho ;aused beside it, a>o$e in the ni-ht, and heard above thethat0h noises >hi0h seemed to si-nify that the roof had turned itself into a-ymnasium of all the >inds@ When she lit her lam; to -et u; in the mornin-she found that the sno> had blo>n throu-h a 0hin$ in the 0asement, formin-a >hite 0one of the finest ;o>der a-ainst the inside, and had also 0omedo>n the 0himney, so that it lay sole4dee; u;on the floor, on >hi0h hershoes left tra0$s >hen she moved about@ Without, the storm drove so fast asto 0reate a sno>4mist in the $it0henC but as yet it >as too dar$ out4of4doorsto see anythin-@

Tess $ne> that it >as im;ossible to -o on >ith the s>edesC and by thetime she had finished brea$fast beside the solitary little lam;, =arian arrivedto tell her that they >ere to ?oin the rest of the >omen at reed4dra>in- in the

barn till the >eather 0han-ed@ As soon, therefore, as the uniform 0loa$ ofdar$ness >ithout be-an to turn to a disordered medley of -rays, they ble>out the lam;, >ra;;ed themselves u; in their thi0$est ;inners, tied their>oollen 0ravats round their ne0$s and a0ross their 0hests, and started for the

barn@ The sno> had follo>ed the birds from the ;olar basin as a >hite ;illarof a 0loud, and individual fla$es 0ould not be seen@ The blast smelt of

i0eber-s, ar0ti0 seas, >hales, and >hite bears, 0arryin- the sno> so that itli0$ed the land but did not dee;en on it@ They trud-ed on>ards >ith slanted bodies throu-h the flossy fields, $ee;inas >ell as they 0ould in the shelterof hed-es, >hi0h, ho>ever, a0ted as strainers rather than s0reens@ The air,affli0ted to ;allor >ith the hoary multitudes that infested it, t>isted and s;unthem e00entri0ally, su--estin- an a0hromati0 0haos of thin-s@ #ut both the



youn- >omen >ere fairly 0heerfulC su0h >eather on a dry u;land is not initself dis;iritin-@

BHa4ha the 0unnin- northern birds $ne> this >as 0omin-,B said =arian@BDe;end u;on't, they $ee; ?ust in front o't all the >ay from the 8orth 2tar@Gour husband, my dear, is, ma$e no doubt, havin- s0or0hin- >eather allthis time@ ord, if he 0ould only see his ;retty >ife no> 8ot that this>eather hurts your beauty at all in fa0t, it rather does it -ood@B

BGou mustn't tal$ about him to me, =arian,B said Tess severely@

BWell, but surely you 0are for'n Do youEB

nstead of ans>erin-, Tess, >ith tears in her eyes, im;ulsively fa0ed inthe dire0tion in >hi0h she ima-ined 2outh Ameri0a to lie, and, ;uttin- u;her li;s, ble> out a ;assionate $iss u;on the sno>y >ind@

BWell, >ell, $no> you do@ #ut ';on my body, it is a rum life for amarried 0ou;le There >on't say another >ord Well, as for the >eather,it >on't hurt us in the >heat4barnC but reed4dra>in- is fearful hard >or$ >orse than s>ede4ha0$in-@ 0an stand it be0ause 'm stoutC but you beslimmer than @ 0an't thin$ >hy maister should have set 'ee at it@B

They rea0hed the >heat4barn and entered it@ 3ne end of the lon-

stru0ture >as full of 0ornC the middle >as >here the reed4dra>in- >as0arried on, and there had already been ;la0ed in the reed4;ress the evenin- before as many sheaves of >heat as >ould be suffi0ient for the >omen todra> from durin- the day@

BWhy, here's II B said =arian@

II it >as, and she 0ame for>ard@ 2he had >al$ed all the >ay from hermother's home on the ;revious afternoon, and, not deemin- the distan0e so-reat, had been belated, arrivin-, ho>ever, ?ust before the sno> be-an, and

slee;in- at the alehouse@ The farmer had a-reed >ith her mother at mar$et tota$e her on if she 0ame to4day, and she had been afraid to disa;;oint him bydelay@

n addition to Tess, =arian, and II, there >ere t>o >omen from anei-hbourin- villa-eC t>o AmaIonian sisters, >hom Tess >ith a startremembered as Dar$ /ar, the Nueen of 2;ades, and her ?unior, the Nueen of



Diamonds those >ho had tried to fi-ht >ith her in the midni-ht uarrel atTrantrid-e@ They sho>ed no re0o-nition of her, and ;ossibly had none, forthey had been under the influen0e of li uor on that o00asion, and >ere onlytem;orary so?ourners there as here@ They did all $inds of men's >or$ by

;referen0e, in0ludin- >ell4sin$in-, hed-in-, dit0hin-, and e 0avatin-,>ithout any sense of fati-ue@ 8oted reed4dra>ers >ere they too, and loo$edround u;on the other three >ith some su;er0iliousness@

Puttin- on their -loves, all set to >or$ in a ro> in front of the ;ress, anere0tion formed of t>o ;osts 0onne0ted by a 0ross4beam, under >hi0h thesheaves to be dra>n from >ere laid ears out>ard, the beam bein- ;e--eddo>n by ;ins in the u;ri-hts, and lo>ered as the sheaves diminished@

The day hardened in 0olour, the li-ht 0omin- in at the barndoors

u;>ards from the sno> instead of do>n>ards from the s$y@ The -irls ;ulledhandful after handful from the ;ressC but by reason of the ;resen0e of thestran-e >omen, >ho >ere re0ountin- s0andals, =arian and II 0ould not atfirst tal$ of old times as they >ished to do@ Presently they heard the muffledtread of a horse, and the farmer rode u; to the barndoor@ When he haddismounted he 0ame 0lose to Tess, and remained loo$in- musin-ly at theside of her fa0e@ 2he had not turned at first, but his fi ed attitude led her toloo$ round, >hen she ;er0eived that her em;loyer >as the native ofTrantrid-e from >hom she had ta$en fli-ht on the hi-h4road be0ause of hisallusion to her history@

He >aited till she had 0arried the dra>n bundles to the ;ile outside,>hen he said, B2o you be the youn- >oman >ho too$ my 0ivility in su0h ill

;artE #e dro>ned if didn't thin$ you mi-ht be as soon as heard of your bein- hired Well, you thou-ht you had -ot the better of me the first time atthe inn >ith your fan0y4man, and the se0ond time on the road, >hen you

boltedC but no> thin$ 've -ot the better you@B He 0on0luded >ith a hardlau-h@

Tess, bet>een the AmaIons and the farmer, li$e a bird 0au-ht in a 0la;4net, returned no ans>er, 0ontinuin- to ;ull the stra>@ 2he 0ould read0hara0ter suffi0iently >ell to $no> by this time that she had nothin- to fearfrom her em;loyer's -allantryC it >as rather the tyranny indu0ed by hismortifi0ation at /lare's treatment of him@ U;on the >hole she ;referred thatsentiment in man and felt brave enou-h to endure it@



BGou thou-ht >as in love >ith 'ee su;;oseE 2ome >omen are su0hfools, to ta$e every loo$ as serious earnest@ #ut there's nothin- li$e a >interafield for ta$in- that nonsense out o' youn- >en0hes' headsC and you'vesi-ned and a-reed till ady4Day@ 8o>, are you -oin- to be- my ;ardonEB

B thin$ you ou-ht to bemine@B

B ery >ell as you li$e@ #ut >e'll see >hi0h is master here@ #e they allthe sheaves you've done to4dayEB

BGes, sir@B

B'Tis a very ;oor sho>@ (ust see >hat they've done over thereB K;ointin-to the t>o stal>art >omenL@ BThe rest, too, have done better than you@B

BThey've all ;ra0tised it before, and have not@ And thou-ht it made nodifferen0e to you as it is tas$ >or$, and >e are only ;aid for >hat >e do@B

B3h, but it does@ >ant the barn 0leared@B

B am -oin- to >or$ all the afternoon instead of leavin- at t>o as theothers >ill do@B

He loo$ed sullenly at her and >ent a>ay@ Tess felt that she 0ould nothave 0ome to a mu0h >orse ;la0eC but anythin- >as better than -allantry@When t>o o'0lo0$ arrived the ;rofessional reed4dra>ers tossed off the lasthalf4;int in their fla-on, ;ut do>n their hoo$s, tied their last sheaves, and>ent a>ay@ =arian and II >ould have done li$e>ise, but on hearin- thatTess meant to stay, to ma$e u; by lon-er hours for her la0$ of s$ill, they>ould not leave her@ oo$in- out at the sno>, >hi0h still fell, =ariane 0laimed, B8o>, >e've -ot it all to ourselves@B And so at last the0onversation turned to their old e ;erien0es at the dairyC and, of 0ourse, thein0idents of their affe0tion for An-el /lare@

B II and =arian,B said =rs An-el /lare, >ith a di-nity >hi0h >ase tremely tou0hin-, seein- ho> very little of a >ife she >as: B 0an't ?oin intal$ >ith you no>, as used to do, about =r /lareC you >ill see that 0annotC be0ause, althou-h he is -one a>ay from me for the ;resent, he is myhusband@B



II >as by nature the sau0iest and most 0austi0 of all the four -irls >hohad loved /lare@ BHe >as a very s;lendid lover, no doubt,B she saidC Bbut don't thin$ he is a too fond husband to -o a>ay from you so soon@B

BHe had to -o he >as obli-ed to -o, to see about the land over there B ;leaded Tess@

BHe mi-ht have tided 'ee over the >inter@B

BAh that's o>in- to an a00ident a misunderstandin-C and >e >on'tar-ue it,B Tess ans>ered, >ith tearfulness in her >ords@ BPerha;s there's a-ood deal to be said for him He did not -o a>ay, li$e some husbands,>ithout tellin- meC and 0an al>ays find out >here he is@B

After this they 0ontinued for some lon- time in a reverie, as they >enton seiIin- the ears of 0orn, dra>in- out the stra>, -atherin- it under theirarms, and 0uttin- off the ears >ith their bill4hoo$s, nothin- soundin- in the

barn but the s>ish of the stra> and the 0run0h of the hoo$@ Then Tesssuddenly fla--ed, and san$ do>n u;on the hea; of >heat4ears at her feet@

B $ne> you >ouldn't be able to stand it B 0ried =arian@ B t >ants harderflesh than yours for this >or$@B

(ust then the farmer entered@ B3h, that's ho> you -et on >hen am

a>ay,B he said to her@

B#ut it is my o>n loss,B she ;leaded@ B8ot yours@B

B >ant it finished,B he said do--edly, as he 0rossed the barn and >entout at the other door@

BDon't 'ee mind him, there's a dear,B said =arian@ B 've >or$ed here before@ 8o> you -o and lie do>n there, and II and >ill ma$e u; yournumber@B

B don't li$e to let you do that@ 'm taller than you, too@B

Ho>ever, she >as so over0ome that she 0onsented to lie do>n a>hile,and re0lined on a hea; of ;ull4tails the refuse after the strai-ht stra> had

been dra>n thro>n u; at the further side of the barn@ Her su00umbin- had been as lar-ely o>nin- to a-itation at the re4o;enin- the sub?e0t of her



se;aration from her husband as to the hard >or$@ 2he lay in a state of ;er0i;ien0e >ithout volition, and the rustle of the stra> and the 0uttin- ofthe ears by the others had the >ei-ht of bodily tou0hes@

2he 0ould hear from her 0orner, in addition to these noises, the murmurof their voi0es@ 2he felt 0ertain that they >ere 0ontinuin- the sub?e0t already

broa0hed, but their voi0es >ere so lo> that she 0ould not 0at0h the >ords@ Atlast Tess -re> more and more an ious to $no> >hat they >ere sayin-, and,

;ersuadin- herself that she felt better, she -ot u; and resumed >or$@

Then II Huett bro$e do>n@ 2he had >al$ed more than a doIen milesthe ;revious evenin-, had -one to bed at midni-ht, and had risen a-ain atfive o'0lo0$@ =arian alone, than$s to her bottle of li uor and her stoutness of

build, stood the strain u;on ba0$ and arms >ithout sufferin-@ Tess ur-ed II

to leave off, a-reein-, as she felt better, to finish the day >ithout her, andma$e e ual division of the number of sheaves@

II a00e;ted the offer -ratefully, and disa;;eared throu-h the -reat doorinto the sno>y tra0$ to her lod-in-@ =arian, as >as the 0ase every afternoonat this time on a00ount of the bottle, be-an to feel in a romanti0 vein@

B should not have thou-ht it of him never B she said in a dreamy tone@BAnd loved him so didn't mind his havin- you@ #ut this about II is too

bad B

Tess, in her start at the >ords, narro>ly missed 0uttin- off a fin-er >iththe bill4hoo$@

B s it about my husbandEB she stammered@

BWell, yes@ II said, 'Don't 'ee tell her'C but am sure 0an't hel; it t>as >hat he >anted II to do@ He >anted her to -o off to #raIil >ith him@B

Tess's fa0e faded as >hite as the s0ene >ithout, and its 0urves

strai-htened@ BAnd did II refuse to -oEB she as$ed@

B don't $no>@ Anyho> he 0han-ed his mind@B

BPooh then he didn't mean it 'T>as ?ust a man's ?est B

BGes he didC for he drove her a -ood4>ays to>ards the station@B



BHe didn't ta$e her B

They ;ulled on in silen0e till Tess, >ithout any ;remonitory sym;toms, burst out 0ryin-@

BThere B said =arian@ B8o> >ish hadn't told 'ee B

B8o@ t is a very -ood thin- that you have done have been livin- on ina thirtover, la0$aday >ay, and have not seen >hat it may lead to ou-ht tohave sent him a letter oftener@ He said 0ould not -o to him, but he didn'tsay >as not to >rite as often as li$ed@ >on't dally li$e this any lon-er have been very >ron- and ne-le0tful in leavin- everythin- to be done byhim B

The dim li-ht in the barn -re> dimmer, and they 0ould see to >or$ nolon-er@ When Tess had rea0hed home that evenin-, and had entered into the

;riva0y of her little >hite4>ashed 0hamber, she be-an im;etuously >ritin- aletter to /lare@ #ut fallin- into doubt, she 0ould not finish it@ After>ards shetoo$ the rin- from the ribbon on >hi0h she >ore it ne t her heart, andretained it on her fin-er all ni-ht, as if to fortify herself in the sensation thatshe >as really the >ife of this elusive lover of hers, >ho 0ould ;ro;ose that

II should -o >ith him abroad, so shortly after he had left her@ 9no>in-that, ho> 0ould she >rite entreaties to him, or sho> that she 0ared for himany moreE

<

#y the dis0losure in the barn her thou-hts >ere led ane> in the dire0tion>hi0h they had ta$en more than on0e of late to the distant .mminster

i0ara-e@ t >as throu-h her husband's ;arents that she had been 0har-ed tosend a letter to /lare if she desiredC and to >rite to them dire0t if indiffi0ulty@ #ut that sense of her havin- morally no 0laim u;on him hadal>ays led Tess to sus;end her im;ulse to send these notesC and to thefamily at the i0ara-e, therefore, as to her o>n ;arents sin0e her marria-e,she >as virtually non4e istent@ This self4effa0ement in both dire0tions had

been uite in 0onsonan0e >ith her inde;endent 0hara0ter of desirin- nothin- by >ay of favour or ;ity to >hi0h she >as not entitled on a fair0onsideration of her deserts@ 2he had set herself to stand or fall by her

ualities, and to >aive su0h merely te0hni0al 0laims u;on a stran-e family



s;o$e >ith a ma-nanimous abandonment of herself to the situationC she0ould not be no >oman >ith a heart bi--er than a haIel4nut 0ould be anta-onisti0 to Tess in her ;resen0e, the influen0e >hi0h she e er0ised overthose of her o>n se bein- of a >armth and stren-th uite unusual, 0uriouslyover;o>erin- the less >orthy feminine feelin-s of s;ite and rivalry@

With a final tu- and tou0h here, and a sli-ht brush there, they let her -oCand she >as absorbed into the ;early air of the fore4da>n@ They heard herfootste;s ta; alon- the hard road as she ste;;ed out to her full ;a0e@ .ven

II ho;ed she >ould >in, and, thou-h >ithout any ;arti0ular res;e0t for hero>n virtue, felt -lad that she had been ;revented >ron-inher friend >henmomentarily tem;ted by /lare@

t >as a year a-o, all but a day, that /lare had married Tess, and only a

fe> days less than a year that he had been absent from her@ 2till, to start on a bris$ >al$, and on su0h an errand as hers, on a dry 0lear >intry mornin-,throu-h the rarefied air of these 0hal$y ho-s'4ba0$s, >as not de;ressin-C andthere is no doubt that her dream at startin- >as to >in the heart of hermother4in4la>, tell her >hole history to that lady, enlist her on her side, andso -ain ba0$ the truant@

n time she rea0hed the ed-e of the vast es0ar;ment belo> >hi0hstret0hed the loamy ale of #la0$moor, no> lyin- misty and still in theda>n@ nstead of the 0olourless air of the u;lands, the atmos;here do>nthere >as a dee; blue@ nstead of the -reat en0losures of a hundred a0res in>hi0h she >as no> a00ustomed to toil, there >ere little fields belo> her ofless than half4a4doIen a0res, so numerous that they loo$ed from this hei-htli$e the meshes of a net@ Here the lands0a;e >as >hitey4bro>nC do>n there,as in Froom alley, it >as al>ays -reen@ Get it >as in that vale that hersorro> had ta$en sha;e, and she did not love it as formerly@ #eauty to her, asto all >ho have felt, lay not in the thin-, but in >hat the thin- symboliIed@

9ee;in- the ale on her ri-ht, she steered steadily >est>ardC ;assin-above the Hinto0$s, 0rossin- at ri-ht4an-les the hi-h4road from 2herton4Abbas to /asterbrid-e, and s$irtin- Do-bury Hill and Hi-h42toy, >ith thedell bet>een them 0alled BThe Devil's 9it0henB@ 2till follo>in- the elevated>ay she rea0hed /ross4in4Hand, >here the stone ;illar stands desolate andsilent, to mar$ the site of a mira0le, or murder, or both@ Three miles furthershe 0ut a0ross the strai-ht and deserted Roman road 0alled on-4Ash aneCleavin- >hi0h as soon as she rea0hed it she di;;ed do>n a hill by a



transverse lane into the small to>n or villa-e of .vershead, bein- no> abouthalf>ay over the distan0e@ 2he made a halt here, and brea$fasted a se0ondtime, heartily enou-h not at the 2o>4and4A0orn, for she avoided inns, butat a 0otta-e by the 0hur0h@

The se0ond half of her ?ourney >as throu-h a more -entle 0ountry, by>ay of #envill ane@ #ut as the milea-e lessened bet>een her and the s;otof her ;il-rima-e, so did Tess's 0onfiden0e de0rease, and her enter;rise loomout more formidably@ 2he sa> her ;ur;ose in su0h starin- lines, and thelands0a;e so faintly, that she >as sometimes in dan-er of losin- her >ay@Ho>ever, about noon she ;aused by a -ate on the ed-e of the basin in >hi0h.mminster and its i0ara-e lay@

The s uare to>er, beneath >hi0h she $ne> that at that moment the

i0ar and his 0on-re-ation >ere -athered, had a severe loo$ in her eyes@ 2he>ished that she had someho> 0ontrived to 0ome on a >ee$4day@ 2u0h a-ood man mi-ht be ;re?udi0ed a-ainst a >oman >ho had 0hosen 2unday,never realiIin- the ne0essities of her 0ase@ #ut it >as in0umbent u;on her to-o on no>@ 2he too$ off the thi0$ boots in >hi0h she had >al$ed thus far,

;ut on her ;retty thin ones of ;atent leather, and, stuffin- the former into thehed-e by the -ate;ost >here she mi-ht readily find them a-ain, des0endedthe hillC the freshness of 0olour she had derived from the $een air thinnin-a>ay in s;ite of her as she dre> near the ;arsona-e@

Tess ho;ed for some a00ident that mi-ht favour her, but nothin-favoured her@ The shrubs on the i0ara-e la>n rustled un0omfortably in thefrosty breeIeC she 0ould not feel by any stret0h of ima-ination, dressed to herhi-hest as she >as, that the house >as the residen0e of near relationsC andyet nothin- essential, in nature or emotion, divided her from them: in ;ains,

;leasures, thou-hts, birth, death, and after4death, they >ere the same@

2he nerved herself by an effort, entered the s>in-4-ate, and ran- thedoor4bell@ The thin- >as doneC there 0ould be no retreat@ 8oC the thin- >asnot done@ 8obody ans>ered to her rin-in-@ The effort had to be risen to andmade a-ain@ 2he ran- a se0ond time, and the a-itation of the a0t, 0ou;led>ith her >eariness after the fifteen miles' >al$, led her su;;ort herself >hileshe >aited by restin- her hand on her hi;, and her elbo> a-ainst the >all ofthe ;or0h@ The >ind >as so ni;;in- that the ivy4leaves had be0ome >iIenedand -ray, ea0h ta;;in- in0essantly u;on its nei-hbour >ith a dis uietin- stirof her nerves@ A ;ie0e of blood4stained ;a;er, 0au-ht u; from some meat4



buyer's dust4hea;, beat u; and do>n the road >ithout the -ateC too flimsy torest, too heavy to fly a>ayC and a fe> stra>s $e;t it 0om;any@

The se0ond ;eal had been louder, and still nobody 0ame@ Then she>al$ed out of the ;or0h, o;ened the -ate, and ;assed throu-h@ And thou-hshe loo$ed dubiously at the house4front as if in0lined to return, it >as >ith a

breath of relied that she 0losed the -ate@ A feelin- haunted her that she mi-hthave been re0o-niIed Kthou-h ho> she 0ould not tellL, and orders been -ivennot to admit her@

Tess >ent as far as the 0orner@ 2he had done all she 0ould doC butdetermined not to es0a;e ;resent tre;idation at the e ;ense of future distress,she >al$ed ba0$ a-ain uite ;ast the house, loo$in- u; at all the >indo>s@

Ah the e ;lanation >as that they >ere all at 0hur0h, every one@ 2heremembered her husband sayin- that his father al>ays insisted u;on thehousehold, servants in0luded, -oin- to mornin-4servi0e, and, as a0onse uen0e, eatin- 0old food >hen they 0ame home@ t >as, therefore, onlyne0essary to >ait till the servi0e >as over@ 2he >ould not ma$e herself0ons;i0uous by >aitin- on the s;ot, and she started to -et ;ast the 0hur0hinto the lane@ #ut as she rea0hed the 0hur0hyard4-ate the ;eo;le be-an

;ourin- out, and Tess found herself in the midst of them@

The .mminster 0on-re-ation loo$ed at her as only a 0on-re-ation of

small 0ountry4to>nsfol$ >al$in- home at its leisure 0an loo$ at a >omanout of the 0ommon >hom it ;er0eives to be a stran-er@ 2he ui0$ened her

;a0e, and as0ended the the road by >hi0h she had 0ome, to find a retreat bet>een its hed-es till the i0ar's family should have lun0hed, and it mi-ht be 0onvenient for them to re0eive her@ 2he soon distan0ed the 0hur0h-oers,e 0e;t t>o youn-ish men, >ho, lin$ed arm4in4arm, >ere beatin- u; behindher at a ui0$ ste;@

As they dre> nearer she 0ould hear their voi0es en-a-ed in earnestdis0ourse, and, >ith the natural ui0$ness of a >oman in her situation, didnot fail to re0o-niIe in those noises the uality of her husband's tones@ The

;edestrians >ere his t>o brothers@ For-ettin- all her ;lans, Tess's one dread>as lest they should overta$e her no>, in her disor-aniIed 0ondition, beforeshe >as ;re;ared to 0onfront themC for thou-h she felt that they 0ould notidentify her, she instin0tively dreaded their s0rutiny@ The more bris$ly they>al$ed, the more bris$ly >al$ed she@ They >ere ;lainly bent u;on ta$in- a



short ui0$ stroll before -oin- indoors to lun0h or dinner, to restore >armthto limbs 0hilled >ith sittin- throu-h a lon- servi0e@

3nly one ;erson had ;re0eded Tess u; the hill a ladyli$e youn->oman, some>hat interestin-, thou-h, ;erha;s, a trifle guind$e and ;rudish@Tess had nearly overta$en her >hen the s;eed of her brothers4in4la> brou-htthem so nearly behind her ba0$ that she 0ould hear every >ord of their0onversation@ They said nothin-, ho>ever, >hi0h ;arti0ularly interested hertill, observin- the youn- lady still further in front, one of them remar$ed,BThere is =er0y /hant@ et us overta$e her@B

Tess $ne> the name@ t >as the >oman >ho had been destined forAn-el's life40om;anion by his and her ;arents, and >hom he ;robably >ouldhave married but for her intrusive self@ 2he >ould have $no>n as mu0h

>ithout ;revious information if she had >aited a moment, for one of the brothers ;ro0eeded to say: BAh ;oor An-el, ;oor An-el never see thatni0e -irl >ithout more and more re-rettin- his ;re0i;itan0y in thro>in-himself a>ay u;on a dairymaid, or >hatever she may be@ t is a ueer

business, a;;arently@ Whether she has ?oined him yet or not don't $no>C but she had not done so some months a-o >hen heard from him@B

B 0an't say@ He never tells me anythin- no>adays@ His ill40onsideredmarria-e seems to have 0om;leted that estran-ement from me >hi0h >as

be-un by his e traordinary o;inions@B

Tess beat u; the lon- hill still fasterC but she 0ould not out>al$ them>ithout e 0itin- noti0e@ At last they outs;ed her alto-ether, and ;assed her

by@ The youn- lady still further ahead heard their footste;s and turned@ Thenthere >as a -reetin- and a sha$in- of hands, and the three >ent on to-ether@

They soon rea0hed the summit of the hill, and, evidently intendin- this ;oint to be the limit of their ;romenade, sla0$ened ;a0e and turned all threeaside to the -ate >hereat Tess had ;aused an hour before that time tore0onnoitre the to>n before des0endin- into it@ Durin- their dis0ourse one ofthe 0leri0al brothers ;robed the hed-e 0arefully >ith his umbrella, anddra--ed somethin- to li-ht@

BHere's a ;air of old boots,B he said@ BThro>n a>ay, su;;ose, by sometram; or other@B



B2ome im;oster >ho >ished to 0ome into the to>n barefoot, ;erha;s,and so e 0ite our sym;athies,B said =iss /hant@ BGes, it must have been, forthey are e 0ellent >al$in-4boots by no means >orn out@ What a >i0$edthin- to do 'll 0arry them home for some ;oor ;erson@B

/uthbert /lare, >ho had been the one to find them, ;i0$ed them u; forher >ith the 0roo$ of his sti0$C and Tess's boots >ere a;;ro;riated@

2he, >ho had heard this, >al$ed ;ast under the s0reen of her >oollenveil till, ;resently loo$in- ba0$, she ;er0eived that the 0hur0h ;arty had leftthe -ate >ith her boots and retreated do>n the hill@

Thereu;on our heroine resumed her >al$@ Tears, blindin- tears, >ererunnin- do>n her fa0e@ 2he $ne> that it >as all sentiment, all baseless

im;ressibility, >hi0h had 0aused her to read the s0ene as her o>n0ondemnationC nevertheless she 0ould not -et over itC she 0ould not0ontravene in her o>n defen0eless ;erson all those unto>ard omens@ t >asim;ossible to thin$ of returnin- to the i0ara-e@ An-el's >ife felt almost asif she had been hounded u; that hill li$e a s0orned thin- by those to her su;erfine 0leri0s@ nno0ently as the sli-ht had been infli0ted, it >assome>hat unfortunate that she had en0ountered the sons and not the father,>ho, des;ite his narro>ness, >as far less star0hed and ironed than they, andhad to the full the -ift of 0harity@ As she a-ain thou-ht of her dusty boots shealmost ;itied those habiliments for the uiIIin- to >hi0h they had beensub?e0ted, and felt ho> ho;eless life >as for their o>ner@

BAh B she said, still si-hin- in ;ity of herself, B They didn't $no> that >ore those over the rou-hest ;art of the road to save these ;retty ones he

bou-ht for me no they did not $no> it And they didn't thin$ that he0hose the 0olour o' my ;retty fro0$ no ho> 0ould theyE f they had$no>n ;erha;s they >ould not have 0ared, for they don't 0are mu0h for him,

;oor thin- B

Then she -rieved for the beloved man >hose 0onventional standard of ?ud-ement had 0aused her all these latter sorro>sC and she >ent her >ay>ithout $no>in- that the -reatest misfortune of her life >as this feminineloss of 0oura-e at the last and 0riti0al moment throu-h her estimatin- herfather4in4la> by his sons@ Her ;resent 0ondition >as ;re0isely one >hi0h>ould have enlisted the sym;athies of old =r and =rs /lare@ Their hearts>ent out of them at a bound to>ards e treme 0ases, >hen the subtle mental



troubles of the less des;erate amon- man$ind failed to >in their interest orre-ard@ n ?um;in- at Publi0ans and 2inners they >ould for-et that a >ordmi-ht be said for the >orries of 20ribes and PhariseesC and this defe0t orlimitation mi-ht have re0ommended their o>n dau-hter4in4la> to them atthis moment as a fairly 0hoi0e sort of lost ;erson for their love@

Thereu;on she be-an to ;lod ba0$ alon- the road by >hi0h she had0ome not alto-ether full of ho;e, but full of a 0onvi0tion that a 0risis in herlife >as a;;roa0hin-@ 8o 0risis, a;;arently, had su;ervenedC and there >asnothin- left for her to do but to 0ontinue u;on that starve4a0re farm till she0ould a-ain summon 0oura-e to fa0e the i0ara-e@ 2he did, indeed, ta$esuffi0ient interest in herself to thro> u; her veil on this return ?ourney, as ifto let the >orld see that she 0ould at least e hibit a fa0e su0h as =er0y /hant0ould not sho>@ #ut it >as done >ith a sorry sha$e of the head@ B t is nothin-

it is nothin- B she said@ B8obody loves itC nobody sees it@ Who 0ares aboutthe loo$s of a 0asta>ay li$e me B

Her ?ourney ba0$ >as rather a meander than a mar0h@ t had nos;ri-htliness, no ;ur;oseC only a tenden0y@ Alon- the tedious len-th of#envill ane she be-an to -ro> tired, and she leant u;on -ates and ;aused

by milestones@

2he did not enter any house till, at the seventh or ei-hth mile, shedes0ended the stee; lon- hill belo> >hi0h lay the villa-e or to>nlet of.vershead, >here in the mornin- she had brea$fasted >ith su0h 0ontrastin-e ;e0tations@ The 0otta-e by the 0hur0h, in >hi0h she a-ain sat do>n, >asalmost the first at that end of the villa-e, and >hile the >oman fet0hed hersome mil$ from the ;antry, Tess, loo$indo>n the street, ;er0eived that the

;la0e seemed uite deserted@

BThe ;eo;le are -one to afternoon servi0e, su;;oseEB she said@

B8o, my dear,B said the old >oman@ B'Tis too soon for thatC the bellshain't stroo$ out yet@ They be all -one to hear the ;rea0hin- in yonder barn@A ranter ;rea0hes there bet>een the servi0es an e 0ellent, fiery, /hristianman, they say@ #ut, ord, don't -o to hear'n What 0omes in the re-ular>ay over the ;ul;it is hot enou-h for @B

Tess soon >ent on>ard into the villa-e, her footste;s e0hoin- a-ainstthe houses as thou-h it >ere a ;la0e of the dead@ 8earin- the 0entral ;art, her



e0hoes >ere intruded on by other soundsC and seein- the barn not far off theroad, she -uessed these to be the utteran0es of the ;rea0her@

His voi0e be0ame so distin0t in the still 0lear air that she 0ould soon0at0h his senten0es, thou-h she >as on the 0losed side of the barn@ Thesermon, as mi-ht be e ;e0ted, >as of the e tremest antinomian ty;eC on

?ustifi0ation by faith, as e ;ounded in the theolo-y of 2t Paul@ This fi edidea of the rha;sodist >as delivered >ith animated enthusiasm, in a mannerentirely de0lamatory, for he had ;lainly no s$ill as a diale0ti0ian@ Althou-hTess had not heard the be-innin- of the address, she learnt >hat the te t had

been from its 0onstant iteration

B3 foolish -alatians, >ho hath be>it0hed you, that ye should not obey

the truth, before >hose eyes (esus /hrist hath been evidently set forth,0ru0ified amon- youEB

Tess >as all the more interested, as she stood listenin- behind, infindin- that the ;rea0her's do0trine >as a vehement form of the vie> ofAn-el's father, and her interest intensified >hen the s;ea$er be-an to detailhis o>n s;iritual e ;erien0es of ho> he had 0ome by those vie>s@ He had,he said, been the -reatest of sinners@ He had s0offedC he had >antonly

asso0iated >ith the re0$less and the le>d@ #ut a day of a>a$enin- had 0ome,and, in a human sense, it had been brou-ht about mainly by the influen0e ofa 0ertain 0ler-yman, >hom he had at first -rossly insultedC but >hose

;artin- >ords had sun$ into his heart, and had remained there, till by the-ra0e of Heaven they had >or$ed this 0han-e in him, and made him >hatthey sa> him@

#ut more startlin- to Tess than the do0trine had been the voi0e, >hi0h,im;ossible as it seemed, >as ;re0isely that of Ale0 d'Urberville@ Her fa0efi ed in ;ainful sus;ense, she 0ame round to the front of the barn, and

;assed before it@ The lo> >inter sun beamed dire0tly u;on the -reat double4doored entran0e on this sideC one of the doors bein- o;en, so that the raysstret0hed far in over the threshin-4floor to the ;rea0her and his audien0e, allsnu-ly sheltered from the northern breeIe@ The listeners >ere entirelyvilla-ers, amon- them bein- the man >hom she had seen 0arryin- the red

;aint4;ot on a former memorable o00asion@ #ut her attention >as -iven to



the 0entral fi-ure, >ho stood u;on some sa0$s of 0orn, fa0in- the ;eo;le andthe door@ The three o'0lo0$ sun shone full u;on him, and the stran-eenervatin- 0onvi0tion that her sedu0er 0onfronted her, >hi0h had been-ainin- -round in Tess ever sin0e she had heard his >ords distin0tly, >as atlast established as a fa0t indeed@

End of Phase the ifth

Phase the "i!th3 The 1onvert, 5(- (..

<

Till this moment she had never seen or heard from d'Urberville sin0e herde;arture from Trantrid-e@

The ren0ounter 0ame at a heavy moment, one of all moments 0al0ulatedto ;ermit its im;a0t >ith the least emotional sho0$@ #ut su0h >as

unreasonin- memory that, thou-h he stood there o;enly and ;al;ably a0onverted man, >ho >as sorro>in- for his ;ast irre-ularities, a fearover0ame her, ;aralyIin- her movement so that she neither retreated noradvan0ed@

To thin$ of >hat emanated from that 0ountenan0e >hen she sa> it last,and to behold it no> J There >as the same handsome un;leasantness ofmien, but no> he >ore neatly trimmed, old4fashioned >his$ers, the sablemousta0he havin- disa;;earedC and his dress >as half40leri0al, amodifi0ation >hi0h had 0han-ed his e ;ression suffi0iently to abstra0t the

dandyism from his features, and to hinder for a se0ond her belief in hisidentity@

To Tess's sense there >as, ?ust at first, a -hastly bi4arrerie , a -rimin0on-ruity, in the mar0h of these solemn >ords of 20ri;ture out of su0h amouth@ This too familiar intonation, less than four years earlier, had brou-ht



to her ears e ;ressions of su0h diver-ent ;ur;ose that her heart be0ame uitesi0$ at the irony of the 0ontrast@

t >as less a reform than a transfi-uration@ The former 0urves ofsensuousness >ere no> modulated to lines of devotional ;assion@ The li;4sha;es that had meant sedu0tiveness >ere no> made to e ;ress su;;li0ationCthe -lo> on the 0hee$ that yesterday 0ould be translated as riotousness >asevan-eliIed to4day into the s;lendour of ;ious rhetori0C animalism had

be0ome fanati0ismC Pa-anism, PaulinismC the bold rollin- eye that hadflashed u;on her form in the old time >ith su0h mastery no> beamed >iththe rude ener-y of a theolatry that >as almost fero0ious@ Those bla0$an-ularities >hi0h his fa0e had used to ;ut on >hen his >ishes >ereth>arted no> did duty in ;i0turin- the in0orri-ible ba0$slider >ho >ouldinsist u;on turnin- a-ain to his >allo>in- in the mire@

The lineaments, as su0h, seemed to 0om;lain@ They had been divertedfrom their hereditary 0onnotation to si-nify im;ressions for >hi0h 8aturedid not intend them@ 2tran-e that their very elevation >as a misa;;li0ation,that to raise seemed to falsify@

Get 0ould it be soE 2he >ould admit the un-enerous sentiment nolon-er@ D'Urberville >as not the first >i0$ed man >ho had turned a>ayfrom his >i0$edness to save his soul alive, and >hy should she deem itunnatural in himE t >as but the usa-e of thou-ht >hi0h had been ?arred inher at hearin- -ood ne> >ords in bad old notes@ The -reater the sinner, the-reater the saintC it >as not ne0essary to dive far into /hristian history todis0over that@

2u0h im;ressions as these moved her va-uely, and >ithout stri0tdefiniteness@ As soon as the nerveless ;ause of her sur;rise >ould allo> herto stir, her im;ulse >as to ;ass on out of his si-ht@ He had obviously notdis0erned her yet in her ;osition a-ainst the sun@

#ut the moment that she moved a-ain he re0o-niIed her@ The effe0tu;on her old lover >as ele0tri0, far stron-er than the effe0t of his ;resen0eu;on her@ His fire, the tumultuous rin- of his elo uen0e, seemed to -o out ofhim@ His li; stru--led and trembled under the >ords that lay u;on itC butdeliver them it 0ould not as lon- as she fa0ed him@ His eyes, after their first-lan0e u;on her fa0e, hun- 0onfusedly in every other dire0tion but hers, but0ame ba0$ in a des;erate lea; every fe> se0onds@ This ;aralysis lasted,



ho>ever, but a short timeC for Tess's ener-ies returned >ith the atro;hy ofhis, and she >al$ed as fast as she >as able ;ast the barn and on>ard@

As soon as she 0ould refle0t, it a;;alled her, this 0han-e in their relative ;latforms@ He >ho had >rou-ht her undoin- >as no> on the side of the2;irit, >hile she remained unre-enerate@ And, as in the le-end, it hadresulted that her /y;rian ima-e had suddenly a;;eared u;on his altar,>hereby the fire of the ;riest had been >ell ni-h e tin-uished@

2he >ent on >ithout turnin- her head@ Her ba0$ seemed to be endo>ed>ith a sensitiveness to o0ular beams even her 0lothin- so alive >as sheto a fan0ied -aIe >hi0h mi-ht be restin- u;on her from the outside of that

barn@ All the >ay alon- to this ;oint her heart had been heavy >ith anina0tive sorro>C no> there >as a 0han-e in the uality of its trouble@ That

hun-er for affe0tion too lon- >ithheld >as for the time dis;la0ed by analmost ;hysi0al sense of an im;la0able ;ast >hi0h still en-irdled her@ tintensified her 0ons0iousness of error to a ;ra0ti0al des;airC the brea$ of0ontinuity bet>een her earlier and ;resent e isten0e, >hi0h she had ho;edfor, had not, after all, ta$en ;la0e@ #y-ones >ould never be 0om;lete

by-ones till she >as a by-one herself@

Thus absorbed, she re0rossed the northern ;art of on-4Ash ane atri-ht an-les, and ;resently sa> before her the road as0endin- >hitely to theu;land alon- >hose mar-in the remainder of her ?ourney lay@ ts dry ;alesurfa0e stret0hed severely on>ard, unbro$en by a sin-le fi-ure, vehi0le, ormar$, save some o00asional bro>n horse4dro;;in-s >hi0h dotted its 0oldaridity here and there@ While slo>ly breastin- this as0ent Tess be0ame0ons0ious of footste;s behind her, and turnin- she sa> a;;roa0hin- that>ell4$no>n form so stran-ely a00outred as the =ethodist the one

;ersona-e in all the >orld she >ished not to en0ounter alone on this side ofthe -rave@

There >as not mu0h time, ho>ever, for thou-ht or elusion, and sheyielded as 0almly as she 0ould to the ne0essity of lettin- him overta$e her@2he sa> that he >as e 0ited, less by the s;eed of his >al$ than by thefeelin-s >ithin him@

BTess B he said@

2he sla0$ened s;eed >ithout loo$in- round@



BTess B he re;eated@ B t is Ale0 d'Urberville@B

2he then loo$ed ba0$ at him, and he 0ame u;@

B see it is,B she ans>ered 0oldly@

BWell is that allE Get deserve no more 3f 0ourse,B he added, >ith asli-ht lau-h, Bthere is somethin- of the ridi0ulous to your eyes in seein- meli$e this@ #ut must ;ut u; >ith that@ J heard you had -one a>ayCnobody $ne> >here@ Tess, you >onder >hy have follo>ed youEB

B do, ratherC and >ould that you had not, >ith all my heart B

BGes you may >ell say it,B he returned -rimly, as they moved on>ardto-ether, she >ith un>illin- tread@ B#ut don't mista$e meC be- this be0auseyou may have been led to do so in noti0in- if you did noti0e it ho> yoursudden a;;earan0e unnerved me do>n there@ t >as but a momentaryfalterin-C and 0onsiderin- >hat you have been to me, it >as natural enou-h@#ut >ill hel;ed me throu-h it thou-h ;erha;s you thin$ me a humbu- forsayin- it and immediately after>ards felt that of all ;ersons in the >orld>hom it >as my duty and desire to save from the >rath to 0ome sneer ifyou li$e the >oman >hom had so -rievously >ron-ed >as that ;erson@ have 0ome >ith that sole ;ur;ose in vie> nothin- more@B

There >as the smallest vein of s0orn in her >ords of re?oinder: BHaveyou saved yourselfE /harity be-ins at home, they say@B

B I have done nothin- B said he indifferently@ BHeaven, as have beentellin- my hearers, has done all@ 8o amount of 0ontem;t that you 0an ;ouru;on me, Tess, >ill e ual >hat have ;oured u;on myself the old Adamof my former years Well, it is a stran-e storyC believe it or notC but 0an tellyou the means by >hi0h my 0onversion >as brou-ht about, and ho;e you>ill be interested enou-h at least to listen@ Have you ever heard the name ofthe ;arson of .mminster you must have done doE old =r /lareC one ofthe most earnest of his s0hoolC one of the fe> intense men left in the /hur0hCnot so intense as the e treme >in- of /hristian believers >ith >hi0h havethro>n in my lot, but uite an e 0e;tion amon- the .stablished 0ler-y, theyoun-er of >hom are -radually attenuatin- the true do0trines by theirso;histries, till they are but the shado> of >hat they >ere@ only differ fromhim on the uestion of /hur0h and 2tate the inter;retation of the te t,'/ome out from amon- them and be ye se;arate, saith the ord' that's all@



He is one >ho, firmly believe, has been the humble means of savin- moresouls in this 0ountry than any other man you 0an name@ Gou have heard ofhimEB

B have,B she said@

BHe 0ame to Trantrid-e t>o or three years a-o to ;rea0h on behalf ofsome missionary so0ietyC and , >ret0hed fello> that >as, insulted him>hen, in his disinterestedness, he tried to reason >ith me and sho> me the>ay@ He did not resent my 0ondu0t, he sim;ly said that some day shouldre0eive the first4fruits of the 2;irit that those >ho 0ame to s0off sometimesremained to ;ray@ There >as a stran-e ma-i0 in his >ords@ They san$ intomy mind@ #ut the loss of my mother hit me mostC and by de-rees >as

brou-ht to see dayli-ht@ 2in0e then my one desire has been to hand on the

true vie> to others, and that is >hat >as tryin- to do to4dayC thou-h it isonly lately that have ;rea0hed hereabout@ The first months of my ministryhave been s;ent in the 8orth of .n-land amon- stran-ers, >here ;referredto ma$e my earliest 0lumsy attem;ts, so as to a0 uire 0oura-e beforeunder-oin- that severest of all tests of one's sin0erity, addressin- those >hohave $no>n one, and have been one's 0om;anions in the days of dar$ness@ fyou 0ould only $no>, Tess, the ;leasure of havin- a -ood sla; at yourself, am sure B

BDon't -o on >ith it B she 0ried ;assionately, as she turned a>ay fromhim to a stile by the >ayside, on >hi0h she bent herself@ B 0an't believe insu0h sudden thin-s feel indi-nant >ith you for tal$in- to me li$e this,>hen you $no> >hen you $no> >hat harm you've done me Gou, andthose li$e you, ta$e your fill of ;leasure on earth by ma$in- the life of su0has me bitter and bla0$ >ith sorro>C and then it is a fine thin-, >hen youhave had enou-h of that, to thin$ of se0urin- your ;leasure in heaven by

be0omin- 0onverted 3ut u;on su0h don't believe in you hate it B

BTess,B he insistedC Bdon't s;ea$ so t 0ame to me li$e a ?olly ne> ideaAnd you don't believe meE What don't you believeEB

BGour 0onversion@ Gour s0heme of reli-ion@B

BWhyEB

2he dro;;ed her voi0e@ B#e0ause a better man than you does not believein su0h@B



BWhat a >oman's reason Who is this better manEB

B 0annot tell you@B

BWell,B he de0lared, a resentment beneath his >ords seemin- ready tos;rin- out at a moment's noti0e, B7od forbid that should say am a -oodman and you $no> don't say any su0h thin-@ am ne> to -oodness, trulyC

but ne>0omers see furthest sometimes@B

BGes,B she re;lied sadly@ B#ut 0annot believe in your 0onversion to ane> s;irit@ 2u0h flashes as you feel, Ale0, fear don't last B

Thus s;ea$in- she turned from the stile over >hi0h she had beenleanin-, and fa0ed himC >hereu;on his eyes, fallin- 0asually u;on thefamiliar 0ountenan0e and form, remained 0ontem;latin- her@ The inferiorman >as uiet in him no>C but it >as surely not e tra0ted, nor even entirelysubdued@

BDon't loo$ at me li$e that B he said abru;tly@

Tess, >ho had been uite un0ons0ious of her a0tion and mien, instantly>ithdre> the lar-e dar$ -aIe of her eyes, stammerin- >ith a flush, B be-your ;ardon B And there >as revived in her the >ret0hed sentiment >hi0hhad often 0ome to her before, that in inhabitin- the fleshly taberna0le >ith

>hi0h 8ature had endo>ed her she >as someho> doin- >ron-@

B8o, no Don't be- my ;ardon@ #ut sin0e you >ear a veil to hide your-ood loo$s, >hy don't you $ee; it do>nEB

2he ;ulled do>n the veil, sayin- hastily, B t >as mostly to $ee; off the>ind@B

B t may seem harsh of me to di0tate li$e this,B he >ent onC Bbut it is better that should not loo$ too often on you@ t mi-ht be dan-erous@B

B2sh B said Tess@

BWell, >omen's fa0es have had too mu0h ;o>er over me already for menot to fear them An evan-elist has nothin- to do >ith su0h as theyC and itreminds me of the old times that >ould for-et B



After this their 0onversation d>indled to a 0asual remar$ no> and thenas they rambled on>ard, Tess in>ardly >onderin- ho> far he >as -oin->ith her, and not li$in- to send him ba0$ by ;ositive mandate@ Fre uently>hen they 0ame to a -ate or stile they found ;ainted thereon in red or blueletters some te t of 20ri;ture, and she as$ed him if he $ne> >ho had been atthe ;ains to blaIon these announ0ements@ He told her that the man >asem;loyed by himself and others >ho >ere >or$in- >ith him in that distri0t,to ;aint these reminders that no means mi-ht be left untried >hi0h mi-htmove the hearts of a >i0$ed -eneration@

At len-th the road tou0hed the s;ot 0alled B/ross4in4Hand@B 3f all s;otson the blea0hed and desolate u;land this >as the most forlorn@ t >as so farremoved from the 0harm >hi0h is sou-ht in lands0a;e by artists and vie>4lovers as to rea0h a ne> $ind of beauty, a ne-ative beauty of tra-i0 tone@ The

;la0e too$ its name from a stone ;illar >hi0h stood there, a stran-e rudemonolith, from a stratum un$no>n in any lo0al uarry, on >hi0h >asrou-hly 0arved a human hand@ Differin- a00ounts >ere -iven of its historyand ;ur;ort@ 2ome authorities stated that a devotional 0ross had on0e formedthe 0om;lete ere0tion thereon, of >hi0h the ;resent reli0 >as but the stum;Cothers that the stone as it stood >as entire, and that it had been fi ed there tomar$ a boundary or ;la0e of meetin-@ Anyho>, >hatever the ori-in of thereli0, there >as and is somethin- sinister, or solemn, a00ordin- to mood, inthe s0ene amid >hi0h it standsC somethin- tendin- to im;ress the most

;hle-mati0 ;asser4by@

B thin$ must leave you no>,B he remar$ed, as they dre> near to thiss;ot@ B have to ;rea0h at Abbot's4/ernel at si this evenin-, and my >ay liesa0ross to the ri-ht from here@ And you u;set me some>hat too, Tessy0annot, >ill not, say >hy@ must -o a>ay and -et stren-th@ J Ho> is it thatyou s;ea$ so fluently no>E Who has tau-ht you su0h -ood .n-lishEB

B have learnt thin-s in my troubles,B she said evasively@

BWhat troubles have you hadEB

2he told him of the first one the only one that related to him@

D'Urberville >as stru0$ mute@ B $ne> nothin- of this till no> B he ne tmurmured@ BWhy didn't you >rite to me >hen you felt your trouble 0omin-onEB



insist u;on its ;aramount im;ortan0e@ .very man must >or$ as he 0ould best>or$, and in the method to>ards >hi0h he felt im;elled by the 2;irit@

D'Urberville read and re4read this letter, and seemed to uiI himself0yni0ally@ He also read some ;assa-es from memoranda as he >al$ed till hisfa0e assumed a 0alm, and a;;arently the ima-e of Tess no lon-er troubledhis mind@

2he mean>hile had $e;t alon- the ed-e of the hill by >hi0h lay hernearest >ay home@ Within the distan0e of a mile she met a solitary she;herd@

BWhat is the meanin- of that old stone have ;assedEB she as$ed ofhim@ BWas it ever a Holy /rossEB

B/ross noC 't>er not a 0ross 'Tis a thin- of ill4omen, =iss@ t >as ;utu; in >uld times by the relations of a malefa0tor >ho >as tortured there bynailin- his hand to a ;ost and after>ards hun-@ The bones lie underneath@They say he sold his soul to the devil, and that he >al$s at times@B

2he felt the petite mort at this une ;e0tedly -ruesome information, andleft the solitary man behind her@ t >as dus$ >hen she dre> near toFlint0omb4Ash, and in the lane at the entran0e to the hamlet she a;;roa0heda -irl and her lover >ithout their observin- her@ They >ere tal$in- nose0rets, and the 0lear un0on0erned voi0e of the youn- >oman, in res;onse to

the >armer a00ents of the man, s;read into the 0hilly air as the one soothin-thin- >ithin the dus$y horiIon, full of a sta-nant obs0urity u;on >hi0hnothin- else intruded@ For a moment the voi0es 0heered the heart of Tess, tillshe reasoned that this intervie> had its ori-in, on one side or the other, in thesame attra0tion >hi0h had been the ;relude to her o>n tribulation@ When she0ame 0lose, the -irl turned serenely and re0o-niIed her, the youn- man>al$in- off in embarrassment@ The >oman >as II Huett, >hose interest inTess's e 0ursion immediately su;erseded her o>n ;ro0eedin-s@ Tess did note ;lain very 0learly its results, and II, >ho >as a -irl of ta0t, be-an tos;ea$ of her o>n little affair, a ;hase of >hi0h Tess had ?ust >itnessed@

BHe is Amby 2eedlin-, the 0ha; >ho used to sometimes 0ome and hel;at Talbothays,B she e ;lained indifferently@ BHe a0tually in uired and foundout that had 0ome here, and has follo>ed me@ He says he's been in love >i'me these t>o years@ #ut 've hardly ans>ered him@B



<

2everal days had ;assed sin0e her futile ?ourney, and Tess >as afield@The dry >inter >ind still ble>, but a s0reen of that0hed hurdles ere0ted inthe eye of the blast $e;t its for0e a>ay from her@ 3n the sheltered side >as aturni;4sli0in- ma0hine, >hose bri-ht blue hue of ne> ;aint seemed almostvo0al in the other>ise subdued s0ene@ 3;;osite its front >as a lon- moundor B-raveB, in >hi0h the roots had been ;reserved sin0e early >inter@ Tess>as standin- at the un0overed end, 0ho;;in- off >ith a bill4hoo$ the fibresand earth from ea0h root, and thro>in- it after the o;eration into the sli0er@A man >as turnin- the handle of the ma0hine, and from its trou-h 0ame thene>ly40ut s>edes, the fresh smell of >hose yello> 0hi;s >as a00om;anied

by the sounds of the snufflin- >ind, the smart s>ish of the sli0in-4blades,and the 0ho;;in-s of the hoo$ in Tess's leather4-loved hand@

The >ide a0rea-e of blan$ a-ri0ultural bro>nness, a;;arent >here thes>edes had been ;ulled, >as be-innin- to be stri;ed in >ales of dar$er

bro>n, -radually broadenin- to ribands@ Alon- the ed-e of ea0h of thesesomethin- 0re;t u;on ten le-s, movin- >ithout haste and >ithout rest u; anddo>n the >hole len-th of the fieldC it >as t>o horses and a man, the ;lou-h-oin- bet>een them, turnin- u; the 0leared -round for a s;rin- so>in-@

For hours nothin- relieved the ?oyless monotony of thin-s@ Then, far beyond the ;lou-hin-4teams, a bla0$ s;e0$ >as seen@ t had 0ome from the0orner of a fen0e, >here there >as a -a;, and its tenden0y >as u; thein0line, to>ards the s>ede40utters@ From the ;ro;ortions of a mere ;oint itadvan0ed to the sha;e of a nine;in, and >as soon ;er0eived to be a man in

bla0$, arrivin- from the dire0tion of Flint0omb4Ash@ The man at the sli0er,havin- nothin- else to do >ith his eyes, 0ontinually observed the 0omer, butTess, >ho >as o00u;ied, did not ;er0eive him till her 0om;anion dire0tedher attention to his a;;roa0h@

t >as not her hard tas$master, Farmer 7robyC it >as one in a semi40leri0al 0ostume, >ho no> re;resented >hat had on0e been the free4and4easy Ale0 d'Urberville@ 8ot bein- hot at his ;rea0hin- there >as lessenthusiasm about him no>, and the ;resen0e of the -rinder seemed toembarrass him@ A ;ale distress >as already on Tess's fa0e, and she ;ulledher 0urtained hood further over it@

D'Urberville 0ame u; and said uietly



B >ant to s;ea$ to you, Tess@B

BGou have refused my last re uest, not to 0ome near me B said she@

BGes, but have a -ood reason@B

BWell, tell it@B

B t is more serious than you may thin$@B

He -lan0ed round to see if he >ere overheard@ They >ere at somedistan0e from the man >ho turned the sli0er, and the movement of thema0hine, too, suffi0iently ;revented Ale0's >ords rea0hin- other ears@D'Urberville ;la0ed himself so as to s0reen Tess from the labourer, turnin-his ba0$ to the latter@

B t is this,B he 0ontinued, >ith 0a;ri0ious 0om;un0tion@ B n thin$in- ofyour soul and mine >hen >e last met, ne-le0ted to in uire as to your>orldly 0ondition@ Gou >ere >ell dressed, and did not thin$ of it@ #ut seeno> that it is hard harder than it used to be >hen $ne> you harderthan you deserve@ Perha;s a -ood deal of it is o>nin- to me B

2he did not ans>er, and he >at0hed her in uirin-ly, as, >ith bent head,her fa0e 0om;letely s0reened by the hood, she resumed her trimmin- of the

s>edes@ #y -oin- on >ith her >or$ she felt better able to $ee; him outsideher emotions@

BTess,B he added, >ith a si-h of dis0ontent, Byours >as the very >orst0ase ever >as 0on0erned in had no idea of >hat had resulted till you toldme@ 20am; that >as to foul that inno0ent life The >hole blame >as mine

the >hole un0onventional business of our time at Trantrid-e@ Gou, too, thereal blood of >hi0h am but the base imitation, >hat a blind youn- thin-you >ere as to ;ossibilities say in all earnestness that it is a shame for

;arents to brin- u; their -irls in su0h dan-erous i-noran0e of the -ins and

nets that the >i0$ed may set for them, >hether their motive be a -ood one orthe result of sim;le indifferen0e@B

Tess still did no more than listen, thro>indo>n one -lobular root andta$in- u; another >ith automati0 re-ularity, the ;ensive 0ontour of the merefield>oman alone mar$inher@



B#ut it is not that 0ame to say,B d'Urberville >ent on@ B=y0ir0umstan0es are these@ have lost my mother sin0e you >ere at Trantrid-e,and the ;la0e is my o>n@ #ut intend to sell it, and devote myself tomissionary >or$ in Afri0a@ A devil of a ;oor hand shall ma$e at the trade,no doubt@ Ho>ever, >hat >ant to as$ you is, >ill you ;ut it in my ;o>er todo my duty to ma$e the only re;aration 0an ma$e for the tri0$ ;layedyou: that is, >ill you be my >ife, and -o >ith meE J have alreadyobtained this ;re0ious do0ument@ t >as my old mother's dyin- >ish@B

He dre> a ;ie0e of ;ar0hment from his ;o0$et, >ith a sli-ht fumblin- ofembarrassment@

BWhat is itEB said she@

BA marria-e li0en0e@BB3 no, sir no B she said ui0$ly, startin- ba0$@

BGou >ill notE Why is thatEB

And as he as$ed the uestion a disa;;ointment >hi0h >as not entirelythe disa;;ointment of th>arted duty 0rossed d'Urberville's fa0e@ t >asunmista$ably a sym;tom that somethin- of his old ;assion for her had beenrevivedC duty and desire ran hand4in4hand@

B2urely,B he be-an a-ain, in more im;etuous tones, and then loo$edround at the labourer >ho turned the sli0er@

Tess, too, felt that the ar-ument 0ould not be ended there@ nformin- theman that a -entleman had 0ome to see her, >ith >hom she >ished to >al$ alittle >ay, she moved off >ith d'Urberville a0ross the Iebra4stri;ed field@When they rea0hed the first ne>ly4;lou-hed se0tion he held out his hand tohel; her over itC but she ste;;ed for>ard on the summits of the earth4rolls asif she did not see him@

BGou >ill not marry me, Tess, and ma$e me a self4res;e0tin- manEB here;eated, as soon as they >ere over the furro>s@

B 0annot@B

B#ut >hyEB



BGou $no> have no affe0tion for you@B

B#ut you >ould -et to feel that in time, ;erha;s as soon as you really0ould for-ive meEB

B8ever B

BWhy so ;ositiveEB

B love somebody else@B

The >ords seemed to astonish him@

BGou doEB he 0ried@ B2omebody elseE #ut has not a sense of >hat ismorally ri-ht and ;ro;er any >ei-ht >ith youEB

B8o, no, no don't say that B

BAnyho>, then, your love for this other man may be only a ;assin-feelin- >hi0h you >ill over0ome B

B8o no@B

BGes, yes Why notEB

B 0annot tell you@B

BGou must in honour B

BWell then J have married him@B

BAh B he e 0laimedC and he sto;;ed dead and -aIed at her@

B did not >ish to tell did not mean to B she ;leaded@ B t is a se0rethere, or at any rate but dimly $no>n@ 2o >ill you, please >ill you, $ee;from uestionin- meE Gou must remember that >e are no> stran-ers@B

B2tran-ers are >eE 2tran-ers B

For a moment a flash of his old irony mar$ed his fa0eC but hedeterminedly 0hastened it do>n@



B s that man your husbandEB he as$ed me0hani0ally, denotin- by a si-nthe labourer >ho turned the ma0hine@

BThat man B she said ;roudly@ B should thin$ not B

BWho, thenEB

BDo not as$ >hat do not >ish to tell B she be--ed, and flashed hera;;eal to him from her u;turned fa0e and lash4shado>ed eyes@

D'Urberville >as disturbed@

B#ut only as$ed for your sa$e B he retorted hotly@ BAn-els of heaven 7od for-ive me for su0h an e ;ression 0ame here, s>ear, as thou-htfor your -ood@ Tess don't loo$ at me so 0annot stand your loo$s Therenever >ere su0h eyes, surely, before /hristianity or sin0e There >on'tlose my headC dare not@ o>n that the si-ht of you had >a$ed u; my lovefor you, >hi0h, believed, >as e tin-uished >ith all su0h feelin-s@ #ut thou-ht that our marria-e mi-ht be a san0tifi0ation for us both@ 'Theunbelievin- husband is san0tified by the >ife, and the unbelievin- >ife issan0tified by the husband,' said to myself@ #ut my ;lan is dashed from meCand must bear the disa;;ointment B

He moodily refle0ted >ith his eyes on the -round@

B=arried@ =arried J Well, that bein- so,B he added, uite 0almly,tearin- the li0en0e slo>ly into halves and ;uttin- them in his ;o0$etC Bthat

bein- ;revented, should li$e to do some -ood to you and your husband,>hoever he may be@ There are many uestions that am tem;ted to as$, but >ill not do so, of 0ourse, in o;;osition to your >ishes@ Thou-h, if 0ould$no> your husband, mi-ht more easily benefit him and you@ s he on thisfarmEB

B8o,B she murmured@ BHe is far a>ay@B

BFar a>ayE From youE What sort of husband 0an he beEB

B3, do not s;ea$ a-ainst him t >as throu-h you He found out B

BAh, is it so J That's sad, Tess B



BGes@B

B#ut to stay a>ay from you to leave you to >or$ li$e this B

BHe does not leave me to >or$ B she 0ried, s;rin-in- to the defen0e ofthe absent one >ith all her fervour@ BHe don't $no> it t is by my o>narran-ement@B

BThen, does he >riteEB

B 0annot tell you@ There are thin-s >hi0h are ;rivate to ourselves@B

B3f 0ourse that means that he does not@ Gou are a deserted >ife, my fairTess B

n an im;ulse he turned suddenly to ta$e her handC the buff4-love >ason it, and he seiIed only the rou-h leather fin-ers >hi0h did not e ;ress thelife or sha;e of those >ithin@

BGou must not you must not B she 0ried fearfully, sli;;inher handfrom the -love as from a ;o0$et, and leavin- it in his -ras;@ B3, >ill you -oa>ay for the sa$e of me and my husband -o, in the name of your o>n/hristianity B

BGes, yesC >ill,B he said abru;tly, and thrustin- the -love ba0$ to herhe turned to leave@ Fa0in- round, ho>ever, he said, BTess, as 7od is my

?ud-e, meant no humbu- in ta$inyour hand B

A ;atterin- of hoofs on the soil of the field, >hi0h they had not noti0edin their ;reo00u;ation, 0eased 0lose behind themC and a voi0e rea0hed herear:

BWhat the devil are you doin- a>ay from your >or$ at this time o'dayEB

Farmer 7roby had es;ied the t>o fi-ures from the distan0e, and hadin uisitively ridden a0ross, to learn >hat >as their business in his field@

BDon't s;ea$ li$e that to her B said d'Urberville, his fa0e bla0$enin- >ithsomethin- that >as not /hristianity@



to some se0ret 0ontin-en0ies >hi0h >ere not dis0losed@ #ut a-ain she didnot finish her effusionC he had as$ed II to -o >ith him, and ;erha;s he didnot 0are for her at all@ 2he ;ut the letter in her bo , and >ondered if it >ouldever rea0h An-el's hands@

After this her daily tas$s >ere -one throu-h heavily enou-h, and brou-ht on the day >hi0h >as of -reat im;ort to a-ri0ulturists the day ofthe /andlemas Fair@ t >as at this fair that ne> en-a-ements >ere enteredinto for the t>elve months follo>in- the ensuin- ady4Day, and those of thefarmin- ;o;ulation >ho thou-ht of 0han-intheir ;la0es duly attended atthe 0ounty4to>n >here the fair >as held@ 8early all the labourers onFlint0omb4Ash farm intended fli-ht, and early in the mornin- there >as a-eneral e odus in the dire0tion of the to>n, >hi0h lay at a distan0e of fromten to a doIen miles over hilly 0ountry@ Thou-h Tess also meant to leave at

the uarter4day, she >as one of the fe> >ho did not -o to the fair, havin- ava-uely4sha;ed ho;e that somethin- >ould ha;;en to render anotheroutdoor en-a-ement unne0essary@

t >as a ;ea0eful February day, of >onderful softness for the time, andone >ould almost have thou-ht that >inter >as over@ 2he had hardlyfinished her dinner >hen d'Urberville's fi-ure dar$ened the >indo> of the0otta-e >herein she >as a lod-er, >hi0h she had all to herself to4day@

Tess ?um;ed u;, but her visitor had $no0$ed at the door, and she 0ouldhardly in reason run a>ay@ D'Urberville's $no0$, his >al$ u; to the door, hadsome indes0ribable uality of differen0e from his air >hen she last sa> him@They seemed to be a0ts of >hi0h the doer >as ashamed@ 2he thou-ht that she>ould not o;en the doorC but, as there >as no sense in that either, she arose,and havin- lifted the lat0h ste;;ed ba0$ ui0$ly@ He 0ame in, sa> her, andflun- himself do>n into a 0hair before s;ea$in-@

BTess 0ouldn't hel; it B he be-an des;erately, as he >i;ed his heatedfa0e, >hi0h had also a su;erim;osed flush of e 0itement@ B felt that must0all at least to as$ ho> you are@ assure you had not been thin$in- of youat all till sa> you that 2undayC no> 0annot -et rid of your ima-e, try ho>

may t is hard that a -ood >oman should do harm to a bad manC yet so itis@ f you >ould only ;ray for me, Tess B

The su;;ressed dis0ontent of his manner >as almost ;itiable, and yetTess did not ;ity him@



BHo> 0an ;ray for you,B she said, B>hen am forbidden to believe thatthe -reat Po>er >ho moves the >orld >ould alter His ;lans on mya00ountEB

BGou really thin$ thatEB

BGes@ have been 0ured of the ;resum;tion of thin$in- other>ise@B

B/uredE #y >homEB

B#y my husband, if must tell@B

BAh your husband your husband Ho> stran-e it seems rememberyou hinted somethin- of the sort the other day@ What do you really believe inthese matters, TessEB he as$ed@ BGou seem to have no reli-ion ;erha;so>in- to me@B

B#ut have@ Thou-h don't believe in anythin- su;ernatural@B

D'Urberville loo$ed at her >ith mis-ivin-@

BThen do you thin$ that the line ta$e is all >ron-EB

BA -ood deal of it@B

BH'm and yet 've felt so sure about it,B he said uneasily@

B believe in the spirit of the 2ermon on the =ount, and so did my dearhusbandJ #ut don't believe B

Here she -ave her ne-ations@

BThe fa0t is,B said d'Urberville drily, B>hatever your dear husband believed you a00e;t, and >hatever he re?e0ted you re?e0t, >ithout the leastin uiry or reasonin- on your o>n ;art@ That's ?ust li$e you >omen@ Gourmind is enslaved to his@B

BAh, be0ause he $ne> everythin- B said she, >ith a trium;hantsim;li0ity of faith in An-el /lare that the most ;erfe0t man 0ould hardlyhave deserved, mu0h less her husband@



BGes, but you should not ta$e ne-ative o;inions >holesale from another ;erson li$e that@ A ;retty fello> he must be to tea0h you su0h s0e;ti0ism B

BHe never for0ed my ?ud-ement He >ould never ar-ue on the sub?e0t>ith me #ut loo$ed at it in this >ayC >hat he believed, after in uirin-dee; into do0trines, >as mu0h more li$ely to be ri-ht than >hat mi-ht

believe, >ho hadn't loo$ed into do0trines at all@B

BWhat used he to sayE He must have said somethin-EB

2he refle0tedC and >ith her a0ute memory for the letter of An-el /lare'sremar$s, even >hen she did not 0om;rehend their s;irit, she re0alled amer0iless ;olemi0al syllo-ism that she had heard him use >hen, as ito00asionally ha;;ened, he indul-ed in a s;e0ies of thin$in- aloud >ith her at

his side@ n deliverin- it she -ave also /lare's a00ent and manner >ithreverential faithfulness@

B2ay that a-ain,B as$ed d'Urberville, >ho had listened >ith the -reatestattention@

2he re;eated the ar-ument, and d'Urberville thou-htfully murmured the>ords after her@

BAnythin- elseEB he ;resently as$ed@

BHe said at another time somethin- li$e thisBC and she -ave another,>hi0h mi-ht ;ossibly have been ;aralleled in many a >or$ of the ;edi-reeran-in- from the 5ictionnaire 6hilosophi*ue to Hu ley's &ssays@

BAh ha Ho> do you remember themEB

B >anted to believe >hat he believed, thou-h he didn't >ish me toC and mana-ed to 0oa him to tell me a fe> of his thou-hts@ 0an't say uite

understand that oneC but $no> it is ri-ht@B

BH'm@ Fan0y your bein- able to tea0h me >hat you don't $no>yourself B

He fell into thou-ht@



BAnd so thre> in my s;iritual lot >ith his,B she resumed@ B didn't >ishit to be different@ What's -ood enou-h for him is -ood enou-h for me@B

BDoes he $no> that you are as bi- an infidel as heEB

B8o never told him if am an infidel@B

BWell you are better off to4day that am, Tess, after all Gou don't believe that you ou-ht to ;rea0h my do0trine, and, therefore, do no des;ite toyour 0ons0ien0e in abstainin-@ do believe ou-ht to ;rea0h it, but, li$e thedevils, believe and tremble, for suddenly leave off ;rea0hin- it, and -ive>ay to my ;assion for you@B

BHo>EB

BWhy,B he said aridlyC B have 0ome all the >ay here to see you to4day#ut started from home to -o to /asterbrid-e Fair, >here have underta$ento ;rea0h the Word from a >a--on at half4;ast t>o this afternoon, and>here all the brethren are e ;e0tin- me this minute@ Here's theannoun0ement@B

He dre> from his breast4;o0$et a ;oster >hereon >as ;rinted the day,hour, and ;la0e of meetin-, at >hi0h he, d'Urberville, >ould ;rea0h the7os;el as aforesaid@

B#ut ho> 0an you -et thereEB said Tess, loo$in- at the 0lo0$@

B 0annot -et there have 0ome here@B

BWhat, you have really arran-ed to ;rea0h, and B

B have arran-ed to ;rea0h, and shall not be there by reason of my burnin- desire to see a >oman >hom on0e des;ised 8o, by my >ordand truth, never des;ised youC if had should not love you no> Why

did not des;ise you >as on a00ount of your bein- unsmir0hed in s;ite of allCyou >ithdre> yourself from me so ui0$ly and resolutely >hen you sa> thesituationC you did not remain at my ;leasureC so there >as one ;etti0oat inthe >orld for >hom had no 0ontem;t, and you are she@ #ut you may >elldes;ise me no> thou-ht >orshi;;ed on the mountains, but find stillserve in the -roves Ha ha B



B3 Ale0 d'Urberville >hat does this meanE What have done B

BDoneEB he said, >ith a soulless sneer in the >ord@ B8othin-intentionally@ #ut you have been the means the inno0ent means of my

ba0$slidin-, as they 0all it@ as$ myself, am , indeed, one of those 'servantsof 0orru;tion' >ho, 'after they have es0a;ed the ;ollutions of the >orld, area-ain entan-led therein and over0ome' >hose latter end is >orse than their

be-innin-EB He laid his hand on her shoulder@ BTess, my -irl, >as on the>ay to, at least, so0ial salvation till sa> you a-ain B he said frea$ishlysha$inher, as if she >ere a 0hild@ BAnd >hy then have you tem;ted meE >as firm as a man 0ould be till sa> those eyes and that mouth a-ain surely there never >as su0h a maddenin- mouth sin0e .ve's B His voi0esan$, and a hot ar0hness shot from his o>n bla0$ eyes@ BGou tem;tress,TessC you dear damned >it0h of #abylon 0ould not resist you as soon as

met you a-ain B

B 0ouldn't hel; your seein- me a-ain B said Tess, re0oilin-@

B $no> it re;eat that do not blame you@ #ut the fa0t remains@ When sa> you ill4used on the farm that day >as nearly mad to thin$ that had

no le-al ri-ht to ;rote0t you that 0ould not have itC >hilst he >ho has itseems to ne-le0t you utterly B

BDon't s;ea$ a-ainst him he is absent B she 0ried in mu0h e 0itement@

BTreat him honourably he has never >ron-ed you 3 leave his >ife beforeany s0andal s;reads that may do harm to his honest name B

B >ill >ill,B he said, li$e a man a>a$enin- from a lurin- dream@ Bhave bro$en my en-a-ement to ;rea0h to those ;oor drun$en boobies at thefair it is the first time have ;layed su0h a ;ra0ti0al ?o$e@ A month a-o should have been horrified at su0h a ;ossibility@ 'll -o a>ay to s>ear and

ah, 0an to $ee; a>ay@B Then, suddenly: B3ne 0las;, Tessy one 3nlyfor old friendshi; B

B am >ithout defen0e@ Ale0 A -ood man's honour is in my $ee;in- thin$ be ashamed B

BPooh Well, yes yes B

He 0len0hed his li;s, mortified >ith himself for his >ea$ness@ His eyes>ere e ually barren of >orldly and reli-ious faith@ The 0or;ses of those old



>as -oin-, $e;t u; a des;oti0 demand u;on the enduran0e of their mus0lesand nerves@

A little >ay off there >as another indistin0t fi-ureC this one bla0$, >itha sustained hiss that s;o$e of stren-th very mu0h in reserve@ The lon-0himney runnin- u; beside an ash4tree, and the >armth >hi0h radiated fromthe s;ot, e ;lained >ithout the ne0essity of mu0h dayli-ht that here >as theen-ine >hi0h >as to a0t as the primum mobile of this little >orld@ #y theen-ine stood a dar$, motionless bein-, a sooty and -rimy embodiment oftallness, in a sort of tran0e, >ith a hea; of 0oals by his side: it >as theen-ine4man@ The isolation of his manner and 0olour lent him the a;;earan0eof a 0reature from To;het, >ho had strayed into the ;ellu0id smo$elessnessof this re-ion of yello> -rain and ;ale soil, >ith >hi0h he had nothin- in0ommon, to amaIe and to dis0om;ose its abori-ines@

What he loo$ed he felt@ He >as in the a-ri0ultural >orld, but not of it@He served fire and smo$eC these deniIens of the fields served ve-etation,>eather, frost, and sun@ He travelled >ith his en-ine from farm to farm, from0ounty to 0ounty, for as yet the steam threshin-4ma0hine >as itinerant in this

;art of Wesse @ He s;o$e in a stran-e northern a00entC his thou-hts bein-turned in>ards u;on himself, his eye on his iron 0har-e, hardly ;er0eivin-the s0enes around him, and 0arin- for them not at all: holdin- only stri0tlyne0essary inter0ourse >ith the natives, as if some an0ient doom 0om;elledhim to >ander here a-ainst his >ill in the servi0e of his Plutoni0 master@ Thelon- stra; >hi0h ran from the drivin-4>heel of his en-ine to the red thresherunder the ri0$ >as the sole tie4line bet>een a-ri0ulture and him@

While they un0overed the sheaves he stood a;atheti0 beside his ;ortablere;ository of for0e, round >hose hot bla0$ness the mornin- air uivered@ Hehad nothin- to do >ith ;re;aratory labour@ His fire >as >aitin-in0andes0ent, his steam >as at hi-h ;ressure, in a fe> se0onds he 0ouldma$e the lon- stra; move at an invisible velo0ity@ #eyond its e tent theenvironment mi-ht be 0orn, stra>, or 0haosC it >as all the same to him@ f

any of the auto0hthonous idlers as$ed him >hat he 0alled himself, he re;liedshortly, Ban en-ineer@B

The ri0$ >as unhaled by full dayli-htC the men then too$ their ;la0es,the >omen mounted, and the >or$ be-an@ Farmer 7roby or, as they 0alledhim, BheB had arrived ere this, and by his orders Tess >as ;la0ed on the

;latform of the ma0hine, 0lose to the man >ho fed it, her business bein- to



untie every sheaf of 0orn handed on to her by II Huett, >ho stood ne t, buton the ri0$C so that the feeder 0ould seiIe it and s;read it over the revolvin-drum, >hi0h >his$ed out every -rain in one moment@

They >ere soon in full ;ro-ress, after a ;re;aratory hit0h or t>o, >hi0hre?oi0ed the hearts of those >ho hated ma0hinery@ The >or$ s;ed on till

brea$fast time, >hen the thresher >as sto;;ed for half an hourC and onstartin- a-ain after the meal the >hole su;;lementary stren-th of the farm>as thro>n into the labour of 0onstru0tin- the stra>4ri0$, >hi0h be-an to-ro> beside the sta0$ of 0orn@ A hasty lun0h >as eaten as they stood,>ithout leavin- their ;ositions, and then another 0ou;le of hours brou-htthem near to dinner4timeC the ine orable >heel 0ontinuin- to s;in, and the

;enetratin- hum of the thresher to thrill to the very marro> all >ho >erenear the revolvin- >ire40a-e@

The old men on the risin- stra>4ri0$ tal$ed of the ;ast days >hen theyhad been a00ustomed to thresh >ith flails on the oa$en barn4floorC >heneverythin-, even to >inno>in-, >as effe0ted by hand4labour, >hi0h, to theirthin$in-, thou-h slo>, ;rodu0ed better results@ Those, too, on the 0orn4ri0$tal$ed a littleC but the ;ers;irin- ones at the ma0hine, in0ludin- Tess, 0ouldnot li-hten their duties by the e 0han-e of many >ords@ t >as the0easelessness of the >or$ >hi0h tried her so severely, and be-an to ma$e her>ish that she had never some to Flint0omb4Ash@ The >omen on the 0orn4ri0$ =arian, >ho >as one of them, in ;arti0ular 0ould sto; to drin$ aleor 0old tea from the fla-on no> and then, or to e 0han-e a fe> -ossi;in-remar$s >hile they >i;ed their fa0es or 0leared the fra-ments of stra> andhus$ from their 0lothin-C but for Tess there >as no res;iteC for, as the drumnever sto;;ed, the man >ho fed it 0ould not sto;, and she, >ho had tosu;;ly the man >ith untied sheaves, 0ould not sto; either, unless =arian0han-ed ;la0es >ith her, >hi0h she sometimes did for half an hour in s;iteof 7roby's ob?e0tions that she >as too slo>4handed for a feeder@

For some ;robably e0onomi0al reason it >as usually a >oman >ho >as

0hosen for this ;arti0ular duty, and 7roby -ave as his motive in sele0tin-Tess that she >as one of those >ho best 0ombined stren-th >ith ui0$nessin untyin-, and both >ith stayin- ;o>er, and this may have been true@ Thehum of the thresher, >hi0h ;revented s;ee0h, in0reased to a ravin- >heneverthe su;;ly of 0orn fell short of the re-ular uantity@ As Tess and the man>ho fed 0ould never turn their heads she did not $no> that ?ust before thedinner4hour a ;erson had 0ome silently into the field by the -ate, and had



been standin- under a se0ond ri0$ >at0hin- the s0ene and Tess in ;arti0ular@He >as dressed in a t>eed suit of fashionable ;attern, and he t>irled a -ay>al$in-40ane@

BWho is thatEB said II Huett to =arian@ 2he had at first addressed thein uiry to Tess, but the latter 0ould not hear it@

B2omebody's fan0y4man, s';ose,B said =arian la0oni0ally@

B 'll lay a -uinea he's after Tess@B

B3 no@ 'Tis a ranter ;a'son >ho's been sniffin- after her latelyC not adandy li$e this@B

BWell this is the same man@B

BThe same man as the ;rea0herE #ut he's uite different B

BHe hev left off his bla0$ 0oat and >hite ne0$er0her, and hev 0ut off his>his$ersC but he's the same man for all that@B

BD'ye really thin$ soE Then 'll tell her,B said =arian@

BDon't@ 2he'll see him soon enou-h, -ood4no>@B

BWell, don't thin$ it at all ri-ht for him to ?oin his ;rea0hin- to0ourtin- a married >oman, even thou-h her husband mid be abroad, and she,in a sense, a >ido>@B

B3h he 0an do her no harm,B said II drily@ BHer mind 0an no more beheaved from that one ;la0e >here it do bide than a stooded >a--on from thehole he's in@ ord love 'ee, neither 0ourt4;ayin-, nor ;rea0hin-, nor the seventhunders themselves, 0an >ean a >oman >hen 't>ould be better for her thatshe should be >eaned@B

Dinner4time 0ame, and the >hirlin- 0easedC >hereu;on Tess left her ;ost, her $nees tremblin- so >ret0hedly >ith the sha$in- of the ma0hine thatshe 0ould s0ar0ely >al$@



BGou ou-ht to het a uart o' drin$ into 'ee, as 've done,B said =arian@BGou >ouldn't loo$ so >hite then@ Why, souls above us, your fa0e is as ifyou'd been ha-rode B

t o00urred to the -ood4natured =arian that, as Tess >as so tired, herdis0overy of her visitor's ;resen0e mi-ht have the bad effe0t of ta$in- a>ayher a;;etiteC and =arian >as thin$in- of indu0in- Tess to des0end by aladder on the further side of the sta0$ >hen the -entleman 0ame for>ard andloo$ed u;@

Tess uttered a short little B3h B And a moment after she said, ui0$ly, Bshall eat my dinner here ri-ht on the ri0$@B

2ometimes, >hen they >ere so far from their 0otta-es, they all did thisC

but as there >as rather a $een >ind -oin- to4day, =arian and the restdes0ended, and sat under the stra>4sta0$@

The ne>0omer >as, indeed, Ale0 d'Urberville, the late .van-elist,des;ite his 0han-ed attire and as;e0t@ t >as obvious at a -lan0e that theori-inal 1eltlust had 0ome ba0$C that he had restored himself, as nearly as aman 0ould do >ho had -ro>n three or four years older, to the old ?aunty,sla;dash -uise under >hi0h Tess had first $no>n her admirer, and 0ousin so40alled@ Havin- de0ided to remain >here she >as, Tess sat do>n amon- the

bundles, out of si-ht of the -round, and be-an her mealC till, by4and4by, she

heard footste;s on the ladder, and immediately after Ale0 a;;eared u;on thesta0$ no> an oblon- and level ;latform of sheaves@ He strode a0ross them,and sat do>n o;;osite of her >ithout a >ord@

Tess 0ontinued to eat her modest dinner, a sli0e of thi0$ ;an0a$e >hi0hshe had brou-ht >ith her@ The other >or$fol$ >ere by this time all -atheredunder the ri0$, >here the loose stra> formed a 0omfortable retreat@

B am here a-ain, as you see,B said d'Urberville@

BWhy do you trouble me so B she 0ried, re;roa0h flashin- from her veryfin-er4ends@

B trouble youE thin$ may as$, >hy do you trouble meEB

B2ure, don't trouble you any4>hen B



BGou say you don'tE #ut you do Gou haunt me@ Those very eyes thatyou turned u;on my >ith su0h a bitter flash a moment a-o, they 0ome to me

?ust as you sho>ed them then, in the ni-ht and in the day Tess, ever sin0eyou told me of that 0hild of ours, it is ?ust as if my feelin-s, >hi0h have beenflo>in- in a stron- ;uritani0al stream, had suddenly found a >ay o;en in thedire0tion of you, and had all at on0e -ushed throu-h@ The reli-ious 0hannelis left dry forth>ithC and it is you >ho have done it B

2he -aIed in silen0e@

BWhat you have -iven u; your ;rea0hin- entirelyEB she as$ed@ 2hehad -athered from An-el suffi0ient of the in0redulity of modern thou-ht todes;ise flash enthusiasmC but, as a >oman, she >as some>hat a;;alled@

n affe0ted severity d'Urberville 0ontinuedB.ntirely@ have bro$en every en-a-ement sin0e that afternoon >as to

address the drun$ards at /asterbrid-e Fair@ The deu0e only $no>s >hat amthou-ht of by the brethren@ Ah4ha The brethren 8o doubt they ;ray for me

>ee; for meC for they are $ind ;eo;le in their >ay@ #ut >hat do 0areEHo> 0ould -o on >ith the thin- >hen had lost my faith in itE it >ouldhave been hy;o0risy of the basest $ind Amon- them should have stoodli$e Hymenaeus and Ale ander, >ho >ere delivered over to 2atan that theymi-ht learn not to blas;heme@ What a -rand reven-e you have ta$en sa>

you inno0ent, and de0eived you@ Four years after, you find me a /hristianenthusiastC you then >or$ u;on me, ;erha;s to my 0om;lete ;erdition #utTess, my 0oI, as used to 0all you, this is only my >ay of tal$in-, and youmust not loo$ so horribly 0on0erned@ 3f 0ourse you have done nothin-e 0e;t retain your ;retty fa0e and sha;ely fi-ure@ sa> it on the ri0$ beforeyou sa> me that ti-ht ;inafore4thin- sets it off, and that >in-4bonnet youfield4-irls should never >ear those bonnets if you >ish to $ee; out ofdan-er@B He re-arded her silently for a fe> moments, and >ith a short0yni0al lau-h resumed: B believe that if the ba0helor4a;ostle, >hose de;uty

thou-ht >as, had been tem;ted by su0h a ;retty fa0e, he >ould have let-o the ;lou-h for her sa$e as do B

Tess attem;ted to e ;ostulate, but at this ?un0ture all her fluen0y failedher, and >ithout heedin- he added:

BWell, this ;aradise that you su;;ly is ;erha;s as -ood as any other,after all@ #ut to s;ea$ seriously, Tess@B D'Urberville rose and 0ame nearer,



re0linin- side>ays amid the sheaves, and restin- u;on his elbo>@ B2in0e last sa> you, have been thin$in- of >hat you said that he said@ have 0ometo the 0on0lusion that there does seem rather a >ant of 0ommon4sense inthese threadbare old ;ro;ositionsC ho> 0ould have been so fired by ;oorParson /lare's enthusiasm, and have -one so madly to >or$, trans0endin-even him, 0annot ma$e out As for >hat you said last time, on the stren-thof your >onderful husband's intelli-en0e >hose name you have never toldme about havin- >hat they 0all an ethi0al system >ithout any do-ma, don't see my >ay to that at all@B

BWhy, you 0an have the reli-ion of lovin-4$indness and ;urity at least,if you 0an't have >hat do you 0all it do-ma@B

B3 no 'm a different sort of fello> from that f there's nobody to say,

'Do this, and it >ill be a -ood thin- for you after you are deadC do that, and if>ill be a bad thin- for you,' 0an't >arm u;@ Han- it, am not -oin- to feelres;onsible for my deeds and ;assions if there's nobody to be res;onsible toCand if >ere you, my dear, >ouldn't either B

2he tried to ar-ue, and tell him that he had mi ed in his dull brain t>omatters, theolo-y and morals, >hi0h in the ;rimitive days of man$ind had

been uite distin0t@ #ut o>in- to An-el /lare's reti0en0e, to her absolute>ant of trainin-, and to her bein- a vessel of emotions rather than reasons,she 0ould not -et on@

BWell, never mind,B he resumed@ BHere am, my love, as in the oldtimes B

B8ot as then never as then 'tis different B she entreated@ BAnd there>as never >armth >ith me 3 >hy didn't you $ee; your faith, if the loss ofit has brou-ht you to s;ea$ to me li$e this B

B#e0ause you've $no0$ed it out of meC so the evil be u;on your s>eethead Gour husband little thou-ht ho> his tea0hin- >ould re0oil u;on himHa4ha 'm a>fully -lad you have made an a;ostate of me all the sameTess, am more ta$en >ith you than ever, and ;ity you too@ For all your0loseness, see you are in a bad >ay ne-le0ted by one >ho ou-ht to0herish you@B

2he 0ould not -et her morsels of food do>n her throatC her li;s >eredry, and she >as ready to 0ho$e@ The voi0es and lau-hs of the >or$fol$



eatin- and drin$in- under the ri0$ 0ame to her as if they >ere a uarter of amile off@

B t is 0ruelty to me B she said@ BHo> ho> 0an you treat me to this tal$,if you 0are ever so little for meEB

BTrue, true,B he said, >in0in- a little@ B did not 0ome to re;roa0h youfor my deeds@ 0ame Tess, to say that don't li$e you to be >or$in- li$ethis, and have 0ome on ;ur;ose for you@ Gou say you have a husband >hois not @ Well, ;erha;s you haveC but 've never seen him, and you've not toldme his nameC and alto-ether he seems rather a mytholo-i0al ;ersona-e@Ho>ever, even if you have one, thin$ am nearer to you than he is@ , atany rate, try to hel; you out of trouble, but he does not, bless his invisiblefa0e The >ords of the stern ;ro;het Hosea that used to read 0ome ba0$ to

me@ Don't you $no> them, TessE 'And she shall follo> after her lover, butshe shall not overta$e himC and she shall see$ him, but shall not find himCthen shall she say, >ill -o and return to my first husbandC for then >as it

better >ith me than no> ' J Tess, my tra; is >aitin- ?ust under the hill, and darlin- mine, not his you $no> the rest@B

Her fa0e had been risin- to a dull 0rimson fire >hile he s;o$eC but shedid not ans>er@

BGou have been the 0ause of my ba0$slidin-,B he 0ontinued, stret0hin-

his arm to>ards her >aistC Byou should be >illin- to share it, and leave thatmule you 0all husband for ever@B

3ne of her leather -loves, >hi0h she had ta$en off to eat her s$immer40a$e, lay in her la;, and >ithout the sli-htest >arnin- she ;assionatelys>un- the -love by the -auntlet dire0tly in his fa0e@ t >as heavy and thi0$as a >arrior's, and it stru0$ him flat on the mouth@ Fan0y mi-ht havere-arded the a0t as the re0rudes0en0e of a tri0$ in >hi0h her armed

;ro-enitors >ere not un;ra0tised@ Ale0 fier0ely started u; from his re0linin- ;osition@ A s0arlet ooIin- a;;eared >here her blo> had ali-hted, and in amoment the blood be-an dro;;in- from his mouth u;on the stra>@ #ut hesoon 0ontrolled himself, 0almly dre> his hand$er0hief from his ;o0$et, andmo;;ed his bleedin- li;s@

2he too had s;run- u;, but she san$ do>n a-ain@ B8o>, ;unish me B shesaid, turnin- u; her eyes to him >ith the ho;eless defian0e of the s;arro>'s-aIe before its 0a;tor t>ists its ne0$@ BWhi; me, 0rush meC you need not



mind those ;eo;le under the ri0$ shall not 0ry out@ 3n0e vi0tim, al>aysvi0tim that's the la> B

B3 no, no, Tess,B he said blandly@ B 0an ma$e full allo>an0e for this@Get you most un?ustly for-et one thin-, that >ould have married you if youhad not ;ut it out of my ;o>er to do so@ Did not as$ you flatly to be my>ife heyE Ans>er me@B

BGou did@B

BAnd you 0annot be@ #ut remember one thin- B His voi0e hardened ashis tem;er -ot the better of him >ith the re0olle0tion of his sin0erity inas$inher and her ;resent in-ratitude, and he ste;;ed a0ross to her side andheld her by the shoulders, so that she shoo$ under his -ras;@ BRemember, my

lady, >as your master on0e >ill be your master a-ain@ f you are anyman's >ife you are mine B

The threshers no> be-an to stir belo>@

B2o mu0h for our uarrel,B he said, lettin- her -o@ B8o> shall leaveyou, and shall 0ome a-ain for your ans>er durin- the afternoon@ Gou don't$no> me yet #ut $no> you@B

2he had not s;o$en a-ain, remainin- as if stunned@ D'Urberville

retreated over the sheaves, and des0ended the ladder, >hile the >or$ers belo> rose and stret0hed their arms, and shoo$ do>n the beer they haddrun$@ Then the threshin-4ma0hine started afreshC and amid the rene>edrustle of the stra> Tess resumed her ;osition by the buIIin- drum as one ina dream, untyin- sheaf after sheaf in endless su00ession@

<

n the afternoon the farmer made it $no>n that the ri0$ >as to be

finished that ni-ht, sin0e there >as a moon by >hi0h they 0ould see to >or$,and the man >ith the en-ine >as en-a-ed for another farm on the morro>@Hen0e the t>an-in- and hummin- and rustlin- ;ro0eeded >ith even lessintermission than usual@

t >as not till BnammetB4time, about three o40lo0$, that Tess raised hereyes and -ave a momentary -lan0e round@ 2he felt but little sur;rise at



seein- that Ale0 d'Urberville had 0ome ba0$, and >as standin- under thehed-e by the -ate@ He had seen her lift her eyes, and >aved his handurbanely to her, >hile he ble> her a $iss@ t meant that their uarrel >asover@ Tess loo$ed do>n a-ain, and 0arefully abstained from -aIin- in thatdire0tion@

Thus the afternoon dra--ed on@ The >heat4ri0$ shran$ lo>er, and thestra>4ri0$ -re> hi-her, and the 0orn4sa0$s >ere 0arted a>ay@ At si o'0lo0$the >heat4ri0$ >as about shoulder4hi-h from the -round@ #ut the unthreshedsheaves remainin- untou0hed seemed 0ountless still, not>ithstandin- theenormous numbers that had been -ul;ed do>n by the insatiable s>allo>er,fed by the man and Tess, throu-h >hose t>o youn- hands the -reater ;art ofthem had ;assed@ And the immense sta0$ of stra> >here in the mornin-there had been nothin-, a;;eared as the fae0es of the same buIIin- red

-lutton@ From the >est s$y a >rathful shine all that >ild =ar0h 0ouldafford in the >ay of sunset had burst forth after the 0loudy day, floodin-the tired and sti0$y fa0es of the threshers, and dyein- them >ith a 0o;;eryli-ht, as also the fla;;in- -arments of the >omen, >hi0h 0lun- to them li$edull flames@

A ;antin- a0he ran throu-h the ri0$@ The man >ho fed >as >eary, andTess 0ould see that the red na;e of his ne0$ >as en0rusted >ith dirt andhus$s@ 2he still stood at her ;ost, her flushed and ;ers;irin- fa0e 0oated >iththe 0orndust, and her >hite bonnet embro>ned by it@ 2he >as the only>oman >hose ;la0e >as u;on the ma0hine so as to be sha$en bodily by itss;innin-, and the de0rease of the sta0$ no> se;arated her from =arian and

II, and ;revented their 0han-in- duties >ith her as they had done@ Thein0essant uiverin-, in >hi0h every fibre of her frame ;arti0i;ated, hadthro>n her into a stu;efied reverie in >hi0h her arms >or$ed oninde;endently of her 0ons0iousness@ 2he hardly $ne> >here she >as, anddid not hear II Huett tell her from belo> that her hair >as tumblin- do>n@

#y de-rees the freshest amon- them be-an to -ro> 0adaverous and

sau0er4eyed@ Whenever Tess lifted her head she beheld al>ays the -reatu;-ro>n stra>4sta0$, >ith the men in shirt4sleeves u;on it, a-ainst the -raynorth s$yC in front of it the lon- red elevator li$e a (a0ob's ladder, on >hi0h a

;er;etual stream of threshed stra> as0ended, a yello> river runnin- u;hill,and s;outin- out on the to; of the ri0$@



2he $ne> that Ale0 d'Urberville >as still on the s0ene, observin- herfrom some ;oint or other, thou-h she 0ould not say >here@ There >as ane 0use for his remainin-, for >hen the threshed ri0$ dre> near its finalsheaves a little rattin- >as al>ays done, and men un0onne0ted >ith thethreshin- sometimes dro;;ed in for that ;erforman0e s;ortin- 0hara0tersof all des0ri;tions, -ents >ith terriers and fa0etious ;i;es, rou-hs >ith sti0$sand stones@

#ut there >as another hour's >or$ before the layer of live rats at the base of the sta0$ >ould be rea0hedC and as the evenin- li-ht in the dire0tionof the 7iant's Hill by Abbot's4/ernel dissolved a>ay, the >hite4fa0ed moonof the season arose from the horiIon that lay to>ards =iddleton Abbey and2hottsford on the other side@ For the last hour or t>o =arian had felt uneasyabout Tess, >hom she 0ould not -et near enou-h to s;ea$ to, the other

>omen havin- $e;t u; their stren-th by drin$in- ale, and Tess havin- done>ithout it throu-h traditionary dread, o>in- to its results at her home in0hildhood@ #ut Tess still $e;t -oin-: if she 0ould not fill her ;art she >ouldhave to leaveC and this 0ontin-en0y, >hi0h she >ould have re-arded >ithe uanimity and even >ith relief a month or t>o earlier, had be0ome a terrorsin0e d'Urberville had be-un to hover round her@

The sheaf4;it0hers and feeders had no> >or$ed the ri0$ so lo> that ;eo;le on the -round 0ould tal$ to them@ To Tess's sur;rise Farmer 7roby0ame u; on the ma0hine to her, and said that if she desired to ?oin her friendhe did not >ish her to $ee; on any lon-er, and >ould send somebody else tota$e her ;la0e@ The BfriendB >as d'Urberville, she $ne>, and also that this0on0ession had been -ranted in obedien0e to the re uest of that friend, orenemy@ 2he shoo$ her head and toiled on@

The time for the rat40at0hin- arrived at last, and the hunt be-an@ The0reatures had 0re;t do>n>ards >ith the subsiden0e of the ri0$ till they >ereall to-ether at the bottom, and bein- no> un0overed from their last refu-e,they ran a0ross the o;en -round in all dire0tions, a loud shrie$ from the by4

this4time half4ti;sy =arian informin- her 0om;anions that one of the ratshad invaded her ;erson a terror >hi0h the rest of the >omen had -uardeda-ainst by various s0hemes of s$irt4tu0$in- and self4elevation@ The rat >asat last dislod-ed, and, amid the bar$in- of do-s, mas0uline shouts, feminines0reams, oaths, stam;in-s, and 0onfusion as of Pandemonium, Tess untiedher last sheafC the drum slo>ed, the >hiIIin- 0eased, and she ste;;ed fromthe ma0hine to the -round@



Her lover, >ho had only loo$ed on at the rat40at0hin-, >as ;rom;tly ather side@

BWhat after all my insultin- sla;, too B said she in an underbreath@2he >as so utterly e hausted that she had not stren-th to s;ea$ louder@

B should indeed be foolish to feel offended at anythin- you say or do,Bhe ans>ered, in the sedu0tive voi0e of the Trantrid-e time@ BHo> the littlelimbs tremble Gou are as >ea$ as a bled 0alf, you $no> you areC and yetyou need have done nothin- sin0e arrived@ Ho> 0ould you be so obstinateEHo>ever, have told the farmer that he has no ri-ht to em;loy >omen atsteam4threshin-@ t is not ;ro;er >or$ for themC and on all the better 0lass offarms it has been -iven u;, as he $no>s very >ell@ >ill >al$ >ith you asfar as your home@B

B3 yes,B she ans>ered >ith a ?aded -ait@ BWal$ >i' me if you >ill do bear in mind that you 0ame to marry me before you $ne> o' my state@Perha;s ;erha;s you are a little better and $inder than have been thin$in-you >ere@ Whatever is meant as $indness am -rateful forC >hatever ismeant in any other >ay am an-ered at@ 0annot sense your meanin-sometimes@B

B f 0annot le-itimiIe our former relations at least 0an assist you@ And >ill do it >ith mu0h more re-ard for your feelin-s than formerly sho>ed@

=y reli-ious mania, or >hatever it >as, is over@ #ut retain a little -oodnatureC ho;e do@ 8o>, Tess, by all that's tender and stron- bet>een manand >oman, trust me have enou-h and more than enou-h to ;ut you out ofan iety, both for yourself and your ;arents and sisters@ 0an ma$e them all0omfortable if you >ill only sho> 0onfiden0e in me@B

BHave you seen 'em latelyEB she ui0$ly in uired@

BGes@ They didn't $no> >here you >ere@ t >as only by 0han0e that found you here@B

The 0old moon loo$ed aslant u;on Tess's fa--ed fa0e bet>een the t>i-sof the -arden4hed-e as she ;aused outside the 0otta-e >hi0h >as hertem;orary home, d'Urberville ;ausin- beside her@

BDon't mention my little brothers and sisters don't ma$e me brea$do>n uite B she said@ B f you >ant to hel; them 7od $no>s they need it



do it >ithout tellin- me@ #ut no, no B she 0ried@ B >ill ta$e nothin- fromyou, either for them or for me B

He did not a00om;any her further, sin0e, as she lived >ith thehousehold, all >as ;ubli0 indoors@ 8o sooner had she herself entered, lavedherself in a >ashin-4tub, and shared su;;er >ith the family than she fell intothou-ht, and >ithdra>in- to the table under the >all, by the li-ht of her o>nlittle lam; >rote in a ;assionate mood

= G 3W8 HU2#A8D ,

et me 0all you so must even if it ma$es you an-ry to thin$ of su0han un>orthy >ife as @ must 0ry to you in my trouble have no one else

am so e ;osed to tem;tation, An-el@ fear to say >ho it is, and do not li$eto >rite about it at all@ #ut 0lin- to you in a >ay you 0annot thin$ /an younot 0ome to me no>, at on0e, before anythin- terrible ha;;ensE 3, $no>you 0annot, be0ause you are so far a>ay thin$ must die if you do not0ome soon, or tell me to 0ome to you@ The ;unishment you have measuredout to me is deserved do $no> that >ell deserved and you are ri-htand ?ust to be an-ry >ith me@ #ut, An-el, ;lease, ;lease, not to be ?ust onlya little $ind to me, even if do not deserve it, and 0ome to me f you >ould0ome, 0ould die in your arms >ould be >ell 0ontent to do that if so beyou had for-iven me

An-el, live entirely for you@ love you too mu0h to blame you for-oin- a>ay, and $no> it >as ne0essary you should find a farm@ Do notthin$ shall say a >ord of stin- or bitterness@ 3nly 0ome ba0$ to me@ amdesolate >ithout you, my darlin-, 3, so desolate do not mind havin- to>or$: but if you >ill send me one little line, and say, B am 0omin- soon,B >ill bide on, An-el 3, so 0heerfully

t has been so mu0h my reli-ion ever sin0e >e >ere married to befaithful to you in every thou-ht and loo$, that even >hen a man s;ea$s a0om;liment to me before am a>are, it seems >ron-in- you@ Have younever felt one little bit of >hat you used to feel >hen >e >ere at the dairyE

f you have, ho> 0an you $ee; a>ay from meE am the same >omen,An-el, as you fell in love >ithC yes, the very same not the one youdisli$ed but never sa>@ What >as the ;ast to me as soon as met youE t >asa dead thin- alto-ether@ be0ame another >oman, filled full of ne> life from



you@ Ho> 0ould be the early oneE Why do you not see thisE Dear, if you>ould only be a little more 0on0eited, and believe in yourself so far as to seethat you >ere stron- enou-h to >or$ this 0han-e in me, you >ould ;erha;s

be in a mind to 0ome to me, your ;oor >ife@

Ho> silly >as in my ha;;iness >hen thou-ht 0ould trust youal>ays to love me ou-ht to have $no>n that su0h as that >as not for ;oorme@ #ut am si0$ at heart, not only for old times, but for the ;resent@ Thin$

thin$ ho> it do hurt my heart not to see you ever ever Ah, if 0ouldonly ma$e your dear heart a0he one little minute of ea0h day as mine doesevery day and all day lon-, it mi-ht lead you to sho> ;ity to your ;oorlonely one@

Peo;le still say that am rather ;retty, An-el Khandsome is the >ord

they use, sin0e >ish to be truthfulL@ Perha;s am >hat they say@ #ut donot value my -ood loo$sC only li$e to have them be0ause they belon- toyou, my dear, and that there may be at least one thin- about me >orth yourhavin-@ 2o mu0h have felt this, that >hen met >ith annoyan0e on a00ountof the same, tied u; my fa0e in a banda-e as lon- as ;eo;le >ould believein it@ 3 An-el, tell you all this not from vanity you >ill 0ertainly $no> do not but only that you may 0ome to me

f you really 0annot 0ome to me, >ill you let me 0ome to youE am, as say, >orried, ;ressed to do >hat >ill not do@ t 0annot be that shall yieldone in0h, yet am in terror as to >hat an a00ident mi-ht lead to, and sodefen0eless on a00ount of my first error@ 0annot say more about this itma$es me too miserable@ #ut if brea$ do>n by fallin- into some fearfulsnare, my last state >ill be >orse than my first@ 3 7od, 0annot thin$ of it

et me 0ome at on0e, or at on0e 0ome to me

>ould be 0ontent, ay, -lad, to live >ith you as your servant, if maynot as your >ifeC so that 0ould only be near you, and -et -lim;ses of you,and thin$ of you as mine@

The dayli-ht has nothin- to sho> me, sin0e you are not here, and don'tli$e to see the roo$s and starlin-s in the field, be0ause -rieve and -rieve tomiss you >ho used to see them >ith me@ lon- for only one thin- in heavenor earth or under the earth, to meet you, my o>n dear /ome to me 0ometo me, and save me from >hat threatens me



Gour faithful heartbro$enT.22

< <

The a;;eal duly found its >ay to the brea$fast4table of the uieti0ara-e to the >est>ard, in that valley >here the air is so soft and the soil

so ri0h that the effort of -ro>th re uires but su;erfi0ial aid by 0om;arison>ith the tilla-e at Flint0omb4Ash, and >here to Tess the human >orldseemed so different Kthou-h it >as mu0h the sameL@ t >as ;urely forse0urity that she had been re uested by An-el to send her 0ommuni0ationsthrou-h his father, >hom he $e;t ;retty >ell informed of his 0han-in-

addresses in the 0ountry he had -one to e ;loit for himself >ith a heavyheart@

B8o>,B said old =r /lare to his >ife, >hen he had read the envelo;e,Bif An-el ;ro;oses leavin- Rio for a visit home at the end of ne t month, ashe told us that he ho;ed to do, thin$ this may hasten his ;lansC for believeit to be from his >ife@B He breathed dee;ly at the thou-ht of herC and theletter >as redire0ted to be ;rom;tly sent on to An-el@

BDear fello>, ho;e he >ill -et home safely,B murmured =rs /lare@

BTo my dyin- day shall feel that he has been ill4used@ Gou should have senthim to /ambrid-e in s;ite of his >ant of faith and -iven him the same0han0e as the other boys had@ He >ould have -ro>n out of it under ;ro;erinfluen0e, and ;erha;s >ould have ta$en 3rders after all@ /hur0h or no/hur0h, it >ould have been fairer to him@B

This >as the only >ail >ith >hi0h =rs /lare ever disturbed herhusband's ;ea0e in res;e0t to their sons@ And she did not vent this oftenC forshe >as as 0onsiderate as she >as devout, and $ne> that his mind too >astroubled by doubts as to his ?usti0e in this matter@ 3nly too often had sheheard him lyin- a>a$e at ni-ht, stiflin- si-hs for An-el >ith ;rayers@ #ut theun0om;romisin- .van-eli0al did not even no> hold that he >ould have

been ?ustified in -ivin- his son, an unbeliever, the same a0ademi0advanta-es that he had -iven to the t>o others, >hen it >as ;ossible, if not

;robable, that those very advanta-es mi-ht have been used to de0ry thedo0trines >hi0h he had made it his life's mission and desire to ;ro;a-ate,and the mission of his ordained sons li$e>ise@ To ;ut >ith one hand a



;edestal under the feet of the t>o faithful ones, and >ith the other to e altthe unfaithful by the same artifi0ial means, he deemed to be ali$ein0onsistent >ith his 0onvi0tions, his ;osition, and his ho;es@ 8evertheless,he loved his misnamed An-el, and in se0ret mourned over this treatment ofhim as Abraham mi-ht have mourned over the doomed saa0 >hile they>ent u; the hill to-ether@ His silent self4-enerated re-rets >ere far bittererthan the re;roa0hes >hi0h his >ife rendered audible@

They blamed themselves for this unlu0$y marria-e@ f An-el had never been destined for a farmer he >ould never have been thro>n >itha-ri0ultural -irls@ They did not distin0tly $no> >hat had se;arated him andhis >ife, nor the date on >hi0h the se;aration had ta$en ;la0e@ At first theyhad su;;osed it must be somethin- of the nature of a serious aversion@ #ut inhis later letters he o00asionally alluded to the intention of 0omin- home to

fet0h herC from >hi0h e ;ressions they ho;ed the division mi-ht not o>e itsori-in to anythin- so ho;elessly ;ermanent as that@ He had told them that she>as >ith her relatives, and in their doubts they had de0ided not to intrudeinto a situation >hi0h they $ne> no >ay of betterin-@

The eyes for >hi0h Tess's letter >as intended >ere -aIin- at this timeon a limitless e ;anse of 0ountry from the ba0$ of a mule >hi0h >as bearin-him from the interior of the 2outh4Ameri0an /ontinent to>ards the 0oast@His e ;erien0es of this stran-e land had been sad@ The severe illness from>hi0h he had suffered shortly after his arrival had never >holly left him, andhe had by de-rees almost de0ided to relin uish his ho;e of farmin- here,thou-h, as lon- as the bare ;ossibility e isted of his remainin-, he $e;t this0han-e of vie> a se0ret from his ;arents@

The 0ro>ds of a-ri0ultural labourers >ho had 0ome out to the 0ountry inhis >a$e, daIIled by re;resentations of easy inde;enden0e, had suffered,died, and >asted a>ay@ He >ould see mothers from .n-lish farms trud-in-alon- >ith their infants in their arms, >hen the 0hild >ould be stri0$en >ithfever and >ould dieC the mother >ould ;ause to di- a hole in the loose earth

>ith her bare hands, >ould bury the babe therein >ith the same natural-rave4tools, shed one tear, and a-ain trud-e on@

An-el's ori-inal intention had not been emi-ration to #raIil but anorthern or eastern farm in his o>n 0ountry@ He had 0ome to this ;la0e in afit of des;eration, the #raIil movement amon- the .n-lish a-ri0ulturists



havin- by 0han0e 0oin0ided >ith his desire to es0a;e from his ;aste isten0e@

Durin- this time of absen0e he had mentally a-ed a doIen years@ Whatarrested him no> as of value in life >as less its beauty than its ;athos@Havin- lon- dis0redited the old systems of mysti0ism, he no> be-an todis0redit the old a;;raisements of morality@ He thou-ht they >antedread?ustin-@ Who >as the moral manE 2till more ;ertinently, >ho >as themoral >omanE The beauty or u-liness of a 0hara0ter lay not only in itsa0hievements, but in its aims and im;ulsesC its true history lay, not amon-thin-s done, but amon- thin-s >illed@

Ho>, then, about TessE

ie>inher in these li-hts, a re-ret for his hasty ?ud-ement be-an too;;ress him@ Did he re?e0t her eternally, or did he notE He 0ould no lon-ersay that he >ould al>ays re?e0t her, and not to say that >as in s;irit toa00e;t her no>@

This -ro>in- fondness for her memory 0oin0ided in ;oint of time >ithher residen0e at Flint0omb4Ash, but it >as before she had felt herself atliberty to trouble him >ith a >ord about her 0ir0umstan0es or her feelin-s@He >as -reatly ;er;le edC and in his ;er;le ity as to her motives in>ithholdin- intelli-en0e, he did not in uire@ Thus her silen0e of do0ility >as

misinter;reted@ Ho> mu0h it really said if he had understood that sheadhered >ith literal e a0tness to orders >hi0h he had -iven and for-ottenCthat des;ite her natural fearlessness she asserted no ri-hts, admitted his

?ud-ement to be in every res;e0t the true one, and bent her head dumblythereto@

n the before4mentioned ?ourney by mules throu-h the interior of the0ountry, another man rode beside him@ An-el's 0om;anion >as also an.n-lishman, bent on the same errand, thou-h he 0ame from another ;art ofthe island@ They >ere both in a state of mental de;ression, and they s;o$e ofhome affairs@ /onfiden0e be-at 0onfiden0e@ With that 0urious tenden0yevin0ed by men, more es;e0ially >hen in distant lands, to entrust tostran-ers details of their lives >hi0h they >ould on no a00ount mention tofriends, An-el admitted to this man as they rode alon- the sorro>ful fa0ts ofhis marria-e@



The stran-er had so?ourned in many more lands and amon- many more ;eo;les than An-elC to his 0osmo;olitan mind su0h deviations from theso0ial norm, so immense to domesti0ity, >ere no more than are theirre-ularities of vale and mountain40hain to the >hole terrestrial 0urve@ Hevie>ed the matter in uite a different li-ht from An-elC thou-ht that >hatTess had been >as of no im;ortan0e beside >hat she >ould be, and ;lainlytold /lare that he >as >ron- in 0omin- a>ay from her@

The ne t day they >ere dren0hed in a thunder4storm@ An-el's0om;anion >as stru0$ do>n >ith fever, and died by the >ee$'s end@ /lare>aited a fe> hours to bury him, and then >ent on his >ay@

The 0ursory remar$s of the lar-e4minded stran-er, of >hom he $ne>absolutely nothin- beyond a 0ommon;la0e name, >ere sublimed by his

death, and influen0ed /lare more than all the reasoned ethi0s of the ;hiloso;hers@ His o>n ;aro0hialism made him ashamed by its 0ontrast@ Hisin0onsisten0ies rushed u;on him in a flood@ He had ;ersistently elevatedHelleni0 Pa-anism at the e ;ense of /hristianityC yet in that 0iviliIation anille-al surrender >as not 0ertain disesteem@ 2urely then he mi-ht havere-arded that abhorren0e of the un4inta0t state, >hi0h he had inherited >iththe 0reed of mysti0ism, as at least o;en to 0orre0tion >hen the result >asdue to trea0hery@ A remorse stru0$ into him@ The >ords of II Huett, never

uite stilled in his memory, 0ame ba0$ to him@ He had as$ed II if she lovedhim, and she had re;lied in the affirmative@ Did she love him more than TessdidE 8o, she had re;liedC Tess >ould lay do>n her life for him, and sheherself 0ould do no more@

He thou-ht of Tess as she had a;;eared on the day of the >eddin-@ Ho>her eyes had lin-ered u;on himC ho> she had hun- u;on his >ords as if they>ere a -od's And durin- the terrible evenin- over the hearth, >hen hersim;le soul un0overed itself to his, ho> ;itiful her fa0e had loo$ed by therays of the fire, in her inability to realiIe that his love and ;rote0tion 0ould

;ossibly be >ithdra>n@

Thus from bein- her 0riti0 he -re> to be her advo0ate@ /yni0al thin-s hehad uttered to himself about herC but no man 0an be al>ays a 0yni0 and liveCand he >ithdre> them@ The mista$e of e ;ressin- them had arisen from hisallo>in- himself to be influen0ed by -eneral ;rin0i;les to the disre-ard ofthe ;arti0ular instan0e@



#ut the reasonin- is some>hat mustyC lovers and husbands have -oneover the -round before to4day@ /lare had been harsh to>ards herC there is nodoubt of it@ =en are too often harsh >ith >omen they love or have lovedC>omen >ith men@ And yet these harshnesses are tenderness itself >hen0om;ared >ith the universal harshness out of >hi0h they -ro>C theharshness of the ;osition to>ards the tem;erament, of the means to>ards theaims, of to4day to>ards yesterday, of hereafter to>ards to4day@

The histori0 interest of her family that masterful line of d'Urbervilles >hom he had des;ised as a s;ent for0e, tou0hed his sentiments no>@ Whyhad he not $no>n the differen0e bet>een the ;oliti0al value and theima-inative value of these thin-sE n the latter as;e0t her d'Urbervilledes0ent >as a fa0t of -reat dimensionsC >orthless to e0onomi0s, it >as amost useful in-redient to the dreamer, to the moraliIer on de0lines and falls@

t >as a fa0t that >ould soon be for-otten that bit of distin0tion in ;oorTess's blood and name, and oblivion >ould fall u;on her hereditary lin$ >iththe marble monuments and leaded s$eletons at 9in-sbere@ 2o does Timeruthlessly destroy his o>n roman0es@ n re0allin- her fa0e a-ain and a-ain,he thou-ht no> that he 0ould see therein a flash of the di-nity >hi0h musthave -ra0ed her -rand4damesC and the vision sent that aura throu-h his veins>hi0h he had formerly felt, and >hi0h left behind it a sense of si0$ness@

Des;ite her not4inviolate ;ast, >hat still abode in su0h a >oman as Tessoutvalued the freshness of her fello>s@ Was not the -leanin- of the -ra;es of.;hraim better than the vinta-e of AbieIerE

2o s;o$e love renas0ent, ;re;arin- the >ay for Tess's devotedout;ourin-, >hi0h >as then ?ust bein- for>arded to him by his fatherCthou-h o>in- to his distan0e inland it >as to be a lon- time in rea0hin- him@

=ean>hile the >riter's e ;e0tation that An-el >ould 0ome in res;onseto the entreaty >as alternately -reat and small@ What lessened it >as that thefa0ts of her life >hi0h had led to the ;artin- had not 0han-ed 0ould never0han-eC and that, if her ;resen0e had not attenuated them, her absen0e 0ouldnot@ 8evertheless she addressed her mind to the tender uestion of >hat she0ould do to ;lease him best if he should arrive@ 2i-hs >ere e ;ended on the>ish that she had ta$en more noti0e of the tunes he ;layed on his har;, thatshe had in uired more 0uriously of him >hi0h >ere his favourite balladsamon- those the 0ountry4-irls san-@ 2he indire0tly in uired of Amby2eedlin-, >ho had follo>ed II from Talbothays, and by 0han0e Amby



remembered that, amon-st the snat0hes of melody in >hi0h they hadindul-ed at the dairyman's, to indu0e the 0o>s to let do>n their mil$, /larehad seemed to li$e B/u;id's 7ardensB, B have ;ar$s, have houndsB, andBThe brea$ o' the dayBC and had seemed not to 0are for BThe Tailor's#ree0hesB and B2u0h a beauty did -ro>B, e 0ellent ditties as they >ere@

To ;erfe0t the ballads >as no> her >himsi0al desire@ 2he ;ra0tised them ;rivately at odd moments, es;e0ially BThe brea$ o' the dayB:

Arise, arise, ariseAnd ;i0$ your love a ;osy,All o' the s>eetest flo>ersThat in the -arden -ro>@

The turtle doves and sma' birdsn every bou-h a4buildin-,2o early in the =ay4timeAt the brea$ o' the day

t >ould have melted the heart of a stone to hear her sin-inthese ditties>henever she >or$ed a;art from the rest of the -irls in this 0old dry timeCthe tears runnin- do>n her 0hee$s all the >hile at the thou-ht that ;erha;she >ould not, after all, 0ome to hear her, and the sim;le silly >ords of theson-s resoundin- in ;ainful mo0$ery of the a0hin- heart of the sin-er@

Tess >as so >ra;t u; in this fan0iful dream that she seemed not to $no>ho> the season >as advan0in-C that the days had len-thened, that ady4Day>as at hand, and >ould soon be follo>ed by 3ld ady4Day, the end of herterm here@

#ut before the uarter4day had uite 0ome, somethin- ha;;ened >hi0hmade Tess thin$ of far different matters@ 2he >as at her lod-inas usual oneevenin-, sittin- in the do>nstairs room >ith the rest of the family, >hensomebody $no0$ed at the door and in uired for Tess@ Throu-h the door>ayshe sa> a-ainst the de0linin- li-ht a fi-ure >ith the hei-ht of a >oman andthe breadth of a 0hild, a tall, thin, -irlish 0reature >hom she did notre0o-niIe in the t>ili-ht till the -irl said BTess B

BWhat is it ' iIa4 uEB as$ed Tess, in startled a00ents@ Her sister,>hom a little over a year a-o she had left at home as a 0hild, had s;run- u;



she >as slee;in- ?ust then@ Tess ;re;ared herself a brea$fast, and then too$her ;la0e as nurse in her mother's 0hamber@

n the mornin-, >hen she 0ontem;lated the 0hildren, they had all a0uriously elon-ated loo$C althou-h she had been a>ay little more than ayear, their -ro>th >as astoundin-C and the ne0essity of a;;lyin- herselfheart and soul to their needs too$ her out of her o>n 0ares@

Her father's ill4health >as the same indefinite $ind, and he sat in his0hair as usual@ #ut the day after her arrival he >as unusually bri-ht@ He had arational s0heme for livin-, and Tess as$ed him >hat it >as@ B 'm thin$in- ofsendin- round to all the old anti ueerians in this ;art of .n-land,B he said,Bas$in- them to subs0ribe to a fund to maintain me@ 'm sure they'd see it as aromanti0al, artisti0al, and ;ro;er thin- to do@ They s;end lots o' money in

$ee;in- u; old ruins, and findin- the bones o' thin-s, and su0h li$eC andlivin- remains must be more interestin- to 'em still, if they only $no>ed ofme@ Would that somebody >ould -o round and tell 'em >hat there is livin-amon- 'em, and they thin$in- nothin- of him f Pa'son Trin-ham, >hodis0overed me, had lived, he'd ha' done it, 'm sure@B

Tess ;ost;oned her ar-uments on this hi-h ;ro?e0t till she had -ra;;led>ith ;ressin- matters in hand, >hi0h seemed little im;roved by herremittan0es@ When indoor ne0essities had been eased, she turned herattention to e ternal thin-s@ t >as no> the season for ;lantin- and so>in-Cmany -ardens and allotments of the villa-ers had already re0eived theirs;rin- tilla-eC but the -arden and the allotment of the Durbeyfields >ere

behindhand@ 2he found, to her dismay, that this >as o>in- to their havin-eaten all the seed ;otatoes, that last la;se of the im;rovident@ At theearliest moment she obtained >hat others she 0ould ;ro0ure, and in a fe>days her father >as >ell enou-h to see to the -arden, under Tess's ;ersuasiveefforts: >hile she herself undertoo$ the allotment4;lot >hi0h they rented in afield a 0ou;le of hundred yards out of the villa-e@

2he li$ed doin- it after the 0onfinement of the si0$ 0hamber, >here she>as not no> re uired by reason of her mother's im;rovement@ iolentmotion relieved thou-ht@ The ;lot of -round >as in a hi-h, dry, o;enen0losure, >here there >ere forty or fifty su0h ;ie0es, and >here labour >asat its bris$est >hen the hired labour of the day had ended@ Di--in- be-anusually at si o'0lo0$ and e tended indefinitely into the dus$ or moonli-ht@



(ust no> hea;s of dead >eeds and refuse >ere burnin- on many of the ;lots,the dry >eather favourin- their 0ombustion@

3ne fine day Tess and ' iIa4 u >or$ed on here >ith their nei-hbourstill the last rays of the sun smote flat u;on the >hite ;e-s that divided the

;lots@ As soon as t>ili-ht su00eeded to sunset the flare of the 0ou0h4-rassand 0abba-e4stal$ fires be-an to li-ht u; the allotments fitfully, theiroutlines a;;earin- and disa;;earin- under the dense smo$e as >afted by the>ind@ When a fire -lo>ed, ban$s of smo$e, blo>n level alon- the -round,>ould themselves be0ome illuminated to an o;a ue lustre, s0reenin- the>or$;eo;le from one anotherC and the meanin- of the B;illar of a 0loudB,>hi0h >as a >all by day and a li-ht by ni-ht, 0ould be understood@

As evenin- thi0$ened, some of the -ardenin- men and >omen -ave over

for the ni-ht, but the -reater number remained to -et their ;lantin- done,Tess bein- amon- them, thou-h she sent her sister home@ t >as on one ofthe 0ou0h4burnin- ;lots that she laboured >ith her for$, its four shinin-

;ron-s resoundin- a-ainst the stones and dry 0lods in little 0li0$s@2ometimes she >as 0om;letely involved in the smo$e of her fireC then it>ould leave her fi-ure free, irradiated by the brassy -lare from the hea;@ 2he>as oddly dressed to4ni-ht, and ;resented a some>hat starin- as;e0t, herattire bein- a -o>n blea0hed by many >ashin-s, >ith a short bla0$ ?a0$etover it, the effe0t of the >hole bein- that of a >eddin- and funeral -uest inone@ The >omen further ba0$ >ore >hite a;rons, >hi0h, >ith their ;alefa0es, >ere all that 0ould be seen of them in the -loom, e 0e;t >hen atmoments they 0au-ht a flash from the flames@

West>ard, the >iry bou-hs of the bare thorn hed-e >hi0h formed the boundary of the field rose a-ainst the ;ale o;ales0en0e of the lo>er s$y@Above, (u;iter hun- li$e a full4blo>n ?on uil, so bri-ht as almost to thro> ashade@ A fe> small nondes0ri;t stars >ere a;;earin- else>here@ n thedistan0e a do- bar$ed, and >heels o00asionally rattled alon- the dry road@

2till the ;ron-s 0ontinued to 0li0$ assiduously, for it >as not lateC andthou-h the air >as fresh and $een there >as a >his;er of s;rin- in it that0heered the >or$ers on@ 2omethin- in the ;la0e, the hours, the 0ra0$lin-fires, the fantasti0 mysteries of li-ht and shade, made others as >ell as Tessen?oy bein- there@ 8i-htfall, >hi0h in the frost of >inter 0omes as a fiendand in the >armth of summer as a lover, 0ame as a tran uilliIer on this=ar0h day@



8obody loo$ed at his or her 0om;anions@ The eyes of all >ere on thesoil as its turned surfa0e >as revealed by the fires@ Hen0e as Tess stirred the0lods and san- her foolish little son-s >ith s0ar0e no> a ho;e that /lare>ould ever hear them, she did not for a lon- time noti0e the ;erson >ho>or$ed nearest to her a man in a lon- smo0$fro0$ >ho, she found, >asfor$in- the same ;lot as herself, and >hom she su;;osed her father had sentthere to advan0e the >or$@ 2he be0ame more 0ons0ious of him >hen thedire0tion of his di--in- brou-ht him 0loser@ 2ometimes the smo$e dividedthemC then it s>erved, and the t>o >ere visible to ea0h other but dividedfrom all the rest@

Tess did not s;ea$ to her fello>4>or$er, nor did he s;ea$ to her@ 8ordid she thin$ of him further than to re0olle0t that he had not been there >henit >as broad dayli-ht, and that she did not $no> him as any one of the

=arlott labourers, >hi0h >as no >onder, her absen0es havin- been so lon-and fre uent of late years@ #y4and4by he du- so 0lose to her that the fire4

beams >ere refle0ted as distin0tly from the steel ;ron-s of his for$ as fromher o>n@ 3n -oin- u; to the fire to thro> a ;it0h of dead >eeds u;on it, shefound that he did the same on the other side@ The fire flared u;, and she

beheld the fa0e of d'Urberville@

The une ;e0tedness of his ;resen0e, the -rotes ueness of hisa;;earan0e in a -athered smo0$fro0$, su0h as >as no> >orn only by themost old4fashioned of the labourers, had a -hastly 0omi0ality that 0hilled heras to its bearin-@ D'Urberville emitted a lo>, lon- lau-h@

B f >ere in0lined to ?o$e, should say, Ho> mu0h this seems li$eParadise B he remar$ed >himsi0ally, loo$in- at her >ith an in0lined head@

BWhat do you sayEB she >ea$ly as$ed@

BA ?ester mi-ht say this is ?ust li$e Paradise@ Gou are .ve, and am theold 3ther 3ne 0ome to tem;t you in the dis-uise of an inferior animal@ used to be uite u; in that s0ene of =ilton's >hen >as theolo-i0al@ 2ome ofit -oes

B'.m;ress, the >ay is ready, and not lon-,#eyond a ro> of myrtlesJJ f thou a00e;t



=y 0ondu0t, 0an brin- thee thither soon@'' ead then,' said .ve@

BAnd so on@ =y dear Tess, am only ;uttin- this to you as a thin- thatyou mi-ht have su;;osed or said uite untruly, be0ause you thin$ so badlyof me@B

B never said you >ere 2atan, or thou-ht it@ don't thin$ of you in that>ay at all@ =y thou-hts of you are uite 0old, e 0e;t >hen you affront me@What, did you 0ome di--in- here entirely be0ause of meEB

B.ntirely@ To see youC nothin- more@ The smo0$fro0$, >hi0h sa>han-in- for sale as 0ame alon-, >as an afterthou-ht, that mi-htn't be

noti0ed@ 0ome to ;rotest a-ainst your >or$in- li$e this@BB#ut li$e doin- it it is for my father@B

BGour en-a-ement at the other ;la0e is endedEB

BGes@B

BWhere are you -oin- to ne tE To ?oin your dear husbandEB

2he 0ould not bear the humiliatin- reminder@

B3 don't $no> B she said bitterly@ B have no husband B

B t is uite true in the sense you mean@ #ut you have a friend, and have determined that you shall be 0omfortable in s;ite of yourself@ Whenyou -et do>n to your house you >ill see >hat have sent there for you@B

B3, Ale0, >ish you >ouldn't -ive me anythin- at all 0annot ta$e itfrom you don't li$e it is not ri-ht B

B tis ri-ht B he 0ried li-htly@ B am not -oin- to see a >oman >hom feel so tenderly for as do for you in trouble >ithout tryin- to hel; her@B

B#ut am very >ell off am only in trouble about about not aboutlivin- at all B



2he turned, and des;erately resumed her di--in-, tears dri;;in- u;onthe for$4handle and u;on the 0lods@

BAbout the 0hildren your brothers and sisters,B he resumed@ B 've beenthin$in- of them@B

Tess's heart uivered he >as tou0hin- her in a >ea$ ;la0e@ He haddivined her 0hief an iety@ 2in0e returnin- home her soul had -one out tothose 0hildren >ith an affe0tion that >as ;assionate@

B f your mother does not re0over, somebody ou-ht to do somethin- forthemC sin0e your father >ill not be able to do mu0h, su;;oseEB

BHe 0an >ith my assistan0e@ He must B

BAnd >ith mine@B

B8o, sir B

BHo> damned foolish this is B burst out d'Urberville@ BWhy, he thin$s>e are the same familyC and >ill be uite satisfied B

BHe don't@ 've unde0eived him@B

BThe more fool you B

D'Urberville in an-er retreated from her to the hed-e, >here he ;ulledoff the lon- smo0$fro0$ >hi0h had dis-uised himC and rollin- it u; and

;ushin- it into the 0ou0h4fire, >ent a>ay@

Tess 0ould not -et on >ith her di--in- after thisC she felt restlessC she>ondered if he had -one ba0$ to her father's houseC and ta$in- the for$ inher hand ;ro0eeded home>ards@

2ome t>enty yards from the house she >as met by one of her sisters@

B3, Tessy >hat do you thin$ ' iIa4 u is a40ryin-, and there's a lot offol$ in the house, and mother is a -ood deal better, but they thin$ father isdead B



The 0hild realiIed the -randeur of the ne>sC but not as yet its sadness,and stood loo$in- at Tess >ith round4eyed im;ortan0e till, beholdin- theeffe0t ;rodu0ed u;on her, she said

BWhat, Tess, shan't >e tal$ to father never no moreEB

B#ut father >as only a little bit ill B e 0laimed Tess distra0tedly@

' iIa4 u 0ame u;@

BHe dro;;ed do>n ?ust no>, and the do0tor >ho >as there for mothersaid there >as no 0han0e for him, be0ause his heart >as -ro>ed in@B

GesC the Durbeyfield 0ou;le had 0han-ed ;la0esC the dyin- one >as outof dan-er, and the indis;osed one >as dead@ The ne>s meant even more thanit sounded@ Her father's life had a value a;art from his ;ersonala0hievements, or ;erha;s it >ould not have had mu0h@ t >as the last of thethree lives for >hose duration the house and ;remises >ere held under aleaseC and it had lon- been 0oveted by the tenant4farmer for his re-ularlabourers, >ho >ere stinted in 0otta-e a00ommodation@ =oreover, BliviersB>ere disa;;roved of in villa-es almost as mu0h as little freeholders, be0auseof their inde;enden0e of manner, and >hen a lease determined it >as neverrene>ed@

Thus the Durbeyfields, on0e d'Urbervilles, sa> des0endin- u;on themthe destiny >hi0h, no doubt, >hen they >ere amon- the 3lym;ians of the0ounty, they had 0aused to des0end many a time, and severely enou-h, u;onthe heads of su0h landless ones as they themselves >ere no>@ 2o do flu andreflu the rhythm of 0han-e alternate and ;ersist in everythin- under thes$y@

At len-th it >as the eve of 3ld ady4Day, and the a-ri0ultural >orld>as in a fever of mobility su0h as only o00urs at that ;arti0ular date of theyear@ t is a day of fulfilmentC a-reements for outdoor servi0e durin- theensuin- year, entered into at /andlemas, are to be no> 0arried out@ Thelabourers or B>or$4fol$B, as they used to 0all themselves immemorially tillthe other >ord >as introdu0ed from >ithout >ho >ish to remain no lon-erin old ;la0es are removin- to the ne> farms@



These annual mi-rations from farm to farm >ere on the in0rease here@When Tess's mother >as a 0hild the ma?ority of the field4fol$ about =arlotthad remained all their lives on one farm, >hi0h had been the home also oftheir fathers and -randfathersC but latterly the desire for yearly removal hadrisen to a hi-h ;it0h@ With the youn-er families it >as a ;leasant e 0itement>hi0h mi-ht ;ossibly be an advanta-e@ The .-y;t of one family >as the

and of Promise to the family >ho sa> it from a distan0e, till by residen0ethere it be0ame it turn their .-y;t alsoC and so they 0han-ed and 0han-ed@

Ho>ever, all the mutations so in0reasin-ly dis0ernible in villa-e life didnot ori-inate entirely in the a-ri0ultural unrest@ A de;o;ulation >as also-oin- on@ The villa-e had formerly 0ontained, side by side >ith thear-i0ultural labourers, an interestin- and better4informed 0lass, ran$in-distin0tly above the former the 0lass to >hi0h Tess's father and mother had

belon-ed and in0ludin- the 0ar;enter, the smith, the shoema$er, thehu0$ster, to-ether >ith nondes0ri;t >or$ers other than farm4labourersC a setof ;eo;le >ho o>ed a 0ertain stability of aim and 0ondu0t to the fa0t of their

bein- lifeholders li$e Tess's father, or 0o;yholders, or o00asionally, smallfreeholders@ #ut as the lon- holdin-s fell in, they >ere seldom a-ain let tosimilar tenants, and >ere mostly ;ulled do>n, if not absolutely re uired bythe farmer for his hands@ /otta-ers >ho >ere not dire0tly em;loyed on theland >ere loo$ed u;on >ith disfavour, and the banishment of some starvedthe trade of others, >ho >ere thus obli-ed to follo>@ These families, >hohad formed the ba0$bone of the villa-e life in the ;ast, >ho >ere thede;ositaries of the villa-e traditions, had to see$ refu-e in the lar-e 0entresCthe ;ro0ess, humorously desi-nated by statisti0ians as Bthe tenden0y of therural ;o;ulation to>ards the lar-e to>nsB, bein- really the tenden0y of >aterto flo> u;hill >hen for0ed by ma0hinery@

The 0otta-e a00ommodation at =arlott havin- been in this manner0onsiderably 0urtailed by demolitions, every house >hi0h remained standin->as re uired by the a-ri0ulturist for his >or$4;eo;le@ .ver sin0e theo00urren0e of the event >hi0h had 0ast su0h a shado> over Tess's life, the

Durbeyfield family K>hose des0ent >as not 0reditedL had been ta0itly loo$edon as one >hi0h >ould have to -o >hen their lease ended, if only in theinterests of morality@ t >as, indeed, uite true that the household had not

been shinin- e am;les either of tem;eran0e, soberness, or 0hastity@ Thefather, and even the mother, had -ot drun$ at times, the youn-er 0hildrenseldom had -one to 0hur0h, and the eldest dau-hter had made ueer unions@#y some means the villa-e had to be $e;t ;ure@ 2o on this, the first ady4



Day on >hi0h the Durbeyfields >ere e ;ellable, the house, bein- roomy,>as re uired for a 0arter >ith a lar-e familyC and Wido> (oan, her dau-htersTess and ' iIa4 u, the boy Abraham, and the youn-er 0hildren had to -oelse>here@

3n the evenin- ;re0edin- their removal it >as -ettin- dar$ betimes byreason of a driIIlin- rain >hi0h blurred the s$y@ As it >as the last ni-ht they>ould s;end in the villa-e >hi0h had been their home and birth;la0e, =rsDurbeyfield, ' iIa4 u, and Abraham had -one out to bid some friends-oodbye, and Tess >as $ee;in- house till they should return@

2he >as $neelin- in the >indo>4ben0h, her fa0e 0lose to the 0asement,>here an outer ;ane of rain4>ater >as slidin- do>n the inner ;ane of -lass@Her eyes rested on the >eb of a s;ider, ;robably starved lon- a-o, >hi0h had

been mista$enly ;la0ed in a 0orner >here no flies ever 0ame, and shivered inthe sli-ht drau-ht throu-h the 0asement@ Tess >as refle0tin- on the ;ositionof the household, in >hi0h she ;er0eived her o>n evil influen0e@ Had she not0ome home, her mother and the 0hildren mi-ht ;robably have been allo>edto stay on as >ee$ly tenants@ #ut she had been observed almost immediatelyon her return by some ;eo;le of s0ru;ulous 0hara0ter and -reat influen0e:they had seen her idlin- in the 0hur0hyard, restorin- as >ell as she 0ould>ith a little tro>el a baby's obliterated -rave@ #y this means they had foundthat she >as livin- here a-ainC her mother >as s0olded for Bharbourin-B herCshar; retorts had ensued from (oan, >ho had inde;endently offered to leaveat on0eC she had been ta$en at her >ordC and here >as the result@

B ou-ht never to have 0ome home,B said Tess to herself, bitterly@

2he >as so intent u;on these thou-hts that she hardly at first too$ noteof a man in a >hite ma0$intosh >hom she sa> ridin- do>n the street@Possibly it >as o>in- to her fa0e bein- near to the ;ane that he sa> her so

ui0$ly, and dire0ted his horse so 0lose to the 0otta-e4front that his hoofs>ere almost u;on the narro> border for ;lants -ro>in- under the >all@ t>as not till he tou0hed the >indo> >ith his ridin-40ro; that she observedhim@ The rain had nearly 0eased, and she o;ened the 0asement in obedien0eto his -esture@

BDidn't you see meEB as$ed d'Urberville@

B >as not attendin-,B she said@ B heard you, believe, thou-h fan0iedit >as a 0arria-e and horses@ >as in a sort of dream@B



BWhere are you -oin- toEB

B9in-sbere@ We have ta$en rooms there@ =other is so foolish aboutfather's ;eo;le that she >ill -o there@B

B#ut your mother's family are not fit for lod-in-s, and in a little hole ofa to>n li$e that@ 8o> >hy not 0ome to my -arden4house at Trantrid-eEThere are hardly any ;oultry no>, sin0e my mother's deathC but there's thehouse, as you $no> it, and the -arden@ t 0an be >hite>ashed in a day, andyour mother 0an live there uite 0omfortablyC and >ill ;ut the 0hildren to a-ood s0hool@ Really ou-ht to do somethin- for you B

B#ut >e have already ta$en the rooms at 9in-sbere B she de0lared@BAnd >e 0an >ait there B

BWait >hat forE For that ni0e husband, no doubt@ 8o> loo$ here, Tess, $no> >hat men are, and, bearin- in mind the grounds of your se;aration,

am uite ;ositive he >ill never ma$e it u; >ith you@ 8o>, thou-h have been your enemy, am your friend, even if you >on't believe it@ /ome tothis 0otta-e of mine@ We'll -et u; a re-ular 0olony of fo>ls, and your mother0an attend to them e 0ellentlyC and the 0hildren 0an -o to s0hool@B

Tess breathed more and more ui0$ly, and at len-th she said

BHo> do $no> that you >ould do all thisE Gour vie>s may 0han-e and then >e should be my mother >ould be homeless a-ain@B

B3 no no@ >ould -uarantee you a-ainst su0h as that in >ritin-, ifne0essary@ Thin$ it over@B

Tess shoo$ her head@ #ut d'Urberville ;ersistedC she had seldom seenhim so determinedC he >ould not ta$e a ne-ative@

BPlease ?ust tell your mother,B he said, in em;hati0 tones@ B t is her

business to ?ud-e not yours@ shall -et the house s>e;t out and >hitenedto4morro> mornin-, and fires litC and it >ill be dry by the evenin-, so thatyou 0an 0ome strai-ht there@ 8o> mind, shall e ;e0t you@B

Tess a-ain shoo$ her head, her throat s>ellin- >ith 0om;li0atedemotion@ 2he 0ould not loo$ u; at d'Urberville@



B o>e you somethin- for the ;ast, you $no>,B he resumed@ BAnd you0ured me, too, of that 0raIeC so am -lad B

B >ould rather you had $e;t the 0raIe, so that you had $e;t the ;ra0ti0e>hi0h >ent >ith it B

B am -lad of this o;;ortunity of re;ayin- you a little@ To4morro> shalle ;e0t to hear your mother's -oods unloadin-J 7ive me your hand on itno> dear, beautiful Tess B

With the last senten0e he had dro;;ed his voi0e to a murmur, and ;uthis hand in at the half4o;en 0asement@ With stormy eyes she ;ulled the stay4

bar ui0$ly, and, in doin- so, 0au-ht his arm bet>een the 0asement and thestone mullion@

BDamnation you are very 0ruel B he said, snat0hin- out his arm@ B8o,no $no> you didn't do it on ;ur;ose@ Well shall e ;e0t you, or yourmother and 0hildren at least@B

B shall not 0ome have ;lenty of money B she 0ried@

BWhereEB

BAt my father4in4la>'s, if as$ for it@B

B I# you as$ for it@ #ut you >on't, TessC $no> youC you'll never as$ forit you'll starve first B

With these >ords he rode off@ (ust at the 0orner of the street he met theman >ith the ;aint4;ot, >ho as$ed him if he had deserted the brethren@

BGou -o to the devil B said d'Urberville@

Tess remained >here she >as a lon- >hile, till a sudden rebellious sense

of in?usti0e 0aused the re-ion of her eyes to s>ell >ith the rush of hot tearsthither@ Her husband, An-el /lare himself, had, li$e others, dealt out hardmeasure to herC surely he had 2he had never before admitted su0h athou-htC but he had surely 8ever in her life she 0ould s>ear it from the

bottom of her soul had she ever intended to do >ron-C yet these hard ?ud-ements had 0ome@ Whatever her sins, they >ere not sins of intention, but of inadverten0e, and >hy should she have been ;unished so ;ersistentlyE



2he ;assionately seiIed the first ;ie0e of ;a;er that 0ame to hand, ands0ribbled the follo>in- lines:

3 >hy have you treated me so monstrously, An-el do not deserve it@ have thou-ht it all over 0arefully, and 0an never, never for-ive you Gou$no> that did not intend to >ron- you >hy have you so >ron-ed meEGou are 0ruel, 0ruel indeed >ill try to for-et you@ t is all in?usti0e havere0eived at your hands T@

2he >at0hed till the ;ostman ;assed by, ran out to him >ith her e;istle,

and then a-ain too$ her listless ;la0e inside the >indo>4;anes@t >as ?ust as >ell to >rite li$e that as to >rite tenderly@ Ho> 0ould he

-ive >ay to entreatyE The fa0ts had not 0han-ed: there >as no ne> event toalter his o;inion@

t -re> dar$er, the fire4li-ht shinin- over the room@ The t>o bi--est ofthe youn-er 0hildren had -one out >ith their motherC the four smallest, theira-es ran-in- from three4and4a4half years to eleven, all in bla0$ fro0$s, >ere-athered round the hearth babblin- their o>n little sub?e0ts@ Tess at len-th

?oined them, >ithout li-htin- a 0andle@

BThis is the last ni-ht that >e shall slee; here, dears, in the house >here>e >ere born,B she said ui0$ly@ BWe ou-ht to thin$ of it, ou-htn't >eEB

They all be0ame silentC >ith the im;ressibility of their a-e they >ereready to burst into tears at the ;i0ture of finality she had 0on?ured u;, thou-hall the day hitherto they had been re?oi0in- in the idea of a ne> ;la0e@ Tess0han-ed the sub?e0t@

B2in- to me, dears,B she said@

BWhat shall >e sin-EB

BAnythin- you $no>C don't mind@B



There >as a momentary ;auseC it >as bro$en, first, in one little tentativenoteC then a se0ond voi0e stren-thened it, and a third and a fourth 0himed inunison, >ith >ords they had learnt at the 2unday4s0hool

Here >e suffer -rief and ;ain,Here >e meet to ;art a-ainC n Heaven >e ;art no more@

The four san- on >ith the ;hle-mati0 ;assivity of ;ersons >ho had lon-a-o settled the uestion, and there bein- no mista$e about it, felt that furtherthou-ht >as not re uired@ With features strained hard to enun0iate thesyllables they 0ontinued to re-ard the 0entre of the fli0$erin- fire, the notes

of the youn-est strayin- over into the ;auses of the rest@

Tess turned from them, and >ent to the >indo> a-ain@ Dar$ness hadno> fallen >ithout, but she ;ut her fa0e to the ;ane as thou-h to ;eer intothe -loom@ t >as really to hide her tears@ f she 0ould only believe >hat the0hildren >ere sin-in-C if she >ere only sure, ho> different all >ould no>

beC ho> 0onfidently she >ould leave them to Providen0e and their future$in-dom #ut, in default of that, it behoved her to do somethin-C to be theirProviden0eC for to Tess, as to not a fe> millions of others, there >as -hastlysatire in the ;oet's lines

8ot in utter na$edness#ut trailin- 0louds of -lory do >e 0ome@

To her and her li$e, birth itself >as an ordeal of de-radin- ;ersonal0om;ulsion, >hose -ratuitousness nothin- in the result seemed to ?ustify,and at best 0ould only ;alliate@

n the shades of the >et road she soon dis0erned her mother >ith tall' iIa4 u and Abraham@ =rs Durbeyfield's ;attens 0li0$ed u; to the door, andTess o;ened it@

B see the tra0$s of a horse outside the >indo>,B said (oan@ BHevsomebody 0alledEB



B8o,B said Tess@

The 0hildren by the fire loo$ed -ravely at her, and one murmured

BWhy, Tess, the -entleman a4horseba0$ B

BHe didn't 0all,B said Tess@ BHe s;o$e to me in ;assin-@B

BWho >as the -entlemanEB as$ed the mother@ BGour husbandEB

B8o@ He'll never, never 0ome,B ans>ered Tess in stony ho;elessness@

BThen >ho >as itEB

B3h, you needn't as$@ Gou've seen him before, and so have @B

BAh What did he sayEB said (oan 0uriously@

B >ill tell you >hen >e are settled in our lod-in- at 9in-sbere to4morro> every >ord@B

t >as not her husband, she had said@ Get a 0ons0iousness that in a ;hysi0al sense this man alone >as her husband seemed to >ei-h on her moreand more@

Durin- the small hours of the ne t mornin-, >hile it >as still dar$,d>ellers near the hi-h>ays >ere 0ons0ious of a disturban0e of their ni-ht'srest by rumblin- noises, intermittently 0ontinuin- till dayli-ht noises as0ertain to re0ur in this ;arti0ular first >ee$ of the month as the voi0e of the0u0$oo in the third >ee$ of the same@ They >ere the ;reliminaries of the-eneral removal, the ;assin- of the em;ty >a--ons and teams to fet0h the-oods of the mi-ratin- familiesC for it >as al>ays by the vehi0le of thefarmer >ho re uired his servi0es that the hired man >as 0onveyed to hisdestination@ That this mi-ht be a00om;lished >ithin the day >as thee ;lanation of the reverberation o00urrin- so soon after midni-ht, the aim ofthe 0arters bein- to rea0h the door of the out-oin- households by si o'0lo0$,>hen the loadin- of their movables at on0e be-an@



#ut to Tess and her mother's household no su0h an ious farmer sent histeam@ They >ere only >omenC they >ere not re-ular labourersC they >erenot ;arti0ularly re uired any>hereC hen0e they had to hire a >a--on at theiro>n e ;ense, and -ot nothin- sent -ratuitously@

t >as a relief to Tess, >hen she loo$ed out of the >indo> that mornin-,to find that thou-h the >eather >as >indy and lourin-, it did not rain, andthat the >a--on had 0ome@ A >et ady4Day >as a s;e0tre >hi0h removin-families never for-otC dam; furniture, dam; beddin-, dam; 0lothin-a00om;anied it, and left a train of ills@

Her mother, ' iIa4 u, and Abraham >ere also a>a$e, but the youn-er0hildren >ere let slee; on@ The four brea$fasted by the thin li-ht, and theBhouse4riddin-B >as ta$en in hand@

t ;ro0eeded >ith some 0heerfulness, a friendly nei-hbour or t>oassistin-@ When the lar-e arti0les of furniture had been ;a0$ed in ;osition, a0ir0ular nest >as made of the beds and beddin-, in >hi0h (oan Durbeyfieldand the youn- 0hildren >ere to sit throu-h the ?ourney@ After loadin- there>as a lon- delay before the horses >ere brou-ht, these havin- beenunharnessed durin- the riddin-C but at len-th, about t>o o'0lo0$, the >hole>as under >ay, the 0oo$in-4;ot s>in-in- from the a le of the >a--on, =rsDurbeyfield and family at the to;, the matron havin- in her la;, to ;reventin?ury to its >or$s, the head of the 0lo0$, >hi0h, at any e 0e;tional lur0h ofthe >a--on, stru0$ one, or one4and4a4half, in hurt tones@ Tess and the ne teldest -irl >al$ed alon-side till they >ere out of the villa-e@

They had 0alled on a fe> nei-hbours that mornin- and the ;reviousevenin-, and some 0ame to see them off, all >ishin- them >ell, thou-h, intheir se0ret hearts, hardly e ;e0tin- >elfare ;ossible to su0h a family,harmless as the Durbeyfields >ere to all e 0e;t themselves@ 2oon thee ui;a-e be-an to as0end to hi-her -round, and the >ind -re> $eener >iththe 0han-e of level and soil@

The day bein- the si th of A;ril, the Durbeyfield >a--on met manyother >a--ons >ith families on the summit of the load, >hi0h >as built on a>ellni-h unvaryin- ;rin0i;le, as ;e0uliar, ;robably, to the rural labourer asthe he a-on to the bee@ The -round>or$ of the arran-ement >as the familydresser, >hi0h, >ith its shinin- handles, and fin-er4mar$s, and domesti0eviden0es thi0$ u;on it, stood im;ortantly in front, over the tails of the shaft4



horses, in its ere0t and natural ;osition, li$e some Ar$ of the /ovenant thatthey >ere bound to 0arry reverently@

2ome of the households >ere lively, some mournfulC some >eresto;;in- at the doors of >ayside innsC >here, in due time, the Durbeyfieldmena-erie also dre> u; to bait horses and refresh the travellers@

Durin- the halt Tess's eyes fell u;on a three4;int blue mu-, >hi0h >asas0endin- and des0endin- throu-h the air to and from the feminine se0tionof a household, sittin- on the summit of a load that had also dra>n u; at alittle distan0e from the same inn@ 2he follo>ed one of the mu-'s ?ourneysu;>ard, and ;er0eived it to be 0las;ed by hands >hose o>ner she >ell$ne>@ Tess >ent to>ards the >a--on@

B=arian and II B she 0ried to the -irls, for it >as they, sittin- >ith themovin- family at >hose house they had lod-ed@ BAre you house4riddin- to4day, li$e everybody elseEB

They >ere, they said@ t had been too rou-h a life for them at Flint0omb4Ash, and they had 0ome a>ay, almost >ithout noti0e, leavin- 7roby to

;rose0ute them if he 0hose@ They told Tess their destination, and Tess toldthem hers@

=arian leant over the load, and lo>ered her voi0e@ BDo you $no> that

the -entleman >ho follo>s 'ee you'll -uess >ho mean 0ame to as$ for'ee at Flint0omb after you had -oneE We didn't tell'n >here you >as,$no>in- you >ouldn't >ish to see him@B

BAh but did see him B Tess murmured@ BHe found me@B

BAnd do he $no> >here you be -oin-EB

B thin$ so@B

BHusband 0ome ba0$EB

B8o@B

2he bade her a0 uaintan0e -oodbye for the res;e0tive 0arters had no>0ome out from the inn and the t>o >a--ons resumed their ?ourney ino;;osite dire0tionsC the vehi0le >hereon sat =arian, II, and the



;lou-hman's family >ith >hom they had thro>n in their lot, bein- bri-htly ;ainted, and dra>n by three ;o>erful horses >ith shinin- brass ornamentson their harnessC >hile the >a--on on >hi0h =rs Durbeyfield and herfamily rode >as a 0rea$in- ere0tion that >ould s0ar0ely bear the >ei-ht ofthe su;erin0umbent loadC one >hi0h had $no>n no ;aint sin0e it >as made,and dra>n by t>o horses only@ The 0ontrast >ell mar$ed the differen0e

bet>een bein- fet0hed by a thrivin- farmer and 0onveyin- oneself >hitherno hirer >aited one's 0omin-@

The distan0e >as -reat too -reat for a day's ?ourney and it >as >iththe utmost diffi0ulty that the horses ;erformed it@ Thou-h they had started soearly, it >as uite late in the afternoon >hen they turned the flan$ of aneminen0e >hi0h formed ;art of the u;land 0alled 7reenhill@ While thehorses stood to stale and breathe themselves Tess loo$ed around@ Under the

hill, and ?ust ahead of them, >as the half4dead to>nlet of their ;il-rima-e,9in-sbere, >here lay those an0estors of >hom her father had s;o$en andsun- to ;ainfulness: 9in-sbere, the s;ot of all s;ots in the >orld >hi0h0ould be 0onsidered the d'Urbervilles' home, sin0e they had resided there forfull five hundred years@

A man 0ould be seen advan0in- from the outs$irts to>ards them, and>hen he beheld the nature of their >a--on4load he ui0$ened his ste;s@

BGou be the >oman they 0all =rs Durbeyfield, re0$onEB he said toTess's mother, >ho had des0ended to >al$ the remainder of the >ay@

2he nodded@ BThou-h >ido> of the late 2ir (ohn d'Urberville, ;oornobleman, if 0ared for my ri-htsC and returnin- to the domain of hisforefathers@B

B3hE Well, $no> nothin- about thatC but if you be =rs Durbeyfield, am sent to tell 'ee that the rooms you >anted be let@ We didn't $no> that you>as 0omin- till >e -ot your letter this mornin- >hen 't>as too late@ #ut nodoubt you 0an -et other lod-in-s some>here@B

The man had noti0ed the fa0e of Tess, >hi0h had be0ome ash4;ale at hisintelli-en0e@ Her mother loo$ed ho;elessly at fault@ BWhat shall >e do no>,TessEB she said bitterly@ BHere's a >el0ome to your an0estors' landsHo>ever, let's try further@B



They moved on into the to>n, and tried >ith all their mi-ht, Tessremainin- >ith the >a--on to ta$e 0are of the 0hildren >hilst her motherand ' iIa4 u made in uiries@ At the last return of (oan to the vehi0le, an hourlater, >hen her sear0h for a00ommodation had still been fruitless, the driverof the >a--on said the -oods must be unloaded, as the horses >ere half4dead, and he >as bound to return ;art of the >ay at least that ni-ht@

B ery >ell unload it here,B said (oan re0$lessly@ B 'll -et sheltersome>here@B

The >a--on had dra>n u; under the 0hur0hyard >all, in a s;ot s0reenedfrom vie>, and the driver, nothin- loth, soon hauled do>n the ;oor hea; ofhousehold -oods@ This done, she ;aid him, redu0in- herself to almost herlast shillin- thereby, and he moved off and left them, only too -lad to -et out

of further dealin-s >ith su0h a family@ t >as a dry ni-ht, and he -uessedthat they >ould 0ome to no harm@

Tess -aIed des;erately at the ;ile of furniture@ The 0old sunli-ht of thiss;rin- evenin- ;eered invidiously u;on the 0ro0$s and $ettles, u;on the

bun0hes of dried herbs shiverin- in the breeIe, u;on the brass handles of thedresser, u;on the >i0$er40radle they had all been ro0$ed in, and u;on the>ell4rubbed 0lo0$40ase, all of >hi0h -ave out the re;roa0hful -leam ofindoor arti0les abandoned to the vi0issitudes of a roofless e ;osure for>hi0h they >ere never made@ Round about >ere de;ar$ed hills and slo;es no> 0ut u; into little ;addo0$s and the -reen foundations that sho>ed>here the d'Urberville mansion on0e had stoodC also an outlyin- stret0h of.-don Heath that had al>ays belon-ed to the estate@ Hard by, the aisle of the0hur0h 0alled the d'Urberville Aisle loo$ed on im;erturbably@

B sn't your family vault your o>n freeholdEB said Tess's mother, as shereturned from a re0onnoitre of the 0hur0h and -raveyard@ BWhy, of 0ourse'tis, and that's >here >e >ill 0am;, -irls, till the ;la0e of your an0estors findsus a roof 8o>, Tess and ' iIa and Abraham, you hel; me@ We'll ma$e anest for these 0hildren, and then >e'll have another loo$ round@B

Tess listlessly lent a hand, and in a uarter of an hour the old four4;ost bedstead >as disso0iated from the hea; of -oods, and ere0ted under thesouth >all of the 0hur0h, the ;art of the buildin- $no>n as the d'UrbervilleAisle, beneath >hi0h the hu-e vaults lay@ 3ver the tester of the bedstead >asa beautiful tra0eried >indo>, of many li-hts, its date bein- the fifteenth



0entury@ t >as 0alled the d'Urberville Windo>, and in the u;;er ;art 0ould be dis0erned heraldi0 emblems li$e those on Durbeyfield's old seal ands;oon@

(oan dre> the 0urtains round the bed so as to ma$e an e 0ellent tent ofit, and ;ut the smaller 0hildren inside@ B f it 0omes to the >orst >e 0an slee;there too, for one ni-ht,B she said@ B#ut let us try further on, and -etsomethin- for the dears to eat 3, Tess, >hat's the use of your ;layin- atmarryin- -entlemen, if it leaves us li$e this B

A00om;anied by ' iIa4 u and the boy, she a-ain as0ended the little lane>hi0h se0luded the 0hur0h from the to>nlet@ As soon as they -ot into thestreet they beheld a man on horseba0$ -aIin- u; and do>n@ BAh 'mloo$in- for you B he said, ridin- u; to them@ BThis is indeed a family

-atherin- on the histori0 s;ot B

t >as Ale0 d'Urberville@ BWhere is TessEB he as$ed@

Personally (oan had no li$in- for Ale0@ 2he 0ursorily si-nified thedire0tion of the 0hur0h, and >ent on, d'Urberville sayin- that he >ould seethem a-ain, in 0ase they should be still unsu00essful in their sear0h forshelter, of >hi0h he had ?ust heard@ When they had -one, d'Urberville rode tothe inn, and shortly after 0ame out on foot@

n the interim Tess, left >ith the 0hildren inside the bedstead, remainedtal$in- >ith them a>hile, till, seein- that no more 0ould be done to ma$ethem 0omfortable ?ust then, she >al$ed about the 0hur0hyard, no>

be-innin- to be embro>ned by the shades of ni-htfall@ The door of the0hur0h >as unfastened, and she entered it for the first time in her life@

Within the >indo> under >hi0h the bedstead stood >ere the tombs ofthe family, 0overin- in their dates several 0enturies@ They >ere 0ano;ied,altar4sha;ed, and ;lainC their 0arvin-s bein- defa0ed and bro$enC their

brasses torn from the matri0es, the rivet4holes remainin- li$e martin4holes ina sand0liff@ 3f all the reminders that she had ever re0eived that her ;eo;le>ere so0ially e tin0t, there >as none so for0ible as this s;oliation@

2he dre> near to a dar$ stone on >hi0h >as ins0ribed:

OSTIUM SEPULCHRI ANTIQUAE FAMILIAE D'URBERVILLE



Tess did not read /hur0h4 atin li$e a /ardinal, but she $ne> that this>as the door of her an0estral se;ul0hre, and that the tall $ni-hts of >hom herfather had 0hanted in his 0u;s lay inside@

2he musin-ly turned to >ithdra>, ;assin- near an altar4tomb, the oldestof them all, on >hi0h >as a re0umbent fi-ure@ n the dus$ she had notnoti0ed it before, and >ould hardly have noti0ed it no> but for an odd fan0ythat the effi-y moved@ As soon as she dre> 0lose to it she dis0overed all in amoment that the fi-ure >as a livin- ;ersonC and the sho0$ to her sense of nothavin- been alone >as so violent that she >as uite over0ome, and san$do>n ni-h to faintin-, not, ho>ever, till she had re0o-niIed Ale0d'Urberville in the form@

He lea;t off the slab and su;;orted her@

B sa> you 0ome in,B he said smilin-, Band -ot u; there not to interru;tyour meditations@ A family -atherin-, is it not, >ith these old fello>s underus hereE isten@B

He stam;ed >ith his heel heavily on the floorC >hereu;on there arose ahollo> e0ho from belo>@

BThat shoo$ them a bit, 'll >arrant B he 0ontinued@ BAnd you thou-ht >as the mere stone re;rodu0tion of one of them@ #ut no@ The old order0han-eth@ The little fin-er of the sham d'Urberville 0an do more for you thanthe >hole dynasty of the real underneath J 8o> 0ommand me@ What shall doEB

B7o a>ay B she murmured@

B >ill 'll loo$ for your mother,B said he blandly@ #ut in ;assin- herhe >his;ered: B=ind thisC you'll be 0ivil yet B

When he >as -one she bent do>n u;on the entran0e to the vaults, andsaid

BWhy am on the >ron- side of this door B



n the meantime =arian and II Huett had ?ourneyed on>ard >ith the0hattels of the ;lou-hman in the dire0tion of their land of /anaan the.-y;t of some other family >ho had left it only that mornin-@ #ut the -irlsdid not for a lon- time thin$ of >here they >ere -oin-@ Their tal$ >as ofAn-el /lare and Tess, and Tess's ;ersistent lover, >hose 0onne0tion >ithher ;revious history they had ;artly heard and ;artly -uessed ere this@

B'Tisn't as thou-h she had never $no>n him afore,B said =arian@ BHishavin- >on her on0e ma$es all the differen0e in the >orld@ 'T>ould be athousand ;ities if he >ere to tole her a>ay a-ain@ =r /lare 0an never beanythin- to us, IIC and >hy should >e -rud-e him to her, and not try tomend this uarrelE f he 0ould on'y $no> >hat straits she's ;ut to, and >hat'shoverin- round, he mi-ht 0ome to ta$e 0are of his o>n@B

B/ould >e let him $no>EB

They thou-ht of this all the >ay to their destinationC but the bustle of re4establishment in their ne> ;la0e too$ u; all their attention then@ #ut >henthey >ere settled, a month later, they heard of /lare's a;;roa0hin- return,thou-h they had learnt nothin- more of Tess@ U;on that, a-itated ane> bytheir atta0hment to him, yet honourably dis;osed to her, =arian un0or$edthe ;enny in$4bottle they shared, and a fe> lines >ere 0on0o0ted bet>eenthe t>o -irls@

H383UR 'D 2 R

oo$ to your Wife if you do love her as mu0h as she do love you@ For she issore ;ut to by an .nemy in the sha;e of a Friend@ 2ir, there is one near her>ho ou-ht to be A>ay@ A >oman should not be try'd beyond her 2tren-th,and 0ontinual dro;;in- >ill >ear a>ay a 2tone ay, more a Diamond@

FR3= TW3 W . 4W 2H.R2

This >as addressed to An-el /lare at the only ;la0e they had ever heardhim to be 0onne0ted >ith, .mminster i0ara-eC after >hi0h they 0ontinuedin a mood of emotional e altation at their o>n -enerosity, >hi0h made themsin- in hysteri0al snat0hes and >ee; at the same time@

End of Phase the "i!th



Phase the "eventh3 ulfilment, (... (.5

t >as evenin- at .mminster i0ara-e@ The t>o 0ustomary 0andles >ere burnin- under their -reen shades in the i0ar's study, but he had not beensittin- there@ 300asionally he 0ame in, stirred the small fire >hi0h suffi0ed

for the in0reasin- mildness of the s;rin-, and >ent out a-ainC sometimes ;ausin- at the front door, -oin- on to the dra>in-4room, then returnin-a-ain to the front door@

t fa0ed >est>ard, and thou-h -loom ;revailed inside, there >as stillli-ht enou-h >ithout to see >ith distin0tness@ =rs /lare, >ho had beensittin- in the dra>in-4room, follo>ed him hither@

BPlenty of time yet,B said the i0ar@ BHe doesn't rea0h /hal$48e>ton tillsi , even if the train should be ;un0tual, and ten miles of 0ountry4road, five

of them in /rimmer0ro0$ ane, are not ?o--ed over in a hurry by our oldhorse@B

B#ut he has done it in an hour >ith us, my dear@B

BGears a-o@B

Thus they ;assed the minutes, ea0h >ell $no>in- that this >as only>aste of breath, the one essential bein- sim;ly to >ait@

At len-th there >as a sli-ht noise in the lane, and the old ;ony40haisea;;eared indeed outside the railin-s@ They sa> ali-ht therefrom a form>hi0h they affe0ted to re0o-niIe, but >ould a0tually have ;assed by in thestreet >ithout identifyin- had he not -ot out of their 0arria-e at the ;arti0ularmoment >hen a ;arti0ular ;erson >as due@



=rs /lare rushed throu-h the dar$ ;assa-e to the door, and her husband0ame more slo>ly after her@

The ne> arrival, >ho >as ?ust about to enter, sa> their an ious fa0es inthe door>ay and the -leam of the >est in their s;e0ta0les be0ause they0onfronted the last rays of dayC but they 0ould only see his sha;e a-ainst theli-ht@

B3, my boy, my boy home a-ain at last B 0ried =rs /lare, >ho 0aredno more at that moment for the stains of heterodo y >hi0h had 0aused allthis se;aration than for the dust u;on his 0lothes@ What >oman, indeed,amon- the most faithful adherents of the truth, believes the ;romises andthreats of the Word in the sense in >hi0h she believes in her o>n 0hildren,or >ould not thro> her theolo-y to the >ind if >ei-hed a-ainst their

ha;;inessE As soon as they rea0hed the room >here the 0andles >ere li-htedshe loo$ed at his fa0e@

B3, it is not An-el not my son the An-el >ho >ent a>ay B she 0riedin all the irony of sorro>, as she turned herself aside@

His father, too, >as sho0$ed to see him, so redu0ed >as that fi-ure fromits former 0ontours by >orry and the bad season that /lare had e ;erien0ed,in the 0limate to >hi0h he had so rashly hurried in his first aversion to themo0$ery of events at home@ Gou 0ould see the s$eleton behind the man, and

almost the -host behind the s$eleton@ He mat0hed /rivelli's dead Christus @His sun$en eye4;its >ere of morbid hue, and the li-ht in his eyes had >aned@The an-ular hollo>s and lines of his a-ed an0estors had su00eeded to theirrei-n in his fa0e t>enty years before their time@

B >as ill over there, you $no>,B he said@ B am all ri-ht no>@B

As if, ho>ever, to falsify this assertion, his le-s seemed to -ive >ay,and he suddenly sat do>n to save himself from fallin-@ t >as only a sli-htatta0$ of faintness, resultin- from the tedious day's ?ourney, and thee 0itement of arrival@

BHas any letter 0ome for me latelyEB he as$ed@ B re0eived the last yousent on by the merest 0han0e, and after 0onsiderable delay throu-h bein-inlandC or mi-ht have 0ome sooner@B

B t >as from your >ife, >e su;;osedEB



B t >as@B

3nly one other had re0ently 0ome@ They had not sent it on to him,$no>in- he >ould start for home so soon@

He hastily o;ened the letter ;rodu0ed, and >as mu0h disturbed to readin Tess's hand>ritin- the sentiments e ;ressed in her last hurried s0ra>l tohim@

3 >hy have you treated me so monstrously, An-el do not deserve it@ have thou-ht it all over 0arefully, and 0an never, never for-ive you Gou$no> that did not intend to >ron- you >hy have you so >ron-ed meEGou are 0ruel, 0ruel indeed >ill try to for-et you@ t is all in?usti0e have

re0eived at your hands T@

B t is uite true B said An-el, thro>indo>n the letter@ BPerha;s she>ill never be re0on0iled to me B

BDon't, An-el, be so an ious about a mere 0hild of the soil B said hismother@

B/hild of the soil Well, >e all are 0hildren of the soil@ >ish she >ereso in the sense you meanC but let me no> e ;lain to you >hat have nevere ;lained before, that her father is a des0endant in the male line of one ofthe oldest 8orman houses, li$e a -ood many others >ho lead obs0urea-ri0ultural lives in our villa-es, and are dubbed 'sons of the soil@'B

He soon retired to bedC and the ne t mornin-, feelin- e 0eedin-lyun>ell, he remained in his room ;onderin-@ The 0ir0umstan0es amid >hi0hhe had left Tess >ere su0h that thou-h, >hile on the south of the . uator

and ?ust in re0ei;t of her lovin- e;istle, it had seemed the easiest thin- in the>orld to rush ba0$ into her arms the moment he 0hose to for-ive her, no>that he had arrived it >as not so easy as it had seemed@ 2he >as ;assionate,and her ;resent letter, sho>in- that her estimate of him had 0han-ed underhis delay too ?ustly 0han-ed, he sadly o>ned, made him as$ himself if it>ould be >ise to 0onfront her unannoun0ed in the ;resen0e of her ;arents@



2u;;osin- that her love had indeed turned to disli$e durin- the last >ee$s ofse;aration, a sudden meetin- mi-ht lead to bitter >ords@

/lare therefore thou-ht it >ould be best to ;re;are Tess and her family by sendin- a line to =arlott announ0in- his return, and his ho;e that she >asstill livin- >ith them there, as he had arran-ed for her to do >hen he left.n-land@ He des;at0hed the in uiry that very day, and before the >ee$ >asout there 0ame a short re;ly from =rs Durbeyfield >hi0h did not remove hisembarrassment, for it bore no address, thou-h to his sur;rise it >as not>ritten from =arlott@

2 R ,

( >rite these fe> lines to say that my Dau-hter is a>ay from me at ;resent, and ( am not sure >hen she >ill return, but ( >ill let you $no> as2oon as she do@ ( do not feel at liberty to tell you Where she is tem;erly

bidin-@ ( should say that me and my Family have left =arlott for some Time@

Gours,

(@ DUR#.GF . D

t >as su0h a relief to /lare to learn that Tess >as at least a;;arently>ell that her mother's stiff reti0en0e as to her >hereabouts did not lon-distress him@ They >ere all an-ry >ith him, evidently@ He >ould >ait till=rs Durbeyfield 0ould inform him of Tess's return, >hi0h her letter im;liedto be soon@ He deserved no more@ His had been a love B>hi0h alters >hen italteration findsB@ He had under-one some stran-e e ;erien0es in hisabsen0eC he had seen the virtual Faustina in the literal /ornelia, a s;iritual

u0retia in a 0or;oreal PhryneC he had thou-ht of the >oman ta$en and setin the midst as one deservin- to be stoned, and of the >ife of Uriah bein-made a ueenC and he had as$ed himself >hy he had not ?ud-ed Tess0onstru0tively rather than bio-ra;hi0ally, by the >ill rather than by thedeedE

A day or t>o ;assed >hile he >aited at his father's house for the ;romised se0ond note from (oan Durbeyfield, and indire0tly to re0over a



little more stren-th@ The stren-th sho>ed si-ns of 0omin- ba0$, but there>as no si-n of (oan's letter@ Then he hunted u; the old letter sent on to himin #raIil, >hi0h Tess had >ritten from Flint0omb4Ash, and re4read it@ Thesenten0es tou0hed him no> as mu0h as >hen he had first ;erused them@

J must 0ry to you in my trouble have no one else J thin$ must dieif you do not 0ome soon, or tell me to 0ome to youJ ;lease, ;lease, not to

be ?ust only a little $ind to me J f you >ould 0ome, 0ould die in yourarms >ould be >ell 0ontent to do that if so be you had for-iven me J ifyou >ill send me one little line, and say, B am 0omin- soon,B >ill bide on,An-el 3, so 0heerfully J thin$ ho> it do hurt my heart not to see youever ever Ah, if 0ould only ma$e your dear heart a0he one little minuteof ea0h day as mine does every day and all day lon-, it mi-ht lead you to

sho> ;ity to your ;oor lonely one@ J >ould be 0ontent, ay, -lad, to live>ith you as your servant, if may not as your >ifeC so that 0ould only benear you, and -et -lim;ses of you, and thin$ of you as mine@ J lon- foronly one thin- in heaven or earth or under the earth, to meet you, my o>ndear /ome to me 0ome to me, and save me from >hat threatens me

/lare determined that he >ould no lon-er believe in her more re0ent andseverer re-ard of him, but >ould -o and find her immediately@ He as$ed hisfather if she had a;;lied for any money durin- his absen0e@ His fatherreturned a ne-ative, and then for the first time it o00urred to An-el that her

;ride had stood in her >ay, and that she had suffered ;rivation@ From hisremar$s his ;arents no> -athered the real reason of the se;arationC and their/hristianity >as su0h that, re;robates bein- their es;e0ial 0are, thetenderness to>ards Tess >hi0h her blood, her sim;li0ity, even her ;overty,had not en-endered, >as instantly e 0ited by her sin@

Whilst he >as hastily ;a0$in- to-ether a fe> arti0les for his ?ourney he-lan0ed over a ;oor ;lain missive also lately 0ome to hand the one from

=arian and II Huett, be-innin-BHonour'd 2ir, oo$ to your Wife if you do love her as mu0h as she do

love you,B and si-ned, BFrom T>o Well4Wishers@B



n a uarter of an hour /lare >as leavin- the house, >hen0e his mother>at0hed his thin fi-ure as it disa;;eared into the street@ He had de0lined to

borro> his father's old mare, >ell $no>in- of its ne0essity to the household@He >ent to the inn, >here he hired a tra;, and 0ould hardly >ait durin- theharnessin-@ n a very fe> minutes after, he >as drivin- u; the hill out of theto>n >hi0h, three or four months earlier in the year, Tess had des0ended>ith su0h ho;es and as0ended >ith su0h shattered ;ur;oses@

#envill ane soon stret0hed before him, its hed-es and trees ;ur;le >ith budsC but he >as loo$in- at other thin-s, and only re0alled himself to thes0ene suffi0iently to enable him to $ee; the >ay@ n somethin- less than anhour4and4a4half he had s$irted the south of the 9in-'s Hinto0$ estates andas0ended to the unto>ard solitude of /ross4in4Hand, the unholy stone>hereon Tess had been 0om;elled by Ale0 d'Urberville, in his >him of

reformation, to s>ear the stran-e oath that she >ould never >ilfully tem;thim a-ain@ The ;ale and blasted nettle4stems of the ;re0edin- year even no>lin-ered na$edly in the ban$s, youn- -reen nettles of the ;resent s;rin--ro>in- from their roots@

Then0e he >ent alon- the ver-e of the u;land overhan-in- the otherHinto0$s, and, turnin- to the ri-ht, ;lun-ed into the bra0in- 0al0areousre-ion of Flint0omb4Ash, the address from >hi0h she had >ritten to him inone of the letters, and >hi0h he su;;osed to be the ;la0e of so?ourn referredto by her mother@ Here, of 0ourse, he did not find herC and >hat added to hisde;ression >as the dis0overy that no B=rs /lareB had ever been heard of bythe 0otta-ers or by the farmer himself, thou-h Tess >as remembered >ellenou-h by her /hristian name@ His name she had obviously never useddurin- their se;aration, and her di-nified sense of their total severan0e >assho>n not mu0h less by this abstention than by the hardshi;s she had 0hosento under-o Kof >hi0h he no> learnt for the first timeL rather than a;;ly to hisfather for more funds@

From this ;la0e they told him Tess Durbeyfield had -one, >ithout due

noti0e, to the home of her ;arents on the other side of #la0$moor, and ittherefore be0ame ne0essary to find =rs Durbeyfield@ 2he had told him she>as not no> at =arlott, but had been 0uriously reti0ent as to her a0tualaddress, and the only 0ourse >as to -o to =arlott and in uire for it@ Thefarmer >ho had been so 0hurlish >ith Tess >as uite smooth4ton-ued to/lare, and lent him a horse and man to drive him to>ards =arlott, the -i- he



had arrived in bein- sent ba0$ to .mminsterC for the limit of a day's ?ourney>ith that horse >as rea0hed@

/lare >ould not a00e;t the loan of the farmer's vehi0le for a furtherdistan0e than to the outs$irts of the ale, and, sendin- it ba0$ >ith the man>ho had driven him, he ;ut u; at an inn, and ne t day entered on foot there-ion >herein >as the s;ot of his dear Tess's birth@ t >as as yet too early inthe year for mu0h 0olour to a;;ear in the -ardens and folia-eC the so40alleds;rin- >as but >inter overlaid >ith a thin 0oat of -reenness, and it >as of a

;ar0el >ith his e ;e0tations@

The house in >hi0h Tess had ;assed the years of her 0hildhood >as no>inhabited by another family >ho had never $no>n her@ The ne> residents>ere in the -arden, ta$inas mu0h interest in their o>n doin-s as if the

homestead had never ;assed its ;rimal time in 0on?un0tion >ith the historiesof others, beside >hi0h the histories of these >ere but as a tale told by anidiot@ They >al$ed about the -arden ;aths >ith thou-hts of their o>n0on0erns entirely u;;ermost, brin-intheir a0tions at every moment in

?arrin- 0ollision >ith the dim -hosts behind them, tal$inas thou-h the time>hen Tess lived there >ere not one >hit intenser in story than no>@ .venthe s;rin- birds san- over their heads as if they thou-ht there >as nobodymissin- in ;arti0ular@

3n in uiry of these ;re0ious inno0ents, to >hom even the name of their ;rede0essors >as a failin- memory, /lare learned that (ohn Durbeyfield >asdeadC that his >ido> and 0hildren had left =arlott, de0larin- that they >ere-oin- to live at 9in-sbere, but instead of doin- so had -one on to another

;la0e they mentioned@ #y this time /lare abhorred the house for 0easin- to0ontain Tess, and hastened a>ay from its hated ;resen0e >ithout on0eloo$in- ba0$@

His >ay >as by the field in >hi0h he had first beheld her at the dan0e@ t>as as bad as the house even >orse@ He ;assed on throu-h the 0hur0hyard,>here, amon-st the ne> headstones, he sa> one of a some>hat su;eriordesi-n to the rest@ The ins0ri;tion ran thus:

In memory of John Durbeyfield, rightly d'Urberville, of the oncepowerful family of that Name, and Direct Descendant through an



B am sure she >ould B he retorted ;assionately@ B $no> her better thanyou do@B

BThat's very li$ely, sirC for have never really $no>n her@B

BPlease tell me her address, =rs Durbeyfield, in $indness to a lonely>ret0hed man B Tess's mother a-ain restlessly s>e;t her 0hee$ >ith herverti0al hand, and seein- that he suffered, she at last said, is a lo> voi0e

B2he is at 2andbourne@B

BAh >here thereE 2andbourne has be0ome a lar-e ;la0e, they say@B

B don't $no> more ;arti0ularly than have said 2andbourne@ Formyself, >as never there@B

t >as a;;arent that (oan s;o$e the truth in this, and he ;ressed her nofurther@

BAre you in >ant of anythin-EB he said -ently@

B8o, sir,B she re;lied@ BWe are fairly >ell ;rovided for@B

Without enterin- the house /lare turned a>ay@ There >as a station threemiles ahead, and ;ayin- off his 0oa0hman, he >al$ed thither@ The last trainto 2andbourne left shortly after, and it bore /lare on its >heels@

At eleven o'0lo0$ that ni-ht, havin- se0ured a bed at one of the hotelsand tele-ra;hed his address to his father immediately on his arrival, he>al$ed out into the streets of 2andbourne@ t >as too late to 0all on orin uire for any one, and he relu0tantly ;ost;oned his ;ur;ose till the

mornin-@ #ut he 0ould not retire to rest ?ust yet@This fashionable >aterin-4;la0e, >ith its eastern and its >estern

stations, its ;iers, its -roves of ;ines, its ;romenades, and its 0overed-ardens, >as, to An-el /lare, li$e a fairy ;la0e suddenly 0reated by thestro$e of a >and, and allo>ed to -et a little dusty@ An outlyin- eastern tra0tof the enormous .-don Waste >as 0lose at hand, yet on the very ver-e of



that ta>ny ;ie0e of anti uity su0h a -litterin- novelty as this ;leasure 0ityhad 0hosen to s;rin- u;@ Within the s;a0e of a mile from its outs$irts everyirre-ularity of the soil >as ;rehistori0, every 0hannel an undisturbed #ritishtra0$>ayC not a sod havin- been turned there sin0e the days of the /aesars@Get the e oti0 had -ro>n here, suddenly as the ;ro;het's -ourdC and haddra>n hither Tess@

#y the midni-ht lam;s he >ent u; and do>n the >indin- >ay of thisne> >orld in an old one, and 0ould dis0ern bet>een the trees and a-ainst thestars the lofty roofs, 0himneys, -aIebos, and to>ers of the numerous fan0ifulresiden0es of >hi0h the ;la0e >as 0om;osed@ t >as a 0ity of deta0hedmansionsC a =editerranean loun-in-4;la0e on the .n-lish /hannelC and asseen no> by ni-ht it seemed even more im;osin- than it >as@

The sea >as near at hand, but not intrusiveC it murmured, and he thou-htit >as the ;inesC the ;ines murmured in ;re0isely the same tones, and hethou-ht they >ere the sea@

Where 0ould Tess ;ossibly be, a 0otta-e4-irl, his youn- >ife, amidst allthis >ealth and fashionE The more he ;ondered, the more >as he ;uIIled@Were there any 0o>s to mil$ hereE There 0ertainly >ere no fields to till@ 2he>as most ;robably en-a-ed to do somethin- in one of these lar-e housesCand he sauntered alon-, loo$in- at the 0hamber4>indo>s and their li-hts-oin- out one by one, and >ondered >hi0h of them mi-ht be hers@

/on?e0ture >as useless, and ?ust after t>elve o'0lo0$ he entered and>ent to bed@ #efore ;uttin- out his li-ht he re4read Tess's im;assioned letter@2lee;, ho>ever, he 0ould not so near her, yet so far from her and he0ontinually lifted the >indo>4blind and re-arded the ba0$s of the o;;ositehouses, and >ondered behind >hi0h of the sashes she re;osed at thatmoment@

He mi-ht almost as >ell have sat u; all ni-ht@ n the mornin- he arose atseven, and shortly after >ent out, ta$in- the dire0tion of the 0hief ;ost4offi0e@ At the door he met an intelli-ent ;ostman 0omin- out >ith letters forthe mornin- delivery@

BDo you $no> the address of a =rs /lareEB as$ed An-el@ The ;ostmanshoo$ his head@



Then, rememberin- that she >ould have been li$ely to 0ontinue the useof her maiden name, /lare said

B3f a =iss DurbeyfieldEB

BDurbeyfieldEB

This also >as stran-e to the ;ostman addressed@

BThere's visitors 0omin- and -oin- every day, as you $no>, sir,B hesaidC Band >ithout the name of the house 'tis im;ossible to find 'em@B

3ne of his 0omrades hastenin- out at that moment, the name >asre;eated to him@

B $no> no name of DurbeyfieldC but there is the name of d'Urberville atThe Herons,B said the se0ond@

BThat's it B 0ried /lare, ;leased to thin$ that she had reverted to the real ;ronun0iation@ BWhat ;la0e is The HeronsEB

BA stylish lod-in-4house@ 'Tis all lod-in-4houses here, bless 'ee@B

/lare re0eived dire0tions ho> to find the house, and hastened thither,arrivin- >ith the mil$man@ The Herons, thou-h an ordinary villa, stood in itso>n -rounds, and >as 0ertainly the last ;la0e in >hi0h one >ould havee ;e0ted to find lod-in-s, so ;rivate >as its a;;earan0e@ f ;oor Tess >as aservant here, as he feared, she >ould -o to the ba0$4door to that mil$man,and he >as in0lined to -o thither also@ Ho>ever, in his doubts he turned tothe front, and ran-@

The hour bein- early, the landlady herself o;ened the door@ /larein uired for Teresa d'Urberville or Durbeyfield@

B=rs d'UrbervilleEBBGes@B

Tess, then, ;assed as a married >oman, and he felt -lad, even thou-hshe had not ado;ted his name@

BWill you $indly tell her that a relative is an ious to see herEB



B t is rather early@ What name shall -ive, sirEB

BAn-el@B

B=r An-elEB

B8oC An-el@ t is my /hristian name@ 2he'll understand@B

B 'll see if she is a>a$e@B

He >as sho>n into the front room the dinin-4room and loo$ed outthrou-h the s;rin- 0urtains at the little la>n, and the rhododendrons andother shrubs u;on it@ 3bviously her ;osition >as by no means so bad as hehad feared, and it 0rossed his mind that she must someho> have 0laimed andsold the ?e>els to attain it@ He did not blame her for one moment@ 2oon hisshar;ened ear dete0ted footste;s u;on the stairs, at >hi0h his heart thum;edso ;ainfully that he 0ould hardly stand firm@ BDear me >hat >ill she thin$of me, so altered as am B he said to himselfC and the door o;ened@

Tess a;;eared on the threshold not at all as he had e ;e0ted to see her be>ilderin-ly other>ise, indeed@ Her -reat natural beauty >as, if nothei-htened, rendered more obvious by her attire@ 2he >as loosely >ra;;ed ina 0ashmere dressin-4-o>n of -ray4>hite, embroidered in half4mournin-tints, and she >ore sli;;ers of the same hue@ Her ne0$ rose out of a frill of

do>n, and her >ell4remembered 0able of dar$4bro>n hair >as ;artially0oiled u; in a mass at the ba0$ of her head and ;artly han-in- on hershoulder the evident result of haste@

He had held out his arms, but they had fallen a-ain to his sideC for shehad not 0ome for>ard, remainin- still in the o;enin- of the door>ay@ =ereyello> s$eleton that he >as no>, he felt the 0ontrast bet>een them, andthou-ht his a;;earan0e distasteful to her@

BTess B he said hus$ily, B0an you for-ive me for -oin- a>ayE /an't you

0ome to meE Ho> do you -et to be li$e thisEB

B t is too late,B said she, her voi0e soundin- hard throu-h the room, hereyes shinin- unnaturally@

B did not thin$ ri-htly of you did not see you as you >ere B he0ontinued to ;lead@ B have learnt to sin0e, dearest Tessy mine B



BToo late, too late B she said, >avin- her hand in the im;atien0e of a ;erson >hose tortures 0ause every instant to seem an hour@ BDon't 0ome0lose to me, An-el 8o you must not@ 9ee; a>ay@B

B#ut don't you love me, my dear >ife, be0ause have been so ;ulleddo>n by illnessE Gou are not so fi0$le am 0ome on ;ur;ose for you mymother and father >ill >el0ome you no> B

BGes 3, yes, yes #ut say, say it is too late@B

2he seemed to feel li$e a fu-itive in a dream, >ho tries to move a>ay, but 0annot@ BDon't you $no> all don't you $no> itE Get ho> do you 0omehere if you do not $no>EB

B in uired here and there, and found the >ay@B

B >aited and >aited for you,B she >ent on, her tones suddenly resumin-their old fluty ;athos@ B#ut you did not 0ome And >rote to you, and youdid not 0ome He $e;t on sayin- you >ould never 0ome any more, and that >as a foolish >oman@ He >as very $ind to me, and to mother, and to all ofus after father's death@ He B

B don't understand@B

BHe has >on me ba0$ to him@B/lare loo$ed at her $eenly, then, -atherin- her meanin-, fla--ed li$e

one ;la-ue4stri0$en, and his -lan0e san$C it fell on her hands, >hi0h, on0erosy, >ere no> >hite and more deli0ate@

2he 0ontinued

BHe is u;stairs@ hate him no>, be0ause he told me a lie that you>ould not 0ome a-ainC and you ha e 0ome These 0lothes are >hat he's ;ut

u;on me: didn't 0are >hat he did >i' me #ut >ill you -o a>ay, An-el, ;lease, and never 0ome any moreEB

They stood fi ed, their baffled hearts loo$in- out of their eyes >ith a ?oylessness ;itiful to see@ #oth seemed to im;lore somethin- to shelter themfrom reality@



BAh it is my fault B said /lare@

#ut he 0ould not -et on@ 2;ee0h >as as ine ;ressive as silen0e@ #ut hehad a va-ue 0ons0iousness of one thin-, thou-h it >as not 0lear to him tilllaterC that his ori-inal Tess had s;iritually 0eased to re0o-niIe the body

before him as hers allo>in- it to drift, li$e a 0or;se u;on the 0urrent, in adire0tion disso0iated from its livin- >ill@

A fe> instants ;assed, and he found that Tess >as -one@ His fa0e -re>0older and more shrun$en as he stood 0on0entrated on the moment, and aminute or t>o after, he found himself in the street, >al$in- alon- he did not$no> >hither@

=rs #roo$s, the lady >ho >as the householder at The Herons ando>ner of all the handsome furniture, >as not a ;erson of an unusually0urious turn of mind@ 2he >as too dee;ly materialiIed, ;oor >oman, by herlon- and enfor0ed bonda-e to that arithmeti0al demon Profit4and4 oss, toretain mu0h 0uriousity for its o>n sa$e, and a;art from ;ossible lod-ers'

;o0$ets@ 8evertheless, the visit of An-el /lare to her >ell4;ayin- tenants,=r and =rs d'Urberville, as she deemed them, >as suffi0iently e 0e;tionalin ;oint of time and manner to reinvi-orate the feminine ;ro0livity >hi0h

had been stifled do>n as useless save in its bearin-s to the lettin- trade@

Tess had s;o$en to her husband from the door>ay, >ithout enterin- thedinin-4room, and =rs #roo$s, >ho stood >ithin the ;artly40losed door ofher o>n sittin-4room at the ba0$ of the ;assa-e, 0ould hear fra-ments of the0onversation if 0onversation it 0ould be 0alled bet>een those t>o>ret0hed souls@ 2he heard Tess re4as0end the stairs to the first floor, and thede;arture of /lare, and the 0losin- of the front door behind him@ Then thedoor of the room above >as shut, and =rs #roo$s $ne> that Tess had re4entered her a;artment@ As the youn- lady >as not fully dressed, =rs #roo$s$ne> that she >ould not emer-e a-ain for some time@

2he a00ordin-ly as0ended the stairs softly, and stood at the door of thefront room a dra>in-4room, 0onne0ted >ith the room immediately behindit K>hi0h >as a bedroomL by foldin-4doors in the 0ommon manner@ This firstfloor, 0ontainin- =rs #roo$s's best a;artments, had been ta$en by the >ee$



by the d'Urbervilles@ The ba0$ room >as no> in silen0eC but from thedra>in-4room there 0ame sounds@

All that she 0ould at first distin-uish of them >as one syllable,0ontinually re;eated in a lo> note of moanin-, as if it 0ame from a soul

bound to some ionian >heel

B3 3 3 B

Then a silen0e, then a heavy si-h, and a-ain

B3 3 3 B

The landlady loo$ed throu-h the $eyhole@ 3nly a small s;a0e of theroom inside >as visible, but >ithin that s;a0e 0ame a 0orner of the brea$fasttable, >hi0h >as already s;read for the meal, and also a 0hair beside@ 3verthe seat of the 0hair Tess's fa0e >as bo>ed, her ;osture bein- a $neelin- onein front of itC her hands >ere 0las;ed over her head, the s$irts of herdressin-4-o>n and the embroidery of her ni-ht4-o>n flo>ed u;on the floor

behind her, and her sto0$in-less feet, from >hi0h the sli;;ers had fallen, ;rotruded u;on the 0ar;et@ t >as from her li;s that 0ame the murmur ofuns;ea$able des;air@

Then a man's voi0e from the ad?oinin- bedroom

BWhat's the matterEB

2he did not ans>er, but >ent on, in a tone >hi0h >as a solilo uy ratherthan an e 0lamation, and a dir-e rather than a solilo uy@ =rs #roo$s 0ouldonly 0at0h a ;ortion:

BAnd then my dear, dear husband 0ame home to me J and did not$no> it J And you had used your 0ruel ;ersuasion u;on me J you did notsto; usin- it no you did not sto; =y little sisters and brothers and my

mother's needs they >ere the thin-s you moved me by J and you said myhusband >ould never 0ome ba0$ neverC and you taunted me, and said >hata sim;leton >as to e ;e0t him J And at last believed you and -ave>ay J And then he 0ame ba0$ 8o> he is -one@ 7one a se0ond time, and have lost him no> for ever J and he >ill not love me the littlest bit everany more only hate me J 3 yes, have lost him no> a-ain be0ause of

you B n >rithin-, >ith her head on the 0hair, she turned her fa0e to>ards



the door, and =rs #roo$s 0ould see the ;ain u;on it, and that her li;s >ere bleedin- from the 0len0h of her teeth u;on them, and that the lon- lashes ofher 0losed eyes stu0$ in >et ta-s to her 0hee$s@ 2he 0ontinued: BAnd he isdyin- he loo$s as if he is dyin- J And my sin >ill $ill him and not $illme J 3, you have torn my life all to ;ie0es J made me be >hat ;rayedyou in ;ity not to ma$e me be a-ain J =y o>n true husband >ill never,never 3 7od 0an't bear this 0annot B

There >ere more and shar;er >ords from the manC then a sudden rustleCshe had s;run- to her feet@ =rs #roo$s, thin$in- that the s;ea$er >as0omin- to rush out of the door, hastily retreated do>n the stairs@

2he need not have done so, ho>ever, for the door of the sittin-4room>as not o;ened@ #ut =rs #roo$s felt it unsafe to >at0h on the landin- a-ain,

and entered her o>n ;arlour belo>@

2he 0ould hear nothin- throu-h the floor, althou-h she listened intently,and thereu;on >ent to the $it0hen to finish her interru;ted brea$fast@/omin- u; ;resently to the front room on the -round floor she too$ u; somese>in-, >aitin- for her lod-ers to rin- that she mi-ht ta$e a>ay the

brea$fast, >hi0h she meant to do herself, to dis0over >hat >as the matter if ;ossible@ 3verhead, as she sat, she 0ould no> hear the floorboards sli-htly0rea$, as if some one >ere >al$in- about, and ;resently the movement >ase ;lained by the rustle of -arments a-ainst the banisters, the o;enin- and the0losin- of the front door, and the form of Tess ;assin- to the -ate on her>ay into the street@ 2he >as fully dressed no> in the >al$in- 0ostume of a>ell4to4do youn- lady in >hi0h she had arrived, >ith the sole addition thatover her hat and bla0$ feathers a veil >as dra>n@

=rs #roo$s had not been able to 0at0h any >ord of fare>ell, tem;oraryor other>ise, bet>een her tenants at the door above@ They mi-ht have

uarrelled, or =r d'Urberville mi-ht still be aslee;, for he >as not an earlyriser@

2he >ent into the ba0$ room, >hi0h >as more es;e0ially her o>na;artment, and 0ontinued her se>in- there@ The lady lod-er did not return,nor did the -entleman rin- his bell@ =rs #roo$s ;ondered on the delay, andon >hat ;robable relation the visitor >ho had 0alled so early bore to the0ou;le u;stairs@ n refle0tin- she leant ba0$ in her 0hair@



As she did so her eyes -lan0ed 0asually over the 0eilin- till they >erearrested by a s;ot in the middle of its >hite surfa0e >hi0h she had nevernoti0ed there before@ t >as about the siIe of a >afer >hen she first observedit, but it s;eedily -re> as lar-e as the ;alm of her hand, and then she 0ould

;er0eive that it >as red@ The oblon- >hite 0eilin-, >ith this s0arlet blot inthe midst, had the a;;earan0e of a -i-anti0 a0e of hearts@

=rs #roo$s had stran-e ualms of mis-ivin-@ 2he -ot u;on the table,and tou0hed the s;ot in the 0eilin- >ith her fin-ers@ t >as dam;, and shefan0ied that it >as a blood stain@

Des0endin- from the table, she left the ;arlour, and >ent u;stairs,intendin- to enter the room overhead, >hi0h >as the bed0hamber at the ba0$of the dra>in-4room@ #ut, nerveless >oman as she had no> be0ome, she

0ould not brin- herself to attem;t the handle@ 2he listened@ The dead silen0e>ithin >as bro$en only by a re-ular beat@

Dri;, dri;, dri;@

=rs #roo$s hastened do>nstairs, o;ened the front door, and ran into thestreet@ A man she $ne>, one of the >or$men em;loyed at an ad?oinin- villa,>as ;assin- by, and she be--ed him to 0ome in and -o u;stairs >ith herC shefeared somethin- had ha;;ened to one of her lod-ers@ The >or$manassented, and follo>ed her to the landin-@

2he o;ened the door of the dra>in-4room, and stood ba0$ for him to ;ass in, enterin- herself behind him@ The room >as em;tyC the brea$fast asubstantial re;ast of 0offee, e--s, and a 0old ham lay s;read u;on the tableuntou0hed, as >hen she had ta$en it u;, e 0e;tin- that the 0arvin-4$nife >asmissin-@ 2he as$ed the man to -o throu-h the foldin-4doors into thead?oinin- room@

He o;ened the doors, entered a ste; or t>o, and 0ame ba0$ almostinstantly >ith a ri-id fa0e@ B=y -ood 7od, the -entleman in bed is dead thin$ he has been hurt >ith a $nife a lot of blood had run do>n u;on thefloor B

The alarm >as soon -iven, and the house >hi0h had lately been so uietresounded >ith the tram; of many footste;s, a sur-eon amon- the rest@ The>ound >as small, but the ;oint of the blade had tou0hed the heart of thevi0tim, >ho lay on his ba0$, ;ale, fi ed, dead, as if he had s0ar0ely moved



after the infli0tion of the blo>@ n a uarter of an hour the ne>s that a-entleman >ho >as a tem;orary visitor to the to>n had been stabbed in his

bed, s;read throu-h every street and villa of the ;o;ular >aterin-4;la0e@

=ean>hile An-el /lare had >al$ed automati0ally alon- the >ay by>hi0h he had 0ome, and, enterin- his hotel, sat do>n over the brea$fast,starin- at nothin-ness@ He >ent on eatin- and drin$in- un0ons0iously till ona sudden he demanded his billC havin- ;aid >hi0h, he too$ his dressin-4ba-in his hand, the only lu--a-e he had brou-ht >ith him, and >ent out@

At the moment of his de;arture a tele-ram >as handed to him a fe>

>ords from his mother, statin- that they >ere -lad to $no> his address, andinformin- him that his brother /uthbert had ;ro;osed to and been a00e;ted by =er0y /hant@

/lare 0rum;led u; the ;a;er and follo>ed the route to the stationCrea0hin- it, he found that there >ould be no train leavin- for an hour andmore@ He sat do>n to >ait, and havin- >aited a uarter of an hour felt thathe 0ould >ait there no lon-er@ #ro$en in heart and numbed, he had nothin-to hurry forC but he >ished to -et out of a to>n >hi0h had been the s0ene ofsu0h an e ;erien0e, and turned to >al$ to the first station on>ard, and let the

train ;i0$ him u; there@

The hi-h>ay that he follo>ed >as o;en, and at a little distan0e di;;edinto a valley, a0ross >hi0h it 0ould be seen runnin- from ed-e to ed-e@ Hehad traversed the -reater ;art of this de;ression, and >as 0limbin- the>estern a00livity >hen, ;ausin- for breath, he un0ons0iously loo$ed ba0$@Why he did so he 0ould not say, but somethin- seemed to im;el him to thea0t@ The ta;e4li$e surfa0e of the road diminished in his rear as far as he 0ouldsee, and as he -aIed a movin- s;ot intruded on the >hite va0uity of its

;ers;e0tive@

t >as a human fi-ure runnin-@ /lare >aited, >ith a dim sense thatsomebody >as tryin- to overta$e him@

The form des0endin- the in0line >as a >oman's, yet so entirely >as hismind blinded to the idea of his >ife's follo>in- him that even >hen she0ame nearer he did not re0o-niIe her under the totally 0han-ed attire in



>hi0h he no> beheld her@ t >as not till she >as uite 0lose that he 0ould believe her to be Tess@

B sa> you turn a>ay from the station ?ust before -ot there and have been follo>in- you all this >ay B

2he >as so ;ale, so breathless, so uiverin- in every mus0le, that he didnot as$ her a sin-le uestion, but seiIin- her hand, and ;ullin- it >ithin hisarm, he led her alon-@ To avoid meetin- any ;ossible >ayfarers he left thehi-h road and too$ a foot;ath under some fir4trees@ When they >ere dee;amon- the moanin- bou-hs he sto;;ed and loo$ed at her in uirin-ly@

BAn-el,B she said, as if >aitin- for this, Bdo you $no> >hat have beenrunnin- after you forE To tell you that have $illed him B A ;itiful >hite

smile lit her fa0e as she s;o$e@BWhat B said he, thin$in- from the stran-eness of her manner that she

>as in some delirium@

B have done it don't $no> ho>,B she 0ontinued@ B2till, o>ed it toyou, and to myself, An-el@ feared lon- a-o, >hen stru0$ him on themouth >ith my -love, that mi-ht do it some day for the tra; he set for mein my sim;le youth, and his >ron- to you throu-h me@ He has 0ome bet>eenus and ruined us, and no> he 0an never do it any more@ never loved him at

all, An-el, as loved you@ Gou $no> it, don't youE Gou believe itE Goudidn't 0ome ba0$ to me, and >as obli-ed to -o ba0$ to him@ Why did you-o a>ay >hy did you >hen loved you soE 0an't thin$ >hy you did it@#ut don't blame youC only, An-el, >ill you for-ive me my sin a-ainst you,no> have $illed himE thou-ht as ran alon- that you >ould be sure tofor-ive me no> have done that@ t 0ame to me as a shinin- li-ht that should -et you ba0$ that >ay@ 0ould not bear the loss of you any lon-er you don't $no> ho> entirely >as unable to bear your not lovin- me 2ayyou do no>, dear, dear husbandC say you do, no> have $illed him B

B do love you, Tess 3, do it is all 0ome ba0$ B he said, ti-htenin-his arms round her >ith fervid ;ressure@ B#ut ho> do you mean you have$illed himEB

B mean that have,B she murmured in a reverie@

BWhat, bodilyE s he deadEB



BGes@ He heard me 0ryin- about you, and he bitterly taunted meC and0alled you by a foul nameC and then did it@ =y heart 0ould not bear it@ Hehad na--ed me about you before@ And then dressed myself and 0ame a>ayto find you@B

#y de-rees he >as in0lined to believe that she had faintly attem;ted, atleast, >hat she said she had doneC and his horror at her im;ulse >as mi ed>ith amaIement at the stren-th of her affe0tion for himself, and at thestran-eness of its uality, >hi0h had a;;arently e tin-uished her moralsense alto-ether@ Unable to realiIe the -ravity of her 0ondu0t, she seemed atlast 0ontentC and he loo$ed at her as she lay u;on his shoulder, >ee;in- >ithha;;iness, and >ondered >hat obs0ure strain in the d'Urberville blood hadled to this aberration if it >ere an aberration@ There momentarily flashedthrou-h his mind that the family tradition of the 0oa0h and murder mi-ht

have arisen be0ause the d'Urbervilles had been $no>n to do these thin-s@ As>ell as his 0onfused and e 0ited ideas 0ould reason, he su;;osed that in themoment of mad -rief of >hi0h she s;o$e, her mind had lost its balan0e, and

;lun-ed her into this abyss@

t >as very terrible if trueC if a tem;orary hallu0ination, sad@ #ut,anyho>, here >as this deserted >ife of his, this ;assionately4fond >oman,0lin-in- to him >ithout a sus;i0ion that he >ould be anythin- to her but a

;rote0tor@ He sa> that for him to be other>ise >as not, in her mind, >ithinthe re-ion of the ;ossible@ Tenderness >as absolutely dominant in /lare atlast@ He $issed her endlessly >ith his >hite li;s, and held her hand, and said

B >ill not desert you >ill ;rote0t you by every means in my ;o>er,dearest love, >hatever you may have done or not have done B

They then >al$ed on under the trees, Tess turnin- her head every no>and then to loo$ at him@ Worn and unhandsome as he had be0ome, it >as

;lain that she did not dis0ern the least fault in his a;;earan0e@ To her he >as,as of old, all that >as ;erfe0tion, ;ersonally and mentally@ He >as still herAntinous, her A;ollo evenC his si0$ly fa0e >as beautiful as the mornin- toher affe0tionate re-ard on this day no less than >hen she first beheld himCfor >as it not the fa0e of the one man on earth >ho had loved her ;urely, and>ho had believed in her as ;ure



With an instin0t as to ;ossibilities, he did not no>, as he had intended,ma$e for the first station beyond the to>n, but ;lun-ed still farther under thefirs, >hi0h here abounded for miles@ .a0h 0las;in- the other round the >aistthey ;romenaded over the dry bed of fir4needles, thro>n into a va-ueinto i0atin- atmos;here at the 0ons0iousness of bein- to-ether at last, >ithno livin- soul bet>een themC i-norin- that there >as a 0or;se@ Thus they

;ro0eeded for several miles till Tess, arousin- herself, loo$ed about her, andsaid, timidly

BAre >e -oin- any>here in ;arti0ularEB

B don't $no>, dearest@ WhyEB

B don't $no>@B

BWell, >e mi-ht >al$ a fe> miles further, and >hen it is evenin- findlod-in-s some>here or other in a lonely 0otta-e, ;erha;s@ /an you >al$>ell, TessyEB

B3 yes 0ould >al$ for ever and ever >ith your arm round me B

U;on the >hole it seemed a -ood thin- to do@ Thereu;on theyui0$ened their ;a0e, avoidin- hi-h roads, and follo>in- obs0ure ;aths

tendin- more or less north>ard@ #ut there >as an un;ra0ti0al va-ueness in

their movements throu-hout the dayC neither one of them seemed to 0onsiderany uestion of effe0tual es0a;e, dis-uise, or lon- 0on0ealment@ Their everyidea >as tem;orary and unforefendin-, li$e the ;lans of t>o 0hildren@

At mid4day they dre> near to a roadside inn, and Tess >ould haveentered it >ith him to -et somethin- to eat, but he ;ersuaded her to remainamon- the trees and bushes of this half4>oodland, half4moorland ;art of the0ountry till he should 0ome ba0$@ Her 0lothes >ere of re0ent fashionC eventhe ivory4handled ;arasol that she 0arried >as of a sha;e un$no>n in theretired s;ot to >hi0h they had no> >anderedC and the 0ut of su0h arti0les>ould have attra0ted attention in the settle of a tavern@ He soon returned,>ith food enou-h for half4a4doIen ;eo;le and t>o bottles of >ine enou-hto last them for a day or more, should any emer-en0y arise@

They sat do>n u;on some dead bou-hs and shared their meal@ #et>eenone and t>o o'0lo0$ they ;a0$ed u; the remainder and >ent on a-ain@



B feel stron- enou-h to >al$ any distan0e,B said she@

B thin$ >e may as >ell steer in a -eneral >ay to>ards the interior of the0ountry, >here >e 0an hide for a time, and are less li$ely to be loo$ed forthan any>here near the 0oast,B /lare remar$ed@ B ater on, >hen they havefor-otten us, >e 0an ma$e for some ;ort@B

2he made no re;ly to this beyond that of -ras;in- him more ti-htly, andstrai-ht inland they >ent@ Thou-h the season >as an .n-lish =ay, the>eather >as serenely bri-ht, and durin- the afternoon it >as uite >arm@Throu-h the latter miles of their >al$ their foot;ath had ta$en them into thede;ths of the 8e> Forest, and to>ards evenin-, turnin- the 0orner of a lane,they ;er0eived behind a broo$ and brid-e a lar-e board on >hi0h >as

;ainted in >hite letters, BThis desirable =ansion to be et FurnishedBC

;arti0ulars follo>in-, >ith dire0tions to a;;ly to some ondon a-ents@Passin- throu-h the -ate they 0ould see the house, an old bri0$ buildin- ofre-ular desi-n and lar-e a00ommodation@

B $no> it,B said /lare@ B t is #ramshurst /ourt@ Gou 0an see that it isshut u;, and -rass is -ro>in- on the drive@B

B2ome of the >indo>s are o;en,B said Tess@

B(ust to air the rooms, su;;ose@B

BAll these rooms em;ty, and >e >ithout a roof to our heads B

BGou are -ettin- tired, my Tess B he said@ BWe'll sto; soon@B And$issin- her sad mouth, he a-ain led her on>ards@

He >as -ro>in- >eary li$e>ise, for they had >andered a doIen orfifteen miles, and it be0ame ne0essary to 0onsider >hat they should do forrest@ They loo$ed from afar at isolated 0otta-es and little inns, and >erein0lined to a;;roa0h one of the latter, >hen their hearts failed them, and they

sheered off@ At len-th their -ait dra--ed, and they stood still@

B/ould >e slee; under the treesEB she as$ed@

He thou-ht the season insuffi0iently advan0ed@



B have been thin$in- of that em;ty mansion >e ;assed,B he said@ B etus -o ba0$ to>ards it a-ain@B

They retra0ed their ste;s, but it >as half an hour before they stood>ithout the entran0e4-ate as earlier@ He then re uested her to stay >here she>as, >hilst he >ent to see >ho >as >ithin@

2he sat do>n amon- the bushes >ithin the -ate, and /lare 0re;t to>ardsthe house@ His absen0e lasted some 0onsiderable time, and >hen he returnedTess >as >ildly an ious, not for herself, but for him@ He had found out froma boy that there >as only an old >oman in 0har-e as 0areta$er, and she only0ame there on fine days, from the hamlet near, to o;en and shut the>indo>s@ 2he >ould 0ome to shut them at sunset@ B8o>, >e 0an -et inthrou-h one of the lo>er >indo>s, and rest there,B said he@

Under his es0ort she >ent tardily for>ard to the main front, >hoseshuttered >indo>s, li$e si-htless eyeballs, e 0luded the ;ossibility of>at0hers@ The door >as rea0hed a fe> ste;s further, and one of the >indo>s

beside it >as o;en@ /lare 0lambered in, and ;ulled Tess in after him@

. 0e;t the hall, the rooms >ere all in dar$ness, and they as0ended thestair0ase@ U; here also the shutters >ere ti-htly 0losed, the ventilation bein-

;erfun0torily done, for this day at least, by o;enin- the hall4>indo> in frontand an u;;er >indo> behind@ /lare unlat0hed the door of a lar-e 0hamber,

felt his >ay a0ross it, and ;arted the shutters to the >idth of t>o or threein0hes@ A shaft of daIIlin- sunli-ht -lan0ed into the room, revealin- heavy,old4fashioned furniture, 0rimson damas$ han-in-s, and an enormous four4

;ost bedstead, alon- the head of >hi0h >ere 0arved runnin- fi-ures,a;;arently Atalanta's ra0e@

BRest at last B said he, settin- do>n his ba- and the ;ar0el of viands@

They remained in -reat uietness till the 0areta$er should have 0ome toshut the >indo>s: as a ;re0aution, ;uttin- themselves in total dar$ness by

barrin- the shutters as before, lest the >oman should o;en the door of their0hamber for any 0asual reason@ #et>een si and seven o'0lo0$ she 0ame, butdid not a;;roa0h the >inthey >ere in@ They heard her 0lose the >indo>s,fasten them, lo0$ the door, and -o a>ay@ Then /lare a-ain stole a 0hin$ ofli-ht from the >indo>, and they shared another meal, till by4and4by they>ere envelo;ed in the shades of ni-ht >hi0h they had no 0andle to dis;erse@



The ni-ht >as stran-ely solemn and still@ n the small hours she>his;ered to him the >hole story of ho> he had >al$ed in his slee; >ith herin his arms a0ross the Froom stream, at the imminent ris$ of both their lives,and laid her do>n in the stone 0offin at the ruined abbey@ He had never$no>n of that till no>@

BWhy didn't you tell me ne t dayEB he said@ B t mi-ht have ;reventedmu0h misunderstandin- and >oe@B

BDon't thin$ of >hat's ;ast B said she@ B am not -oin- to thin$ outsideof no>@ Why should >e Who $no>s >hat to4morro> has in storeEB

#ut it a;;arently had no sorro>@ The mornin- >as >et and fo--y, and/lare, ri-htly informed that the 0areta$er only o;ened the >indo>s on finedays, ventured to 0ree; out of their 0hamber and e ;lore the house, leavin-Tess aslee;@ There >as no food on the ;remises, but there >as >ater, and hetoo$ advanta-e of the fo- to emer-e from the mansion and fet0h tea, bread,and butter from a sho; in a little ;la0e t>o miles beyond, as also a small tin$ettle and s;irit4lam;, that they mi-ht -et fire >ithout smo$e@ His re4entrya>o$e herC and they brea$fasted on >hat he had brou-ht@

They >ere indis;osed to stir abroad, and the day ;assed, and the ni-ht

follo>in-, and the ne t, and ne tC till, almost >ithout their bein- a>are, fivedays had sli;;ed by in absolute se0lusion, not a si-ht or sound of a human

bein- disturbin- their ;ea0efulness, su0h as it >as@ The 0han-es of the>eather >ere their only events, the birds of the 8e> Forest their only0om;any@ #y ta0it 0onsent they hardly on0e s;o$e of any in0ident of the ;astsubse uent to their >eddin-4day@ The -loomy intervenin- time seemed tosin$ into 0haos, over >hi0h the ;resent and ;rior times 0losed as if it neverhad been@ Whenever he su--ested that they should leave their shelter, and -ofor>ards to>ards 2outham;ton or ondon, she sho>ed a stran-eun>illin-ness to move@

BWhy should >e ;ut an end to all that's s>eet and lovely B shede;re0ated@ BWhat must 0ome >ill 0ome@B And, loo$inthrou-h the shutter40hin$: BAll is trouble outside thereC inside here 0ontent@B

He ;ee;ed out also@ t >as uite trueC >ithin >as affe0tion, union, errorfor-iven: outside >as the ine orable@



BAnd and,B she said, ;ressin- her 0hee$ a-ainst his, B fear that >hatyou thin$ of me no> may not last@ do not >ish to outlive your ;resentfeelin- for me@ >ould rather not@ >ould rather be dead and buried >henthe time 0omes for you to des;ise me, so that it may never be $no>n to methat you des;ised me@B

B 0annot ever des;ise you@B

B also ho;e that@ #ut 0onsiderin- >hat my life has been, 0annot see>hy any man should, sooner or later, be able to hel; des;isin- me@ J Ho>>i0$edly mad >as Get formerly never 0ould bear to hurt a fly or a >orm,and the si-ht of a bird in a 0a-e used often to ma$e me 0ry@B

They remained yet another day@ n the ni-ht the dull s$y 0leared, and the

result >as that the old 0areta$er at the 0otta-e a>o$e early@ The brilliantsunrise made her unusually bris$C she de0ided to o;en the 0onti-uousmansion immediately, and to air it thorou-hly on su0h a day@ Thus ito00urred that, havin- arrived and o;ened the lo>er rooms before si o'0lo0$,she as0ended to the bed0hambers, and >as about to turn the handle of theone >herein they lay@ At that moment she fan0ied she 0ould hear the

breathin- of ;ersons >ithin@ Her sli;;ers and her anti uity had rendered her ;ro-ress a noiseless one so far, and she made for instant retreatC then,deemin- that her hearin- mi-ht have de0eived her, she turned ane> to thedoor and softly tried the handle@ The lo0$ >as out of order, but a ;ie0e offurniture had been moved for>ard on the inside, >hi0h ;revented hero;enin- the door more than an in0h or t>o@ A stream of mornin- li-htthrou-h the shutter40hin$ fell u;on the fa0es of the ;air, >ra;;ed in

;rofound slumber, Tess's li;s bein- ;arted li$e a half4o;ened flo>er near his0hee$@ The 0areta$er >as so stru0$ >ith their inno0ent a;;earan0e, and >iththe ele-an0e of Tess's -o>n han-in- a0ross a 0hair, her sil$ sto0$in-s besideit, the ;retty ;arasol, and the other habits in >hi0h she had arrived be0auseshe had none else, that her first indi-nation at the effrontery of tram;s andva-abonds -ave >ay to a momentary sentimentality over this -enteel

elo;ement, as it seemed@ 2he 0losed the door, and >ithdre> as softly as shehad 0ome, to -o and 0onsult >ith her nei-hbours on the odd dis0overy@

8ot more than a minute had ela;sed after her >ithdra>al >hen Tess>o$e, and then /lare@ #oth had a sense that somethin- had disturbed them,thou-h they 0ould not say >hatC and the uneasy feelin- >hi0h it en-endered



-re> stron-er@ As soon as he >as dressed he narro>ly s0anned the la>nthrou-h the t>o or three in0hes of shutter40hin$@

B thin$ >e >ill leave at on0e,B said he@ B t is a fine day@ And 0annothel; fan0yin- somebody is about the house@ At any rate, the >oman >ill besure to 0ome to4day@B

2he ;assively assented, and ;uttin- the room in order, they too$ u; thefe> arti0les that belon-ed to them, and de;arted noiselessly@ When they had-ot into the Forest she turned to ta$e a last loo$ at the house@

BAh, ha;;y house -oodbye B she said@ B=y life 0an only be a uestionof a fe> >ee$s@ Why should >e not have stayed thereEB

BDon't say it, Tess We shall soon -et out of this distri0t alto-ether@We'll 0ontinue our 0ourse as >e've be-un it, and $ee; strai-ht north@ 8obody>ill thin$ of loo$in- for us there@ We shall be loo$ed for at the Wesse ;ortsif >e are sou-ht at all@ When >e are in the north >e >ill -et to a ;ort anda>ay@B

Havin- thus ;ersuaded her, the ;lan >as ;ursued, and they $e;t a bee4line north>ard@ Their lon- re;ose at the manor4house lent them >al$in-

;o>er no>C and to>ards mid4day they found that they >ere a;;roa0hin- thestee;led 0ity of =el0hester, >hi0h lay dire0tly in their >ay@ He de0ided to

rest her in a 0lum; of trees durin- the afternoon, and ;ush on>ard under0over of dar$ness@ At dus$ /lare ;ur0hased food as usual, and their ni-htmar0h be-an, the boundary bet>een U;;er and =id4Wesse bein- 0rossedabout ei-ht o'0lo0$@

To >al$ a0ross 0ountry >ithout mu0h re-ard to roads >as not ne> toTess, and she sho>ed her old a-ility in the ;erforman0e@ The inter0e;tin-0ity, an0ient =el0hester, they >ere obli-ed to ;ass throu-h in order to ta$eadvanta-e of the to>n brid-e for 0rossin- a lar-e river that obstru0ted them@

t >as about midni-ht >hen they >ent alon- the deserted streets, li-htedfitfully by the fe> lam;s, $ee;in- off the ;avement that it mi-ht not e0hotheir footste;s@ The -ra0eful ;ile of 0athedral ar0hite0ture rose dimly on theirleft hand, but it >as lost u;on them no>@ 3n0e out of the to>n they follo>edthe turn;i$e4road, >hi0h after a fe> miles ;lun-ed a0ross an o;en ;lain@

Thou-h the s$y >as dense >ith 0loud, a diffused li-ht from somefra-ment of a moon had hitherto hel;ed them a little@ #ut the moon had no>



sun$, the 0louds seemed to settle almost on their heads, and the ni-ht -re>as dar$ as a 0ave@ Ho>ever, they found their >ay alon-, $ee;inas mu0h onthe turf as ;ossible that their tread mi-ht not resound, >hi0h it >as easy todo, there bein- no hed-e or fen0e of any $ind@ All around >as o;enloneliness and bla0$ solitude, over >hi0h a stiff breeIe ble>@

They had ;ro0eeded thus -ro;in-ly t>o or three miles further >hen on asudden /lare be0ame 0ons0ious of some vast ere0tion 0lose in his front,risin- sheer from the -rass@ They had almost stru0$ themselves a-ainst it@

BWhat monstrous ;la0e is thisEB said An-el@

B t hums,B said she@ BHear$en B

He listened@ The >ind, ;layin- u;on the edifi0e, ;rodu0ed a boomin-tune, li$e the note of some -i-anti0 one4strin-ed har;@ 8o other sound 0amefrom it, and liftin- his hand and advan0in- a ste; or t>o, /lare felt theverti0al surfa0e of the stru0ture@ t seemed to be of solid stone, >ithout ?ointor mouldin-@ /arryin- his fin-ers on>ard he found that >hat he had 0ome in0onta0t >ith >as a 0olossal re0tan-ular ;illarC by stret0hin- out his left handhe 0ould feel a similar one ad?oinin-@ At an indefinite hei-ht overheadsomethin- made the bla0$ s$y bla0$er, >hi0h had the semblan0e of a vastar0hitrave unitin- the ;illars horiIontally@ They 0arefully entered beneathand bet>eenC the surfa0es e0hoed their soft rustleC but they seemed to be still

out of doors@ The ;la0e >as roofless@ Tess dre> her breath fearfully, andAn-el, ;er;le ed, said

BWhat 0an it beEB

Feelin- side>ays they en0ountered another to>er4li$e ;illar, s uare andun0om;romisin- as the firstC beyond it another and another@ The ;la0e >asall doors and ;illars, some 0onne0ted above by 0ontinuous ar0hitraves@

BA very Tem;le of the Winds,B he said@

The ne t ;illar >as isolatedC others 0om;osed a trilithonC others >ere ;rostrate, their flan$s formin- a 0ause>ay >ide enou-h for a 0arria-eC and it>as soon obvious that they made u; a forest of monoliths -rou;ed u;on the-rassy e ;anse of the ;lain@ The 0ou;le advan0ed further into this ;avilionof the ni-ht till they stood in its midst@



B t is 2tonehen-e B said /lare@

BThe heathen tem;le, you meanEB

BGes@ 3lder than the 0enturiesC older than the d'Urbervilles Well, >hatshall >e do, darlin-E We may find shelter further on@B

#ut Tess, really tired by this time, flun- herself u;on an oblon- slab thatlay 0lose at hand, and >as sheltered from the >ind by a ;illar@ 3>in- to thea0tion of the sun durin- the ;re0edin- day, the stone >as >arm and dry, in0omfortin- 0ontrast to the rou-h and 0hill -rass around, >hi0h had dam;edher s$irts and shoes@

B don't >ant to -o any further, An-el,B she said, stret0hin- out her handfor his@ B/an't >e bide hereEB

B fear not@ This s;ot is visible for miles by day, althou-h it does notseem so no>@B

B3ne of my mother's ;eo;le >as a she;herd hereabouts, no> thin$ ofit@ And you used to say at Talbothays that >as a heathen@ 2o no> am athome@B

He $nelt do>n beside her outstret0hed form, and ;ut his li;s u;on hers@

B2lee;y are you, dearE thin$ you are lyin- on an altar@B

B li$e very mu0h to be here,B she murmured@ B t is so solemn and lonely after my -reat ha;;iness >ith nothin- but the s$y above my fa0e@ tseems as if there >ere no fol$ in the >orld but >e t>oC and >ish there >erenot e 0e;t ' iIa4 u@B

/lare thou-h she mi-ht as >ell rest here till it should -et a little li-hter,and he flun- his over0oat u;on her, and sat do>n by her side@

BAn-el, if anythin- ha;;ens to me, >ill you >at0h over ' iIa4 u for mysa$eEB she as$ed, >hen they had listened a lon- time to the >ind amon- the

;illars@

B >ill@B



B2he is so -ood and sim;le and ;ure@ 3, An-el >ish you >ouldmarry her if you lose me, as you >ill do shortly@ 3, if you >ould B

B f lose you lose all And she is my sister4in4la>@B

BThat's nothin-, dearest@ Peo;le marry sister4la>s 0ontinually about=arlottC and ' iIa4 u is so -entle and s>eet, and she is -ro>in- so beautiful@3, 0ould share you >ith her >illin-ly >hen >e are s;irits f you >ouldtrain her and tea0h her, An-el, and brin- her u; for your o>n self J 2hehad all the best of me >ithout the bad of meC and if she >ere to be0omeyours it >ould almost seem as if death had not divided usJ Well, havesaid it@ >on't mention it a-ain@B

2he 0eased, and he fell into thou-ht@ n the far north4east s$y he 0ould

see bet>een the ;illars a level strea$ of li-ht@ The uniform 0on0avity of bla0$ 0loud >as liftin- bodily li$e the lid of a ;ot, lettin- in at the earth'sed-e the 0omin- day, a-ainst >hi0h the to>erin- monoliths and trilithons

be-an to be bla0$ly defined@

BDid they sa0rifi0e to 7od hereEB as$ed she@

B8o,B said he@

BWho toEB

B believe to the sun@ That lofty stone set a>ay by itself is in thedire0tion of the sun, >hi0h >ill ;resently rise behind it@B

BThis reminds me, dear,B she said@ BGou remember you never >ouldinterfere >ith any belief of mine before >e >ere marriedE #ut $ne> yourmind all the same, and thou-ht as you thou-ht not from any reasons ofmy o>n, but be0ause you thou-ht so@ Tell me no>, An-el, do you thin$ >eshall meet a-ain after >e are deadE >ant to $no>@B

He $issed her to avoid a re;ly at su0h a time@

B3, An-el fear that means no B said she, >ith a su;;ressed sob@ BAnd >anted so to see you a-ain so mu0h, so mu0h What not even you and, An-el, >ho love ea0h other so >ellEB



i$e a -reater than himself, to the 0riti0al uestion at the 0riti0al time hedid not ans>erC and they >ere a-ain silent@ n a minute or t>o her breathin-

be0ame more re-ular, her 0las; of his hand rela ed, and she fell aslee;@ The band of silver ;aleness alon- the east horiIon made even the distant ;arts ofthe 7reat Plain a;;ear dar$ and nearC and the >hole enormous lands0a;e

bore that im;ress of reserve, ta0iturnity, and hesitation >hi0h is usual ?ust before day@ The east>ard ;illars and their ar0hitraves stood u; bla0$lya-ainst the li-ht, and the -reat flame4sha;ed 2un4stone beyond themC and the2tone of 2a0rifi0e mid>ay@ Presently the ni-ht >ind died out, and the

uiverin- little ;ools in the 0u;4li$e hollo>s of the stones lay still@ At thesame time somethin- seemed to move on the ver-e of the di; east>ard amere dot@ t >as the head of a man a;;roa0hin- them from the hollo>

beyond the 2un4stone@ /lare >ished they had -one on>ard, but in the0ir0umstan0es de0ided to remain uiet@ The fi-ure 0ame strai-ht to>ards the

0ir0le of ;illars in >hi0h they >ere@

He heard somethin- behind him, the brush of feet@ Turnin-, he sa> overthe ;rostrate 0olumns another fi-ureC then before he >as a>are, another >asat hand on the ri-ht, under a trilithon, and another on the left@ The da>nshone full on the front of the man >est>ard, and /lare 0ould dis0ern fromthis that he >as tall, and >al$ed as if trained@ They all 0losed in >ith evident

;ur;ose@ Her story then >as true 2;rin-in- to his feet, he loo$ed around fora >ea;on, loose stone, means of es0a;e, anythin-@ #y this time the nearestman >as u;on him@

B t is no use, sir,B he said@ BThere are si teen of us on the Plain, and the>hole 0ountry is reared@B

B et her finish her slee; B he im;lored in a >his;er of the men as they-athered round@

When they sa> >here she lay, >hi0h they had not done till then, theysho>ed no ob?e0tion, and stood >at0hin- her, as still as the ;illars around@He >ent to the stone and bent over her, holdin- one ;oor little handC her

breathin- no> >as ui0$ and small, li$e that of a lesser 0reature than a>oman@ All >aited in the -ro>in- li-ht, their fa0es and hands as if they >eresilvered, the remainder of their fi-ures dar$, the stones -listenin- -reen4-ray, the Plain still a mass of shade@ 2oon the li-ht >as stron-, and a rayshone u;on her un0ons0ious form, ;eerin- under her eyelids and >a$inher@



BWhat is it, An-elEB she said, startin- u;@ BHave they 0ome for meEB

BGes, dearest,B he said@ BThey have 0ome@B

B t is as it should be,B she murmured@ BAn-el, am almost -lad yes,-lad This ha;;iness 0ould not have lasted@ t >as too mu0h@ have hadenou-hC and no> shall not live for you to des;ise me B

2he stood u;, shoo$ herself, and >ent for>ard, neither of the menhavin- moved@

B am ready,B she said uietly@

<

The 0ity of Winton0ester, that fine old 0ity, aforetime 0a;ital of Wesse ,lay amidst its 0onve and 0on0ave do>nlands in all the bri-htness and>armth of a (uly mornin-@ The -abled bri0$, tile, and freestone houses hadalmost dried off for the season their inte-ument of li0hen, the streams in themeado>s >ere lo>, and in the slo;in- Hi-h 2treet, from the West 7ate>ayto the medi val 0ross, and from the medi val 0ross to the brid-e, thatleisurely dustin- and s>ee;in- >as in ;ro-ress >hi0h usually ushers in anold4fashioned mar$et4day@

From the >estern -ate aforesaid the hi-h>ay, as every Winton0estrian$no>s, as0ends a lon- and re-ular in0line of the e a0t len-th of a measuredmile, leavin- the houses -radually behind@ U; this road from the ;re0in0ts ofthe 0ity t>o ;ersons >ere >al$in- ra;idly, as if un0ons0ious of the tryin-as0ent un0ons0ious throu-h ;reo00u;ation and not throu-h buoyan0y@They had emer-ed u;on this road throu-h a narro>, barred >i0$et in a hi-h>all a little lo>er do>n@ They seemed an ious to -et out of the si-ht of thehouses and of their $ind, and this road a;;eared to offer the ui0$est meansof doin- so@ Thou-h they >ere youn-, they >al$ed >ith bo>ed heads, >hi0h-ait of -rief the sun's rays smiled on ;itilessly@

3ne of the ;air >as An-el /lare, the other a tall buddin- 0reature half-irl, half >oman a s;iritualiIed ima-e of Tess, sli-hter than she, but >iththe same beautiful eyes /lare's sister4in4la>, ' iIa4 u@ Their ;ale fa0esseemed to have shrun$ to half their natural siIe@ They moved on hand in



hand, and never s;o$e a >ord, the droo;in- of their heads bein- that of7iotto's BT>o A;ostlesB@

When they had nearly rea0hed the to; of the -reat West Hill the 0lo0$sin the to>n stru0$ ei-ht@ .a0h -ave a start at the notes, and, >al$in- on>ardyet a fe> ste;s, they rea0hed the first milestone, standin- >hitely on the-reen mar-in of the -rass, and ba0$ed by the do>n, >hi0h here >as o;en tothe road@ They entered u;on the turf, and, im;elled by a for0e that seemed tooverrule their >ill, suddenly stood still, turned, and >aited in ;aralyIedsus;ense beside the stone@

The ;ros;e0t from this summit >as almost unlimited@ n the valley beneath lay the 0ity they had ?ust left, its more ;rominent buildin-s sho>in-as in an isometri0 dra>in- amon- them the broad 0athedral to>er, >ith its

8orman >indo>s and immense len-th of aisle and nave, the s;ires of 2tThomas's, the ;inna0led to>er of the /olle-e, and, more to the ri-ht, theto>er and -ables of the an0ient hos;i0e, >here to this day the ;il-rim mayre0eive his dole of bread and ale@ #ehind the 0ity s>e;t the rotund u;land of2t /atherine's HillC further off, lands0a;e beyond lands0a;e, till the horiIon>as lost in the radian0e of the sun han-in- above it@

A-ainst these far stret0hes of 0ountry rose, in front of the other 0ityedifi0es, a lar-e red4bri0$ buildin-, >ith level -ray roofs, and ro>s of short

barred >indo>s bes;ea$in- 0a;tivity, the >hole 0ontrastin- -reatly by itsformalism >ith the uaint irre-ularities of the 7othi0 ere0tions@ t >assome>hat dis-uised from the road in ;assin- it by ye>s and ever-reen oa$s,

but it >as visible enou-h u; here@ The >i0$et from >hi0h the ;air had latelyemer-ed >as in the >all of this stru0ture@ From the middle of the buildin- anu-ly flat4to;;ed o0ta-onal to>er as0ended a-ainst the east horiIon, andvie>ed from this s;ot, on its shady side and a-ainst the li-ht, it seemed theone blot on the 0ity's beauty@ Get it >as >ith this blot, and not >ith the

beauty, that the t>o -aIers >ere 0on0erned@

U;on the 0orni0e of the to>er a tall staff >as fi ed@ Their eyes >ereriveted on it@ A fe> minutes after the hour had stru0$ somethin- movedslo>ly u; the staff, and e tended itself u;on the breeIe@ t >as a bla0$ fla-@

B(usti0eB >as done, and the President of the mmortals, in Aes0hylean ;hrase, had ended his s;ort >ith Tess@ And the d'Urberville $ni-hts anddames sle;t on in their tombs un$no>in-@ The t>o s;ee0hless -aIers bent



themselves do>n to the earth, as if in ;rayer, and remained thus a lon- time,absolutely motionless: the fla- 0ontinued to >ave silently@ As soon as theyhad stren-th, they arose, ?oined hands a-ain, and >ent on@

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