苔斯

The Maiden

One evening at the end of May a middle-aged man was walking home from Shaston to the village of Marlott in the Vale of Blackmoor His legs were thin and weak and he could not walk in a straight line He had an empty egg-basket on his arm and his hat was old and worn After a while he passed an elderly parson riding a grey horse

Good night said the man with the basket

Good night Sir John said the parson

After another step or two the man stopped and turned round to speak to the parson

Now sir last market-day we met on this road at the same time and I said Good night and you answered Good night Sir John as you did just now

I did said the parson

And once before that almost a month ago

I may have

So why do you call me Sir John when I am only John Durbeyfield

The parson rode nearer and after a moment's hesitation explained It was because I've discovered something of historical interest I am Parson Tringham the historian Do you really not know Durbeyfield that you are a direct descendant of the ancient and noble family of the d Urbervilles They descended from Sir Pagan d Urberville who came from Normandy with William the Conqueror in 1066

Never heard that before sir

Well it's true Let me see your face Yes you have the d Urberville nose and chin D Urbervilles have owned land and served their King for hundreds of years There have been many Sir Johns and you could have been Sir John yourself

Well exclaimed the man And how long has this news about me been known Parson Tringham

Nobody knows about it at all said the parson I just happened to discover it last spring when I was trying to find out more about the d Urbervilles and noticed your name in the village

I've got an old silver spoon and an old seal too at home said the man wondering So where do we d Urbervilles live now Parson

You don't live anywhere You have died as a noble family

That's bad So where do we lie

In the churchyard at Kingsbere-sub-Greenhill

And where are our family lands

You haven't any

John Durbeyfield paused And what should I do about it sir

Oh nothing It's a fact of historical interest nothing more Good night

But you'll come and have some beer with me Parson Tringham

No thank you not this evening Durbeyfield You've had enough already The parson rode away half regretting that he had told Durbeyfield of his discovery

Durbeyfield walked on a few steps in a dream then sat down with his basket In a few minutes a boy appeared Durbeyfield called to him

Boy Take this basket I want you to go and do something for me

The boy frowned Who are you John Durbeyfield to order me about and call me boy You know my name as well as I know yours

Do you do you That's the secret Well Fred I don't mind telling you that the secret is that I'm one of a noble family And Durbeyfield lay back comfortably on the grass Sir John d Urberville that's who I am And I've got the family seal to prove it

Now take up the basket and tell them in the village to send a horse and carriage to me immediately Here's a shilling for you

This made a difference to the boy's view of the situation

Yes Sir John Thank you Sir John

As they spoke sounds of music came through the evening air from the village

What's that said Durbeyfield Have they heard my news already

It's the women dancing Sir John

The boy went on his way and Durbeyfield lay waiting in the evening sun Nobody passed by for a long time and he could just hear the faint music in the distance

The village of Marlott lies in the beautiful Vale of Blackmoor Although this valley is only four hours away from London it has not yet been discovered by tourists and artists The best view of the vale is from the hills surrounding it it looks like a map spread out It is a quiet sheltered part of the countryside where the fields are always green and the rivers never dry up To the south lies the great dividing line of hills From here to the coast the hills are open the sun pours down on the huge dry fields the atmosphere is colourless But here in the valley lies a completely different countryside smaller and more delicate The fields are tiny the air makes you sleepy the sky is of the deepest blue Everywhere you can see a rich greenery of grass and trees covering smaller hills and valleys This is the Vale of Blackmoor

And in the village of Marlott following ancient custom the young women gathered to dance every holiday For this May- Day dance all wore white dresses There was a fine handsome girl among them with a red ribbon in her hair As they danced they noticed a carriage go by Durbeyfield lay back in it singing I'm Sir John and I've got a spoon and seal and my family lies at Kingsbere The girl with the ribbon who was called Tess turned red and said quickly to her friends Father's tired that's all The other girls just laughed but stopped when Tess looked unhappy The dancing went on

In the evening the men of the village came to watch and later to join the dancers Three young strangers who were passing by also stopped to look They explained they were brothers on a walking tour The older two continued their walk but the youngest seemed more interested in the girls than his brothers were and stayed to dance with several of them As he left the dance he noticed Tess who seemed a little sad that he had not chosen her He looked back from the road and could still see her in her white dress standing modestly apart from the dancers He wished he had danced with her He wished he had asked her name But it was too late He hurried on to join his brothers

The young stranger had made an impression on Tess But soon worried by her father's strange appearance that afternoon she decided to walk home After the excitement of the dance her parents'small cottage was a depressing sight It was dark inside as they had only one candle The furniture was old and worn There were six children crowded into the tiny space Their mother was doing the washing at the same time as putting the baby to sleep Looking after so many children had aged Joan Durbeyfield but she still showed some of her early prettiness which Tess had inherited

Let me help with the washing mother said Tess gently

Oh Tess I'm glad you've come said her mother There's something I must tell you

Is it anything to do with father making such a fool of himself this afternoon asked Tess frowning

That's all part of the excitement They've discovered we're the oldest family in the whole county going back a long way And our real name is d Urberville Doesn't that make you proud That's why your father rode home in the carriage not because he'd been drinking as people thought

I'm glad of that Will it do us any good mother

Oh yes Great things may come of it No doubt our noble relations will be arriving in their carriages as soon as they find out

Where is father now asked Tess suddenly

Her mother did not answer directly He saw the doctor today you know It's fat round the heart he says That's the cause of his illness He might last ten years might last ten months or days

Tess looked anxious Her father suddenly a great man to die so soon But where is father she asked firmly

Now don't you get angry said Mrs Durbeyfield The poor man was feeling so weak after the news that he went to Rolliver's He needs to build up his strength to deliver the beehives tomorrow remember

Oh my God cried Tess He went to a public house And you agreed to it mother

No I didn't said Mrs Durbeyfield crossly I've been waiting for you to look after the children while I fetch him

Tess knew that her mother greatly looked forwad to these trips to Rolliver's There she could sit by her husband's side among the beer-drinkers and forget that the children existed It was one of the few bright moments in her hardworking life Mrs Durbeyfield went out and Tess was left with the children They were very young and totally dependent on the Durbeyfield couple six helpless creatures who had not asked to be born at all much less to be part of the irresponsible Durbeyfield family

It was eleven o clock before all the family were in bed and two o clock next morning was the latest time to set off with the beehives It was a distance of twenty or thirty miles on bad roads to Casterbridge where the Saturday market was held At half-past one Mrs Durbeyfield came into the bedroom where Tess and all the children slept

The poor man can't go she whispered Tess sat up in bed

But it's late for the bees already We must take them today

Maybe a young man would go asked Mrs Durbeyfield doubtfully One of the ones dancing with you yesterday

Oh no not for the world said Tess proudly And let everybody know the reason I'd be so ashamed I think I could go if little Abraham came with me

Tess and Abraham dressed led out the old horse Prince with the loaded waggon and set off in the dark They cheered themselves up with bread and butter and conversation

Tess said Abraham after a silence

Yes Abraham

Aren't you glad that we're a noble family

Not particularly

But you're glad you're going to marry a gentleman

What said Tess lifting her face

Our noble relations are going to help you marry a gentleman

Me Our noble relations We haven't any Whatever put that into your head

I heard them talking about it at home There's a rich lady of our family out at Trantridge and mother said that if you claimed relationship with her she'd help you marry a gentleman

His sister became suddenly silent Abraham talked on not noticing her lack of attention

Did you say the stars were worlds Tess

Yes

All like ours

They seem like our apples most of them good a few bad

Which do we live on A good one or a bad one

A bad one

If we lived on a good one how would things be different

Well father wouldn't be ill and cough as he does and mother wouldn't always be washing

And you would have been a ready-made rich lady and not have to marry a gentleman

Oh Aby don't don't talk of that any more

Abraham finally went to sleep on the waggon Tess drove the horse Gradually she fell into a dream She could see her father foolish in his pride and the rich gentleman of her mother's imagination laughing at the poor Durbeyfield family

Suddenly she awoke from her dream to noise and violent movement Something terrible had happened She jumped down and discovered that the post carriage speeding along the dark road had driven into her slow and unlighted waggon Poor Prince was seriously hurt and as she watched he fell to the ground

You were on the wrong side said the post driver I must go on with the post but I'll send somebody to help you as soon as I can You'd better stay here with your waggon

He went on his way while Tess stood and waited tears pouring down her cheeks Daylight came Prince lay there unmoving his eyes half open

It's all my fault cried Tess What will mother and father live on now Aby Aby wake up We can't go on with our beehives Prince is dead When Aby realized what had happened his face looked like an old man's

It's because we live on a bad star isn't it Tess he said through his tears

Finally a man arrived with a horse to take the waggon on to Casterbridge to deliver the beehives and then collect Prince on the way back When they got home Tess broke the news to her parents They were not angry with her but she blamed herself completely

When Durbeyfield heard he would only get a few shillings for Prince's dead body he rose to the occasion

We d Urbervilles don't sell our horses for cat's meat he insisted And the following day he worked harder than usual in digging a grave where Prince was buried All the children cried

Has he gone to heaven asked Abraham in tears But Tess did not cry Her face was dry and pale She felt she had murdered a friend

Life now became rather difficult for the Durbeyfields Without Prince to carry loads John Durbeyfield could not buy and sell as he used to He had never worked hard or regularly and now he only occasionally felt like working Tess wondered how she could help her parents One day her mother made a suggestion

It's lucky we've found out about your noble blood Tess Do you know there's a very rich lady called Mrs d Urberville living on the other side of the wood She must be our relation You must go to her and claim relationship with her and ask for same help in our trouble

I wouldn't like to do that said Tess If there is such a lady it would be enough to be friendly We can't expect help from her

You could persuade anybody my dear Besides something else might happen You never know And her mother nodded wisely

I'd rather try to get work said Tess sadly

What do you say Durbeyfield said his wife turning to him

I don't like my children asking for help said he proudly I'm the head of the oldest branch of the family and a noble family like ours shouldn't have to ask for help Tess could not accept his reasons for not going

Well as I killed the horse mother I suppose I ought to go But don't start thinking about her finding a husband for me

Who said I had such an idea asked Joan innocently

I know you mother But I'll go

Next morning Tess walked to Shaston a town she hardly knew and went on by waggon to Trantridge The Vale of Blackmoor was her only world and she had never been far outside the valley All the knowledge she had came from her lessons in the village school which she had left a year or two earlier As soon as she left school she had tried to earn a little money by helping in the fields or milking cows or making butter She blamed her mother for thoughtlessly producing so many children Joan Durbeyfield was like a child herself and never thought about the future It was Tess who worried and worked and felt responsible for her little brothers and sisters So naturally it was Tess who should represent her family at the d Urberville home

From Trantridge she walked up a hill and turning a corner saw the house She stoppd in amazement It was large and almost new a rich red against the green of the bushes around it Behind it lay the woods called The Chase an ancient forest There were greenhouses and well-kept gardens There was no lack of money here Tess hesitated almost frightened

I thought we were an old family she said to herself but this is all new She wished she had not come

She was right in a way All this was owned by the d Urbervilles or the Stoke-d Urbervilles as they called themselves at first The Stokes were a northern business family who took an old-sounding name to add to their own when they moved into the south So Tess was more of a d Urberville than any of them but did not know it

A young man appeared in the garden He looked about twenty-four and was tall and dark with full red lips and a black moustache curled at the ends

Well my beauty what can I do for you he said looking interestedly at her I'm Mr d Urberville

It needed all Tess's courage to reply I came to see your mother sir

I'm afraid you can't see her She's ill What do you want to see her about

I I it seems so foolish

Never mind said he kindly I like foolish things Try again my dear

I came sir to tell you we are of the same family as you

Aha Poor relations

Yes

Stokes

No d Urbervilles

Oh yes of course I mean d Urbervilles

We have several proofs that we are d Urbervilles We have an old silver spoon and a seal at home But mother uses the spoon to stir the soup Mother said we ought to tell you as we are the oldest branch of the family and we've lost our horse in an accident

Very kind of your mother said Alec d Urberville and I certainly don't regret it He looked admiringly at Tess whose face blushed a deep pink And so you've come on a friendly visit

I suppose I have murmured Tess looking uncomfortable

Let us walk round the gardens until you have to go home my pretty cousin Tess wanted to leave as soon as possible but the young man insisted He took her to the greenhouses

Do you like strawberries he asked

Yes said Tess when they are ready

These are ready now and so saying d Urberville picked one and held it to her mouth

No no she said I'd rather take it myself

But Alec put it into her mouth He put roses into her hair and filled her basket with strawberries and flowers He gave her food to eat and watched her while he quietly smoked a cigarette She looked more adult and womanly than she really was Alec could not take his eyes off her She did not know as she smiled innocently at the flowers that behind the cigarette smoke was the cause of future sorrow in her life

What is your name asked Alec

Tess Durbeyfield We live at Marlott

I must see if my mother can find a place for you They said goodbye and she set off home carrying her strawberries and flowers

This then was the beginning Why did she have to meet the wrong man and one who was so strongly attracted to her Yet to the right man she was only a half-forgotten impression from an evening's dancing in a country field In life the right man to love hardly ever comes at the right time for loving Nature does not often answer a call for love until the caller is tired of calling In this case as in millions it was not the two halves of a perfect whole who met A missing half wandered somewhere else arriving much later This delay was to have tragic results

When Tess arrived home the following afternoon a letter had already been received by her mother It appeared to come from Mrs d Urberville and offered Tess work looking after chickens Joan Durbeyfield was delighted

It's just a way of getting you there without raising your hopes She's going to recognize you as family I'm sure of it

I would rather stay here with father and you said Tess looking out of the window

But why

I'd rather not tell you mother I don't really know

A few days later when Tess came back from looking for work the children came running out and danced round her

The gentleman's been here they shouted

Joan was full of smiles Mrs d Urberville's son had called and asked if Tess could come or not

He's a very handsome man said Mrs Durbeyfield

I don't think so said Tess coldly I'll think it over She left the room

He's in love with her you can see that said Mrs Durbeyfield to her husband No doubt he'll marry her and she'll be a fine lady

John Durbeyfield had more pride in his new-found blood than energy or health That's what young Mr d Urberville is trying to do Improve his blood by marrying into the old line

Persuaded by her mother and the children Tess finally agreed to go Mrs Durbeyfield secretly made wedding plans Then the day came when Tess wearing her best Sunday clothes on her mother's orders said goodbye to her family

Goodbye my girl said Sir John waking from a short sleep Tell young d Urberville I'll sell him the title yes sell it at a reasonable price

Not for less than a thousand pounds cried Lady Durbeyfield

No tell him he can have it for a hundred No fifty no twenty Yes twenty pounds that's the lowest Family honour is family honour and I won't take any less

Tess felt like crying but turned quickly and went out Her mother went with her to the edge of the village There she stopped and stood waving goodbye and watched her daughter walking away into the distance A waggon came to take her bags and then a fashionable little carriage appeared It was driven by a well-dressed young man smoking a cigar After a moment's hesitation Tess stepped in

Joan Durbeyfield watching wondered for the first time if she had been right in encouraging Tess to go That night she said to her husband Perhaps I should have found out how the gentleman really feels about her

Yes perhaps you ought murmured John half asleep Joan's natural trust in the future came back to her

Well if he doesn't marry her before he'll marry her after If she plays her cards right

If he knows about her d Urberville blood you mean

No stupid if she shows him her pretty face

Meanwhile Alec d Urberville was whipping his horse and driving the carriage faster and faster downhill The trees rushed past at great speed Tess was feeling thoroughly frightened He took no notice when she asked him to slow down She cried out and held on to his arm in fear

Don't touch my arm hold on to my waist he shouted At the top of another hill he said laughing Put your arms around me again my beauty

Never said Tess independently

Let me give you one little kiss Tess and I'll stop

Will nothing else do cried Tess in despair Oh very well

As they raced on he was on the point of kissing her when she suddenly moved aside so that he almost fell off

I'll break both our necks he swore passionately

I thought you would be kind to me said Tess her eyes filling with tears I don't want to kiss anybody

But he insisted so in the end she sat still and d Urberville kissed her No sooner had he done so than she wiped the place on her cheek with her handkerchief Just then her hat blew off into the road and d Urberville stopped the horse Tess jumped down to get it then turned triumphantly to Alec

I shall walk from here she said firmly

But it's five or six miles more

I don't care

You made that hat blow off on purpose You did didn't you

She was silent He swore angrily at her

Don't use such bad words cried Tess I shall go back to mother I hate you

D Urberville suddenly started laughing

Look I promise never to do that again he said Come let me take you in the carriage

But she refused and began to walk in the direction of Trantridge So they progressed slowly d Urberville driving the carriage beside Tess

The chickens for which Tess was responsible lived in an old cottage on Mrs d Urberville's land On her first day Tess had to take some of the chickens to show to their owner She immediately realized the old lady was blind Mrs d Urberville held each bird and felt it carefully to see that it was in good health At the end she suddenly asked Tess a question

Can you whistle

Whistle Ma am

Yes whistle tunes I want you to practise and whistle to my birds every day

Yes Ma am

Tess was not surprised at Mrs d Urberville's cold manner and did not expect any more of such a great lady However she did not realize that the old lady had never even heard about the family connection

Tess began to enjoy her new work with the chickens and the next day in the cottage garden she decided to practise whistling as instructed She was shocked to find that she had completely forgotten how to whistle Suddenly she noticed a movement behind a tree near the wall It was Alec d Urberville

Well cousin Tess he said I've never seen such a beautiful thing as you I've been watching you from over the wall Look I can give you a lesson or two

Oh no you won't cried Tess going back towards the door

Don't worry I won't touch you Just look and he showed her how to whistle From that moment Tess found she could whistle tunes to the birds just as Mrs d Urberville wanted And as the weeks passed she often met d Urberville in the garden and began to lose her shyness of him

Every Saturday night the other farm workers from the surrounding area used to go to drink and dance in the market town two or three miles away On Sundays they would sleep late For a long time Tess did not go with them But after a while she wanted a change from her routine and began to go on the weekly trips regularly She always came home with the others at night preferring the protection of being in a group One Saturday night she was in the town looking for her companions as it was time to go home when she met Alec d Urberville

What my beauty Here so late he said smiling at her

I'm just waiting for my friends she answered

I'll see you again he said as she moved away

She became worried when she realized the workers were still dancing wildly and would not be going home soon Again she caught sight of Alec waiting in a doorway his cigar glowing red in the dark Eventually she joined a group wandering home They had all been drinking but she felt safer with them than alone But after a while she became involved in a quarrel with them and was trying to get away from the angry group when Alec d Urberville rode by He offered to take her home on the back of his horse She hesitatedt then accepted

Together they rode along in the dark Tess holding on to Alec She was very tired every day that week she had got up at five So she did not notice that they were riding off the main road and into The Chase the oldest wood in England It began to get foggy and finally Alec admitted honestly that he was lost

Put me down here sir cried Tess at once Let me walk home from here How wrong of you to bring me away from the main road I knew I shouldn't trust you

Don't worry my beauty laughed Alec I thought you would enjoy a longer ride on such a lovely night But I can't let you go The fog is so bad now that you couldn't possibly find your way I'll leave you here and go to find out where we are When I come back I'll tell you and you can come with me on horseback or go alone on foot just as you like

She agreed to this Shall I hold the horse she asked

No he'll stay quiet answered Alec By the way your father has a new horse today And the children have some new toys

Was it was it you who gave them Oh how good of you murmured Tess with a heavy heart I almost wish you hadn't

Tessy don't you love me just a little now

I'm grateful she admitted but I'm afraid I don't and slowly she started to cry

Now don't cry my dear Sit here and wait for me He made a bed for the tired girl among the dead leaves and covered her with his coat He set off into the fog to find out where he was and came back to find Tess fast asleep He saw her in her white dress among the leaves a pale shining figure in the dark He bent down and touched her cheek with his Everywhere there was darkness and silence The birds and animals slept safe in and under the trees But who was looking after Tess Who was protecting her innocence

Tess said d Urberville and lay down beside her The girl was not strong enough to resist him

Why was Tess's girlish purity lost Why does the wrong man take the wrong woman Why do the bad so often ruin the good Why is beauty damaged by ugliness Thousands of years of philosophy cannot give us the answers to these questions These things happen and have always happened Perhaps in the past rolling home after a battle Tess's ancestors the real d Urbervilles had done the same even more cruelly to young country girls But we cannot accept that that is Tess's fault and should happen to her As the people of her village say It was to be And from now on Tess's life was to be completely different

Maiden No More

It was a Sunday morning in late October about four months after Tess's arrival at Trantridge and a few weeks after the night ride in The Chase Carrying a heavy basket and bundle Tess was walking towards the hills which divided her from the Vale her place of birth The scenery and people on this side were very different from those in her village Marlott people mainly thought and travelled northward and westward while on this side people were interested in the east and the south She walked up the same hill which d Urberville had driven down so wildly that June day On reaching the top of the hill Tess paused and looked for a long time at the familiar green world of home It was always beautiful from here but since she had last seen it her view of life had changed She had learnt that wickedness exists even where there is beauty and now she could hardly bear to look down into the Vale

Then she looked behind her and saw a carriage coming up the same hill that she had just climbed with a man leading the horse Soon he caught up with her

Why did you slip away in secret like that asked d Urberville breathlessly I've been driving like mad to catch up with you Just look at my horse You know nobody would have prevented you from going I'm going to drive you the rest of the way if you won't come back with me

I won't come back she said quietly I thought so Well let me help you up Give me your basket

She stepped up into the carriage and sat beside him She had no fear of him now The reason for this was also the reason for her sorrow They drove along d Urberville making conversation and Tess thinking her own thoughts When they approached the village of Marlott a tear rolled down her cheek

Why are you crying he asked coldly

I was only thinking I was born over there

Well we must all be born somewhere

I wish I had never been born there or anywhere else she said quietly

Well you shouldn't have come to Trantridge if you didn't want to You didn't come for love of me anyway

That's quite true If I had ever loved you if I loved you still I could not hate myself for my weakness as much as I do now

He did not look at her

She added I didn't understand your intention until it was too late

That's what every woman says

How dare you say that she cried angrily her eyes flashing at him My God I could hit you Did you never think that some women may not only say it but feel it

All right he said laughing I am sorry to hurt you I did wrong I admit it Only don't keep accusing me I am ready to pay for it You need never work on the farms again

Her lip lifted slightly as she replied I will not take anything from you I cannot

One would think you were a queen as well as being one of the real d Urbervilles Well Tess dear I suppose I'm a bad sort of man I've always been one and I always will be one But I promise I won't be bad to you again And if anything should happen you understand if you are in any trouble or need anything just drop me a line and I'll send by return whatever you want

She stepped down from the carriage and was going to leave him when he stopped her and said You're not going to turn away from me like that dear Gome let me kiss you

If you wish she answered coldly She offered her cool cheek to him but her eyes rested on a distant tree as if the kiss had nothing to do with her

You don't give me your lips Tess I'm afraid you'll never love me

It's true I have never loved you and I never can She added sadly Perhaps I should tell a lie and then I could lead a comfortable life But I have enough honour not to tell that lie If I loved you I might have a very good reason to tell you so But I don't

Alec sighed heavily as if this scene were depressing him

well you're very sad Tess and you have no reason to be You're still the prettiest girl for miles around Will you come back with me Say you will

Never never I've made up my mind and I won't come

Then goodbye and Alec jumped up into his carriage and drove off

Tess did not watch him go but continued her walk alone It was still early in the day and the sun was not yet giving any warmth Tess felt even sadder than the autumn sadness which surrounded her

But soon a man came up behind her a man with a pot of red paint in his hand

Good morning he said and offered to carry her basket

You're up early on a Sunday he continued

Yes said Tess

A day of rest for most people although I do more real work today than in the rest of the week put together

Do you

In the week I work for man but on Sunday I work for God That's better work don't you think Wait a moment I have something to do here He stopped at a gate and in large red letters on the middle bar of the gate he painted some words from the Bible

PUNISHMENT AWAITS YOU

In the soft air against the gentle green of the trees and the peaceful fields these great red words stared at Tess They pointed a finger at her This man was a stranger and could not know her story but the words accused her

Do you believe what you paint she asked in a low voice

Do I believe those words Do I believe I am alive

But she whispered trembling suppose you were forced to do wrong

He shook his head I can't answer that question I paint the words and leave others to think about them in their own hearts

I think they are horrible words cried Tess I'll take my basket and go on now and she walked away from him her heart beating fast I don't believe God said those things she thought as she reached her village

There was smoke coming from her father's chimney but seeing the inside of the cottage made her heart ache It was as poor as ever Her mother jumped up surprised to see her

Well my dear Tess! she said kissing her How are you Have you come home to be married

No not for that mother

What isn't your cousin going to marry you

He's not my cousin and he's not going to marry me

Her mother looked at her closely Come you haven't told me everything

Then Tess went up to her mother put her head on Joan's shoulder and told her the whole story

And you haven't persuaded him to marry you cried Joan What's the good of going there Why didn't you think of doing some good for your family instead of thinking only of yourself

Tess was confused Alec had never mentioned marriage to her But even if he had she would never have accepted him because she did not love him This made her hate herself for what she had done She would certainly never love him in the future She did not quite hate him but did not wish to marry him even to remain respectable

You ought to have been more careful if you didn't want to marry him

Oh mother cried the poor girl her heart breaking Why didn't you warn me about men I was a child when I left home I didn't know how dangerous they can be and you didn't tell me

Well we must make the best of it said her mother It's only human nature after all

That afternoon the little cottage was full of Tess's friends girls who lived in the village and who had missed her while she had been away They whispered to each other that Tess was sure to marry that handsome gentleman Fortunately Tess did not hear them She joined in their laughing and talking and for a short time almost forgot her shame

But the next day was Monday the beginning of the working week when there were no best clothes and no visitors She awoke with the innocent children asleep around her she who had lost her innocence She looked into her future and grew very depressed She knew she had to travel on a long stony road without help or sympathy She had nothing to look forward to and she wanted to die

In the next few weeks however she became more cheerful and went to church one Sunday morning She loved listening to the well known tunes and gave herself up to the beauty of the music She wondered at the composer's power From the grave he could make a girl like her who had never known him feel extremes of emotion She sat in a quiet dark corner listening to the service But when the village people arrived at church they noticed her and started whispering to each other She knew what they were saying and realized she could come to church no more

So she spent almost all her time in her bedroom which she shared with the children From here she watched the wind the snow the rain beautiful sunsets and full moons one after another People began to think she had gone away She only went out after dark to walk in the woods and the fields She was not afraid of the dark or the shadows it was people she was anxious to avoid She was at home on the lonely hills but she felt guilty surrounded by innocent nature When it rained she thought nature was crying at her weakness and when the midnight wind blew she thought nature was angry with her But she did not realize that although she had broken an accepted social rule she had done nothing against nature She was as innocent as the sleeping birds in the trees or the small field animals in the hedges

One day in August the sun was rising through the mist In a yellow cornfield near Marlott village it shone on two large arms of painted wood These with two others below formed the turning cross of the reaping machine It was ready for today's harvest A group of men and a group of women came down the road at sunrise As they walked along their heads were in the sun while their feet were in the shadow of the hedge They went into the field

Soon there came a sound like the love making of the grasshopper The machine had begun and three horses pulled it slowly along the field Its arms turned bright in the sunlight Gradually the area of standing corn was reduced So was the living space of the small field animals who crowded together not knowing that they could not escape the machine in the end

The harvesters followed the machine picking and tying up bundles of corn The girls were perhaps more interesting to look at They wore large cotton hats to keep off the sun and gloves to protect their hands from the corn The prettiest was the one in the pale pink jacket who never looked around her as she worked She moved forward bending and tying like a machine Occasionally she stood up to rest Then her face could be seen a lovely young face with deep dark eyes and long heavy curling hair Her cheeks were paler her teeth more regular and her red lips thinner than most country girls

It was Tess Durbeyfield or d Urberville rather changed living as a stranger in her home village She had decided to do outdoor work and earn a little money in the harvest

The work continued all morning and Tess began to glance towards the hill At eleven o clock a group of children came over the hill Tess blushed a little but still did not pause in her work The eldest child carried in her arms a baby in long clothes Another brought some lunch The harvesters stopped work sat down and started to eat and drink

Tess also sat down some way from the others She called the girl her sister and took the baby from her Unfastening her dress and still blushing she began feeding her child The men kindly turned away some of them beginning to smoke All the other women started to talk and rearrange their hair When the baby had finished Tess played with him without showing much enthusiasm Then suddenly she kissed him again and again as if she could not stop The baby cried out at the violence of her kisses

She loves that child though she says she hates him and wishes they were both dead said one of the women watching the young mother

She'll soon stop saying that replied another She'll get used to it It happens to lots of girls

Well it wasn't her fault She was forced into it that night in The Chase People heard her sobbing A certain gentleman might have been punished if somebody had passed by and seen them

It was a pity it happened to her the prettiest in the village But that's how it happens The ugly ones are as safe as houses aren't they Jenny and the speaker turned to one who was certainly not beautiful

Tess sat there unaware of their conversation Her mouth was like a flower and her eyes were large and soft sometimes black blue or grey sometimes all three colours together She had spent months regretting her experience and crying over it but suddenly decided that the past was the past In a few years her shame and she herself would be forgotten Meanwhile the trees were just as green and the sun shone just as brightly as before Life went on

She most feared what people thought of her and imagined that they talked constantly about her behind her back In fact she was not often discussed and even her friends only thought about her occasionally Other things of more importance took up their time If there had been no people around her Tess would not have made herself so unhappy She would have accepted the situation as it was She was miserable not because she felt unhappy but because she imagined herself rejected by society

Now she wanted to be useful again and to work So she dressed neatly and helped in the harvest and looked people calmly in the face even when holding her baby in her arms

Having eaten her lunch quickly Tess went back to work with the harvesters in the cornfield until it was dark They all came home on one of the largest waggons singing and laughing together

But when Tess reached home she discovered that the baby had fallen ill that afternoon He was so small and weak that illness was to be expected but this still came as a shock to Tess She forgot the shame surrounding his birth and only wished passionately to keep him alive However it became clear that he was dying Now Tess had a greater problem Her baby had not been baptized

Her ideas on religion were not very developed She had more or less accepted that she would go to hell for her crime and did not much care what would happen to her after death But fo her baby it was different He was dying and must be saved from hell

It was nearly bedtime but she rushed downstairs and asked if she could send for the parson Her father had just returned from the public house and was at his most sensitive to the shame brought upon his noble name by Tess He refused to allow the parson in and locked the door

The family went to sleep As the night passed Tess realized in great misery that the baby was close to death She walked feverishly up and down the room until an idea came to her

Ah Perhaps baby can be saved Perhaps it will be just the same

She lit a candle and woke her young brothers and sisters Having poured some water into a bowl she made them kneel around with their hands together as in church The children were hardly awake and watched Tess with big round eyes

She looked tall in her long white nightdress her long dark hair hanging down her back to her waist Her enthusiasm lit up her face giving it a beautiful purity the face which had caused her shame

She picked up the baby One of the children asked Are you really going to baptize him Tess What's his name going to be

She had not thought of that but remembered the story of Adam and Eve in the Bible Because they did wrong together God said they would live in sorrow for the rest of their lives

She said firmly SORROW I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost

She splashed some water on the child and there was silence

Say Amen children

Amen they replied

Tess put her hand into the water and drew a huge cross upon the baby with her finger She continued the service in the well known words asking for the baby to be protected against the world and against wickedness Her belief gave her hope her sweet warm voice rang out the thanks that follow the baptism The single candle was reflected in her shining eyes like a diamond The children asked no more questions but looked up at her in amazement She seemed almost like a god to them

Poor Sorrow's fight against the world and wickedness was a short one fortunately perhaps taking into account his situation In the blue light of the morning he breathed his last Tess had been calm since the baptism and she remained calm She was no longer worried about Sorrow's afterlife If God did not accept the baptism she did not value His Heaven either for herself or for her child

Tess thought a good deal about the baptism however and wondered if it might mean that Sorrow could be buried in the churchyard with a church service She went to the parson's house after dark and met him near his gate

I should like to ask you something sir My baby was very ill and I wanted you to baptize him but my father refused to allow it So I baptized him myself Now sir can you tell me this and she looked him straight in the eyes will it be just the same for him as if you had baptized him

The parson wanted to say no She had done what should have been his job But the girl's strong feeling impressed him The man and the parson fought inside him and the man won

My dear girl he said it will be just the same

Then will you bury him in the churchyard she asked quickly

The parson felt trapped It was a difficult question to answer Ah that's a different matter he said 1'm sorry I cannot

Oh sir She took his hand as she spoke

He took it away shaking his head

Then I'll never come to church again she cried But perhaps it will be the same for him Tell me have pity on me poor me tell me what you really think

The parson was deeply touched by her emotion For a surprising moment he forgot the strict rules of his church

It will be just the same he answered kindly

So the baby was carried in a cheap wooden box to the churchyard at nignt There is a corner of the churchyard where the grass grows long and where the suicides drunks unbaptized babies and other supposed criminals are laid Sorrow was buried here at the cost of a shilling and a pint of beer for the gravedigger Tess bravely made a little cross and put it at the head of the grave one evening when she could enter the churchyard without being seen

It is all very well saying that we learn from experience Tess had certainly learnt from experience but could not see how to use her knowledge so painfully gained

So she stayed in her parents home during the winter helping to look after the children making clothes for them and earning a little money whenever she could Important dates came round again the night of her shame in The Chase the baby's birth and death her own birthday One day when she was looking at her pretty face in the mirror she thought of another date even more important her own death When it came it would swallow up all her prettiness and everything that had happened to her When was it It was a day lying hidden among all the other days of the year so that she noticed nothing when it came round and did not know what week month season or year it would be

In a flash Tess changed from simple girl to complicated woman Her face was often thoughtful and there was sometimes a tragic note in her voice Her eyes grew larger and more expressive She became a beautiful woman She had suffered but had gained a certain self confidence from her experiences

Although the village people had almost forgotten her trouble she decided she could never be really happy in Marlott Trying to claim relationship with the rich d Urbervilles seemed so foolish and shameful to her She thought her family would never be respected there again Even now she felt hope rise within her hope of finding a place with no family connections and no memories In escaping from Marlott she intended to destroy the past Perhaps now she could make up for her crime against society

Consequently she looked hard for work away from Marlott She finally heard that a dairyman some miles to the south needed a good milkmaid for the summer Having decided to go there she promised herself there would be no more hopeless dreams She would simply be the dairymaid Tess and nothing more Even her mother no longer talked about their connection with the noble d Urbervilles

But in spite of Tess's decision to forget her ancestors the dairy called Talbothays especially attracted her because it was near the former lands of the old d Urberville family She would be able to look at them and not only observe that the noble d Urberville family had lost its greatness but also remember that a poor descendant had lost her innocence She wondered if some good might come of being in the land of her ancestors Hope and youthful energy rose up in her again like leaves on a young tree in spring

A New Life

And so it was that on a beautiful morning in May two to three years after her return from Trantridge Tess Durbeyfield left home for the second time She was going in the opposite direction this time When she reached the first hill she looked back at Marlott and her father's house with sadness in her heart

She travelled partly by carriage and partly on foot carrying her basket Not far to her left she could see the trees which surrounded Kingsbere with its church where her ancestors lay in their tombs She could no longer admire or respect them She almost hated them for ruining her life Nothing of theirs was left except the old seal and spoon

Huh I have as much of mother as father in me she said

All my prettiness comes from her and she was only a dairymaid

Her walk took two hours until she reached the hill overlooking the Valley of the Great Dairies This valley was watered by the river Froom and produced huge amounts of milk and butter more even than Tess's Vale of Blackmoor which was known as the Vale of Little Dairies

As she stood and looked she realized the valleys were quite different Here the fields and farms were much larger She saw more cows at a glance than she had ever seen before The evening sun shone on their red white and brown bodies She thought that this view was perhaps not as beautiful as a view of Blackmoor Vale which she knew so well There the sky was deep blue the smell of the earth was heavy in the air the streams ran slowly and silently But this view was more cheerful Here the air was clear and light and the river Froom rushed as fast as the shadow of a cloud

Either the change in the quality of the air or the feeling that she was going to start a new life here made her feel much happier She ran along her hopes and the sunshine warming her

She looked at her best as she ran laughing into the warm wind The desire for pleasure which is in every living thing had finally won over Tess She was after all only a young woman of twenty who had not finished growing up No event however unpleasant could have marked her for ever She was young and strong and beautiful and could not remain sad for long

Her hopes rose higher than ever She wanted to show how grateful she was for this second chance She started singing love songs but found they were not enough to express her feelings She remembered the Sunday mornings of her girlhood and sang Oh sun and moon Oh stars Oh children of men Praise the Lord Praise Him for ever until she stopped suddenly and murmured But perhaps I don't quite know the Lord yet

This was probably a pagan feeling in a religious form People who live in the country and are close to nature like Tess keep many of the pagan ideas of their ancestors in their souls Religion learned in church comes much later and does not touch them deeply

Tess was happy to be making her way independently in life She really wanted to live honestly and work hard unlike her father Tess had her mother's energy and the energy of her youth to help her recover from her experience Women do usually live through such experiences Where there's life there's hope is still true for most betrayed women

As Tess full of enthusiasm came downhill towards the dairy she suddenly heard the milking call again and again from all parts of the valley It was half past four when the dairy people brought in the cows Tess followed the red and white animals with their great bags of milk under them into the farmyard She saw the long sheds and the wooden posts shining and smooth where the cows had rubbed against them over the years She saw the cows between the posts the sun throwing their shadows on the wall as carefully as a painter paints a beautiful king or queen As the cows waited for their turn the milk fell in drops on the ground

The dairymaids and men had come from their cottages as they saw the cows arriving from the fields Each girl sat on her three legged stool as she milked her right cheek resting on the cow's body watching Tess arrive The men milked with their hats low over their eyes and did not see her One of them was a middle aged man the head dairyman she was looking for He worked six days a week in his white milking clothes milking and butter making and on the seventh he wore his best suit to take his family proudly to church Because of this people nearby used to say

Dairyman Dick

All the week

On Sundays Mister Richard Crick

Most dairymen are usually bad tempered at milking time but Mr Crick was glad to get a new dairymaid at this busy time of the year So he received Tess warmly and asked her how her family were

When I was a boy I knew your part of the country very well be said An old woman of ninety she's dead now but she used to live near here she once told me there was an ancient noble family of a name like yours who came from here originally But I didn't take any notice of an old woman like that

Oh no that's just a story said Tess

Then Mr Crick turned to business You can milk well my girl I don't want my cows drying up especially just now

Oh yes I can answered Tess

He looked at her delicate hands and pale face

Quite sure you're strong enough for this sort of life It's comfortable enough here for rough country people but it's hard work

Oh yes I'm strong enough I'm used to hard work Tess insisted

Well have some tea and something to eat You've had a long journey he said kindly

No I'd rather begin milking straight away said Tess I'll just drink a little milk first

This surprised Dairyman Crick who appeared never to have thought of milk as a drink

Oh if you can swallow it have some he said holding the bucket for her to drink from I haven't touched any for years It would lie in my stomach like a stone so it would Now try that one and see how you get on And he pointed to the nearest cow

As soon as Tess was on her stool under the cow and the milk was pouring between her fingers into the bucket she really felt that her new life was beginning As she relaxed she looked around her

It was a large dairy There were nearly a hundred milking cows Dairyman Crick milked six or eight of the difficult ones with his own hands He could not trust them to the dairymaids because if the cows were badly milked their milk would simply dry up

For a while there was no more talk among the milkers Suddenly Mr Crick got up from his stool

We're not getting as much milk from them as usual he said We'd better sing them a song friends that's the only thing to do So the group of milkers started singing to encourage the cows to give more

Mr Crick went on But I think bulls like music better than cows Did I tell you all about William Dewy On his way home after a wedding he found himself in a field with an angry bull He took his violin and played some Christmas church music and down went the bull on his knees Just like the animals around baby Jesus And so William was able to escape

It's a curious story It takes us back to the past when belief in God was a living thing This unusual remark came from under a cow

Well it's quite true sir believe it or not I knew the man well said Mr Crick

Oh yes I'm sure it's true said the man behind the brown cow Tess could not see his face and could not understand why the head dairyman himself should call him sir The man stayed under the cow long enough to milk three at times saying something angrily to himself Then he stood up stretching his arms Tess could now see him clearly He wore the clothes of a dairyman but underneath he was quite different He looked educated and gentlemanly

But now she realized that she had seen him before He was one of the three walking brothers who had stopped their walk to admire the May Day dance in Marlott a few years before He had danced with some of the other girls but not with her He had not noticed her and had gone on his way For a moment she was worried that if he recognized her he might discover her story But she soon saw he did not remember her at all Since she had seen him in Marlott his face had grown more thoughtful He now had a young man's moustache and beard From the time he had spent milking one cow he was clearly a beginner at dairy work

Tess discovered that only two or three of the dairymaids slept in the house besides herself They all shared a big bedroom near the cheese room That night one of the girls insisted on telling Tess about all the people at the dairy To Tess half asleep the whispers seemed to be floating in the air

Mr Angel Clare he's the one who's learning milking he's a parson's son and thinks a lot and doesn't notice girls His father is parson at Emminster some way from here His sons except Mr Clare are going to be parsons too

Tess gradually fell asleep

Neither Angel Clare nor his family had originally chosen farming as a profession for him When he was a boy people admired his great qualities Now he was a man something vague and undecided in his look showed that he had no particular purpose in life He was the youngest son of a poor parson One day when he was studying at home his father discovered that Angel had ordered a book of philosophy which questioned the Church's teaching How could his son become a priest if he read such books Angel explained that he did not in fact wish to enter the Church like his brothers because the Church's views were too strict and did not allow free thinking The simple parson was shocked He was a man of fixed ideas and a firm believer And if Angel did not want to become a priest what was the use of sending him to study at Cambridge For the parson the whole point of going to university was to become a minister of God

I want to use my mind Angel insisted I want to read philosophy I want to question my belief so that what is left after I have questioned it will be even stronger

But Angel your mother and I have saved and saved to send you to university like your brothers But how can we send you there if it is not in the service of God

So Angel did not have the advantage of a university education After some years studying at home he decided to learn farming He thought this kind of work could give him what he most valued independence and freedom to think So he came to Talbothays at twenty six as a student

At first he stayed up in his room most of the time in the evenings reading and playing his harp But he soon preferred to read human nature by taking his meals in the general dining room with the dairy people The longer he stayed the more Clare liked living with these simple country people No longer did he see them as lacking in intelligence He realized they were no different from him he and they were all people walking on the dusty road which ends in death He began to like working outside He was learning about nature and about life He came to know the changing seasons morning and evening different winds waters and mists shade and silence and the voices of nature All this he had never known before

For several days after Tess's arrival Clare sitting reading a book hardly noticed she was there But one morning at breakfast he was reading music and listening to the tune in his head when he heard a musical voice which seemed to become part of his tune He looked round at Tess seated at the table

What a fresh and pure daughter of nature that dairymaid is thought Angel He seemed to remember something about her something which took him back into a happy past before decision made his life difficult This memory made him look more often at Tess than the other dairymaids

Dairyman Crick insisted that all the dairy people should milk different cows every day not just their favourites He was worried that a dairymaid might leave the dairy and then her cows would not like being milked by a stranger However Tess began to find that the cows which came to her usually happened to be her favourites This made her milking much easier But she soon realized that it was not by chance as it was Angel Clare who sent the cows in for milking

Mr Clare you have sent me my favourite cows she accused him one morning blushing

Well it doesn't matter said he You will always be here to milk them

Do you think so I hope I shall But I don't know Afterwards she was angry with herself She had spoken too seriously to him as if he were involved in her staying or leaving In the evening after milking she walked in the garden alone thinking about it

It was a typical summer evening in June The air was delicate and there was a complete absolute silence It was broken by the sound of a harp The notes floated in the still air strong and clear Tess listened like a fascinated bird She drew near to Clare who still had not seen her She was conscious of neither time nor space The tune moved through her mind and body bringing tears to her eyes The waves of colour of the wild flowers mixed with the waves of sound Angel finished playing and caught sight of her She blushed and moved away

Why are you going Tess he asked Are you afraid

Oh no sir not of outdoor things

But indoors

Well yes sir

Life in general

Yes sir

Ah so am I very often Being alive is rather serious don't you think so

It is now you put it like that

All the same I wouldn't expect a young girl like you to feel that Why Come tell me

After a moment's hesitation she answered The trees ask questions with their eyes don't they And you seem to see hundreds of tomorrows all in a line the first big and clear the others getting smaller But they all look fierce and cruel But you can drive away all these ideas with your music sir

He was surprised to find that this dairymaid had such sad thoughts She was expressing in her own words the ache of modern life This sadness made her more interesting to him He did not know that her experience had given her great strength of feeling Tess on the other hand could not understand why a man of religious family good education and financial independence should feel sorry to be alive How could this admirable and poetic man have felt as she did two or three years ago that he would rather die It was true that he was not at present living among gentlemen But he was studying what he wanted to know and would become a rich farmer in time So as they neither understood each other's secrets they were both puzzled and waited to find out more

At first Tess regarded Angel as an intelligence rather than a man She became quite depressed as she realized the distance between her own knowledge and his One day he asked her why she looked so sad

Oh it's only that I feel I've been wasting my life When I see what you know I feel what a nothing I am

Well my dear Tess said Angel with some enthusiasm I shall be only too glad to help you study history for example

I don't know What's the use of learning that I'm one of a long row and that my past and future are like thousands of other people's But there's one thing I'd like to know why the sun shines on the good and the bad just the same she said her voice trembling

Oh Tess don't be bitter Of course he had wondered this himself in the past But as he looked at her innocent lips he thought this pure child of nature could only have picked up the question from others She could not possibly have any guilt in her past

When he had gone Tess felt again how stupid she must appear to him She wondered whether she could gain his respect by telling him of her d Urberville blood She first asked the dairyman if Mr Clare was interested in old families who had lost their money and land

No said Mr Crick firmly He's a rebel and the one thing he hates is an old family After hearing this not very accurate view of Clare's opinions poor Tess was glad she had not mentioned her ancestors

That summer Tess and Clare unconsciously studied each other balanced on the edge of a passion yet just keeping out of it But all the time like two streams in a valley they were destined to join Tess had never been so happy as she was now and perhaps never would be so again They met continually They could not help it They met daily in the half-light at three o clock in the morning just before milking They felt they were the first two up in the whole world like Adam and Eve Tess seemed like a queen to Clare perhaps because he knew that she was the most beautiful woman walking about at this time of day Lovely women are usually asleep at midsummer sunrise But Tess was near and the rest were nowhere In the strange light she was no longer a milkmaid but a vision of woman the whole of womanhood in one form

One day just after breakfast they all gathered in the milkhouse The milk was turning in the churn but the butter would not come Dairyman Crick was worried

Maybe someone in the house is in love suggestea his wife That sometimes causes it D you remember that maid years ago and the butter didn't come

Ah yes but that wasn't being in love replied Mr Crick That was damage to the churn He turned to Clare to tell the story

Jack Dollop one of our milkers got a girl into trouble One day her mother came looking for him with a great heavy umbrella in her hand Jack hid in the churn but she found him and turned it round and round Stop stop cried Jack If you promise to marry my daughter shouted the mother And so he did

Tess very pale had gone to the door for some fresh air Fortunately the butter suddenly came But Tess remained depressed all afternoon To the others the story was funny She alone could see the sorrow in it and it reminded her of her experience

Tess was first in bed that night and was half asleep as the other girls undressed She saw them standing at the window looking at someone in the garden with great interest

It's no use you being in love with him any more than me Retty Priddle said Marian the eldest

There he is again cried lzz Huett a pale girl with dark hair I would just marry him tomorrow if he asked me said Marian blushing

So would I and more murmured Izz

And I too whispered Retty shyly

We can't all marry him said Izz

We can't anyway said Marian He likes Tess Durbeyfield best I've watched him every day and found it out

There was a thoughtful silence

How silly this all is said Izz impatiently He's a gentleman's son He won't marry any of us or Tess either They all sighed and crept into their beds and fell asleep But Tess with her deeper feelings could not sleep She knew Angel Clare preferred her to the others She was more attractive better educated and more womanly She could keep his affection for her But should she Perhaps the others should have a chance of attracting his attention and even of marrying him She had heard from Mrs Crick that Mr Clare had spoken of marrying a country girl to help him farm milk cows and reap corn Tess had promised herself she would never marry and would never be tempted to do so She ought to leave the field open for the other girls

Next morning Dairyman Crick sent all the dairy people out into a field to search for garlic plants One bite by one cow was enough to make the whole day's butter taste of garlic It was not by accident that Clare walked next to Tess

Don't they look pretty she said to him

Who

Izzy Huett and Retty She had decided that either would make a good farmer's wife

Pretty Well yes I have often thought so

They are excellent dairywomen

Yes though not better than you Clare observed them

She is blushing continued Tess bravely because you are looking at her She could hardly say Marry one of them if you really don't want a fine lady Don't think of marrying me From now on she tried to avoid spending time with Angel She gave the other three every chance

It was July and very hot The atmosphere of the flat valley hung like a drug over the dairy people the cows and the trees It was Sunday morning after milking Tess and the other three girls dressed quickly to go to Mellstock Church which was three or four miles away from Talbothays Heavy thunderstorms had poured down the day before but today the sun shone brightly and the air was warm and clear When the girls reached the lowest part of the road to Mellstock they found it was flooded In working clothes and boots they would have walked through but they were wearing Sunday white stockings and thin shoes which they did not want to ruin The church bell was calling still a mile away

Suddenly they saw Angel Clare approaching He had seen them from far away and had come to help them one of them in particular

I'll carry you through the water all of you he offered All four blushed as if they had one heart

Now Marian put your arms round my shoulders Hold on and Angel walked off with her in his arms Next was lzz Huett Her lips were dry with emotion Angel returned for Retty While he was picking her up he glanced at Tess He could not have said more plainly It will soon be you and I There was an understanding between them

It was now Tess's turn He picked her up She was embarrassed to discover her excitement at his nearness

Three plain girls to get one beauty he whispered

They are better women than I she said bravely

Not to me said Angel She blushed There was silence Clare stood still and bent his face to hers

Oh Tessy he said Her cheeks were pink and she could not look into his eyes But he respected her modesty and did nothing more He walked slowly however to make the journey as long as possible and put her down on dry land Her friends were looking with round thoughtful eyes at them He said goodbye and went back by the road

The four walked on together Marian broke the silence by saying No we have no chance against her She looked joylessly at Tess

What do you mean asked Tess

He likes you best the very best We saw as he brought you over He'd have kissed you if you had encouraged him only a little

They were no longer cheerful but they were not bitter They were generous country girls who accept that such things happen Tess's heart ached She knew that she loved Angel Clare perhaps all the more passionately because the others also loved him And yet that same hungry heart of hers pitied her friends

I will never stand in your way she cried to them that evening in the bedroom I don't think he's thinking of marrying but even if he asked me I'd refuse him as I'd refuse any man

Oh why they asked

I cannot marry But I don't think he will choose any of you

So the girls remained friends They all shared each other's secret The air in their bedroom was full of their hopeless passion There was a flame burning the inside of their hearts out But because they had no hope they were not jealous of each other They had even heard that Angel's family were planning for him to marry a neighbour's daughter Tess no longer attached any importance to Clare's interest in her It was a passing summer attraction nothing more

The heat grew steadily greater In this stormy atmosphere even a passing attraction would deepen into love Everything in nature was ready for love Clare became gradually more passionately in love with the soft and silent Tess The fields were dry Waggons threw up clouds of dust on the road Cows jumped over gates chased by flies Dairyman Crick's sleeves were rolled up from Monday to Saturday and the milkers milked in the fields for coolness

On one of these afternoons Tess and Angel were milking near each other Tess used to rest her head on the cow's body her eyes fixed on a distant field The sun shone on the beautiful lines of the face She did not know that Clare had followed her round and sat watching her How very lovable her face was to him He had never seen such beautiful lips and teeth like roses filled with snow

Suddenly Clare jumped up leaving his bucket to be kicked over by the cow went quickly towards her and kneeling down beside her took her in his arms Tess let herself relax in his arms in a moment of joyful surprise He was on the point of kissing that tempting mouth but stopped himself

Forgive me Tess dear he whispered I ought to have asked I love you Tess really

Tess tried to free herself and her eyes began to fill with tears

Why are you crying my darling he asked

Oh I don't know she murmured trying to pull away

Well I've shown my feeling at last Tess he said with a curious sigh showing that his heart had overcome his reason I do love you dearly and truly But I shall go no further now I have surprised you

She freed herself and they went on milking Nobody had noticed and when Dairyman Crick came round there was no sign to show that there was any connection between them Yet something had happened which was to change their whole world As a practical man the dairyman might laugh at love but love has a habit of changing people's lives It is a force to be respected

The Result

The nights were as hot as the days Angel Clare could not sleep He went out into the darkness to think over what had happened that afternoon He had come as a student of farming to this dairy thinking he would be here only a short time He thought it would be a quiet place From here he could observe the great world outside before plunging back into it But the world outside had lost its interest and the quiet place was now the centre of all feeling

Clare was a thoughtful honest man He knew Tess was not a toy to play with and throw away when finished with Her life was as important to her as his was to him He knew he must treat her affection for him seriously But if they went on meeting every day their relationship must develop he could not stop himself As he had not decided what purpose their relationship should have he decided that for the moment they should meet as little as possible But it was not easy to keep to this decision He was driven towards her by the heat in his blood

He thought he would go and see his family In less than five months he would have finished his studies here After a few more months on other farms he would be ready to start farming himself Shouldn't a farmer's wife be a woman who understood farming

He rode along the narrow road towards Emminster and his parents house His eyes were looking not at the road but at next year He loved her ought he to marry her What would his mother and brothers say What would he himself say two years after the wedding

As he rode into the village he saw a group of young girls waiting outside the church Walking quickly to join them was Miss Mercy Chant only daughter of his father's neighbour His parents quietly hoped Angel would marry Mercy one day She was very good at giving Bible classes but in Angel's mind was the face of the pretty milkmaid who hardly ever thought of God

His family were delighted though surprised to see him Angel was glad to be at home and yet he did not feel so much part of the family as he used to His father's religious belief was very strict but he was a kind honest man and fond of his sons However he would have been shocked to know of the pagan pleasure in nature and pretty womanhood experienced by Angel His mother shared his father's religious views and helped in his church work His brothers seemed rather unimaginative and narrow-minded although they were both well educated they felt that anybody outside the Church or university could not be respected

As he walked with his brothers Angel felt that however lucky they were to have a university education neither of them really saw life as it was lived They thought farming was a poor man's job not suitable for a gentleman Angel felt all the more determined to keep to his choice

In the evening he spoke to his father alone after prayers Mr Clare told his son he had been saving the money he would have spent on his university education for him This encouraged Angel to ask his father what sort of wife a farmer needed

A really Christian woman Nothing else matters For example my neighbour Dr Chant

But isn't the main thing that she should be able to milk cows churn good butter value animals and direct farm workers

Mr Clare had clearly never thought of this before

Yes yes certainly But I was going to say that you will never find a purer woman than Mercy Chant Your mother and I would be very happy if you

Yes yes Mercy is good I know But father don't you think that one who is just as good and pure and who understands farm life as well as the farmer would be much better

After much discussion Angel got down to details He explained he had met a woman who was ideally suited to be a farmer's wife who went to church reqularly who was honest sensitive intelligent graceful pure as snow and extremely beautiful

Is she of a good family like Mercy asked his surprised mother who had come in during the conversation

She is not what we call a lady said Angel firmly She is a cottager's daughter What's the advantage of good family to me My wife will have to work hard and manage with very little money

Mercy is educated That has its charm said his mother looking at him through her silver glasses

I shall help her with her reading She will learn fast She's full of poetry real poetry She lives what poets only write And she is a good Christian girl I'm sure you'll value her for that

His parents already doubted Angel's religious belief so they were almost relieved to hear this of his future wife They told him not to act in a hurry but they would like to see her Although Angel was free to marry or not as he wished he did not want to hurt his parents and he accepted their advice

As he set off to return to the dairy and Tess his father rode with him a little way Mr Clare was telling his son about the new d Urberville family who had taken the ancient name and lived near Trantridge There was a young man and his blind mother Preaching in the church there one day Mr Clare had spoken out bravely against the well-known wickedness of young d Urberville who after this had publicly insulted him when they met later

Angel was angry with d Urberville Dear father you should not let yourself be insulted like that

It doesn't matter to me I have a duty to point out where people go wrong Often men have hit me but then at least they haven't hit their families And they live to thank me and praise God

I hope this young man does the same said Angel warmly But it doesn't seem likely

We'll hope anyway said Mr Clare Maybe one of my words may grow like a seed in his heart one day

Angel could not accept his father's narrow religious beliefs but he loved him for his courage He remembered that his father had not once asked whether Tess had money or not This lack of interest in money meant that all the brothers would probably be poor for ever but Angel still admired his father's belief that money was not important

When he returned to the dairy in the sleepy afternoon heat nobody was awake Getting up so early in the morning meant the milkers really needed a sleep before the afternoon milking It was three o clock time for skimming There was a slight noise upstairs then Tess appeared before his eyes She did not see him and stretched one arm up above her head She yawned like a cat and he saw the red inside of her mouth Her whole soul breathed out physical beauty Then her eyes flashed as she recognized him

Oh Mr Clar How you frightened me I she said looking glad shy and surprised at the same time

Clare stepped forward to put his arms round her

Dear darling Tessy he whispered putting his face to her warm cheek Don't call me Mr Clare any more I've hurried back because of you

They stood holding each other the sun warming them through the window He looked deep into her eyes of blue and black and grey She looked at him as Eve must have looked at Adam

I must go skimming she said Together they went to the milk-house

Perhaps the Talbothays milk was not very well skimmed that afternoon Tess was in a dream as she skimmed The heat of his love made her feel like a plant under a burning sun

Theres s something very practical that I want to ask you he said gently I shall sonn want to marry Being a farmer I need a wife who knows all about farms Will you be that woman Tessy

She looked quite worried She had accepted that she could not help loving him but she had not expected this result With bitter pain she replied as she had promised herself she would

Oh Mr Clare I cannot be your wife I cannot be The sound of these words seemed to break her very heart

But Tess he said amazed at her answer and holding her still closer Surely you love me

Oh yes yes And I would rather be yours than anybody's in the whole world But I cannot marry you cried the sweet and honest voice miserably

Tess have you agreed to marry someone else

No no

Then why do you refuse me

Your father is a parson and your mother will want you to marry a lady said poor Tess desperately trying to find an excuse

No certainly not that's why I went home to talk to them both

I feel I cannot never never

Is it too sudden my pretty I'll give you time I won't mention it again for a while

She tried to skim again but her tears fell so that she could not do it She could never explain her sadness even to this her best friend Clare began to talk more generally to calm her He talked about his father's religious views and the good work he did He mentioned the insults his father had received from a young man near Trantridge who had a blind mother

Tess now looked hard and worn and her mouth was tragic Clare did not notice They finished skimming and he said to her softly

And my question Tessy

Oh no no she replied hopelessly thinking bitterly of Alec d Urberville It can't be

She went out with the other milkmaids to the cows in the fields Angel watched her moving freely in the air like a swimmer on a wave He knew he was right to choose a wife from nature not from civilization

Clare was not depressed by Tess's refusal feeling sure that she would finally accept him A few days later he asked her again

Tess why did you say no so positively

I'm not good enough

Not enough of a fine lady

Yes Your family would not respect me

You know you're wrong My father and mother would And I don't care about my brothers He held her to stop her slipping away You didn't mean it did you I can't work or read or play or anything until I know that you will some day be mine Say you will Tess

She could only shake her head and look away

Then I ought not to hold you to talk to you like this Why Tess

It is for your good my dearest I can't give myself the great happiness of promising to be yours because I am sure I ought not to

But you will make me happy

Ah you think so but you don't know

After a struggle like this Tess would go to the fields or her room to cry Her heart was so strongly on the side of his that she feared she might give way

Why doesn't somebody tell him all about me she thought It was only forty miles away Somebody must know But nobody knew and nobody told him

Tess's life now had two parts positive pleasure and positive pain Every time she and Angel were alone together he would ask her again and she would refuse She was keeping her promise to herself but in her heart of hearts Tess knew that eventually she would accept him Love and nature both advised her to have him without thinking of complications to delight in passion without considering future pain

I know I shall say yes I can't help it She cried to herself in bed one night But it may kill him when he knows Oh oh

I've got some news for you all said Dairyman Crick as they sat down to breakfast one Sunday morning It's that Jack Dollop again

The lover in the butter churn said Angel Clare looking up from his newspaper And has he married the young milkmaid as he promised

Not he sir replied the dairyman He's married an older woman who had 50 a year They married in a great hurry and then she told him that by marrying she'd lost her 50 a year He only married her for her money too So now they're always quarrelling

She ought to have told him just before they went to church said Marian

She ought to have seen he only wanted her money and refused him said Retty

What do you say my dear the dairyman asked Tess

I think she ought to have told him the truth or else refused him I don't know replied Tess who could not swallow her food She soon left the table and went into the fields feeling the pain in the story She had continued to refuse Angel's offers of marriage but from that Sunday he changed his approach towards her He looked for her and came to talk to her at every possible moment at milking butter-making cheese-making among chickens and among pigs She knew she could not resist much longer She loved him so passionately and he was so like a god in her eyes He treated her as if he would love and defend her under any circumstances This began to make her feel less afraid about agreeing to marry him and telling him the truth about herself

The days were shorter now and in the mornings the dairy worked by candlelight One morning between three and four she ran up to Clare's room to wake him before waking the others Having dressed she was about to go downstairs when Angel came out of his room and stopped her

Now miss he said firmly You must give me an answer or I shall have to leave the house You aren't safe with me I saw you just now in your nightdress Well Is it yes at last

I really will think seriously about it Mr Clare

Call me Angel then and not Mr Clare Why not Angel dearest

It would mean I agree wouldn't it

It would only mean you love me and you did admit that long ago

Very well then Angel dearest if I must she murmured smiling Clare could not resist kissing her warm cheek

After milking and skimming all the dairy people went outside Tess generously tried for the last time to interest Angel in the other dairymaids

There's more in those three than you think she said

Any of them would make you a better wife than I could And perhaps they love you as much as I do almost

Oh Tessy he cried impatiently She was so relieved to hear this that she could not make any further self-sacrifice She knew that this day would decide it

In the late afternoon Angel Clare offered to drive the waggon with its buckets of milk to the station He persuaded Tess to go with him

At first there was silence as they drove along the quiet road simply enjoying being close to each other Soon drops of rain started falling Tess's cheeks were pink and her long hair was wet She had no jacket and crept close to Clare She held an old piece of cloth over them both to keep the rain off

Well dear said Angel what about my question

I'll answer you soon

Before we get home

I'll try

They passed an old house Angel explained that it was an interesting place which belonged to the ancient family of the d Urbervilles

It's very sad when a noble family dies out he said

Yes said Tess

At last they reached the station and watched the milk being lifted on to the train Tess was fascinated

Londoners will drink it for breakfast won't they People who don't know we drove for miles in the rain so that it might reach them in time

That's true but we drove a little for our own reasons too Now Tess he said anxiously as they drove away into the night your heart belongs to me Why can't you give me your hand as well

My only reason is you I have something to tell you I must fell you about my past life

Tell me if you want to dearest I expect you have had as many experiences as that flower over there

I grew up in Marlott And at school they said I would make a good teacher But there was trouble in my family Father didn't work very hard and he drank a little

Poor child That's nothing new He held her more closely to his side

And there is something unusual about me I I am not a Durbeyfield but a d Urberville I'm a descendant of the same family who owned that house we passed

A d Urberville And is that the whole story Tess

Yes she answered faintly

Well why should I love you less because of that

The dairyman told me you hated old families

He laughed Well I hate the idea that noble blood should be more important than anything else But I am really very interested in your news What do you think of it

I think it's sad especially here to see the fields which once belonged to my ancestors

So that's the awful secret

She had not told him At the last moment she had not been brave enough

Angel was delighted You see Tess society likes a noble name and will accept you better as my wife because you are a d Urberville Even my mother will like you better You must use the name of d Urberville from this very day

I like the other name best

But you must By the way there's someone who has taken the d Urberville name near The Chase Yes he's the man who insulted my father How strange

Angel I would rather not take that name

Now then Teresa d Urberville I've got you Take my name and you will escape yours

If it is sure to make you happy and you do wish to marry me very very much

I do dearest of course Say you will be mine for ever

He held her and kissed her

Yes No sooner had she said it than she burst into a dry hard sobbing Angel was surprised

Why are you crying

I'm crying because I promised I would die unmarried Oh I sometimes wish I had never been born

Tess how could you wish that if you really loved me I wish you could prove your love in some way

Will this prove it more cried Tess desperately holding him close and kissing him For the first time Clare learnt what a passionate woman's kisses were like on the lips of one she loved with all her heart and soul as Tess loved him

There now do you believe she asked wiping her eyes

Yes I never really doubted never

They drove on in the darkness forming one bundle under the cloth

I must write to my mother she said

Of course dear child Where does she live

In Marlott

Ah then I have seen you before

Yes when you would not dance with me Oh I hope that doesn't mean bad luck

After this decision Tess wrote an urgent letter to her mother This was the reply she received

Dear Tess

I hope you are well as I am We are all glad to hear you are going to be married soon But Tess in answer to your question whatever you do don't tell your future husband anything about your past experience No girl would be so foolish especially as it is so long ago and not your fault at all Remember you promised me you would never tell anybody Best wishes to your young man

Love from your mother

Tess could not accept her mother's view of life but perhaps Joan was right in this Silence seemed best for Angel's happiness So she grew calm and from October onwards she was completely happy Clare seemed the perfect guide thinker and friend She saw perfection in his face his intelligence and his soul She dismissed the past from her mind They spent all their time together as country people do once they are engaged In the wonderful autumn afternoons they walked by streams crossing on little wooden bridges They saw tiny blue fogs in the shadows of trees and hedges and at the same time bright sunshine in the fields The sun was so near the ground that the shadows of Clare and Tess stretched a quarter of a mile ahead of them like two long pointing fingers When Clare talked to Tess of their future and the farm they would have abroad she could hardly believe that she would be going through the world by his side Her feeling for him was now the breath and life of Tess's being It 152 made her forget her past sorrows but she knew they were waiting like wolves for their moment to attack

One day she cried out to Angel Why didn't you stay and love me when I was sixteen when you danced in Marlott Oh Why didn't you

Ah yes If only I had known But you must not regret so bitterly Why should you

Hiding her feelings quickly she said I would have had four more years of your love than I can ever have now

They had to tell the dairyman and his wife that they were planning to marry That night as Tess entered the bedroom all three dairymaids were waiting for her

You are going to marry him said Marian

Yes some day said Tess

Going to marry him a gentleman said Izz

It's strange said Marian to think Tess will be his wife not a fine lady but a girl who lives like us

Do you all hate me for it asked Tess in a low voice

I want to hate you but I cannot said Retty

That's how I feel said Marian and Izz

He ought to marry one of you murmured Tess You are all better than I am

No no dear Tess they all said

I think I ought to make him marry one of you even now she sobbed they went up to her and calmed her and helped her to bed Before they went to sleep Marian whispered You will think of us when you are his wife Tess and how we did not hate you because we did not expect to be chosen by him

The girls did not know that Tess cried even more at this and that she decided she would tell Angel all her history

Because of this she would not set a date for the wedding She wanted to stay as she was not move forward into a new life But soon it was clear that the dairyman did not want so many dairymaids at this time of year Tess would have to leave the dairy at Christmas

I'm afraid I'm glad of it said Angel to her because now we must decide when to marry We can't go on like this for ever

I wish we could I wish it could be always summer and autumn with you always loving me

I always shall

Oh I know you will Angel I'll fix the day

So they decided on 31st December The wedding was to take place as privately as possible at the dairy Tess now felt she could not stop things happening and agreed passively to whatever Angel suggested In fact Angel's plans were a little hurried He had not meant to marry so soon But he wanted to keep her with him to help her with her reading and studying so that he could present her proudly as a lady to his parents He also planned to spend some time studying work in a flour mill They could spend their honeymoon staying in the old farmhouse which had once belonged to the d Urbervilles while Angel studied at the mill nearby

The day the impossible day of their wedding came closer His wife Tess said to herself Could it ever be

Angel and Tess decided to spend a day together shopping on Christmas Eve They went into town in a borrowed carriage The town was full of strangers who stared at Tess happy and beautiful on Angel's arm At the end of the day Tess was waiting for Angel to bring the horse and carriage when two men passed her in the street

She's a lovely maiden one said to his friend

She's lovely yes But she's no maiden replied the other

Angel returned at that moment and heard these words Wildly angry at this insult to Tess he hit the man in the face The man said quickly

I'm sorry sir I must have made a mistake

Angel accepted this gave the man some money said goodnight and drove off with Tess The two men went in the opposite direction

And was it a mistake asked the second man

Certainly not said his friend

On the way home Tess was very serious She felt she could not tell him the truth to his face but there was another way So she went to her room and wrote a four page letter describing exactly what had happened three or four years ago In the night she crept up to Angel's room and pushed the letter under his door

Next morning she looked anxiously at him but he kissed her as usual He said nothing about the letter Had he read it Did he forgive her Every morning and night he was the same until finally the wedding day came

Tess had not invited her family from Marlott Angel had written to his His brothers had not replied and his parents wrote that they hoped he was not hurrying into marriage but that he was old enough to decide for himself Angel did not mind because he was planning to introduce Tess to them as a d Urberville as well as a dairymaid some months later

Tess was still worried about her confession and left the crowd of busy people downstairs to creep silently up to Angel's bedroom There she found her letter unopened just under the carpet He had not seen it She could not let him read it now in the middle of the preparations She found him alone for a moment

I must confess all my mistakes to you she said trying to keep her words light

Not today my sweet We'll have plenty of time later on I'll confess mine too

Then you really don't want me to

I don't Tessy really

From now on her one desire to call him husband and then if necessary to die carried her on She moved in a cloud

There were few people in the church At one point she let her shoulder touch Clare's arm to be sure that he was really there It was only when she came out that she noticed the carriage they were driving back in She felt she must have seen it in a dream

Oh maybe you know the story of the d Urberville carriage said Angel and this one reminds you of it In the past a certain d Urberville committed a crime in his carriage and since then d Urbervilles see or hear the old carriage whenever But it's rather depressing to talk about

Is it when we are going to die Angel or is it when we have committed a crime

Now Tess He kissed her But she had no energy left She was now Mrs Angel Clare but wasn't she really Mrs Alexander d Urberville

Later that afternoon they left the dairy All the dairy people watched them leave and Clare kissed the dairymaids goodbye As he was thanking the dairyman a cock crowed just in front of him

That's bad whispered the dairymen to each other When a cock crows at a husband like that and they laughed together behind their hands

Go away shouted Mr Crick at the cock Later he said to his wife Why did it have to crow at Mr Clare like that

It only means a change in the weather said Mrs Crick not what you think That's impossible

Tess and Angel arrived at the old d Urberville farmhouse It was empty although a woman came to cook and clean for them They had their tea together and Clare delighted in eating from the same plate as Tess Looking at her he thought Do I realize how important I am to this woman And how I must look after her I must never forget to think about her feelings

It started to rain as it grew dark outside Finally a man arrived from the dairy with their bags

I'm sorry I'm late sir he said but terrible things have been happening at the dairy You remember the cock crowing Well whatever it means poor little Retty Priddle has tried to drown herself

What happened asked Angel

Well after you left she and Marian walked from one public house to another drinking Retty was found in the river later on And Marian was found drunk in a field

And Izz asked Tess

Izz is at home as usual but very sad and depressed

As the man left Tess sat sadly by the fire looking into it They were simple innocent girls who had not been loved It was wicked of her to take all the love without paying for it She would pay she would tell there and then

Angel was sitting beside her holding her hand Their faces were red in the firelight

This morning he said suddenly we said we would both confess our mistakes I must tell you something and you must forgive me Perhaps I ought to have told you before I've put off telling you because I didn't want to lose you

Angel I'm sure I'll forgive you A wild hope was making Tess's heart beat faster

Well wait a minute You know how much I believe in goodness and purity But I myself when I was in London years ago did wrong with a woman I hardly knew It lasted two days I came home and I have never done anything like it since Do you forgive me

Oh Angel of course I do And I am almost glad because now you can forgive me I have a confession too

Ah yes well confess you wicked little girl It can hardly be more serious than mine

It can't no it can't She jumped up joyfully at the hope

No in fact it is just the same I will tell you now

She sat down again They held hands The fire burned like a Judgement Day fire Her shadow rose high on the wall Putting her head against his she bravely told the whole story of her meeting with Alec d Urberville and its results

The Woman Pays

Her story came to an end She had not raised her voice she had not cried But things seemed to change as the story progressed The fire looked as if it was laughing at her troubles All the objects around her appeared not to care about her tragic history And yet it was only a short time since he had been kissing her Everything looked different now

Clare stirred the fire It was unnecessary but he felt he had to do something He had not really taken in the whole story yet He stood up Now as he began to understand the story in its full horror his face was like an old man's He made uncertain movements because everything in his head was vague and uncertain He could not make himself think clearly

Tess Can I believe this Are you mad perhaps My wife my Tess you aren't mad are you

I am not she said

And yet he said looking strangely at her why didn't you tell me before Oh yes you would have told me in a way but I stopped you I remember

He was talking but could not think at the same time His brain seemed to have stopped working He turned away from her Tess followed him and stood there staring at him with dry eyes Then she went down on her knees beside him

In the name of our love forgive me she whispered with a 168 dry mouth I have forgiven you for the same

And as he did not answer she said again

Forgive me as you are forgiven I forgive you Angel

You yes you do

But you do not forgive me

Oh Tess it's not a question of forgiveness You were one person now you are another How can forgiveness put that right

He paused considering this Then suddenly he started laughing in an unnatural horrible way It was like a laugh out of hell

Don't don't she cried her face dead white It kills me that laugh Angel do you know what you're doing to me I've been hoping longing praying to make you happy

I know that

I thought Angel that you loved me me my very self If you do love me how can you treat me like this It frightens me Having begun to love you I will love you for ever in all changes in all troubles because you are yourself I ask no more Then how can you my husband stop loving me

I repeat the woman I have been loving is not you

But who is she

Another woman in your shape

Suddenly she realized how he saw her For him she was a guilty woman pretending to be an innocent one There was terror in her white face as she saw this She could not stand and he stepped forward thinking she might fall

Sit down he said gently You are ill and I am not surprised

She sat down her face still full of fear and her eyes wild

I don't belong to you any more then do I Angel she asked helplessly And at last the tears came Clare watched her sobbing and waited until the first violence of her emotion had passed

Angel she said suddenly in a normal voice am I too wicked for us to live together

I haven't had time to think what we should do

I won't ask you to let me live with you Angel because I have no right to I won't write to tell my family we are married as I said I would

Won't you

No I won't do anything unless you order me to And if you go away I won't follow you And if you never speak to me again I won't ask why unless you tell me I can

And if I order you to do anything

I'll obey you even if I have to lie down and die

How good of you But it seems you have changed In the past you were keen to look after yourself Now you are keen to sacrifice yourself

Clare's bitter words however were not fully understood by Tess She only knew that he was angry with her She stood silent not knowing that he was struggling with his love for her She did not observe a large tear rolling slowly down his cheek He was realizing what a change Tess's confession had made to his whole life He had to decide on some action

Tess he said as gently as he could I can't stay here just now I'm going out

He quietly left the room Two glasses of wine ready for their supper remained untouched on the table Only two or three hours earlier they had drunk tea from the same cup

As he closed the door behind him Tess jumped up He had gone she could not stay She put out the candles and followed him The rain was over and the night was now clear

Clare walked slowly and without purpose His shape was black and frightening She walked just behind him There was water on the road where the stars could be seen reflected Away from the house the road went through the fields She followed Clare as a dog follows its owner

Eventually Tess could not help speaking to him

What have I done Nothing interferes with my love for you You don't think I planned it Angel do you I would not deceive you like that H'm well No maybe you would not but you are not the same No not the same But don't make me blame you

She went on begging for forgiveness Perhaps she said things that would have been better left to silence

Angel Angel I was a child when it happened I knew nothing of men

I admit it was not so much your fault as his

Then won't you forgive me

I do forgive you but forgiveness isn't everything

And do you love me

He did not answer this question

Oh Angel my mother says she knows several cases which were worse than mine and the husband has not minded much well he has accepted it at least And in those cases the woman hasn't loved him as I love you

Don't Tess don't argue Those are just country people's ways There is a correct way of doing things I think that parson who discovered you were a d Urberville should have kept quiet Perhaps you were weak and could not refuse this man because your ancient noble blood has run thin because your family is no good any more I thought you were a child of nature but you have the worst of your ancient family in you

Tess accepted his bitterness not understanding the details He did not love her as he had done and nothing else mattered

They went on again in silence They walked slowly for hours with sad anxious faces not talking one behind the other like a funeral procession Tess said to her husband

I don't want to cause you sadness all your life The river is down there I can put an end to myself in it I'm not afraid

Don't talk like that Do what I ask go back to the house and go to bed

I will she said obediently

When she returned to the house she found everything as they had left it and the fire still burning She went to the bedroom There was a mistletoe branch hanging above the bed Now she understood why Angel had brought a strange parcel with him It was to surprise her He had delightedly hung it there Now it looked foolish and out of place

As she had nothing more to fear and nothing more to hope for she lay down In a few moments lonely Tess was asleep in the bedroom once used by the young wives of her ancestor

Later on that night Clare also came back to the house He prepared a bed downstairs but crept shoeless upstairs to see if Tess was asleep He was relieved to see her sleeping deeply And yet he felt he alone had the whole worry of what action to take and the responsibility for her life as well as his He turned away from her door and then turned back again pulled by his love for her But his eye was caught by a painting on the wall of one of Tess's ancestors a proud fierce woman who looked as if she hated and wanted to deceive all men He thought she and Tess looked alike That was enough to stop him and he went downstairs to his lonely bed

He looked calm and cold full of self-control His face showed he had fought against passion and won but did not like being the winner He still found it difficult to accept that Tess the pure village maiden was not what she seemed How unexpected life could be He put out the candle The night came in unconcerned and uninterested the night which had swallowed up his happiness

When Clare woke up the next morning the sky was grey and the sun was not shining The fireplace in the room was full of cold ashes The two full glasses of wine still stood untouched on the table

When the cleaning woman came he sent her away not wanting a third person in the house He found wood to make a fire and prepared breakfast People passing the farmhouse saw the smoke rising from the chimney and envied the newly- married couple in their happiness

Breakfast is ready he called upstairs in a normal voice

Tess came down immediately She was already dressed but her hands and face were cold She had no fire in her bedroom where she had been sitting waiting for his call and staring at the dying mistletoe Clare's polite words gave her a moment of hope which died however when she saw his face

They were both in fact the ashes of their former fires After last night's passionate sorrow they both felt heavy and lacking in energy

Tess went up to Angel touching him lightly with her fingers Was this really the man who once loved her Her eyes were bright her cheeks still round but her lips were pale She looked absolutely pure Angel looked at her in wonder Tess Say it isn't true It can't be true It is true

Every word

He world almost have preferred her to lie so that he could believe her blindly but she repeated It is true

Is he living asked Angel

The baby died

But the man

He is alive

Is he in England

Yes

Despair passed over Clare's face He moved vaguely around the room

Look he said I thought any man would have thought that if I didn't look for knowledge good family and wealth in a wife if I sacrificed all that I would be sure of finding a country girl who was at least pure but but I should not accuse you

Tess understood his feelings perfectly She saw that he had lost in every way

Angel I would not have married you if I had not known that after all there is a way out for you only I hoped you would never She was close to tears

A way out

You can divorce me

Good heavens How can you be so stupid How can I divorce you

Can't you now I have told you everything

Oh Tess you are so childish You don't understand the law No I can't

There was shame and misery in Tess's face

I thought you could she whispered Don't think I planned this I really believed you could take that way out Oh then I ought to have done it last night But I didn't have the courage That's just like me

The courage to do what he asked

To put an end to myself

Where

In the bedroom under your mistletoe With the rope from my box But I couldn't in the end I was afraid that people would talk and you would suffer from that

Clare was shaken by this unexpected confession

Now listen You must never think of such a wicked thing again Promise me as your husband never to do anything like that

I promise I see it was wicked But Angel it was to set you free and to avoid a divorce which everyone would talk about But dying by my own hand is too good for me You my husband should kill me I think I would love you more if that were possible if you could bring yourself to do it I am so much in your way

Quiet Don't talk about it

Well just as you wish I will do whatever you like They sat down to breakfast tired and sad They did not look at each other and they did not eat much Angel left soon afterwards to start his studies at the flour mill nearby Tess cleared the ashes from the fireplace cleaned the house and prepared the lunch waiting for his return At lunch they talked politely of work at the flour mill and methods of milling In the afternoon he went back to the mill and in the evening he studied his books and papers Tess felt she was in his way and went to the kitchen He came to find her there

Don't work in the kitchen like this he said You're not my servant you're my wife

She looked happier You mean I can think of myself as that She asked trembling

What do you mean Tess You are my wife of course

I don't know she said with tears in her eyes I told you long ago I wasn't good enough for you And I'm not good enough I was right But you persuaded me

She turned her back on him sobbing as if her heart would break It would have won round any man but Angel Clare Deep in him lay a hard logic which had resisted the Church and now resisted Tess She accepted his treatment of her as being what she deserved She would never have thought of criticizing his hardness To her he was still perfection

Another day passed by in the same way Only once did Tess try to get closer to her husband As he was leaving for the flour mill she put up her mouth to be kissed He ignored the invitation and said goodbye coldly She felt as if he had hit her How often had he wanted to kiss her in those happy days at Talbothays

But on his way to the mill Angel regretted his coldness He wished he had been kinder to her and kissed her once at least

So they lived through another day-together in the same house but more separately than ever before Clare was desperately wondering what to do Tess no longer even hoped for forgiveness That evening she said bravely

I suppose you aren't going to live with me long are you Angel She found it difficult to control the muscles of her face

No How can we live together as man and wife while that man lives He is your natural husband I'm not If he were dead that might be different Anyway have you thought of the future have you thought we might have children They would find out about this Everybody would talk about it Can you imagine them growing up under a cloud like that They would hate you for it

Tess's head was bent Her eyes felt so heavy they were almost closed No I can't ask you to stay with me she whispered I hadn't thought of it like that

She had hoped as women do that living together for a time would break down his coldness Being near him every day was her only hope of winning him back But she had never imagined she might have children who would reject her She now remembered how she had criticized her mother for bringing babies into the world without being able to look after them She realized that she might have made the same mistake as Joan Durbeyfield She completely accepted Angel's argument

She could have argued that if they went as planned to farm in another country nobody would know about her past But perhaps she was right not to argue A woman knows not only her own sorrow but also her husband's He might keep the bitterness alive in his heart even if nobody knew or talked about it at all She had lost

On the third day she said I accept what you say We must separate

But what can you do

I can go home

Clare had not thought of that Can you really

Yes If I am with you all the time I may persuade you to stay against your better judgement Then you and I would both be sorry I must go

Right said Angel His face was pale but his voice was determined

Tess was slightly shocked He had agreed so quickly to her generous offer

I didn't like to suggest it he said but as you have I think it's a good idea to part at least for a while God knows we may come togetner again one day

So they both prepared to leave the following day That night Tess was woken by a noise in the house At first she thought Angel was coming to her bedroom and her heart beat wildly with joy But then she saw his eyes staring emptily ahead of him and knew he was walking in his sleep He came to the middle of her room and said very sadly Dead Dead Dead Poor darling Tess So sweet so good so pure My wife dead

These words which he would never say when awake were very sweet to Tess She would not have moved to save her life She lay in absolute stillness trying not to breathe wondering what he was going to do with her Her trust in him was complete

He picked her up and carried her to the stairs Was he going to throw her down She knew he was leaving her the next day perhaps for ever She almost hoped they would fall and die together

He continued downstairs taking her out of the house towards the river She had given herself totally up to him and did not care what happened to her as long as she was with him They arrived at a place where the river was fast and deep and Angel started to cross it on the narrow footbridge still holding Tess Perhaps he wanted to drown her Even that would be better than separation

As they crossed the water rushed fiercely below them If Tess had moved in his arms they would both have fallen into the dangerous water But she had no right to take his life although her own was worthless so she stayed still

Angel walked purposefully towards a ruined church near the river Against the old wall was an empty stone tomb In this he carefully laid Tess and kissing her lips sighed deeply and happily He immediately lay down on the ground next to the tomb and looked fast asleep

Tess stepped out of the tomb and managed to persuade Angel to walk back to the house without waking him It was very cold outside and both had only night clothes on She helped him to his sofa bed in the living room and he still did not wake up

Next morning he seemed to remember nothing of the night's experiences and Tess did not refer to his sleepwalking They finished packing and left the farmhouse where they had hoped to be so happy After driving some distance Angel stopped the carriage to get down and continue on foot Tess was going further on in the carriage He spoke seriously to her as they separated

Now remember he said I am not angry with you but I cannot bear to live with you at the moment I will try to accept it But until I come to you you should not try to come to me

The punishment seemed a heavy one to Tess Had she really deserved this

May I write to you

Oh yes if you are ill or need anything You probably won't so I might be the first to write

I agree to the conditions Angel because you know best Only don't make it too much for me to bear

That was all she said If she had sobbed or fainted or begged him he would probably have given way But she made it easy for him He gave her some money and they said goodbye He stood on the road watching the carnage continue up the hill secretly hoping that Tess would look back But she was lying half dead with misery inside He turned to walk on alone not realizing thai he still loved her

As the carriage drove on through Blackmoor Vale Tess now began to awake from her sorrow and wonder how she could face her parents She left the carriage and came into Marlott on foot When she entered the little cottage her mother was doing the washing as usual

Why Tess she cried when she saw her daughter I thought you were married Really married this time

Yes mother I am

Then where's your husband

Gone away for a time

Gone away When were you married then Tuesday as you said

Yes mother

Married on Tuesday and today it's only Saturday and he's gone away What strange husbands you seem to find Tess

Mother Tess ran across to Joan and put her head on Joan's shoulder You told me I mustn't tell him But I did-I couldn't help it and he went away

Oh you fool you little fool cried her mother

I know I know sobbed Tess But he was so good I couldn't lie to him And if only you knew how much I loved him and how much I wanted to marry him

Well it's too late now said Mrs Durbeyfield Whatever will your father say He was very proud of your marriage He's been telling them at the public house that you'll help his noble family become great again Oh there he is now

Tess ran upstairs but through the thin walls she could hear the whole story being told to Sir John

People will laugh at me in the village he said Do you think he really did marry her Joan Or is it like the first

Tess could listen no more Even her own family did not believe her She could not stay She gave her mother half the money which Clare had given her and told her family she was going to join him And so she left Marlott again looking for work

Angel Clare also returned home He had spent three weeks since his wedding trying to remain calm and continue his studies but with the disturbing picture of Tess always in his mind He was beginning to wonder if he had treated her unfairly She had been so much a part of his plans for the future that he was now thinking of countries where they could farm together The idea of Brazil attracted him The countryside people and habits would be so different Perhaps they could make a new life there together So he went back to Emminster to tell his parents his new plan

But where's your wife dear Angel cried his mother when he arrived

She's at her mother's for the moment I've come home in rather a hurry because I've decided to go to Brazil

Brazil But they're all Roman Catholics there

Are they I hadn't thought of that

But Mr and Mrs Clare were even more interested in their son's marriage than in Brazil's religion

Angel we do want to meet your wife We are not in the least angry about this rather hurried wedding so why haven't you brought her It seems strange

Angel explained that she would be staying at her mother's while he went to Brazil alone to see if the country was suitable He planned to bring her to meet his parents before he went there a second time with her But his mother was disappointed at not seeing Tess She watched her son as he ate and asked questions

Is she very pretty

She certainly is

And a maiden of course

Of course

I imagine you were her first love

Exactly

His father asked no questions but when the moment for evening prayers arrived he chose a passage from the Bible

This passage is very suitable as you are here Angel It is in praise of a pure wife

We shall all think of her as your father reads it added his mother As they listened to the ancient beautiful words Angel felt like crying

His mother said You see Angel the perfect woman the Bible tells us is a working woman not a fine lady a girl just like your wife A girl who uses her hands and heart and head for others I wish I could have met her Angel As she is pure she is fine enough for me

Clare's eyes were full of tears He quickly said goodnight and went to his room His mother followed and stood at his door looking anxiously at him

Angel why are you going away so soon Have you quarrelled with your wife in these three weeks Angel is she is she a woman with a past The mother's instinct had found the cause of her son's worries

She is totally pure he replied and felt that he had to tell that lie even if he went to hell there and then for it

Then never mind the rest There are few better things in nature than a pure country girl

Clare felt furious with Tess because she had forced him to deceive his parents Then he remembered her sweet voice and the touch of her fingers on his face and her warm breath on his lips But this well meaning young man despite his advanced ideas was still limited in his thinking He could not see that Tess was in character as pure as the pure wife in the Bible

The next day Clare left Emminster and began to prepare for his journey to Brazil One day returning from doing some business with a farmer he happened to meet one of the dairymaids from Talbothays Izz Huett He knew her secret she was an honest girl who loved him and who might have made as good a farmer's wife as Tess He learnt from Izz that of the other dairymaids Retty had become ill and Marian had started drinking And Izz herself

Suppose I had asked you to marry me Izz he asked

I would have said yes and you would have had a woman who loved you

A wild anger took hold of Clare Society and its rules had trapped him in a corner Why shouldn't he take his revenge on society

I'm going to Brazil Izz without Tess We have separated for personal reasons I may never be able to love you but will you come with me

Yes I will said Izz after a pause

You know it's wrong in the eyes of the world don't you Do you love me very much More than Tess

I do yes oh I do love you but not more than Tess Nobody could She would have laid down her life for you

Clare was silent A sob rose inside him He heard Izz's words again and again in his head She would have laid down her life for you

I'm sorry Izz he said suddenly Please forget what I said just now I must be mad

Oh please take me Oh I shouldn't have been so honest sobbed Izz

Izz by your honesty you have saved me from doing something wicked Thank you for that And please forgive me

And so Angel said goodbye to the miserable girl But he did not turn towards Tess's village He continued with his plan and five days later left the country for Brazil

And so the months passed Tess found occasional dairy work for the spring and summer She sent all Angel's money to her family who as usual had many expenses and hardly any income She was too proud to ask Angel's family for more money That winter she went to work at another farm where Marian was working Here the earth was poor and the work was difficult But Tess did not mind the hard work in the fields As she and Marian dug out the vegetables in the pouring rain they talked of Talbothays and of the sunny green fields and of Angel Clare Tess did not tell Marian everything so Marian could not understand why the couple were apart

They wrote to Izz asking her to join them if she had no other work It was the coldest winter for years but Tess and Marian had to go on working in the snow Tess realized that the farmer was the same Trantridge man who had recognized her in the market town and had been knocked down by Angel He made her work twice as hard as the others

When Izz came Tess saw her whispering to Marian Tess had a feeling it was important Is it about my husband she asked Marian later

Well yes Izz said I shouldn't tell But he asked her to run away to Brazil with him

Tess's face went as white as the snow on the ground

What happened

He changed his mind But he was going to take her

Tess burst out crying I must write to him It's my fault I shouldn't have left it to him He said I could write to him I've been neglecting him

But in the evening in her room she could not finish her letter to him She looked at her wedding ring which she wore round her neck in the day and kept on her finger all night What kind of husband would ask Izz to go to Brazil with him so soon after parting from his wife

But this new information made her think again of visiting Angel's family in Emminster She wanted to know why he had not written to her She could meet his parents who would surely be kind to her in her loneliness So she decided to walk there from the farm at Flintcomb Ash on a Sunday her only free day It was fifteen miles each way She dressed in her best encouraged by Marian and Izz who sent her on her way at four o clock in the morning The girls sincerely loved Tess and wished for her happiness It was a year since her wedding and on that bright cold morning her unspoken hope was to win over her husband's family and so persuade him back to her

Although she started cheerfully she began to lose her courage as she approached Emminster The church looked forbidding Perhaps the rather strict parson would not approve of her travelling so far on a Sunday But she had to go on She took off her thick walking boots and hid them behind a tree changing into her pretty shoes She would collect the boots on the way out of town

She took a deep breath and rang the bell at the parson's house Nobody answered She tried again Silence It was almost with relief that she turned and walked away Then she suddenly remembered that they must all be at church So she waited in a quiet part of the street until people began to stream out of church She immediately recognized Angel's brothers and even overheard some of their conversation

Poor Angel one of them said There's that nice girl Mercy Chant Why on earth didn't he marry her instead of rushing into marriage with a dairymaid

It's certainly very strange But his ideas have always been most odd

They joined Mercy Chant as she came out of church and walked together along the road Tess had walked into Emminster

Look here's a pair of old boots said one of the brothers noticing Tess's boots behind the tree

Excellent walking boots I see said Miss Chant How wicked to throw them away Give them to me I'll find a poor person who would like them

Tess walked quickly past them tears running down her face She continued walking as fast as she could away from Emminster How unlucky that she had met the sons and not the father Angel's parents would have taken poor lonely Tess to their hearts immediately as they did every other lost soul without thought of family or education or wealth

She grew more and more tired and depressed as she walked the fifteen miles back to Flintcomb Ash where only hard work awaited her But on the way she noticed a crowd listening to a preacher and she stopped for a while to join them The preacher was describing with enthusiasm how he had been wicked for years and how a certain parson had pointed it out to him this had gradually turned him from wickedness But Tess was more shocked by the voice than the words She moved round behind the crowd to look at his face As the afternoon sun shone full on him she recognized Alec d Urberville

A Changed Man

This was the first time she had seen or heard of d Urberville since she had left Trantridge And although he stood there openly as a preacher as a religious man she still felt afraid of him He had changed his clothes his hair his moustache and his expression but could she really believe that he had changed his most secret thoughts and beliefs

As soon as she recovered from her surprise she moved away so that he would not notice her But he suddenly caught sight of her and the effect on him was electric His enthusiasm faded his voice hesitated his lips trembled his eyes dropped in confusion Tess walked rapidly away along the road

However as she walked she felt he must be looking at her back as she walked away And now she knew she could never escape the past as she had hoped Reminders of her past would surround her until she died As she walked uphill she heard footsteps behind her and turning saw that it was the one person in the whole world she did not want to meet this side of the grave

Tess he said I'm Alec d Urberville

I see you are she said coldly They walked on together

You may wonder why I'm following you Well I feel you are the person I would most like to save from hell So I have come to do that

Have you saved yourself Tess asked bitterly

God has done it all not me I must tell you how I came to believe in Him Have you ever heard of the parson of Emminster old Mr Clare A very strict sincere man

I have said Tess

Well he came to Trantridge once and tried to show me how wicked my life was I insulted him at the time But later my mother died and somehow I began to think about what old Mr Clare said Since then my one desire has been to help others to understand God too

Don't go on cried Tess I can't believe in such a sudden change I almost hate you for talking to me like this when you know how you've ruined my life You enjoy yourself for a while and then you make sure of your place in heaven As she spoke she looked him full in the face with her great beautiful eyes

Don't look at me like that said Alec Your eyes remind me of well women's faces have too much power over me Don't look at me It might be dangerous for you

Eventually they came to a crossroads where a strange stone stood It was a lonely unfriendly place where people did not like to stay for long Alec stopped here

I must go to the right here I'm preaching at six this evening Tell me how has your life been since we last met

Tess told him about the baby Alec was shocked

You should have told me But before we part come put your hand on this stone It was once a holy cross I'm afraid of your power over me Swear on the cross that you will never tempt me into wickedness

Good God How can you ask such an unnecessary thing I don't want to see you ever again

No but swear it

Tess placed her hand on the stone and swore

I shall pray for you called Alec as he walked away Who knows we may meet again

Tess went on her way feeling upset and soon met a man on the road He told her that the cross was not religious but marked the place where a criminal was put to death and buried Trembling a little at this information she finally arrived at Flintcomb Ash

One day the following week when Tess was working in the fields as usual Alec d Urberville came to see her He explained to her that he intended to sell his land at Trantridge and go to help poor people in Africa

Will you help me put right the wicked thing I did to you Will you be my wife

Oh no sir she cried horrified

Why not Disappointment was visible in his face It was not only duty which pushed him to make this offer but also his old passion for her

You know I don't love you answered Tess In fact I love somebody else

Perhaps that is only a passing feeling

Yes Why not You must tell me

Well then I have married him

Ah he cried and looked hard at her

It's a secret here she begged Please don't tell anybody

Who is he asked d Urberville Where is he Why isn't he here to look after you What sort of husband can he be leaving you to work like this

Don't ask cried Tess her eyes flashing

Your eyes whispered Alec I thought I no longer felt anything for you but when I look into your eyes He took her hand

She pulled it quickly away

Go now please in the name of your new religion go Respect me and my husband

Don't worry I can control myself I just hoped that our marriage would take away the bad in both of us But that plan is no good now He walked slowly away his head bent in thought

The farmer approached at that moment and was angry with Tess for wasting time talking to a stranger Tess preferred hard words from this man of stone to sweet ones from Alec d Urberville For a moment however she imagined escaping from her present hard life by marrying Alec but rejected it immediately

At home that night she began a letter to Clare telling him of her great love for him Reading between the lines he would have seen her secret fear for the future But again she could not finish the letter thinking of his offer to lzz and so he never received it

On a Sunday in February she was eating her lunch in the cottage where she lived when d Urberville knocked at the door He rushed in and threw himself into a chair

Tess he cried desperately I can't help it I can't stop thinking of you Pray for me Tess

Tess did not pity him I cannot because I don't believe God would change His plans just because I asked Him

Who told you that

My husband

Ah your dear husband Tell me what he believes

Tess explained as clearly as she could remember Angel's beliefs Alec watched her closely

The fact is you just believe whatever he says That's just like you women

Ah that's because he knows everything Tess replied with enthusiasm What is good enough for him is good enough for me

H'm interesting murmured d Urberville Perhaps he understands religion better than old Mr Clare Perhaps he's right not to attach too much importance to the Bible and to fixed ideas Perhaps I was wrong to become a preacher Today I should be preaching at half past two and here I am My passion for you was too strong for me

You have let all those people down They are waiting for you

What do I care You are the one woman I have always wanted Why have you tempted me away from religion I can't resist you His black eyes flashed passionately He advanced towards her

I couldn't help your seeing me again cried Tess moving nervously away from him Please leave me Remember I am married Remember I can't defend myself

Alec stopped turned and went out without another word But he went on thinking of Angel's religious logic as explained by Tess It seemed to make sense That clever husband doesn't know that his ideas may lead me back to her he laughed to himself

In March the threshing machine came for a day to Flintcomb Ash It was a huge red machine which ate all the corn the farm workers could feed it Next to it stood the engine which ran it and the engineer He lived in a world of fire and smoke and was permanently black as if he came from hell The farmer put Tess next to the threshing machine so that she had the hardest and most tiring job of all She had little chance to talk or rest and at lunch time was about to start eating when she noticed d Urberville approaching He had Changed his parson's clothes and now looked just like the young gentleman she had first met at Trantridge

I am here again you see he said smiling at her

Why do you bother me like this she cried

You trouble me Your eyes look at me night and day I can't forget them Tess when you told me about that child of ours my feelings for you became strong again I have lost interest in religion and it is your fault

You have stopped preaching asked Tess shocked

I have What a lot of stupid people they are to listen to a preacher anyway And I am convinced that your wonderful husband's views are better than old Parson Clare's I don't know how I became so enthusiastic So now here I am my love just as in the old times

Not like that at all no now it's different she said firmly Oh why couldn't you stay religious

Because you've explained your husband's ideas so well to me that I accept them Ha ha But seriously Tess you need help I am here and this husband of yours is not Come with me My carriage is waiting the other side of the field You have tempted me now share my life for ever He put an arm round her waist Tess was red with anger but said nothing She picked up a heavy leather glove and hit him in the face with it It was an action which her ancestors must have often practised Alec jumped up and wiped the blood from his mouth

Remember one thing he said angrily only just controlling himself as he held her by the shoulders Remember my lady if you are any man's wife you are mine I will have you again I'll come back for an answer later on

So he left and the farm workers started the afternoon's threshing It went on until the evening as the work had to be finished that day Tess became more and more exhausted and was near to fainting when they finally stopped Alec d Urberville who had been waiting for this moment appeared at her side

You are so weak he said holding her arm I've told the farmer he should not use women for work with the threshing machine It's too hard I'll walk home with you

Oh yes please do murmured Tess too tired to be afraid of him You are kind sometimes And at least you wanted to put right the wrong by offering to marry me

If I can't marry you at least I can help you I have finished with religion But you must trust me I have enough money to help your family and make them comfortable

Have you seen them lately asked Tess quickly God knows they need help but no no I can take nothing from you either for them or for me Please leave me alone

As soon as she reached her room she wrote a passionate letter to Angel My own husband

I must call you that I must ask you for help I have no one else I am so open to temptation Angel I cannot tell you who it is Can't you come to me now before anything terrible happens I know you are far away but I need help I know I deserved the punishment you gave me but please Angel please be kind to me If you would come I could die in your arms

I live only for you Don't think I shall be bitter because you left me I am so lonely without you my darling

Haven't you ever felt one little bit of your love for me at the dairy I am the same woman you fell in love with then the very same As soon as I met you the past was dead for me Can't you see this

How silly I was to trust that you would always love me I ought to have known I couldn't be so lucky

People say I am still rather pretty Angel But I don't care about my looks because you are not here

If you won't come to me could I come to you I'm so worried I'm afraid I may fall into some wicked trap Save me from what threatens me

Your faithful heartbroken

Tess

This desperate cry for help eventually arrived at the parson's house in Emminster Old Mr Clare was pleased

I think this letter is from Angel's wife I hope this will bring him home more quickly He did say he was planning to come home next month

Dear boy I hope he will get home safely murmured Mrs Clare I still feel he should have gone university like the other two He should have had the same chance as them Church or no Church

This was the only complaint she ever made to her husband He too was worried that he had been unfair to Angel They blamed themselves for this unfortunate marriage If Angel had studied at Cambridge he would never have become a farmer and married a country girl Still his more recent letters showed that Angel was planning to come home to fetch her so perhaps their quarrel whatever it was could be settled

Angel himself was at this moment riding across Brazil towards the coast He had never completely recovered from the serious illness he had had when he first arrived He was not as strong as before and looked much older The country had been a disappointment to him Many farmers had come here from England hoping to make their fortune and had died in the fields or on the roads He knew now he could not farm here

His attitude to life had changed during this time He began to look again at what was right and wrong He began to see that a person should be judged not only on what he has done but also on what he wanted to do He began to think that he had perhaps been unfair to Tess and he thought about her with growing affection

He wondered why she had not written He forgot that he had told her not to write first He did not realize that she was obeying his orders exactly although it was breaking her heart

On his journey he travelled with another Englishman They were both depressed and both told each other their problems The stranger was older and more experienced than Angel He had a different more open approach to life He told Angel clearly that he was wrong in parting from Tess

The next day they got wet in a thunderstorm The stranger fell ill and died a few days later Death came as no surprise in that unfriendly land Clare buried him and continued his journey The man's words were somehow given greater importance by his unexpected death and suddenly Clare felt ashamed Tess had committed no crime He should believe in her character and not object to a past action she could not avoid He remembered the words of Izz Huett She would have laid down her life for you No woman could do more How she had looked at him on their wedding day as if he were a god And during that terrible evening by the fireside when she told him her story how desperately sad she had been to realize he might not love her any more

Meanwhile Tess was not hopeful that Angel would come in answer to her letter The past had not changed so he might not change either Nevertheless she spent her spare time preparing for his possible return practising singing the songs he used to like tears rolling down her cheeks all the while

One evening she was in the cottage as usual when there was a knock at the door A tall thin girl came in and Tess recognized her young sister Liza Lu

Liza Lu said Tess What's the matter

Mother is very ill her sister said seriously and father is not well either and says a man of such noble family shouldn't have to work So we don't know what to do

Tess thought for a moment She realized she had to go home immediately although her time was not yet up at the farm She left her sister to rest for a while and she herself set off at once with her possessions in a basket

Although it was night and she had a fifteen mile walk she felt quite safe She was only worried about her mother and did not notice the strange shapes of trees and hedges in the darkness At three in the morning she passed the field where she had first seen Angel Clare and felt again the disappointment when he did not dance with her And when she saw the family cottage it seemed to be part of her body and life as it always did

She found her mother recovering from her illness and took over as head of the household Her father did not seem ill and had a new plan for earning money

I'm going to find all the historians round here he said and get them to pay money to keep me going After all they pay to look after old ruins and I'm of historical interest I think they'll be pleased to do it

Tess did not have time to answer She nursed her mother fed the children and worked in the garden planting vegetables for next year She enjoyed working outside among her neighbours One evening when it was almost dark she was digging happily in the vegetable garden some distance from the cottage It was a clear fresh night with smoke blowing about from small fires in the gardens Suddenly she saw a man's face in the light of a fire It was d Urberville She gasped and stepped back her face pale

What are you doing here

My dear Tess I just want to help you to see you Have you finished at that farm

Yes I have

Where are you going next To join your dear husband

Oh I don't know she said bitterly I have no husband

That is quite true in one way But you have a true friend When you go back to your cottage you'll see what I've done for you

Oh Alec I wish you wouldn't give me anything I I have enough I I just don't want to live at all Her tears fell as she started digging again When she looked round d Urberville had left

On her way back one of her sisters rushed towards her shouting Tess Tess Mother is much better but father is dead

But father was only a little bit ill said Tess trying to take in the news

He dropped down just now and the doctor said there was no hope for him because it's his heart

Poor John Durbeyfield's death had more importance than his family realized at first The cottage was in his name On his death the farmer who owned it decided to put farm workers in it and told the Durbeyfields to leave They were not much respected in the village because of John's laziness Tess also felt guilty that her presence might have influenced the farmer The village people clearly thought she was not a good example for their children

So on Lady Day the Durbeyfields had to leave their old home The night before they left d Urberville came to visit Tess to offer her and her family a little house on his land at Trantridge Her mother could look after the chickens and he would pay for the children to go to school Tess firmly rejected his offer But when he had gone for the first time a feeling of anger rose in her against her husband She had never intended to do wrong and he had punished her too hard She passionately wrote these few words to him

Oh why have you treated me so badly Angel I do not deserve it You are cruel I intend to forget you You have been so unfair to me

She ran out and posted it before she could change her mind

I see there's been a visitor said her mother coming into the living room later Your husband was it

No it wasn't him He'll never never come said Tess hopelessly She had said it was not her husband but she was feeling more and more that d Urberville was physically her husband

Next day their possessions were put on a waggon and taken to Kingsbere Mrs Durbeyfield had booked rooms there as it was the family home of the d Urbervilles and she still hoped some good would come of belonging to the ancient family But as they approached Kingsbere after a long and tiring day's journey a man came to tell them there were no rooms available Tess and her mother unloaded the waggon and left the children and furniture near the churchyard wall while they looked for somewhere to stay But all the rooms were full

Tess looked desperately at the pile of their possessions In the cold sunlight of this spring evening the furniture looked old and the pots looked worn

Tombs belong to families for ever don't they asked her mother brightly having looked round the churchyard Well that's where we'll stay children until the place of your ancestors finds us some shelter

Tess helped her mother move the big bed against the church wall Underground were the tombs of the d Urbervilles and at the head of the bed was a beautiful old window in which the symbols on the Durbeyfield seal and spoon could be seen The children were put to bed all together for warmth and comfort

Tomorrow we'll find somewhere better said Joan cheerfully But Tess what's the good of you playing at marrying gentlemen if it leaves us like this

Tess went inside the ancient church and stared sadly at the tombs of her ancestors She thought she saw a movement and turned to look again at a stone figure lying on a tomb When she saw it was Alec d Urberville lying there she almost fainted

I'm going to help you he said jumping up and smiling at her You'll see that I'm more useful than a real d Urberville I'll see your mother You'll thank me for this As he brushed past her she dropped her head on to the cold stone of the tomb

Why am I on the wrong side of this stone she whispered

Marian and Izz had seen Tess moving house with her family and knew what a difficult position she was in They generously hoped she would one day be happy with Angel again and were afraid for her knowing that Alec d Urberville was constantly tempting her They decided to write a letter to Angel Clare to inform him of the dangerous situation his wife was in This is what they wrote

Dear Sir

Watch out for your wife if you love her as much as she loves you She is in danger from an enemy in the shape of a friend A woman's strength cannot last for ever and water if it drops continually will wear away a stone yes even a diamond

From two well wishers

The End

It was evening in the parson's house at Emminster Mr and Mrs Clare were waiting anxiously for Angel's return

He won't be here yet my dear said old Mr Clare as his wife went to the front door for the tenth time Remember his train doesn't come in till six o'clock and then he has to ride ten miles on our old horse

But he used to do it in an hour said his wife impatiently Both knew it was useless to talk about it and the only thing to do was wait

When they heard footsteps they rushed outside to meet the shape in the darkness

Oh my boy my boy home at last cried Mrs Clare who at that moment cared no more for Angel's lack of religion than for the dust on his clothes What woman in fact however firm her beliefs would not sacrifice her religion for her children Nothing was more important to Mrs Clare than Angel's happiness

But as soon as they reached the living room she saw his face clearly in the light of the candles She gave a cry and turned away in sorrow Oh it's not the Angel who went away

Even his father was shocked to see the change in his son They would not have recognized him if they had passed him in the street The cruel climate and hard work had aged him by twenty years He was like a shadow thin and bony with no spring in his step and no enthusiasm in his eyes

I was ill over there he said noticing his parents concern He had to sit down being weak after his journey

Has any letter come for me he asked eagerly The last one

From your wife

Yes I didn't get it until very recently as I was travelling If I had received it earlier I would have come sooner

They gave him a letter that had been waiting for his arrival Angel read it rapidly It was Tess's last letter short and desperate

Oh why have you treated me so badly Angel I do not deserve it You are cruel I intend to forget you You have been so unfair to me

It is all quite true cried Angel hopelessly throwing down the letter Perhaps she will never take me back

Angel don't worry so much about a country girl said his mother anxious about her son's state of mind

You know I've never told you but she is actually a descendant of one of the oldest noblest families in England a d'Urberville in fact And do you know why I left her How could I be so narrow minded I left her because I discovered she was not the pure country girl I thought She had been seduced by a so called gentleman But it wasn't her fault And I Know now that her whole character is honest and faithful I must get her back

After this outburst Angel went to bed early and thought about the situation In Brazil it had seemed easy to rush straight back into Tess's loving arms whenever he chose to forgive her However now he knew she was angry with him for leaving her for so long He admitted she was right to be angry So he decided to give her time to think about their relationship and wrote to her at Marlott instead of going to see her To his surprise he received in reply a note from her mother

Dear Sir

My daughter is not with me at the moment and I don't know when she'll come back I will let you know when she does I cannot tell you where she is staying We don't live in Marlott any more

Yours

J Durbeyfield

At first Clare decided to wait for further information from Tess's mother but then he re read the letter sent on to him in Brazil written from Flintcomb Ash I live only for you Don't think I shall be bitter because you left me I am so lonely without you my darling

Haven't you ever felt one little bit of your love for me at the dairy I am the same woman you fell in love with then the very same As soon as I met you the past was dead for me

He was so touched he felt he must go immediately to find her however angry she and her family might be with him While he was packing the letter from Izz and Marian arrived and made him hurry even more

His search for Tess took him first to Flintcomb Ash where he discovered she had never used her married name He began to realize too what hardship she had suffered rather than ask his family for money Next he travelled to Marlott but found the Durbeyfield cottage occupied by others As he left the village he passed the field where he had first seen Tess at the dance He could not bear to see it because Tess was not there In the churchyard he saw a new headstone on which was written

In memory of John Durbeyfield rightly d'Urberville of the once powerful family of that name and direct descendant of Sir Pagan d'Urberville Died March 10th 18

A gravedigger noticed Clare looking at it and called to him Ah sir that man didn't want to be buried here but in his ancestors'tombs at Kingsbere

So why wasn't he buried there

No money In fact sir even this headstone has not been paid for

Clare went immediately to pay the bill for the stone and set out towards Shaston where he found Mrs Durbeyfield and her children living in a small house She seemed embarrassed to see him

I'm Tess's husband he said awkwardly I want to see her at once You were going to write and tell me where she is Is she well

I don't know sir but you ought to

You're right I ought to know that about my own wife Where is she

Mrs Durbeyfield would not reply

Do you think Tess would want me to try and find her

I don't think she would

He was turning away and then he thought of Tess's letter If you would come I could die in your arms I live only for you I am so lonely without you my darling He turned back

I'm sure she would he said passionately I know her better than you do

I expect you do sir for I have never really known her

Please Mrs Durbeyfield please tell me where she is Please be kind to a miserable lonely man

There was a pause after this cry from the heart Finally Tess's mother replied in a low voice She is at Sandbourne

Thank you he said relieved Do you need anything

No thank you sir said Joan Durbeyfield We are well provided for

Clare took the train to Sandbourne On his arrival at eleven o'clock in the evening he took a room in a hotel and walked around the streets in the hope of meeting Tess But it was too late to ask anybody

It seemed a strange place to Clare It was a bright fashionable holiday town with parks flowerbeds and amusements This new town a product of modern civilization had grown up near the ancient Egdon Woods where the paths over the hills had not changed for a thousand years

He walked up and down the wide streets trying to admire the modern buildings He felt confused The sea murmured and he thought it was the trees The trees murmured and he thought it was the sea He could not understand what had brought Tess here This was a town for relaxation for pleasure not for a working girl like Tess There were no cows to milk here and no vegetables to dig He looked at the lights in the bedroom windows and wondered which one was hers

Before going to bed he re read Tess's passionate letter He could not sleep that night At the post office next morning they knew nothing of the names of Clare or Durbeyfield

But there is the name of d'Urberville at Mrs Brooks' said the postman

That's it cried Clare pleased to think she had taken her ancestors name as he had suggested

He made his way quickly to Mrs Brooks' house following the postman's directions It was a large impressive house and he wondered if he should go to the back door as Tess was probably a servant here But he rang at the front Mrs Brooks herself appeared

Is Teresa d'Urberville here he asked

Mrs d'Urberville

Yes He felt pleased that she was known there as a married woman Please tell her that a relation wants to see her Say it's Angel

Mr Angel

No just Angel She'll know

Angel waited in the sitting room his heart beating painfully

Whatever will she think of me he thought I look so different so much older He was still weak after his illness He could hardly stand and held on to the back of a chair as she entered the room

He was not prepared for what he saw Tess was wearing fashionable clothes and looked even more beautiful than he remembered He had held out his arms but they fell to his side because she stood still in the doorway He thought she could not bear his changed appearance

Tess he whispered His voice was low and breaking with emotion Can you forgive me for going away Can't you come to me Why are you so beautiful

It is too late she said her voice hard and her eyes shining unnaturally

I didn't see you as you really were Please forgive me Tessy he begged Too late too late she said waving her hand impatiently

Don't come close Angel Keep away

But is it that you don't love me my dear wife because I've been ill I've come to find you My parents will welcome you I've told them everything

Yes yes But it is too late Every moment seemed like an hour to her She felt as if she was in a dream trying to escape but unable to Don't you know what has happened I waited and waited for you But you didn't come And I wrote to you and you didn't come He kept on saying you would never come back again and he was very kind to my family after father's death He

I don't understand

He has won me back to him

Clare stared at her He saw her fashionable clothes He saw her relaxed well fed body He saw her white delicate hands At last he understood and fell into a chair as if hit on the head

She continued He is upstairs I hate him now because he told me a lie that you would never return and you have returned Will you go away now Angel please and never come back

They looked at each other without joy and without hope desperately wanting to be sheltered from reality

It's my fault said Clare But talking did not help The Tess he had first loved had separated her body from her soul Her soul remained and would remain faithful to him for ever But what happened to her body no longer interested her after he had rejected it

After a few moments of confused reflection he realized Tess had left the room His mind was in a fog He felt very cold and very ill Somehow he found himself in the street walking although he did not know where

Mrs Brooks was not usually curious about her guests She was too interested in the money they paid her to ask many questions However Angel Clare's visit to her wealthy guests Mr and Mrs d'Urberville as she knew them was unusual enough to interest her She could hear parts of the conversation between the two lost souls and when Tess went back upstairs Mrs Brooks crept quietly up to listen outside the bedroom door She heard Tess sobbing and through the keyhole could see her half lying over the breakfast table

And then my dear husband came home to me And it's too late Because you persuaded me you with your fine words as you did when you seduced me You told me he would never come back But he did And you helped my family that's how you persuaded me so cleverly But when I believed you and came to live with you he came back And now I've lost him a second time and this time for ever He will hate me now She turned her tear stained face and Mrs Brooks could see how she was suffering And he's dying he looks as if he's dying It will be my fault if he dies You have destroyed my life and his I can't bear it I can't The man spoke sharply and after that there was silence

Mrs Brooks went back downstairs to wait until she was called to take their breakfast away She could hear Tess moving about and then saw Tess leave the house fully dressed in her fashionable clothes Perhaps Mr d'Urberville was still asleep as he did not like getting up early Mrs Brooks wondered who this morning's visitor was and where Mrs d'Urberville had gone so early

Just then she noticed a mark on the ceiling It seemed to be spreading It was red and when she stood on the table and touched it it looked like blood She ran up to listen at the bedroom door again The dead silence was broken only by a regular drip drip drip She ran wildly out into the street and begged a man she knew to come back with her Together they hurried upstairs and pushed open the bedroom door The breakfast lay untouched on the table but the large knife was missing They found it in Alec d'Urberville's heart He lay on the bed pale fixed dead still bleeding Soon the news spread all over Sandbourne that Mrs Brooks' guest had been killed by his young wife

Meavwhile Angel Clare returned to his hotel and sat for a while over breakfast staring into space A note arrived from his mother saying that his brother Cuthbert was going to marry Mercy Chant Clare threw away the paper At last he got up paid the bill and went to the railway station But he could not sit patiently and wait for the next train in an hour's time He had nothing to wish for in life and nobody to love He was in no hurry but just wanted to get out of that town as soon as possible

So he started walking along the road out of town The road was open and dropped down to cross a valley When he was climbing the far side of the valley he stopped for breath and something made him turn round There was a small black figure in the distance a human figure running Clare waited It looked like a woman but he never imagined that it could be his wife until she came close and he saw it was less

I saw you turn on to the road from the station and I've been following you all this way She was pale breathless and trembling He did not question her but took her arm and helped her along They took a footpath under some trees to avoid being seen

Angel she said do you know why I've been running after you To tell you that I've killed him There was a pitiful smile on her white face as she spoke

What! he cried thinking her mind was disturbed

I don't know how I did it she said I had to do it for you and me Angel I was afraid long ago when I hit him in the mouth with that heavy glove that I might kill him one day He has come between us and ruined our lives I never loved him at all Angel You believe me don't you Oh why did you go away when I loved you so much But I don't blame you Angel Only will you forgive me now I could not bear losing you any longer I had to kill him Say you love me now say you do

Oh I do love you Tess I do It has all come back he said holding her tightly in his arms But what do you mean you've killed him

He is dead He heard me crying about you and he called you rude names I couldn't bear it So I killed him

Eventually Angel came to believe that she probably had killed d'Urberville He was amazed at the strength of her feeling and this it seemed had made her forget the difference between right and wrong She did not seem to realize what she had done and laid her head on his shoulder crying with happiness He wondered if the bad blood of the d'Urbervilles was to blame for this moment of madness

However he knew he could not leave her now She expected him to protect her And at last Clare felt nothing but love for this passionate loving wife of his He kissed her again and again and held her hand

I won't leave you I'll protect you as well as I can my dearest love whatever you may or may not have done

They walked on less turning her head occasionally to look at him For her he was still perfection despite his thinness and pale face He was the one man who had loved her purely and who believed in her as pure Their arms around each other's waists they walked through the woods on lonely footpaths taking care not to meet anybody They did not talk much being content to be together at last

Where shall we go asked Tess

I don't know Perhaps we could find a cottage to stay in tonight Can you walk a long way Tessy

Oh yes I could walk for ever with your arm around me At midday Angel went to a public house and brought food and wine back to where Tess was waiting in the woods for him Her clothes were so fashionable that the country people would have noticed her

I think we should keep walking inland away from the coasts said Clare as they finished eating We can hide there for a while Later on when they stop looking for us we can go to a port and get right out of the country

But their plans were vague They were like two children who think only of the moment The weather was warm and they enjoyed walking together However in the afternoon they did nut find any suitable cottages to stay in and it was too cold to sleep outside They had walked about fifteen miles when they passed a large empty house in the middle of the woods

All those rooms empty said Tess and we have no shelter

We can stay the night there said Clare Look there's a window open The caretaker probably airs the rooms in the daytime We can climb in Nobody will know

And so they did They chose a bedroom with heavy old fashioned furniture and a huge old bed They kept quiet while the caretaker came to shut the windows in the evening Then the house was theirs They ate some of the food they had brought and went to bed in total darkness

During the night she told him about his sleepwalking just after their wedding

You should have told me at the time

Don't think of the past Think of the present Tomorrow may mean the end of our happiness

But when tomorrow came it was wet and foggy It seemed that the caretaker only came on fine days so they were alone in the house They had enough food and wine and stayed there for the next five days It was the honeymoon they had never had They had no contact with people and only noticed changes in the weather Neither mentioned the depressing period from their wedding day to the present They lived for the moment and were completely happy When Angel suggested leaving their shelter and travelling to a port like Southampton or London Tess was unwilling

Why put an end to sweetness and happiness Outside everything is confused and sad Here we are quite content

Angel agreed Inside was forgiveness and love outside was eventual punishment

And she said putting her cheek against his I want you to go on loving me I'm afraid you might reject me one day for what I've done Then I would rather be dead I must have been mad to kill him But I don't want to be alive when you reject me for it

They stayed for one more day but the caretaker came early that fine sunny morning She wanted to open the windows in the bedrooms which she did not usually do and opened their bedroom door She saw the young couple lying in the big bed fast asleep and hurried away to tell her neighbours

Tess and Angel woke soon after and decided to leave immediately They dared not stay any longer When they were in the woods Tess turned to look at the house

So much happiness in that house she whispered My life can only be a question of a few weeks Why couldn't we have stayed there

Don't say that Tess We'll go northwards and get to a port They won't find us

They kept going all day and most of the night passing the cathedral city of Melchester and reaching open land It was a windy cloudy night They walked on grass so as not to make any noise on the road They were alone and in darkness Suddenly Clare almost bumped into a great stone rising up in front of him Moving forwards carefully they found other stones standing tall and black against the night sky

What on earth is this place Clare asked

Listen cried Tess

The wind playing on the huge stones produced a strange tune like the notes of a great harp The couple walked slowly into the middle of the great circle of stones

It's Stonehenge cried Clare

The pagan temple

Yes Older than the centuries Older than the d'Urbervilles

Let's stay here tonight Angel said Tess lying down on a flat stone which was still warm from the day's sunshine

We'd better not This place can be seen for miles in daylight

I feel at home here murmured Tess You used to say at Talbothays that I was a pagan do you remember

He bent over her and kissed her

Sleepy are you dearest

I love it here she said I have been so happy with you And here I have only the sky above my face There is nobody in the world except us two

Clare thought she could rest a while here He put his coat over her and lay down beside her

Angel she asked presently as they listened to the wind among the stones if anything happens to me will you take care of Liza Lu

I will

She is so good and pure Oh Angel I wish you would marry her if you lose me as you will do soon If I lose you I lose everything

She has all the best of me without my bad side and if she were yours it would almost seem as if we were not separated by death Well I won't mention it again

There was silence for a while Angel could see the first light in the east They had not much time

Did they sacrifice to God here she asked

No to the sun

That reminds me dear Tell me do you think we shall meet again after we are dead I want to know

He kissed her to avoid replying

Oh Angel that means no she almost sobbed And I so wanted to see you again so much so much Not even you and I Angel who love each other so much

He could not answer Soon she fell asleep on the stone of sacrifice The night wind died away and the stones looked black in the half light Something seemed to move in the distance It was a figure approaching Stonehenge Clare wished they had gone on but it was too late He turned and saw another and another They were uniformed men closing in on Tess with slow purposeful steps Clare jumped up wildly looking round for a way to escape

It's no use sir said the nearest policeman We've surrounded the place

Let her finish her sleep he begged in a whisper as the men gathered round the stone He held her hand She was breathing more like a trapped animal than a woman All waited in the growing light their faces and hands silver the stones grey When the light was strong she awoke

What is it Angel she said sitting up Have they come for me

Yes dearest they have

That is right I am almost glad This happiness could not have lasted

She stood up and went towards the waiting men I am ready she said quietly

One July morning the sun shone on two figures climbing the hill leading out of the fine city of Wintoncester They were young but they walked bent in sorrow One was Angel Clare the other Tess's younger sister Liza Lu Hand in hand with pale tear stained faces they walked in silence

When they reached the top of the hill they heard the town clocks strike eight They turned quickly and looked back at the city They could see the cathedral the college and the prison very clearly A tall post was fixed to the prison tower A few minutes after eight as they watched a black flag moved slowly up the post

The gods had finished playing with Tess Society had seen justice done Her d'Urberville ancestors slept on in their tombs uncaring The two silent watchers dropped to the ground and stayed there without moving for a long time The flag waved in the wind As soon as they had strength they stood up joined hands again and continued slowly on their way