苔斯-第11节

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t，　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