苔斯-第15节

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‘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

　　

17

　　

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