苔斯-第17节

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‘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　

　　



　


18

　　

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