苔斯-第7节

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ter－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．

　　



　


9

　　

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．

　　



　



10

　　

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，　Te