苔斯-第9节

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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

　　

12

　　

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