苔斯-第4章

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‘Yes，’said　Tess．

‘A　day　of　rest　for　most　people，　although　I　do　more　real　work　today　than　in　the　rest　of　the　week　put　together．’

‘Do　you？’

‘In　the　week　I　work　for　man，but　on　Sunday　I　work　for　God．That's　better　work，don't　you　think？　Wait　a　moment，I　have　something　to　do　here．’He　stopped　at　a　gate，　and　in　large　red　letters　on　the　middle　bar　of　the　gate　he　painted　some　words　from　the　Bible：

　　

PUNISHMENT　AWAITS　YOU

　　

In　the　soft　air，against　the　gentle　green　of　the　trees　and　the　peaceful　fields，　these　great　red　words　stared　at　Tess．　They　pointed　a　finger　at　her．This　man　was　a　stranger　and　could　not　know　her　story，　but　the　words　accused　her．

‘Do　you　believe　what　you　paint？’she　asked　in　a　low　voice．

‘Do　I　believe　those　words？Do　I　believe　I　am　alive！’

‘But，’she　whispered，trembling，‘suppose　you　were　forced　to　do　wrong？’

He　shook　his　head．‘I　can't　answer　that　question．I　paint　the　words　and　leave　others　to　think　about　them　in　their　own　hearts．’

‘I　think　they　are　horrible　words！’cried　Tess．‘I'll　take　my　basket　and　go　on　now，　and　she　walked　away　from　him，her　heart　beating　fast．‘I　don't　believe　God　said　those　things！’she　thought，as　she　reached　her　village．

There　was　smoke　coming　from　her　father's　chimney，　but　seeing　the　inside　of　the　cottage　made　her　heart　ache．It　was　as　poor　as　ever．Her　mother　jumped　up，surprised　to　see　her．

‘Well，my　dear　Tess！’she　said，kissing　her．‘How　are　you？　Have　you　come　home　to　be　married？’

‘No，　not　for　that，　mother．’

‘What，isn't　your　cousin　going　to　marry　you？’

‘He's　not　my　cousin，　and　he's　not　going　to　marry　me．’

Her　mother　looked　at　her　closely．‘Come，you　haven't　told　me　everything．’

Then　Tess　went　up　to　her　mother，put　her　head　on　Joan's　shoulder，and　told　her　the　whole　story．

‘And　you　haven't　persuaded　him　to　marry　you！’cried　Joan．　‘What's　the　good　of　going　there？　Why　didn't　you　think　of　doing　some　good　for　your　family　instead　of　thinking　only　of　yourself？’

Tess　was　confused．　Alec　had　never　mentioned　marriage　to　her．But　even　if　he　had，she　would　never　have　accepted　him，　because　she　did　not　love　him．This　made　her　hate　herself　for　what　she　had　done．She　would　certainly　never　love　him　in　the　future．　She　did　not　quite　hate　him，　but　did　not　wish　to　marry　him，even　to　remain　respectable．

‘You　ought　to　have　been　more　careful　if　you　didn't　want　to　marry　him！’

‘Oh　mother！’cried　the　poor　girl，her　heart　breaking．‘Why　didn't　you　warn　me　about　men？I　was　a　child　when　I　left　home！I　didn't　know　how　dangerous　they　can　be，and　you　didn't　tell　me！’

‘Well，we　must　make　the　best　of　it，’said　her　mother．‘It's　only　human　nature，　after　all．’

That　afternoon　the　little　cottage　was　full　of　Tess's　friends，　girls　who　lived　in　the　village　and　who　had　missed　her　while　she　had　been　away．They　whispered　to　each　other　that　Tess　was　sure　to　marry　that　handsome　gentleman．Fortunately　Tess　did　not　hear　them．She　joined　in　their　laughing　and　talking，and　for　a　short　time　almost　forgot　her　shame．

But　the　next　day　was　Monday，the　beginning　of　the　working　week，　when　there　were　no　best　clothes　and　no　visitors．She　awoke　with　the　innocent　children　asleep　around　her，she　who　had　lost　her　innocence．　She　looked　into　her　future，and　grew　very　depressed．　She　knew　she　had　to　travel　on　a　long，stony　road，　without　help　or　sympathy．　She　had　nothing　to　look　forward　to，and　she　wanted　to　die．

In　the　next　few　weeks，　however，　she　became　more　cheerful，　and　went　to　church　one　Sunday　morning．　She　loved　listening　to　the　well－known　tunes，　and　gave　herself　up　to　the　beauty　of　the　music．She　wondered　at　the　composer's　power．　From　the　grave　he　could　make　a　girl　like　her，　who　had　never　known　him，feel　extremes　of　emotion．　She　sat　in　a　quiet，dark　corner　listening　to　the　service．But　when　the　village　people　arrived　at　church　they　noticed　her　and　started　whispering　to　each　other．She　knew　what　they　were　saying　and　realized　she　could　come　to　church　no　more．

So　she　spent　almost　all　her　time　in　her　bedroom，which　she　shared　with　the　children．　From　here　she　watched　the　wind，　the　snow，the　rain，beautiful　sunsets　and　full　moons，one　after　another．People　began　to　think　she　had　gone　away．　She　only　went　out　after　dark，　to　walk　in　the　woods　and　the　fields．　She　was　not　afraid　of　the　dark　or　the　shadows；　it　was　people　she　was　anxious　to　avoid．　She　was　at　home　on　the　lonely　hills，　but　she　felt　guilty　surrounded　by　innocent　nature．　When　it　rained，　she　thought　nature　was　crying　at　her　weakness，and　when　the　midnight　wind　blew　she　thought　nature　was　angry　with　her．But　she　did　not　realize　that　although　she　had　broken　an　accepted　social　rule，　she　had　done　nothing　against　nature．　She　was　as　innocent　as　the　sleeping　birds　in　the　trees，or　the　small　field　animals　in　the　hedges．

　　



　


7

　　

One　day　in　August　the　sun　was　rising　through　the　mist．In　a　yellow　cornfield　near　Marlott　village　it　shone　on　two　large　arms　of　painted　wood．These，with　two　others　below，　formed　the　turning　cross　of　the　reaping－machine．It　was　ready　for　today's　harvest．　A　group　of　men　and　a　group　of　women　came　down　the　road　at　sunrise．　As　they　walked　along，　their　heads　were　in　the　sun　while　their　feet　were　in　the　shadow　of　the　hedge．They　went　into　the　field．

Soon　there　came　a　sound　like　the　love－making　of　the　grasshopper．The　machine　had　begun，　and　three　horses　pulled　it　slowly　along　the　field．Its　arms　turned，bright　in　the　sunlight．Gradually　the　area　of　standing　corn　was　reduced．So　was　the　living　space　of　the　small　field　animals，who　crowded　together，not　knowing　that　they　could　not　escape　the　machine　in　the　end．

The　harvesters　followed　the　machine，　picking　and　tying　up　bundles　of　corn．　The　girls　were　perhaps　more　interesting　to　look　at．They　wore　large　cotton　hats　to　keep　off　the　sun，　and　gloves　to　protect　their　hands　from　the　corn．The　prettiest　was　the　one　in　the　pale　pink　jacket，who　never　looked　around　her　as　she　worked．She　moved　forward，　bending　and　tying　like　a　machine．Occasionally　she　stood　up　to　rest．Then　her　face　could　be　seen：a　lovely　young　face，with　deep　dark　eyes　and　long　heavy　curling　hair．Her　cheeks　were　paler，her　teeth　more　regular，　and　her　red　lips　thinner　than　most　country　girls’．

It　was　Tess　Durbeyfield，　or　d’Urberville，　rather　changed，　living　as　a　stranger　in　her　home　village．She　had　decided　to　do　outdoor　work　and　earn　a　little　money　in　the　harvest．

The　work　continued　all　morning，and　Tess　began　to　glance　towards　the　hill．　At　eleven　o’clock　a　group　of　children　came　over　the　hill．　Tess　blushed　a　little，but　still　did　not　pause　in　her　work．The　eldest　child　carried　in　her　arms　a　baby　in　long　clothes．　Another　brought　some　lunch．　The　harvesters　stopped　work，sat　down　and　started　to　eat　and　drink．

Tess　also　sat　down，　some　way　from　the　others．　She　called　the　girl，　her　sister，　and　took　the　baby　from　her．　Unfastening　her　dress，　and　still　blushing，　she　began　feeding　her　child．　The　men　kindly　turned　away，some　of　them　beginning　to　smoke．　All　the　other　women　started　to　talk　and　rearrange　their　hair．　When　the　baby　had　finished　Tess　played　with　him　without　showing　much　enthusiasm．　Then　suddenly　she　kissed　him　again　and　again，as　if　she　could　not　stop．The　baby　cried　out　at　the　violence　of　her　kisses．

‘She　loves　that　child，though　she　says　she　hates　him　and　wishes　they　were　both　dead，’said　one　of　the　women，watching　the　young　mother．

‘She'll　soon　stop　saying　that，’replied　another．‘She'll　get　used　to　it．It　happens　to　lots　of　girls．’．

‘Well，　it　wasn't　her　fault．　She　was　forced　into　it　that　night　in　The　Chase．　People　heard　her　sobbing．　A　certain　gentleman　might　have　been　punished　if　somebody　had　passed　by　and　seen　them．’

‘It　was　a　pity　it　happened　to　her，the　prettiest　in　the　village．But　that's　how　it　happens！The　ugly　ones　are　as　safe　as　houses，aren't　they，　Jenny？’and　the　speaker　turned　to　one　who　was　certainly　not　beautiful．

Tess　sat　there，unaware　of　their　conversation．　Her　mouth　was　like　a　flower，　and　her　eyes　were　large　and　soft，　sometimes　black，blue　or　grey，　sometimes　all　three　colours　together．　She　had　spent　months　regretting　her　experience　and　crying　over　it，　but　suddenly　decided　that　the　past　was　the　past．In　a　few　years　her　shame，and　she　herself，would　be　forgotten．　Meanwhile　the　trees　were　just　as　green，　and　the　sun　shone　just　as　brightly，as　before．Life　went　on．

She　most　feared　what　people　thought　of　her，　and　imagined　that　they　talked　constantly　about　her　behind　her　back．In　fact　she　was　not　often　discussed，and　even　her　friends　only　thought　about　her　occasionally．　Other　things　of　more　importance　took　up　their　time．If　there　had　been　no　people　around　her，Tess　would　not　have　made　herself　so　unhappy．　She　would　have　accepted　the　situation　as　it　was．She　was　miserable，not　because　she　felt　unhappy，but　because　she　imagined　herself　rejected　by　society．

Now　she　wanted　to　be　useful　again，　and　to　work．　So　she　dressed　neatly，and　helped　in　the　harvest，and　looked　people　calmly　in　the　face，even　when　holding　her　baby　in　her　arms．

Having　eaten　her　lunch　quickly，　Tess　went　back　to　work　with　the　harvesters　in　the　cornfield　until　it　was　dark．They　all　came　home　on　one　of　the　largest　waggons，singing　and　laughing　together．

But　when　Tess　reached　home，　she　discovered　that　the　baby　had　fallen　ill　that　afternoon．He　was　so　small　and　weak　that　illness　was　to　be　expected，but　this　still　came　as　a　shock　to　Tess．She　forgot　the　shame　surrounding　his　birth，　and　only　wished　passionately　to　keep　him　alive．However，it　became　clear　that　he　was　dying．Now　Tess　had　a　greater　problem．　Her　baby　had　not　been　baptized．

Her　ideas　on　religion　were　not　very　developed．　She　had　more　or　less　accepted　that　she　would　go　to　hell　for　her　crime，and　did　not　much　care　what　would　happen　to　her　after　death．　But　fo　her　baby　it　was　different．　He　was　dying，and　must　be　saved　from　hell．

It　was　nearly　bedtime，　but　she　rushed　downstairs　and　asked　if　she　could　send　for　the　parson．　Her　father　had　just　returned　from　the　public　house，　and　was　at　his　most　sensitive　to　the　shame　brought　upon　his　noble　name　by　Tess．He　refused　to　allow　the　parson　in，　and　locked　the　door．

The　family　went　to　sleep．As　the　night　passed，　Tess　realized，in　great　misery，that　the　baby　was　close　to　death．　She　walked　feverishly　up　and　down　the　room，until　an　idea　came　to　her．

‘Ah！Perhaps　baby　can　be　saved！Perhaps　it　will　be　just　the　same！’

She　lit　a　candle，and　woke　her　young　brothers　and　sisters．　Having　poured　some　water　into　a　bowl，she　made　them　kneel　around，with　their　hands　together　as　in　church．The　children　were　hardly　awake　and　watched　Tess　with　big　round　eyes．

She　looked　tall　in　her　long　white　nightdress，　her　long　dark　hair　hanging　down　her　back　to　her　waist．　Her　enthusiasm　lit　up　her　face，　giving　it　a　beautiful　purity—the　face　which　had　caused　her　shame．

She　picked　up　the　baby．　One　of　the　children　asked，‘Are　you　really　going　to　baptize　him，　Tess？　What's　his　name　going　to　be？’

She　had　not　thought　of　that，　but　remembered　the　story　of　Adam　and　Eve　i