苔斯-第7章

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　mentioned　her　ancestors．

That　summer，　Tess　and　Clare　unconsciously　studied　each　other，　balanced　on　the　edge　of　a　passion，　yet　just　keeping　out　of　it．　But　all　the　time，　like　two　streams　in　a　valley，　they　were　destined　to　join．Tess　had　never　been　so　happy　as　she　was　now，　and　perhaps　never　would　be　so　again．　They　met　continually．They　could　not　help　it．They　met　daily　in　the　half…light，　at　three　o’clock　in　the　morning，　just　before　milking．　They　felt　they　were　the　first　two　up　in　the　whole　world，　like　Adam　and　Eve．　Tess　seemed　like　a　queen　to　Clare，　perhaps　because　he　knew　that　she　was　the　most　beautiful　woman　walking　about　at　this　time　of　day．　Lovely　women　are　usually　asleep　at　midsummer　sunrise．　But　Tess　was　near，　and　the　rest　were　nowhere．　In　the　strange　light　she　was　no　longer　a　milkmaid，　but　a　vision　of　woman，　the　whole　of　womanhood　in　one　form．

One　day　just　after　breakfast　they　all　gathered　in　the　milkhouse．　The　milk　was　turning　in　the　churn，　but　the　butter　would　not　come．Dairyman　Crick　was　worried．

‘Maybe　someone　in　the　house　is　in　love，’suggestea　his　wife．‘That　sometimes　causes　it．　D’you　remember　that　maid　years　ago，　and　the　butter　didn't　come…？’

‘Ah　yes，　but　that　wasn't　being　in　love，’replied　Mr　Crick．‘That　was　damage　to　the　churn．’He　turned　to　Clare　to　tell　the　story．

‘Jack　Dollop，　one　of　our　milkers，　got　a　girl　into　trouble．One　day　her　mother　came　looking　for　him　with　a　great　heavy　umbrella　in　her　hand．Jack　hid　in　the　churn，but　she　found　him　and　turned　it　round　and　round．“　Stop，stop！”　cried　Jack．“If　you　promise　to　marry　my　daughter！”shouted　the　mother．And　so　he　did．’

Tess，　very　pale，　had　gone　to　the　door　for　some　fresh　air．Fortunately　the　butter　suddenly　came．　But　Tess　remained　depressed　all　afternoon．To　the　others　the　story　was　funny．She　alone　could　see　the　sorrow　in　it，　and　it　reminded　her　of　her　experience．

Tess　was　first　in　bed　that　night，　and　was　half　asleep　as　the　other　girls　undressed．　She　saw　them　standing　at　the　window　looking　at　someone　in　the　garden　with　great　interest．

‘It's　no　use　you　being　in　love　with　him　any　more　than　me，Retty　Priddle，’　said　Marian，　the　eldest．

‘There　he　is　again！’cried　lzz　Huett，　a　pale　girl　with　dark　hair．‘　I　would　just　marry　him　tomorrow　if　he　asked　me，’said　Marian，　blushing．

‘So　would　I，　and　more，’murmured　Izz．

‘And　I　too，’whispered　Retty　shyly．

‘We　can't　all　marry　him，’said　Izz．

‘We　can't　anyway，’said　Marian．‘He　likes　Tess　Durbeyfield　best．　I've　watched　him　every　day　and　found　it　out．’

There　was　a　thoughtful　silence．

‘How　silly　this　all　is！’said　Izz　impatiently．　‘He's　a　gentleman's　son．　He　won't　marry　any　of　us　or　Tess　either！’They　all　sighed，　and　crept　into　their　beds，　and　fell　asleep．　But　Tess，　with　her　deeper　feelings，　could　not　sleep．　She　knew　Angel　Clare　preferred　her　to　the　others．　She　was　more　attractive，　better　educated　and　more　womanly．　She　could　keep　his　affection　for　her．　But　should　she？　Perhaps　the　others　should　have　a　chance　of　attracting　his　attention，　and　even　of　marrying　him．She　had　heard　from　Mrs　Crick　that　Mr　Clare　had　spoken　of　marrying　a　country　girl　to　help　him　farm，　milk　cows　and　reap　corn．Tess　had　promised　herself　she　would　never　marry　and　would　never　be　tempted　to　do　so．　She　ought　to　leave　the　field　open　for　the　other　girls．

Next　morning　Dairyman　Crick　sent　all　the　dairy　people　out　into　a　field　to　search　for　garlic　plants．　One　bite　by　one　cow　was　enough　to　make　the　whole　day's　butter　taste　of　garlic．It　was　not　by　accident　that　Clare　walked　next　to　Tess．

‘Don't　they　look　pretty？’she　said　to　him．

‘Who？’

‘Izzy　Huett　and　Retty．’She　had　decided　that　either　would　make　a　good　farmer's　wife．

‘Pretty？　Well，　yes，　I　have　often　thought　so．

‘They　are　excellent　dairywomen．

‘Yes，though　not　better　than　you．’Clare　observed　them．

‘She　is　blushing，’continued　Tess　bravely，‘because　you　are　looking　at　her．’She　could　hardly　say‘Marry　one　of　them　if　you　really　don't　want　a　fine　lady！　Don't　think　of　marrying　me！’From　now　on　she　tried　to　avoid　spending　time　with　Angel．　She　gave　the　other　three　every　chance．

　　



　


11

　　

It　was　July　and　very　hot．　The　atmosphere　of　the　flat　valley　hung　like　a　drug　over　the　dairy　people，　the　cows　and　the　trees．　It　was　Sunday　morning　after　milking．　Tess　and　the　other　three　girls　dressed　quickly　to　go　to　Mellstock　Church，which　was　three　or　four　miles　away　from　Talbothays．　Heavy　thunderstorms　had　poured　down　the　day　before，　but　today　the　sun　shone　brightly　and　the　air　was　warm　and　clear．When　the　girls　reached　the　lowest　part　of　the　road　to　Mellstock，　they　found　it　was　flooded．　In　working　clothes　and　boots　they　would　have　walked　through，　but　they　were　wearing　Sunday　white　stockings　and　thin　shoes　which　they　did　not　want　to　ruin．　The　church　bell　was　calling，　still　a　mile　away．

Suddenly　they　saw　Angel　Clare　approaching．　He　had　seen　them　from　far　away，　and　had　come　to　help　them，　one　of　them　in　particular．

‘I'll　carry　you　through　the　water，　all　of　you，’he　offered．All　four　blushed　as　if　they　had　one　heart．

‘Now，　Marian，　put　your　arms　round　my　shoulders．　Hold　on！’　and　Angel　walked　off　with　her　in　his　arms．　Next　was　lzz　Huett．Her　lips　were　dry　with　emotion．　Angel　returned　for　Retty．　While　he　was　picking　her　up，　he　glanced　at　Tess．　He　could　not　have　said　more　plainly，‘　It　will　soon　be　you　and　I．’There　was　an　understanding　between　them．

It　was　now　Tess's　turn．　He　picked　her　up．　She　was　embarrassed　to　discover　her　excitement　at　his　nearness．

‘Three　plain　girls　to　get　one　beauty，’he　whispered．

‘They　are　better　women　than　I，’　she　said　bravely．

‘Not　to　me，’　said　Angel．　She　blushed．　There　was　silence．Clare　stood　still　and　bent　his　face　to　hers．

‘Oh　Tessy！’he　said．　Her　cheeks　were　pink　and　she　could　not　look　into　his　eyes．　But　he　respected　her　modesty　and　did　nothing　more．　He　walked　slowly，　however，　to　make　the　journey　as　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