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 first time a feeling of anger rose in her against her husband．She had never intended to do wrong and he had punished her too hard！She passionately wrote these few words to him：
Oh why have you treated me so badly，Angel？I do not deserve it．You are cruel！I intend to forget you．You have been so unfair to me！
T
She ran out and posted it before she could change her mind．
‘I see there's been a visitor，’said her mother，coming into the living room later．‘Your husband， was it？’
‘No，it wasn't him．He'll never，never come，’said Tess hopelessly．She had said it was not her husband，but she was feeling more and more that d’Urberville was physically her husband．
Next day their possessions were put on a waggon and taken to Kingsbere．Mrs Durbeyfield had booked rooms there，as it was the family home of the d’Urbervilles，and she still hoped some good would come of belonging to the ancient family．But as they approached Kingsbere after a long and tiring day's journey，a man came to tell them there were no rooms available．Tess and her mother unloaded the wa