苔斯- 第4部分

‘Well，if　he　doesn't　marry　her　before，he'll　marry　her　after．If　she　plays　her　cards　right．’

‘If　he　knows　about　her　d’Urberville　blood，you　mean？’

‘No，stupid，if　she　shows　him　her　pretty　face．’

Meanwhile　Alec　d’Urberville　was　whipping　his　horse　and　driving　the　carriage　faster　and　faster　downhill．The　trees　rushed　past　at　great　speed．Tess　was　feeling　thoroughly　frightened．He　took　no　notice　when　she　asked　him　to　slow　down．She　cried　out　and　held　on　to　his　arm　in　fear．

‘Don't　touch　my　arm，　hold　on　to　my　waist！’he　shouted．　At　the　top　of　another　hill　he　said，laughing，‘Put　your　arms　around　me　again，　my　beauty！’

‘Never！’said　Tess　independently．

‘Let　me　give　you　one　little　kiss，　Tess，　and　I'll　stop！’

‘Will　nothing　else　do？’cried　Tess　in　despair．‘Oh，　very　well！’

As　they　raced　on，he　was　on　the　point　of　kissing　her，when　she　suddenly　moved　aside，so　that　he　almost　fell　off．

‘I'll　break　both　our　necks！’he　swore　passionately．

‘I　thought　you　would　be　kind　to　me，’said　Tess，her　eyes　filling　with　tears．‘I　don't　want　to　kiss　anybody！’

But　he　insisted，so　in　the　end　she　sat　still　and　d’Urberville　kissed　her．No　sooner　had　he　done　so　than　she　wiped　the　place　on　her　cheek　with　her　handkerchief．Just　then　her　hat　blew　off　into　the　road　and　d’Urberville　stopped　the　horse．Tess　jumped　down　to　get　it，then　turned　triumphantly　to　Alec．

‘I　shall　walk　from　here，’she　said　firmly．

‘But　it's　five　or　six　miles　more．’

‘I　don't　care．’

‘You　made　that　hat　blow　off　on　purpose！You　did，didn't　you？’

She　was　silent．He　swore　angrily　at　her．

‘Don't　use　such　bad　words！’cried　Tess．‘I　shall　go　back　to　mother！I　hate　you！’

D’Urberville　suddenly　started　laughing．

‘Look，I　promise　never　to　do　that　again，’he　said．‘Come，let　me　take　you　in　the　carriage．’

But　she　refused，　and　began　to　walk　in　the　direction　of　Trantridge．So　they　progressed　slowly，d’Urberville　driving　the　carriage　beside　Tess．

　　



　


5

　　

The　chickens　for　which　Tess　was　responsible　lived　in　an　old　cottage　on　Mrs　d’Urberville's　land．On　her　first　day　Tess　had　to　take　some　of　the　chickens　to　show　to　their　owner．She　immediately　realized　the　old　lady　was　blind．Mrs　d’Urberville　held　each　bird　and　felt　it　carefully　to　see　that　it　was　in　good　health．At　the　end　she　suddenly　asked　Tess　a　question．

‘Can　you　whistle？’

‘Whistle，Ma’am？’

‘Yes，whistle　tunes．I　want　you　to　practise　and　whistle　to　my　birds　every　day．’

‘Yes，Ma’am．’

Tess　was　not　surprised　at　Mrs　d’Urberville's　cold　manner，and　did　not　expect　any　more　of　such　a　great　lady．However，she　did　not　realize　that　the　old　lady　had　never　even　heard　about　the　family　connection．

Tess　began　to　enjoy　her　new　work　with　the　chickens，and　the　next　day　in　the　cottage　garden　she　decided　to　practise　whistling　as　instructed．She　was　shocked　to　find　that　she　had　completely　forgotten　how　to　whistle．Suddenly　she　noticed　a　movement　behind　a　tree　near　the　wall．It　was　Alec　d’Urberville．

‘Well，cousin　Tess，’he　said，‘I've　never　seen　such　a　beautiful　thing　as　you！I've　been　watching　you　from　over　the　wall．Look，I　can　give　you　a　lesson　or　two．’

‘Oh　no　you　won't！’cried　Tess，going　back　towards　the　door．

‘Don't　worry，I　won't　touch　you．Just　look…’and　he　showed　her　how　to　whistle．From　that　moment　Tess　found　she　could　whistle　tunes　to　the　birds　just　as　Mrs　d’Urberville　wanted．And　as　the　weeks　passed，　she　often　met　d’Urberville　in　the　garden　and　began　to　lose　her　shyness　of　him．

Every　Saturday　night　the　other　farm　workers　from　the　surrounding　area　used　to　go　to　drink　and　dance　in　the　market　town　two　or　three　miles　away．　On　Sundays　they　would　sleep　late．For　a　long　time　Tess　did　not　go　with　them．But　after　a　while　she　wanted　a　change　from　her　routine　and　began　to　go　on　the　weekly　trips　regularly．She　always　came　home　with　the　others　at　night，　preferring　the　protection　of　being　in　a　group．One　Saturday　night　she　was　in　the　town　looking　for　her　companions　as　it　was　time　to　go　home，when　she　met　Alec　d’Urberville．

‘What，my　beauty？Here　so　late？’he　said，smiling　at　her．

‘I'm　just　waiting　for　my　friends，’she　answered．

‘I'll　see　you　again，’he　said　as　she　moved　away．

She　became　worried　when　she　realized　the　workers　were　still　dancing　wildly　and　would　not　be　going　home　soon．Again　she　caught　sight　of　Alec，waiting　in　a　doorway，his　cigar　glowing　red　in　the　dark．Eventually　she　joined　a　group　wandering　home．They　had　all　been　drinking，but　she　felt　safer　with　them　than　alone．But　after　a　while　she　became　involved　in　a　quarrel　with　them，and　was　trying　to　get　away　from　the　angry　group，when　Alec　d’Urberville　rode　by．He　offered　to　take　her　home　on　the　back　of　his　horse．She　hesitatedt，then　accepted．

Together　they　rode　along　in　the　dark，Tess　holding　on　to　Alec．She　was　very　tired：every　day　that　week　she　had　got　up　at　five．So　she　did　not　notice　that　they　were　riding　off　the　main　road　and　into　The　Chase，the　oldest　wood　in　England．It　began　to　get　foggy，and　finally　Alec　admitted　honestly　that　he　was　lost．

‘Put　me　down　here，sir，’cried　Tess　at　once．‘Let　me　walk　home　from　here．How　wrong　of　you　to　bring　me　away　from　the　main　road！I　knew　I　shouldn't　trust　you！’

‘Don't　worry，my　beauty，’laughed　Alec．‘I　thought　you　would　enjoy　a　longer　ride　on　such　a　lovely　night．But　I　can't　let　you　go．The　fog　is　so　bad　now　that　you　couldn't　possibly　find　your　way．I'll　leave　you　here　and　go　to　find　out　where　we　are．When　I　come　back，I'll　tell　you，and　you　can　come　with　me　on　horseback　or　go　alone　on　foot—just　as　you　like．’

She　agreed　to　this．‘Shall　I　hold　the　horse？’she　asked．

‘No，he'll　stay　quiet，’answered　Alec．‘By　the　way，　your　father　has　a　new　horse　today．And　the　children　have　some　new　toys．’

‘Was　it…was　it　you　who　gave　them？Oh，how　good　of　you！’murmured　Tess　with　a　heavy　heart．‘I　almost　wish　you　hadn't！’

‘Tessy，don't　you　love　me　just　a　little　now？’

‘I'm　grateful，’she　admitted，‘but　I'm　afraid　I　don't…’and　slowly　she　started　to　cry．

‘Now　don't　cry，my　dear．Sit　here　and　wait　for　me．’He　made　a　bed　for　the　tired　girl　among　the　dead　leaves，　and　covered　her　with　his　coat．He　set　off　into　the　fog　to　find　out　where　he　was，and　came　back　to　find　Tess　fast　asleep．　He　saw　her　in　her　white　dress　among　the　leaves，　a　pale，shining　figure　in　the　dark．He　bent　down　and　touched　her　cheek　with　his．Everywhere　there　was　darkness　and　silence．The　birds　and　animals　slept，safe　in　and　under　the　trees．But　who　was　looking　after　Tess？Who　was　protecting　her　innocence？

‘Tess！’said　d’Urberville，and　lay　down　beside　her．The　girl　was　not　strong　enough　to　resist　him．

Why　was　Tess's　girlish　purity　lost？Why　does　the　wrong　man　take　the　wrong　woman？Why　do　the　bad　so　often　ruin　the　good？　Why　is　beauty　damaged　by　ugliness？Thousands　of　years　of　philosophy　cannot　give　us　the　answers　to　these　questions．These　things　happen，　and　have　always　happened．　Perhaps　in　the　past，rolling　home　after　a　battle，Tess's　ancestors，the　real　d’Urbervilles，had　done　the　same，even　more　cruell