Tess of the dUrbervilles Audiobook Thomas Hardys masterpiece Learn English Through Story
tess of the derbyvilles by thomas hardy
chapter one
one evening at the end of may a
middle-aged man was walking home from
shastan to the village of marlot in the
vale of blackmore
his legs were thin and weak and he could
not walk in a straight line
he had an empty egg basket on his arm
and his hat was old and worn
after a while he passed an elderly
parson riding a grey horse
good night
said the man with a basket good night
sir john
said the parson
after another step or two the man
stopped and turned round to speak to the
person
no sir
last market day we met on this road at
the same time and i said good night and
you answered good night sir john as you
did just now
i did
said the person
and once before that almost a month ago
i may have
so why do you call me sir john when i am
only john derby field
the person wrote nearer and after a
moment’s hesitation explained
it was because i’ve discovered something
of historical interest
i am parson tringham the historian
do you really not know derbyfield that
you are a direct descendant of the
ancient and noble family of the
derbevilles
they descended from sir pagan derbeville
who came from normandy with william the
conqueror in 1066.
never heard that before sir
well it’s true
let me see your face yes yes you have
the derbyville nose and chin
derbyvilles have owned land and served
their king for hundreds of years there
have been many sir john’s and you could
have been sir john yourself
wow exclaimed the man
and how long has this news about me
being known parson tringham
nobody knows about it at all
said the parson
i just happened to discover it last
spring when i was trying to find out
more about the derbyvilles and noticed
your name in the village
i’ve got an old silver spoon and an old
seal too at home
said the man wondering
so where do we
live now parson
you don’t live anywhere you have died
as a noble family
that’s bad
so where do we lie
in the churchyard at kingsbeer sub
greenhill
and where are family lands
you haven’t any
john derbyfield paused
and what should i do about it sir
oh nothing
it’s a fact of historical interest
nothing more good night
but you’ll come and have some beer with
me parson tringham
no thank you not this evening derbyfield
you’ve had enough already
the parson rode away
half regretting that he had told derby
field of his discovery
derbyfield walked on a few steps in a
dream
and then sat down with his basket in a
few minutes a boy appeared derbyfield
called to him
boy
take this basket
i want you to go and do something for me
the boy frowned
who were you john derberfield to order
me about and call me boy you know my
name as well as i know yours
do you do you
that’s the secret
well fred i don’t mind telling you that
the secret is that i’m one of a noble
family
and derbyfield lay back comfortably on
the grass
sir john derbyville that’s who i am
and i’ve got the family seal to prove it
oh
now take up the basket and tell them in
the village to send a horse and carriage
to me immediately
here’s a shilling for you
this made a difference to the boy’s view
of the situation
yes sir john thank you sir john
as they spoke sounds of music came
through the evening air from the village
what’s that
said derbyfield
have they heard my news already
it’s the women dancing sir john
the boy went on his way and derbyfield
lay waiting in the evening sun
nobody passed by for a long time and he
could just hear the faint music in the
distance
the village of marlot lies in the
beautiful veil of blackmore
although this valley is only four hours
away from london
it has not yet been discovered by
tourists and artists
the best view of the veil is from the
hills surrounding it
it looks like a map spread out
it is a quiet sheltered part of the
countryside where the fields are always
green and the rivers never dry up
to the south lies the great dividing
line of hills
from here to the coast the hills are
open the sun pours down on the huge dry
fields the atmosphere is colorless
but here in the valley
lies a completely different countryside
smaller and more delicate
the fields are tiny
the air makes you sleepy
the sky is of the deepest blue
everywhere you can see a rich greenery
of grass and trees covering smaller
hills and valleys
this
is the veil of blackmore
and in the village of marlot following
ancient custom the young women gathered
to dance every holiday
for this mayday dance all wore white
dresses
there was a fine handsome girl among
them with a red ribbon in her hair
as they danced they noticed a carriage
go by
derbyfield lay back in it singing
i’m sir john and i’ve got a spoon and
seal and my family lies at king’s beer
the girl with the ribbon who was called
tess turned red and said quickly to her
friends
father’s tired that’s all
the other girls just laughed but stopped
when tess looked unhappy the dancing
went on
in the evening the men of the village
came to watch and later to join the
dancers
three young strangers who were passing
by also stopped to look
they explained they were brothers on a
walking tour
the older two continued their walk but
the youngest seemed more interested in
the girls and his brothers were and
stayed to dance with several of them
as he left the dance he noticed tess who
seemed a little sad that he had not
chosen her
he looked back from the road and could
still see her in her white dress
standing modestly apart from the dancers
he wished he had danced with her
he wished he had asked her name
but it was too late he hurried on to
join his brothers
the young stranger had made an
impression on tess
but soon worried by her father’s strange
appearance that afternoon she decided to
walk home
after the excitement of the dance her
parents small cottage was a depressing
sight
it was dark inside as they had only one
candle
the furniture was old and worn
there were six children crowded into the
tiny space
their mother was doing the washing at
the same time as putting the baby to
sleep looking after so many children had
aged joan derbyfield
but she still showed some of her early
prettiness which tess had inherited
let me help with a washing mother
said tess gently
oh tess i’m glad you’ve come
said her mother there’s something i must
tell you
is it anything to do with father making
such a fool of himself this afternoon
asked tess frowning that’s all part of
the excitement
they’ve discovered where the oldest
family in the whole county going back a
long way
and our real name is derbaville
doesn’t that make you proud that’s why
your father rode home in the carriage
not because he’d been drinking as people
thought
i’m glad of that
will it do us any good mother
oh yes
great things may come of it
no doubt our noble relations will be
arriving in their carriages as soon as
they find out
where is father now
ask tess suddenly
her mother did not answer directly
he saw the doctor today you know
it’s fat around the heart he says that’s
the cause of his illness
he might last 10 years
might last 10 months or days
tess looked anxious
her father suddenly a great man to die
so soon
but where is father she asked firmly
now don’t you get angry said mrs
derbyfield
the poor man was feeling so weak after
the news that he went to rollovers he
needs to build up his strength to
deliver the beehives tomorrow remember
oh my god
cried tess
he went to a public house and you agreed
to it mother
no i didn’t said mrs derbyfield crossley
i’ve been waiting for you to look after
the children while i fetch him
tess knew that her mother greatly looked
forward to these trips to rollers
there she could sit by her husband’s
side among the beer drinkers and forget
that the children existed
it was one of the few bright moments in
her hard-working life
mrs derbyfield went out and tess was
left with the children
they were very young
and totally dependent on the derbyfield
couple
six helpless creatures
who had not asked to be born at all
much less to be part of the
irresponsible derbyfield family
[Music]
chapter 2
it was 11 o’clock before all the family
were in bed
and 2 o’clock next morning was the
latest time to set off with the beehives
it was a distance of 20 or 30 miles on
bad roads to caster bridge where the
saturday market was held
at half past one mrs derbyfield came
into the bedroom where tess and all the
children slept
the poor man can’t go
she whispered tess sat up in bed
but it’s late for the bees already
we must take them today
maybe a young man would go
ask mrs derby feel doubtfully
one of the ones dancing with you
yesterday
oh no
not for the world
said tess proudly and let everybody know
the reason i’d be so ashamed
i think i could go
if little abraham came with me
tess and abraham dressed
led out the old horse prince with a
loaded wagon and set off in the dark
they cheered themselves up with bread
and butter and conversation
tess
said abraham after a silence
yes abraham
aren’t you glad that we’re a noble
family
not particularly
but you’re glad you’re going to marry a
gentleman
what
said tess lifting her face
our noble relations are going to help
you marry a gentleman
me
our noble relations
we haven’t any whatever put that into
your head
i heard them talking about it at home
there’s a rich lady of our family out at
trantridge and mother said that if you
claimed relationship with her she’d help
you marry a gentleman
his sister became suddenly silent
abraham talked on not noticing her lack
of attention
did you say the stars were worlds tess
yes
unlike ours
they seem like our apples
most of them good a few bad
which do we live on a good one or a bad
one
a bad one
if we lived on a good one how would
things be different
well
father wouldn’t be ill and cough as he
does and mother wouldn’t always be
washing
and you would have been a ready-made
rich lady and not have to marry a
gentleman oh happy don’t
don’t talk of that anymore
abraham finally went to sleep on the
wagon
tess drove the horse
gradually she fell into a dream
she could see her father foolish in his
pride and the rich gentleman of her
mother’s imagination laughing at the
poor derbyfield family
suddenly she awoke from her dream to
noise and violent movement
something terrible had happened she
jumped down and discovered that the post
carriage speeding along the dark road
had driven into her slow and unlighted
wagon
poor prince was seriously hurt and as
she watched he fell to the ground
you were on the wrong side
said the post driver i must go on with
the post but i’ll send somebody to help
you as soon as i can you better stay
here with your wagon
he went on his way while tess stood and
waited tears pouring down her cheeks
daylight came
prince lay there unmoving his eyes half
open
it’s all my fault
cried tess what will mother and father
live on now
abby abby wake up
we can’t go on with our beehives prince
is dead
when abby realized what had happened his
face looked like an old man’s
it’s because we live on a bad star’s net
tess
he said through his tears
finally a man arrived with a horse to
take the wagon onto caster bridge to
deliver the beehives and then collect
prince on the way back
when they got home tess broke the news
to her parents
they were not angry with her
but she blamed herself completely
when derbifield heard he would only get
a few shillings for prince’s dead body
he rose to the occasion
we derbavilles don’t sell our horses for
cats meat
he insisted
and the following day he worked harder
than usual in digging a grave where
prince was buried
all the children cried
has he gone to heaven
asked abraham in tears
but tess did not cry
her face was dry and pale
she felt she had murdered a friend
chapter three
life now became rather difficult for the
derby fields without prints to carry
loads john derbyfield could not buy and
sell as he used to
he had never worked hard or regularly
and now he only occasionally felt like
working
tess wondered how she could help her
parents
one day her mother made a suggestion
it’s lucky we’ve found out about your
noble blood test
do you know there’s a very rich lady
called mrs durberville living on the
other side of the wood
she must be our elation
you must go to her and claim
relationship with her and ask for some
help in our trouble
i wouldn’t like to do that
said tess
if there is such a lady
it would be enough to be friendly we
can’t expect help from her
you could persuade anybody my dear
besides
something else might happen you never
know and her mother nodded wisely
i’d rather try to get work
said tess sadly
what do you say derbyfield
said his wife turning to him
i don’t like my children asking for help
said he proudly
i’m the head of the oldest branch of the
family and a noble family like ours
shouldn’t have to ask for help
tess could not accept his reasons for
not going
well
as i killed the horse mother
i suppose i ought to go
but don’t start thinking about her
finding a husband for me
who said i had such an idea
asked joan innocently
i know you mother
but i’ll go
next morning tess walked to shastan a
town she hardly knew and went on by
wagon to trantridge
the veil of blackmore was her only world
and she had never been far outside the
valley
all the knowledge she had came from her
lessons in the village school which she
had left a year or two earlier
as soon as she left school she had tried
to earn a little money by helping in the
fields or milking cows or making butter
she blamed her mother for thoughtlessly
producing so many children
joan derberfield was like a child
herself and never thought about the
future
it was tess who worried and worked and
felt responsible for her little brothers
and sisters
so naturally it was tess who should
represent her family at the derbyville
home
from trantridge she walked up a hill
and turning a corner saw the house
she stopped in amazement
it was large and almost new
a rich red against the green of the
bushes around it
behind it lay the woods called the chase
an ancient forest
there were greenhouses and well-kept
gardens
there was no lack of money here
tess hesitated almost frightened
i thought we were an old family
she said to herself
but this is all new
she wished she had not come
she was right in a way
all this was owned by the derbevilles or
the stoke derbevilles as they called
themselves at first
the stokes were a northern business
family who took an old sounding name to
add to their own when they moved into
the south
so tess was more of a derbyville than
any of them but did not know it
a young man appeared in the garden
he looked about 24
and was tall and dark with full red lips
and a black moustache curled at the ends
well my beauty
what can i do for you
he said looking interested leather
i’m mr derbaville
it needed all tess’s courage to reply
i came to see your mother sir
i’m afraid you can’t see her
she’s ill
what do you want to see her about
i
i
it seems so foolish
never mind
said he kindly
i like foolish things
try again my dear
i came sir to tell you we are of the
same family as you
aha
poor relations
yes
stokes
no
derbavilles oh yes of course i mean
derbavilles
we have several proofs that we are
derbevilles
we have an old silver spoon and a seal
at home
but mother uses a spoon to stir the soup
mother said we ought to tell you as we
are the oldest branch of the family and
we’ve lost our horse in an accident
very kind of your mother said alec
derbeville
and i certainly don’t regret it
he looked admiringly at tess whose face
blushed a deep pink
and so you’ve come on a friendly visit
i suppose i have
mama tess
looking uncomfortable
let us walk around the gardens until you
have to go home my pretty cousin
tess wanted to leave as soon as possible
but the young man insisted
he took her to the greenhouses
do you like strawberries
he asked
yes said tess
when they’re ready
these are ready now
and so saying derbaville picked one and
held it to her mouth no
no
she said
i’d rather take it myself
but alec put it into her mouth
he put roses into her hair
and filled her basket with strawberries
and flowers
he gave her food to eat and watched her
while he quietly smoked a cigarette
she looked more adult and womanly than
she really was
alec could not take his eyes off her
she did not know as she smiled
innocently at the flowers
that behind the cigarette smoke was the
cause of future sorrow in her life
what is your name
asked alec
test derbyfield
we live at marlot
i’ma see if my mother can find a place
for you
they said goodbye
and she set off home carrying her
strawberries and flowers
this then
was the beginning
why did she have to meet the wrong man
and one who was so strongly attracted to
her
yet to the right man she was only a
half-forgotten impression from an
evening’s dancing in a country field
in life
the right man to love hardly ever comes
at the right time for loving
nature does not often answer a call for
love
until the caller is tired of calling
in this case as in millions
it was not the two halves of a perfect
hole who met
a missing half wandered somewhere else
arriving much later
this delay
was to have tragic results
[Music]
chapter four
when tess arrived home the following
afternoon
a letter had already been received by
her mother
it appeared to come from mrs durberville
and offered tess work looking after
chickens
joan derbyfield was delighted
it’s just a way of getting you there
without raising your hopes she’s going
to recognize you as family i’m sure of
it
i would rather stay here with father and
you
said tess looking out of the window but
why
i’d rather not tell you mother
i don’t really know
a few days later when tess came back
from looking for work the children came
running out and danced around her
the gentleman’s been here
they shouted
joan was full of smiles
mrs derbeville’s son had called and
asked if tess could come or not he’s a
very handsome man
said mrs derbyfield
i don’t think so
said tess coldly
i’ll think it over
she left the room
he’s in love with her you can see that
said mrs derbyfield to her husband
no doubt he’ll marry her and she’ll be a
fine lady
john derbyfield had more pride in his
newfound blood than energy or health
that’s what young mr durberville is
trying to do
improve his blood by marrying into the
old line
persuaded by her mother and the children
tess finally agreed to go
mrs derbyfield secretly made wedding
plans
then the day came when tess wearing her
best sunday clothes on her mother’s
orders said goodbye to her family
good boy my girl
said sir john waking from a short sleep
tell young derbyville i’ll sell him the
title yes
sell it at a reasonable price
not for less than a thousand pounds
cried lady derbafield
no
tell him he can have it for a hundred
no fifty
no twenty
yes 20 pounds that’s the lowest
family honor is family honor and i won’t
take any less
tess felt like crying but turned quickly
and went out
her mother went with her to the edge of
the village
there she stopped and stood waving
goodbye
and watched her daughter walking away
into the distance
a wagon came to take her bags
and then a fashionable little carriage
appeared
it was driven by a well-dressed young
man
smoking a cigar
after a moment’s hesitation
tess stepped in
joan derbifield watching
wondered for the first time if she had
been right in encouraging tess to go
that night she said to her husband
perhaps i should have found out how the
gentleman really feels about her
yes perhaps you wart
murmured john half asleep
jones natural trust in the future came
back to her
well if he doesn’t marry her before
he’ll marry her after
if she plays our cards right
if he knows about her derbyville blood
you mean
no stupid if she shows him her pretty
face
meanwhile alec durberville 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 onto
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 and 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
derbeville kissed her
no sooner had he done so then she wiped
the place on her cheek with her
handkerchief
just then her hat blew off into the road
and derbaville 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
durbaville 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
derbeville driving the carriage beside
tess chapter five
the chickens for which tess was
responsible
lived in an old cottage on mrs
durberville’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 derbeville 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 mom
yes whistle tunes
i want you to practice and whistle to my
birds every day
yes mom
tess was not surprised at mrs
durberville’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 practice 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 alex herberville
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
durberville wanted
and as the weeks passed she often met
derbeville 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 durberville
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
durberville rode by
he offered to take her home on the back
of his horse she hesitated
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
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
tessie
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 derberville
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
derbevilles had done the same even more
cruelly to young country girls
but we cannot accept that that is tess’s
fault and should happen to her
as the people of her village say
it was to be
and from now on
tess’s life was to be completely
different
chapter six
it was a sunday morning in late october
about four months after tess’s arrival
at trantridge and a few weeks after the
night ride in the chase
carrying a heavy basket and bundle
tess was walking towards the hills which
divided her from the veil her place of
birth
the scenery and people on this side were
very different from those in her village
marlot people mainly thought and
traveled northward and westward
while on this side people were
interested in the east and the south
she walked up the same hill which
derbeville had driven down so wildly
that june day
on reaching the top of the hill
tess paused and looked for a long time
at the familiar green world of home
it was always beautiful from here
but since she had last seen it her view
of life had changed
she had learnt that wickedness exists
even where there is beauty
and now she could hardly bear to look
down into the veil
then she looked behind her and saw a
carriage coming up the same hill that
she had just climbed with a man leading
the horse
soon he caught up with her
why did you slip away in secret like
that
asked herberville breathlessly i’ve been
driving like mad to catch up with you
just look at my horse
you know nobody would have prevented you
from going
i’m going to drive you the rest of the
way
if you won’t come back with me
i won’t come back
she said quietly
i thought so
well let me help you up give me your
basket
she stepped up into the carriage and sat
beside him
she had no fear of him now
the reason for this was also the reason
for her sorrow
they drove along derbaville making
conversation and tess thinking her own
thoughts
when they approached the village of
marlot a tear rolled down her cheek
why are you crying
he asked coldly
i was only thinking i was born over
there
well we must all be born somewhere
i wish i’d never been born
there or anywhere else
she said quietly
well you shouldn’t have come to
trentridge if you didn’t want to
you didn’t come for love of me anyway
that’s quite true
if i had ever loved you
if i loved you still
i could not hate myself for my weakness
as much as i do now
he did not look at her she added
i didn’t understand your intention until
it was too late
that’s what every woman says
how dare you say that
she cried angrily her eyes flashing at
him my god i could hit you
do you never think that some women may
not only say but feel it
all right
he said laughing i’m sorry to hurt you
i did wrong i admit it only don’t keep
accusing me i’m ready to pay for it you
need never work on the farms again
her lip lifted slightly she replied
i will not take anything from you
i cannot
one would think you were a queen as well
as being one of the real derbevilles
well test dear i suppose i’m a bad sort
of man
i’ve always been one and i always will
be one
but i promise i won’t be bad to you
again
and if anything should happen
you understand
if you are in any trouble
or need anything
just drop me a line and i’ll send by
return whatever you want
she stepped down from the carriage and
was going to leave him when he stopped
her and said
you’re not going to turn away from me
like that dear
come
let me kiss you
if you wish
she answered coldly
she offered her cool cheek to him but
her eyes rested on a distant tree as if
the kiss had nothing to do with her
you don’t give me your lips tess
i’m afraid you’ll never love me
it’s true
i have never loved you
and i never can
she added sadly
perhaps i should tell a lie
and then i could lead a comfortable life
but i have enough honor not to tell that
lie
if i loved you
i might have a very good reason to tell
you so
but i don’t
alec sighed heavily as if the scene were
depressing him
well
you’re very sad tess
and you have no reason to be
you’re still the prettiest girl for
miles around
will you come back with me
say you will
never never
i’ve made up my mind and i won’t come
then goodbye
and alec jumped up into his carriage and
drove off
tess did not watch him go but continued
her walk alone
it was still early in the day and the
sun was not yet giving any warmth
tess felt even sadder than the autumn
sadness which surrounded her
but soon a man came up behind her a man
with a pot of red paint in his hand good
morning
he said and offered to carry her basket
you’re up early on a sunday
he continued
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’re horrible words
cried tess
i’ll take my basket and go 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 a test did not hear them
she joined in there 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’ll work 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
chapter seven
one day in august the sun was rising
through the mist
in a yellow cornfield near marlot
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
lovemaking 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 test derby field
or derbyville
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 that 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 gray sometimes
all three colors 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
wagons 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 for 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 watch
tess with big round eyes
she looked tall in her long white night
dress
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 gonna baptize him tess
what’s his name gonna be
she had not thought of that
but remembered the story of adam and eve
in the bible
because they did wrong together god said
they would live in sorrow for the rest
of their lives
she said firmly
sorrow i baptize you in the name of the
father and of the son
and of the holy ghost
she splashed some water on the child and
there was silence
say amen children amen
they replied
tess put her hand into the water and
drew a huge cross upon the baby with her
finger
she continued the service in the
well-known words
asking for the baby to be protected
against the world
and against wickedness
her belief gave her hope
her sweet warm voice rang out the thanks
that follow the baptism
the single candle was reflected in her
shining eyes like a diamond
the children asked no more questions
but looked up at her in amazement
she seemed almost like a god to them
poor sorrows fight against the world and
wickedness was a short one
fortunately perhaps taking into account
his situation
in the blue light of the morning he
breathed his last
tess had been calm since the baptism and
she remained calm
she was no longer worried about sorrow’s
afterlife
if god did not accept the baptism
she did not value his heaven either for
herself or for her
child tess thought a good deal about the
baptism however
and wondered if it might mean that
sorrow could be buried in the churchyard
with a church service
she went to the parson’s house after
dark and met him near his
gate i should like to ask you something
sir
my baby was very ill
and i wanted you to baptize him but my
father refused to allow it
so i baptized him myself
now sir can you tell me this
and she looked him straight in the eyes
will it be just the same for him as if
you had baptized him
the person wanted to say no
she had done what should have been his
job
but the girl’s strong feeling impressed
him the man and the person fought inside
him
and the man won
my dear girl he said
it will be just the same
then will you bury him in the churchyard
she asked quickly
the person felt trapped
it was a difficult question to answer
ah
that’s a different matter
he said
i’m sorry
i cannot
oh sir
she took his hand as she spoke
he took it away shaking his head
then i’ll never come to church again
she cried
but perhaps it will be the same for him
tell me
have pity on me poor me
tell me what you really think
the person was deeply touched by her
emotion
for a surprising moment he forgot the
strict rules of his church
it will be just the same
he answered kindly
so the baby was carried in a cheap
wooden box to the churchyard at night
there is a corner of the churchyard
where the grass grows long
and where the suicides drunks unbaptized
babies and other supposed criminals are
laid
sorrow was buried here
at the cost of a shilling and a pint of
beer for the gravedigger
tess bravely made a little cross and put
it at the head of the grave one evening
when she could enter the churchyard
without being seen
it is all very well saying that we learn
from experience
tess had certainly learnt from
experience but could not see how to use
her knowledge so painfully gained
so she stayed in her parents home during
the winter
helping to look after the children
making clothes for them and earning a
little money whenever she could
important dates came round again
the night of her shame and the chase
the baby’s birth and death
her own birthday
one day when she was looking at her
pretty face in the mirror
she thought of another date even more
important
her own death
when it came it would swallow up all her
prettiness and everything that had
happened to her
when was it
it was a day lying hidden among all the
other days of the year
so that she noticed nothing when it came
round
and did not know what week month season
or year it would be
in a flash test changed from simple girl
to complicated woman
her face was often thoughtful
and there was sometimes a tragic note in
her voice
her eyes grew larger and more expressive
she became a beautiful woman
she had suffered
but had gained a certain self-confidence
from her experiences
although the village people had almost
forgotten her trouble
she decided she could never be really
happy in marlot
trying to claim relationship with the
rich derbyvilles seemed so foolish and
shameful to her
she thought her family would never be
respected there again
even now she felt hope rise within her
hope of finding a place with no family
connections and no memories in escaping
from marlot she intended to destroy the
past
perhaps now she could make up for her
crime against society
consequently she looked hard for work
away from marlot
she finally heard that a dairy man some
miles to the south needed a good milk
made for the summer
having decided to go there she promised
herself there would be no more hopeless
dreams she would simply be the dairy
made tess and nothing more
even her mother no longer talked about
their connection with the noble
derbevilles
but in spite of tess’s decision to
forget her ancestors
the dairy called talbot hayes
especially attracted her
because it was near the former lands of
the old derbeville family
she would be able to look at them
and not only observe that the noble
derbeville family had lost its greatness
but also remember
that a poor descendant had lost her
innocence
she wondered if some good might come of
being in the land of her ancestors
hope and youthful energy rose up in her
again like leaves on a young tree in
spring
[Music]