Tess of the dUrbervilles Audiobook Part Two Learn English Through Story
tess of the derbyvilles by thomas
hardy chapter eight
and so it was that on a beautiful
morning in may
two to three years after her return from
trantridge
test derbyfield left home for the second
time
she was going in the opposite direction
this time
when she reached the first hill
she looked back at marlot and her
father’s house with sadness in her heart
she traveled partly by carriage and
partly on foot carrying her basket
not far to her left she could see the
trees which surrounded king’s beer
with its church where her ancestors lay
in their tombs
she could no longer admire or respect
them
she almost hated them for ruining her
life
nothing of theirs was left except the
old seal and spoon
i have as much of mother as father in me
she said
all my prettiness comes from her and she
was only a dairy maid
her walk took two hours until she
reached the hill overlooking the valley
of the great dairies
this valley was watered by the river
froome
and produced huge amounts of milk and
butter
more even than tess’s veil of blackmore
which was known as the veil of little
dairies
as she stood and looked she realized the
valleys were quite different
here the fields and farms were much
larger
she saw more cows at a glance than she
had ever seen before
the evening sun shone on their red white
and brown bodies
she thought that this view was perhaps
not as beautiful as the view of
blackmore veil which she knew so well
there the sky was deep blue the smell of
the earth was heavy in the air the
streams ran slowly and silently
but this view was more cheerful
here the air was clear and light and the
river from rushed as fast as the shadow
of a cloud
either the change in the quality of the
air
or the feeling that she was going to
start a new life here
made her feel much happier
she ran along her hopes and the sunshine
warming her
she looked at her best as she ran
laughing into the warm wind
the desire for pleasure which is in
every living thing had finally won over
tess
she was after all only a young woman of
20 who had not finished growing up
no event however unpleasant could have
marked her forever she was young and
strong and beautiful
and could not remain sad for long
her hopes rose higher than ever
she wanted to show how grateful she was
for this second chance
she started singing love songs but found
they were not enough to express her
feelings
she remembered the sunday mornings of
her girlhood and sang
oh sun and moon oh stars o children of
man praise the lord praise him forever
until she stopped suddenly and murmured
but perhaps i don’t quite know the lord
yet
this was probably a pagan feeling in a
religious form
people who live in the country and are
close to nature like tess
keep many of the pagan ideas of their
ancestors in their souls
religion learned in church comes much
later
and does not touch them
deeply tess was happy to be making her
way independently in life
she really wanted to live honestly and
work hard
unlike her father
tess had her mother’s energy and the
energy of her youth to help her recover
from her experience
women do usually live through such
experiences
where there’s life there’s hope
is still true for most betrayed women
as tess full of enthusiasm came downhill
towards the dairy
she suddenly heard the milking call
again and again from all parts of the
valley
it was half past four
when the dairy people brought in the
cows
tess followed the red and white animals
with their great bags of milk under them
into the farmyard
she saw the long sheds and the wooden
posts shining and smooth where the cows
had rubbed against them over the years
she saw the cows between the posts the
sun throwing their shadows on the wall
as carefully as a painter paints a
beautiful king or queen
as the cows waited for their turn the
milk fell in drops on the ground
the dairy maids and men had come from
their cottages as they saw the cows
arriving from the fields
each girl sat on her three-legged stool
as she milked
her right cheek resting on the cow’s
body
watching tess arrive
the men milked with their hats low over
their eyes and did not see her
one of them was a middle-aged man
the head dairy man she was looking for
he worked six days a week in his white
milking clothes milking and butter
making
and on the seventh he wore his best suit
to take his family proudly to church
because of this people nearby used to
say
dairy man dick all the week on sunday’s
mr richard crick
most dairy men are usually bad tempered
at milking time
but mr crick was glad to get a new dairy
maid at this busy time of the year so he
received tess warmly and asked her how
her family were
when i was a boy i knew you’re part of
the country very well
he said
an old woman of ninety she’s dead now
but she used to live near here
she once told me there was an ancient
noble family of a name like yours who
came from here originally but i didn’t
take any notice of an old woman like
that
oh no
that’s just a story
said tess
then mr crick turned to business
you can milk well my girl i don’t want
my cows drying up especially just now
oh yes i can
answered tess
he looked at her delicate hands and pale
face
quite sure you’re strong enough for this
sort of life
it’s comfortable enough here for rough
country people but it’s hard work
oh yes i’m strong enough i’m used to
hard work
tess insisted
well have some tea and something to eat
you’ve had a long journey
he said kindly
no i’d rather begin milking straight
away
said tess
i’ll just drink a little milk first
this surprised darim and crick who
appeared never to have thought of milk
as a
drink oh if you can swallow it have some
he said holding the bucket for her to
drink from
i haven’t touched any for years
it would lie in my stomach like a stone
so it would
now try that one and see how you get on
and he pointed to the nearest cow
as soon as tess was on her stool under
the cow and the milk was pouring between
her fingers into the bucket
she really felt that her new life was
beginning
as she relaxed she looked around her
it was a large dairy
there were nearly a hundred milking cows
darim and crick milked six or eight of
the difficult ones with his own hands
he could not trust them to the dairy
maids
because if the cows were badly milked
their milk would simply dry up
for a while there was no more talk among
the milkers
suddenly mr got up from his stool
we’re not getting as much milk from them
as usual
he said
we better sing them a song friends
that’s the only thing to do
so the group of milkers started singing
to encourage the cows to give more
mr crick went on
but i think bulls like music better than
cows
did i tell you all about william dewey
on his way home after a wedding he found
himself in a field with an angry bull
he took his violin and played some
christmas church music and down went the
ball on his knees just like the animals
around baby jesus
and so william was able to escape
it’s a curious story
takes us back to the past when belief in
god was a living thing
this unusual remark came from under a
cow
well it’s quite true sir believe it or
not i knew the man well
said mr crick
oh yes i’m sure it’s true
said the man behind the brown cow
tess could not see his face
and could not understand why the head
dairy man himself should call him sir
the man stayed under the cow long enough
to milk three
at times saying something angrily to
himself
then he stood up stretching his arms
tess could now see him clearly
he wore the clothes of a dairy man
but underneath he was quite different
he looked educated and gentlemanly
but now she realized that she had seen
him before
he was one of the three walking brothers
who had stopped their walk to admire the
mayday dance in marlot a few years
before
he had danced with some of the other
girls but not with her
he had not noticed her and had gone on
his way
for a moment she was worried that if he
recognized her
he might discover her story
but she soon saw he did not remember her
at all
she had seen him in marlot his face had
grown more thoughtful
he now had a young man’s moustache and
beard
from the time he had spent milking one
cow he was clearly a beginner at dairy
work
tess discovered that only two or three
of the dairy maids slept in the house
besides herself
they all shared a big bedroom near the
cheese room
that night one of the girls insisted on
telling tess about all the people at the
dairy
to test half asleep the whispers seem to
be floating in the air
mr angel claire
he’s the one who’s learning milking he’s
a parson’s son and thinks a lot and
doesn’t notice girls
his father is parson at eminster
somewhere from here
his sons except mr claire are going to
be parsons too
tess gradually fell asleep
chapter nine
neither angel claire nor his family had
originally chosen farming as a
profession for him
when he was a boy
people admired his great qualities
now he was a man
something vague and undecided in his
look showed that he had no particular
purpose in life
he was the youngest son of a poor person
one day when he was studying at home
his father discovered that angel had
ordered a book of philosophy which
questioned the church’s teaching
how could his son become a priest if he
read such books
angel explained that he did not in fact
wish to enter the church like his
brothers
because the church’s views were too
strict
and did not allow free thinking
the simple person was shocked
he was a man of fixed ideas and a firm
believer
and if angel did not want to become a
priest what was the use of sending him
to study at cambridge
for the person the whole point of going
to university was to become a minister
of god
i want to use my mind
angel insisted
i want to read philosophy i want to
question my belief
so that what is left after i have
questioned it will be even stronger
but angel
your mother and i have saved and saved
to send you to university like your
brothers
but how can we send you there if it is
not in the service of god
so angel did not have the advantage of a
university education
after some years studying at home
he decided to learn farming
he thought this kind of work could give
him what he most valued
independence and freedom to think
so he came to talbot hayes at 26 as a
student
at first he stayed up in his room most
of the time in the evenings reading and
playing his harp
but he soon preferred to read human
nature by taking his meals in the
general dining room with the dairy
people
the longer he stayed
the more claire liked living with these
simple country people
no longer did he see them as lacking in
intelligence
he realized they were no different from
him
he and they were all people walking on
the dusty road which ends in death
he began to like working outside
he was learning about nature and about
life
he came to know the changing seasons
morning and evening different winds
waters and mists shade and silence and
the voices of nature
all this he had never known before
for several days after tess’s arrival
claire sitting reading a book hardly
noticed she was there
but one morning at breakfast he was
reading music and listening to the tune
in his head
when he heard a musical voice which
seemed to become part of his tune
he looked round at tess seated at the
table
what a fresh and pure daughter of nature
that dairy maid is
thought angel
he seemed to remember something about
her
something which took him back into a
happy past
before decision made his life difficult
this memory made him look more often at
tess
than the other dairy maids
[Music]
chapter 10
darim and crick insisted that all the
dairy people should milk different cows
every day
not just their favorites
he was worried that a dairy maid might
leave the dairy and then her cows would
not like being milked by a stranger
however tess began to find that the cars
which came to her
usually happened to be her favorites
this made her milking much easier
but she soon realized that it was not by
chance as it was angel claire who sent
the cows in for milking
mr claire
you have sent me my favorite cows
she accused him one morning blushing
well it doesn’t matter
said he
you will always be here to milk them do
you think so
i hope i shall
but i don’t know
afterwards she was angry with herself
she had spoken too seriously to him
as if he were involved in her staying or
leaving
in the evening after milking she walked
in the garden alone
thinking about it
it was a typical summer evening in june
the air was delicate and there was a
complete absolute silence
it was broken by the sound of a harp
the notes floated in the still air
strong and clear
tess listened like a fascinated bird
she drew near to claire
who still had not seen her
she was conscious of neither time nor
space
the tune moved through her mind and body
bringing tears to her eyes
the waves of color of the wild flowers
mixed with waves of sound
angel finished playing
and caught sight of her
she blushed and moved away
why are you going tess he asked
are you afraid
oh no sir
not of outdoor things
but indoors
well
yes sir
life in general
yes sir
oh
so am i
very often
being alive is rather serious don’t you
think so
it is
no you put it like that
all the same
i wouldn’t expect a young girl like you
to feel that
why
come tell me
after a moment’s hesitation she answered
the trees
ask questions with their eyes don’t they
and you seem to see hundreds of
tomorrows
all in a line
the first big and clear
the others getting smaller but they all
look fierce and cruel
but you can drive away all these ideas
with your music sir
he was surprised to find that this
dairymaid had such sad thoughts
she was expressing in her own words the
ache of modern life
the sadness made her more interesting to
him
he did not know that her experience had
given her great strength of feeling
tess on the other hand could not
understand why a man of religious family
good education and financial
independence should feel sorry to be
alive
how could this admirable and poetic man
have felt as she did two or three years
ago that he would rather die
it was true that he was not at present
living among gentlemen
but he was studying what he wanted to
know
and would become a rich farmer in time
so as they neither understood each
other’s secrets
they were both puzzled and waited to
find out more
at first
tess regarded angel as an intelligence
rather than a man
she became quite depressed as she
realized the distance between her own
knowledge and his
one day he asked her why she looked so
sad
oh
it’s only that
i feel i’ve been wasting my life
when i see what you know
i feel what a nothing i am
well my dear tess
said angel with some enthusiasm
i shall be only too glad to help you
study history for example
i don’t know
what’s the use of learning that i’m one
of a long row
and that my past and future are like
thousands of other peoples
but there’s one thing i’d like to know
why the sun shines on the good and the
bad just the same
she said her voice trembling
oh tess
don’t be bitter
of course he had wondered this himself
in the past
but as he looked at her innocent lips
he thought this pure child of nature
could only have picked up the question
from others
she could not possibly have any guilt in
her past
when he had gone
tess felt again how stupid she must
appear to him
she wondered whether she could gain his
respect by telling him of her durbaville
blood
she first asked the dairyman if mr
claire was interested in old families
who had lost their money and land
no
said mr crick family he’s a rebel
and the one thing he hates is an old
family
after hearing this not very accurate
view of claire’s opinions
poor tess was glad she had not mentioned
her ancestors
that summer
tess and claire 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 world
like adam and eve
tess seemed like a queen to claire
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 milk house
the milk was turning in the churn but
the butter would not come
derem and crick was worried
maybe someone in the house is in love
suggested his wife
that sometimes causes it
do you remember that made 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 claire to tell the story
jack dolop 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’ve been in love with him
any more than me ready priddle
said marion the eldest
there he is again
cried is hewitt a pale girl with dark
hair
i would just marry him tomorrow if he
asked me
said marion blushing
so would i
and more
mermaid
and i too
whispered retty shyly
we can’t all marry him
said is
we can’t anyway
said marion he likes test derby feel
best i’ve watched him every day and
found it out
there was a thoughtful silence
how silly this all is
said is 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 claire 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 darim and 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 claire
walked next to tess
don’t they look pretty
she said to him
who
is he hewitt and retti
she had decided that either would make a
good farmer’s wife
pretty well yes i’ve often thought so
they are excellent dairy women
yes
though not better than you
claire observed them
she is blushing continued test bravely
because you are looking at her
she could hardly say
marry one of them if you really don’t
want to find 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
chapter 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 melstock church which
was three or four miles away from tall
bottes
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 melstock 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 claire
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 marion put your arms around my
shoulders hold on
and angel walked off with her in his
arms
next was is hewitt
her lips were dry with emotion
angel returned for reti
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 claire stood still and
bent his face to hers
oh tessie
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
four walked on together
marion broke the silence by saying
no
we have no chance against her
she looked joylessly at tess
what do you mean
ask 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 claire
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
neighbor’s daughter
tess no longer attached any importance
to claire’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
claire became gradually more
passionately in love with a soft and
silent test
the fields were dry
wagons threw up clouds of dust on the
road
cows jumped over gates chased by flies
darim and 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
her face
she did not know that claire 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 claire 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 testia 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 darim and 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
chapter 12
the nights were as hot as the days
angel claire 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 center
of all feeling
claire 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
oughty to marry her
what would his mother and brothers say
what would he himself say two years
after the wedding
as he rode into the village he saw a
group of young girls waiting outside the
church
walking quickly to join them was miss
mercy chant
only daughter of his father’s neighbor
his parents quietly hoped angel would
marry mercy one day she was very good at
giving bible classes
but an angel’s mind was the face of the
pretty milkmaid
who hardly ever thought of god
his family were delighted though
surprised to see him
angel was glad to be at home
and yet he did not feel so much part of
the family as he used to
his father’s religious belief was very
strict
but he was a kind honest man and fond of
his sons
however he would have been shocked to
know of the pagan pleasure in nature and
pretty womanhood experienced by angel
his mother shared his father’s religious
views and helped in his church work
his brothers seemed rather unimaginative
and narrow-minded although they were
both well-educated
they felt that anybody outside the
church or university could not be
respected
as he walked with his brothers angel
felt that however lucky they were to
have a university education
neither of them really saw life as it
was lived
they thought farming was a poor man’s
job not suitable for a gentleman
angel felt all the more determined to
keep to his choice
in the evening he spoke to his father
alone after prayers
mr claire told his son he had been
saving the money he would have spent on
his university education for him
this encouraged angel to ask his father
what sort of wife a farmer needed
a really a christian woman
nothing else matters
for example my neighbor dr chant
but isn’t the main thing that she should
be able to milk cows churn good butter
value animals and direct farm workers
mr claire had clearly never thought of
this before
yes
yes certainly but i was going to say
that you will never find a purer woman
than mercy chant
your mother and i would be very happy if
you
yes yes mercy is good i know but father
don’t you think that one who is just as
good and pure and who understands farm
life as well as the farmer would be much
better
after much discussion angel got down to
details
he explained he had met a woman who was
ideally suited to be a farmer’s wife who
went to church regularly who was honest
sensitive intelligent graceful pure as
snow and extremely beautiful
is she of a good family like mercy asked
his surprised mother who had come in
during the conversation
she is not what we call a lady
said angel firmly
she has a cottage’s daughter
what’s the advantage of good family to
me my wife will have to work hard and
manage with very little money
mercy is educated that has its charm
said his mother looking at him through
her silver glasses
i shall help her with her reading she
will learn fast she’s full of poetry
real poetry she lives what poet’s only
right
and she is a good christian girl i’m
sure you’ll value her for that
his parents already doubted angel’s
religious belief
so they were almost relieved to hear
this of his future wife
they told him not to act in a hurry
but they would like to see her
although angel was free to marry or not
as he wished he did not want to hurt his
parents and he accepted their advice
as he set off to return to the dairy and
tests
his father rode with him a little way
mr claire was telling his son about the
new durbaville family who had taken the
ancient name and lived near trantridge
there was a young man and his blind
mother
preaching in the church there one day
mr clare had spoken out bravely against
the well-known wickedness of young
derbeville who after this had publicly
insulted him when they met later
angel was angry with derbeville
dear father you should not let yourself
be insulted like that
it doesn’t matter to me
i have a duty to point out where people
go wrong
often men have hit me
but then at least they haven’t hit their
families
and they live to thank me and praise god
i hope this young man does the same
said angel warmly
but it doesn’t seem likely
we’ll hope anyway said mr clare
maybe one of my words may grow like a
seed in his heart one day
angel could not accept his father’s
narrow religious beliefs but he loved
him for his courage
he remembered that his father had not
once asked whether tess had money or not
this lack of interest in money meant
that all the brothers would probably be
poor forever
but angel still admired his father’s
belief that money was not important
when he returned to the dairy and the
sleepy afternoon heat nobody was awake
getting up so early in the morning meant
the milkers really needed a sleep before
the afternoon milking
it was three o’clock
time for skimming
there was a slight noise upstairs then
tess appeared before his eyes
she did not see him and stretched one
arm up above her head she yawned like a
cat and he saw the red inside of her
mouth
her whole soul breathed out physical
beauty
then her eyes flashed as she recognized
him oh mr claire
how you frighten me i
she said looking glad shy and surprised
at the same time
claire stepped forward to put his arms
around her dear darling tessie he
whispered putting his face to her warm
cheek
don’t call me mr claire anymore
i’ve hurried back because of you
they stood holding each other
the sun warming them through the window
he looked deep into her eyes of blue and
black and grey
she looked at him
as eve must have looked at adam
i must go skimming
she said
together they went to the milk house
perhaps the talbot haze milk was not
very well skimmed that afternoon
tess was in a dream as she skimmed
the heat of his love made her feel like
a plant under a burning sun
there’s something very practical that i
want to ask you
he said gently
i shall soon want to marry
being a farmer i need a wife who knows
all about farms
will you be that woman tessie
she looked quite worried
she had accepted that she could not help
loving him
but she had not expected this result
with bitter pain she replied as she had
promised herself she would
oh mr claire
i cannot be your wife
i cannot be
the sound of these words seemed to break
her very heart
but tess
he said amazed at her answer and holding
her still closer
surely you love
me oh yes yes
and i would rather be yours than
anybody’s in the whole world
but i cannot marry you
cried the sweet and honest voice
miserably
tess
have you agreed to marry someone else
no no
then why do you refuse me
your father is a person and your mother
will want you to marry a lady
said poor test desperately trying to
find an excuse no
certainly not that’s why i went home to
talk to them both
i feel
i cannot
never
never
is it too sudden my pretty i’ll give you
time i won’t mention it again for a
while
she tried to skim again
but her tears fell so that she could not
do it
she could never explain her sadness
even to this her best friend
claire began to talk more generally to
calm her
he talked about his father’s religious
views and the good work he did
he mentioned the insults his father had
received from a young man near trent
ridge who had a blind mother
tess now looked hard and worn
and her mouth was tragic
claire did not notice they finished
skimming and he said to her softly
and my question tessie
oh no
no
she replied
hopelessly
thinking bitterly of alec derbaville
it can’t be
she went out with the other milkmaids to
the cows in the fields
angel watched her moving freely in the
air like a swimmer on a wave
he knew he was right to choose a wife
from nature
not from civilization
chapter 13
claire was not depressed by tessa’s
refusal
feeling sure that she would finally
accept him
a few days later he asked her again
tess why did you say no so positively
i’m not good enough
not enough of a fine lady
yes
your family would not respect me
you know you’re wrong
my father and mother would and i don’t
care about my brothers
he held her to stop her slipping away
you didn’t mean it did you
i can’t work or read or play or anything
until i know that you will someday be
mine say you will tess
she could only shake her head and look
away
then i ought not to hold you
to talk to you like this why tess
it is for your good my dearest
i can’t give myself the great happiness
of promising to be yours
because
i am sure i ought not to
but you will make me happy
you think so
but you don’t know
after a struggle like this tess would go
to the fields or her room to cry
her heart was so strongly on the side of
his that she feared she might give way
why doesn’t somebody tell him all about
me she thought
it was only 40 miles away somebody must
know
but nobody knew
and nobody told him
tess’s life now had two parts
positive pleasure
and positive pain
every time she and angel were alone
together he would ask her again
and she would refuse
she was keeping her promise to herself
but in her heart of hearts tess knew
that eventually she would accept him
love and nature both advised her to have
him without thinking of complications to
delight in passion without considering
future pain
i know i shall say yes
i can’t help it
she cried to herself in bed one night
but it may kill him when he knows oh
oh
i’ve got some news for you all
said darium and crick as they sat down
to breakfast one sunday morning
it’s that jack dollop again
the lover in the butter churn
said angel claire looking up from his
newspaper
and has he married the young milkmaid as
he promised
not he sir
replied the darehaman he’s married an
older woman who had 50 pounds a year
they married in a great hurry and then
she told him that by marrying she’d lost
her 50 pounds a year
he only married her for her money too so
now they’re always quarreling
she ought to have told him just before
they went to church
said marion
she ought to have seen he only wanted
her money and refused him
said retti
what do you say my dear the dairy man
asked tess
i think she ought
to have told him the truth
or else refused him
i don’t know
replied tess who could not swallow her
food
she soon left the table and went into
the fields feeling the pain in the story
she had continued to refuse angel’s
offers of marriage
but from that sunday he changed his
approach towards her
he looked for her and came to talk to
her at every possible moment at milking
butter making cheese making among
chickens and among pigs
she knew she could not resist much
longer she loved him so passionately and
he was so like a god in her eyes
he treated her as if he would love and
defend her under any circumstances
this began to make her feel less afraid
about agreeing to marry him and telling
him the truth about herself
the days were shorter now
and in the mornings the dairy worked by
candlelight
one morning between three and four she
ran up to claire’s room to wake him
before waking the others
having dressed she was about to go
downstairs when angel came out of his
room and stopped her
now miss
he said firmly you must give me an
answer or i shall have to leave the
house
you aren’t safe with me i saw you just
now in your night dress well
is it yes at last
i really will think seriously about it
mr claire
call me angel then and not mr claire why
not angel dearest
it would mean i agree wouldn’t it
it would only mean you love me
and you did admit that long ago
very well done
angel dearest if i must
she murmured smiling
claire could not resist kissing her warm
cheek
after milking and skimming all the dairy
people went outside
tess generously tried for the last time
to interest angel in the other dairy
maids
there’s more in those three than you
think
she said
any of them would make you a better wife
than i could
and perhaps they love you as much as i
do almost
oh tessie
he cried impatiently
she was so relieved to hear this that
she could not make any further
self-sacrifice she knew that this day
would decide it
in the late afternoon angel claire
offered to drive the wagon with its
buckets of milk to the station
he persuaded tess to go with him
at first there was silence as they drove
along the quiet road
simply enjoying being close to each
other
soon drops of rain started falling
tess’s cheeks were pink and her long
hair was wet
she had no jacket and crept close to
claire
she held an old piece of cloth over them
both to keep the rain off
well dear
said angel
what about my question
[Music]
i’ll answer you soon
before we get home
i’ll try
they passed an old house
angel explained that it was an
interesting place which belonged to the
ancient family of the derbevilles
it’s very sad when a noble family dies
out he said
yes
said tess
at last they reached the station
and watched the milk being lifted onto
the train
tess was fascinated
londoners will drink it for breakfast
won’t they
people who don’t know we drove for miles
in the rain so that it might reach them
in time
that’s true
but we drove a little for our own
reasons too
now tess
he said anxiously as they drove away
into the night
your heart belongs to me
why can’t you give me your hand as well
my only reason is you
i have something to tell you
i must tell you about my past life
tell me if you want to dearest
i expect you have had as many
experiences
as that flower over there
i grew up in marlot
and at school they said i would make a
good teacher
but there was trouble in my family
father didn’t work very hard
and he drank a little
poor child
that’s nothing new
he held her more closely to his side
and
there is something unusual about me
i
i am not a derby field
but a derbeville
i’m a descendant of the same family who
owned that house we passed
a derberville
and is that the whole story tess
yes
she answered faintly
well
why should i love you less because of
that
the dairyman told me you hated old
families
he laughed
well i hate the idea that noble blood
should be more important than anything
else
but i am really very interested in your
news
what do you think of it
i think it’s sad
especially here to see the fields which
once belonged to my ancestors
so that’s the awful secret
she had not told him
at the last moment she had not been
brave enough
angel was delighted
you see tess
society likes a noble name and will
accept you better as my wife because you
are a derberville even my mother will
like you better you must use the name of
derberville from this very day
i like the other name best but you must
by the way
there’s someone who has taken the
durbaville name near the chase
yes
he’s the man who insulted my father how
strange
angel
i would rather not take that name
now then teresa derberville i’ve got you
take my name and you will escape yours
if it is sure to make you happy
and you do wish to marry me very very
much
i do dearest of course
say you will be mine forever
he held her and kissed her
yes
no sooner had she said it
then she burst into a dry hard sobbing
angel was surprised
why are you crying
i’m crying because i promised i would
die unmarried
oh i sometimes wish i had never been
born
tess
how could you wish that if you really
loved me
i wish you could prove your love in some
way
will this prove it more
cried test desperately holding him close
and kissing him
for the first time claire learnt what a
passionate woman’s kisses were like on
the lips of one she loved with all her
heart and soul
as tess loved him
there
now do you believe
she asked wiping her eyes
yes i never really doubted
never
they drove on in the darkness
forming one bundle under the cloth
i must write to my mother
she said
of course my dear child where does she
live
in marlot
ah
then i have seen you before
yes
when you would not dance with me
oh
i hope that doesn’t mean bad luck
after this decision tess wrote an urgent
letter to her mother
this was the reply she received
dear tess
i hope you are well as i am
we are all glad to hear you are going to
be married soon
but tess
in answer to your question whatever you
do
don’t tell your future husband anything
about your past experience
no girl would be so foolish especially
as it is so long ago and not your fault
at all remember you promised me you
would never tell anybody
best wishes to your young man
love from your mother
tess could not accept her mother’s view
of life
but perhaps joan was right in this
silence seemed best for angel’s
happiness
so she grew calm
and from october onwards she was
completely happy
claire seemed the perfect guide thinker
and friend
she saw perfection in his face
his intelligence and his soul
she dismissed the past from her mind
they spent all their time together as
country people do once they are engaged
in the wonderful autumn afternoons they
walked by streams crossing on little
wooden bridges
they saw tiny blue frogs in the shadows
of trees and hedges
and at the same time bright sunshine in
the fields
the sun was so near the ground that the
shadows of claire and tess stretched a
quarter of a mile ahead of them
like two long pointing fingers
when claire talked to tess of their
future
and the farm they would have abroad
she could hardly believe that she would
be going through the world by his side
her feeling for him was now the breath
and life of tess’s being
it made her forget her past sorrows
but she knew they were waiting like
wolves for their moment to attack
one day she cried out to angel
why didn’t you stay and love me when i
was 16 when you danced and marlot oh why
didn’t you
ah yes
if only i had known
but you must not regret so bitterly why
should you
hiding her feelings quickly she said
i would have had four more years of your
love than i can ever have now
they had to tell the dairyman and his
wife that they were planning to marry
that night as tess entered the bedroom
all three dairymaids were waiting for
him
you are going to marry him
said marion
yes
someday
said tess
gonna marry him a gentleman
said is
it’s strange said marion to think tess
will be his wife not a fine lady but a
girl who lives like us
do you all hate me for it
ask tess in a low voice
i want to hate you but i cannot
said retti
that’s how i feel
said marion and is
he ought to marry one of you
mama tess
you are all better than i am
no no dear tess
they all said
i think i ought to make him marry one of
you even now
she sobbed
they went up to her and calmed her and
helped her to bed
before they went to sleep marion
whispered
you will think of us when you are his
wife tess
and how we did not hate you because we
did not expect to be chosen by him
the girls did not know that tess cried
even more at this
and that she decided she would tell
angel all her history
because of this she would not set a date
for the wedding
she wanted to stay as she was
not move forward into a new life
but soon it was clear that the dairyman
did not want so many dairy maids at this
time of year
tess would have to leave the dairy at
christmas
i am afraid i’m glad of it
said angel to her
because now we must decide when to marry
we can’t go on like this forever
i wish we could
i wish it could be always summer and
autumn with you always loving me
i always shall
oh i know you will
angel i’ll fix the day
so they decided on the 31st of december
the wedding was to take place as
privately as possible at the dairy
tess now felt she could not stop things
happening
and agreed passively to whatever angel
suggested
in fact angel’s plans were a little
hurried
he had not meant to marry so soon
but he wanted to keep her with him to
help her with her reading and studying
so that he could present her proudly as
a lady to his parents
he also planned to spend some time
studying work in a flower mill
they could spend their honeymoon staying
in the old farmhouse which had once
belonged to the derbevilles while angels
studied at the mill nearby
the day
the impossible day of their wedding came
closer
his wife
tess said to herself
could it ever be
angel and tess decided to spend a day
together shopping on christmas eve
they went into town in a borrowed
carriage the town was full of strangers
who stared at tess happy and beautiful
on angel’s arm
at the end of the day tess was waiting
for angel to bring the horse and
carriage when two men passed her in the
street
she’s a lovely maiden
one said to his friend
she’s lovely yes
but she’s no maiden
replied the other
angel returned at that moment and heard
these words
wildly angry at this insult tess he hit
the man in the face the man said quickly
i’m sorry sir i must have made a mistake
angel accepted this gave the man some
money said good night and drove off with
tess
the two men went in the opposite
direction
and was it a mistake asked the second
man
certainly not
said his friend
on the way home tess was very serious
she felt she could not tell him the
truth to his face
but there was another way
so she went to her room and wrote a
four-page letter describing exactly what
had happened three or four years ago
in the night she crept up to angel’s
room and pushed the letter under his
door
next morning she looked anxiously at him
but he kissed her as usual
he said nothing about the letter
had he read it
did he forgive her
every morning at night he was the same
until finally the wedding day came
tess had not invited her family from
marlot
angel had written to his
his brothers had not replied
and his parents wrote that they hoped he
was not hurrying into marriage but that
he was old enough to decide for himself
angel did not mind because he was
planning to introduce test to them as a
derbeville as well as a dairy maid some
months later
tess was still worried about her
confession
and left the crowd of busy people
downstairs to creep silently up to
angel’s bedroom
there she found her letter unopened just
under the carpet
he had not seen it
she could not let him read it now in the
middle of the preparations
she found him alone for a moment
i must confess all my mistakes to you
she said trying to keep her words light
not today my sweet we’ll have plenty of
time later on i’ll confess mine too
then you really don’t want me to
i don’t tessie
really
from now on her one desire to call him
husband and then if necessary to die
carried her on
she moved in a cloud
there were few people in the church
at one point she let her shoulder touch
claire’s arm to be sure that he was
really there
it was only when she came out that she
noticed the carriage they were driving
back in
she felt she must have seen it in a
dream
oh
maybe you know the story of the
durbaville carriage
said angel
and this one reminds you of it
in the past a certain derbeville
committed a crime in his carriage and
since then derberville see or hear the
old carriage whenever
but it’s rather depressing to talk about
is it when we are going to die angel
or is it when we have committed a crime
now tess
he kissed her but she had no energy left
she was now mrs angel claire
but wasn’t she really
mrs alexander derbaville
later that afternoon they left the dairy
all the dairy people watched them leave
and claire kissed the dairymaids goodbye
as he was thanking the dairyman a
crowed just in front of him
that’s bad whispered the deriman to each
other
when a crows at a husband like that
and they laughed together behind their
hands
go away
shouted mr crick at the
later he said to his wife why did it
have to crow at mr claire like that
it only means a change in the weather
said mrs crick not what you think that’s
impossible
tess and angel arrived at the old
derbyville farmhouse
it was empty although a woman came to
cook and clean for them
they had their tea together and claire
delighted in eating from the same plate
as tess
looking at her he thought
do i realize how important i am to this
woman
and how i must look after her
i must never forget to think about her
feelings
it started to rain as it grew dark
outside
finally a man arrived from the dairy
with their bags
i’m sorry i’m late sir
he said but terrible things have been
happening at the dairy you remember the
crowing well
whatever it means
poor little ritty priddle has tried to
drown herself
what happened
asked angel
well
after you left she and marion walk from
one public house to another drinking
reti was found in the river later on and
marion was found drunk in a field
and is
asked tess
isis at home as usual but very sad and
depressed
as the man left
tess sat sadly by the fire looking into
it
they were simple innocent girls who had
not been loved
it was wicked of her to take all the
love without paying for it
she would pay
she would tell there and then
angel was sitting beside her holding her
hand
their faces were red in the fire light
this morning
he said suddenly
we said we would both confess our
mistakes
i must tell you something
and you must forgive me
perhaps i ought to have told you before
i put off telling you
because i didn’t want to lose you
angel
i’m sure i’ll forgive you
a wild hope was making tessa’s heart
beat faster
well
wait a minute
you know how much i believe in goodness
and purity
but i myself
when i was in london years ago
did wrong with a woman i hardly knew
it lasted two days
i came home and i have never done
anything like it since
do you forgive me
oh angel of course i do
and i’m almost glad
because now you can forgive me
i have a confession too
ah yes
well confess you wicked little girl
it can hardly be more serious than mine
it can’t no it can’t
she jumped up joyfully at the hope
no
in fact
it is just the same
i will tell you now
she sat down again
they held hands
the fire burned like a judgment day fire
her shadow rose high on the wall
putting her head against his
she bravely told the whole story of her
meeting with alec durberville
and its results
chapter 14
[Music]
her story came to an end
she had not raised her voice
she had not cried
but things seemed to change as a story
progressed
the fire looked as if it was laughing at
her troubles
all the objects around her appeared not
to care about her tragic history
and yet it was only a short time since
he had been kissing her
everything looked different now
claire stirred the fire
it was unnecessary but he felt he had to
do something
he had not really taken in the whole
story yet
he stood up
now as he began to understand the story
in its full horror
his face was like an old man’s
he made uncertain movements
because everything in his head was vague
and uncertain
he could not make himself think clearly
tess
can i believe this
are you mad perhaps
my wife my tess
you aren’t mad are you
i am not
she said
and yet
he said looking strangely at her
why didn’t you tell me before
oh yes
you would have told me in a way but i
stopped you i remember
he was talking but could not think at
the same time his brain seemed to have
stopped working
he turned away from her tess followed
him and stood there staring at him with
dry eyes
then she went down on her knees beside
him
in the name of our love forgive me
she whispered with a dry mouth
i have forgiven you for the same
and as he did not answer she said again
forgive me as you are forgiven
i forgive you angel
you
yes
you do but you do not forgive me
oh tess
it’s not a question of forgiveness
you were one person
now you are another
how can forgiveness put that right
he paused considering this
then suddenly he started laughing in an
unnatural horrible way
it was like a laugh out of hell
don’t don’t
she cried her face dead white
it kills me that laugh
angel do you know what you’re doing to
me i’ve been hoping longing praying to
make you happy
i know that
i thought angel that you loved me
me
my very self
if you do love me how can you treat me
like this
it frightens me having begun to love you
i will love you forever in all changes
in all troubles because you are yourself
i ask no more
then how can you my husband stop loving
me
i repeat
the woman i have been loving
is not you
but who is she another woman
in your shape
suddenly she realized how he saw her
for him
she was a guilty woman pretending to be
an innocent one
there was terror in her white face as
she saw this she could not stand and he
stepped forward thinking she might fall
sit down
he said gently
you are ill
and i am not surprised
she sat down
her face still full of fear and her eyes
wild
i don’t belong to you anymore then
do i angel
she asked helplessly
and at last the tears came
claire watched her sobbing
and waited until the first violence of
her emotion had passed
angel
she said suddenly in a normal voice
am i too wicked for us to live together
i haven’t had time to think what we
should do
i won’t ask you to let me live with you
angel because i have no right to
i want right to tell my family we are
married as i said i would
won’t you
no
i won’t do anything unless you order me
too
and if you go away
i won’t follow you
and if you never speak to me again
i won’t ask why
unless you tell me i can
and if i order you to do anything
i’ll obey you
even if i have to lie down and die
how good of you
but it seems you have changed
in the past you were keen to look after
yourself
now you are keen to sacrifice yourself
claire’s bitter words however were not
fully understood by tess
she only knew that he was angry with her
she stood silent
not knowing that he was struggling with
his love for her
she did not observe a large tear rolling
slowly down his cheek
he was realizing what a change tess’s
confession had made to his whole life
he had to decide on some action
tess
he said as gently as he could
i can’t stay here just now
i’m going out
he quietly left the room
two glasses of wine
ready for their supper remained
untouched on the table
only two or three hours earlier they had
drunk tea from the same cup
as he closed the door behind him tess
jumped up
he had gone
she could not stay
she put out the candles and followed him
the rain was over and the night was now
clear
claire walked slowly and without purpose
his shape was black and frightening
she walked just behind him
there was water on the road where the
stars could be seen reflected
away from the house the road went
through the fields
she followed claire as a dog follows its
owner
eventually tess could not help speaking
to him
what have i done
nothing interferes with my love for you
you don’t think i planned it angel do
you
i would not deceive you like that
well
no
maybe you would not
but you are not the same
no
not the same
but don’t make me blame you
she went on begging for forgiveness
perhaps she said things that would have
been better left to silence
angel
angel
i was a child when it happened i knew
nothing of men
i admit it was not so much your fault as
his
then won’t you forgive me
i do forgive you
but forgiveness
isn’t everything
and do you love me
he did not answer this question
oh angel
my mother says she knows several cases
which were worse than mine and the
husband has not minded much
well
he has accepted it at least
and in those cases the woman hasn’t
loved him as i love you
don’t test
don’t argue
those are just country people’s ways
there is a correct way of doing things
i think that person who discovered you
were a derbyville should have kept quiet
perhaps you were weak and could not
refuse this man because your ancient
noble blood has run thin because your
family is no good anymore
i thought you were a child of nature
but you have the worst of your ancient
family in you
tess accepted his bitterness
not understanding the details
he did not love her as he had done
and nothing else mattered
they went on again in silence
they walked slowly for hours
with sad anxious faces
not talking
one behind the other like a funeral
procession
tess said to her husband
i don’t want to cause you sadness all
your life
the river is down there i can put an end
to myself in it i am not afraid don’t
talk like that
do what i ask
go back to the house and go to bed
i will
she said obediently
when she returned to the house
she found everything as they had left it
and the fire still burning
she went to the bedroom
there was a mistletoe branch hanging
above the bed
now she understood why angel had brought
a strange parcel with him
it was to surprise her
he had delightedly hung it there
now it looked foolish and out of place
as she had nothing more to fear
and nothing more to hope for she lay
down
in a few moments lonely tess was asleep
in the bedroom once used by the young
wives of her ancestors
later on that night claire also came
back to the house
he prepared a bed downstairs
but crept shoeless upstairs to see if
tess was asleep
he was relieved to see her sleeping
deeply
and yet he felt he alone had the whole
worry of what action to take
and the responsibility for her life as
well as his
he turned away from her door
and then turned back again pulled by his
love for her
but his eye was caught by a painting on
the wall of one of tess’s ancestors
a proud fierce woman
who looked as if she hated and wanted to
deceive all men
he thought she and tess
looked alike
that was enough to stop him
and he went downstairs to his lonely bed
he looked calm and cold
full of self-control
his face showed he had fought against
passion and won
but did not like being the winner
he still found it difficult to accept
that tess the pure village maiden
was not what she seemed
how unexpected life could be
he put out the candle
the night came in
unconcerned
and uninterested
the night which had swallowed up his
happiness
[Music]