"Tess," he added, with a sigh of discontent,--"yours was the very

worst case I ever was concerned in! I had no idea of what had

resulted till you told me. Scamp that I was to foul that innocent

life! The whole blame was mine--the whole unconventional business

of our time at Trantridge. You, too, the real blood of which I am

but the base imitation, what a blind young thing you were as to

possibilities! I say in all earnestness that it is a shame for

parents to bring up their girls in such dangerous ignorance of the

gins and nets that the wicked may set for them, whether their motive

be a good one or the result of simple indifference."

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Tess still did no more than listen, throwing down one globular root

and taking up another with automatic regularity, the pensive contour

of the mere fieldwoman alone marking her.

"But it is not that I came to say," d'Urberville went on. "My

circumstances are these. I have lost my mother since you were at

Trantridge, and the place is my own. But I intend to sell it, and

devote myself to missionary work in Africa. A devil of a poor hand

I shall make at the trade, no doubt. However, what I want to ask

you is, will you put it in my power to do my duty--to make the only

reparation I can make for the trick played you: that is, will you be

my wife, and go with me? ... I have already obtained this precious

document. It was my old mother's dying wish."

He drew a piece of parchment from his pocket, with a slight fumbling

of embarrassment. "What is it?" said she. "A marriage licence."

"O no, sir--no!" she said quickly, starting back. "You will not? Why is that?"

And as he asked the question a disappointment which was not entirely

the disappointment of thwarted duty crossed d'Urberville's face. It

was unmistakably a symptom that something of his old passion for her

had been revived; duty and desire ran hand-in-hand.

"Surely," he began again, in more impetuous tones, and then looked

round at the labourer who turned the slicer. Tess, too, felt that the argument could not be ended there.

Informing the man that a gentleman had come to see her, with whom she

wished to walk a little way, she moved off with d'Urberville across

the zebra-striped field. When they reached the first newly-ploughed

section he held out his hand to help her over it; but she stepped

forward on the summits of the earth-rolls as if she did not see him.




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