"I will go," said Tess at last.
Her mother could not repress her consciousness of the nuptial vision
conjured up by the girl's consent. "That's right! For such a pretty maid as 'tis, this is a fine
chance!" Tess smiled crossly. "I hope it is a chance for earning money. It is no other kind of
chance. You had better say nothing of that silly sort about parish."
Mrs Durbeyfield did not promise. She was not quite sure that she did
not feel proud enough, after the visitor's remarks, to say a good
deal. Thus it was arranged; and the young girl wrote, agreeing to be ready
to set out on any day on which she might be required. She was duly
informed that Mrs d'Urberville was glad of her decision, and that a
spring-cart should be sent to meet her and her luggage at the top
of the Vale on the day after the morrow, when she must hold herself
prepared to start. Mrs d'Urberville's handwriting seemed rather
masculine.
"A cart?" murmured Joan Durbeyfield doubtingly. "It might have been
a carriage for her own kin!" Having at last taken her course Tess was less restless and
abstracted, going about her business with some self-assurance in the
thought of acquiring another horse for her father by an occupation
which would not be onerous. She had hoped to be a teacher at the
school, but the fates seemed to decide otherwise. Being mentally
older than her mother she did not regard Mrs Durbeyfield's
matrimonial hopes for her in a serious aspect for a moment. The
light-minded woman had been discovering good matches for her daughter
almost from the year of her birth.
VII
On the morning appointed for her departure Tess was awake before
dawn--at the marginal minute of the dark when the grove is still
mute, save for one prophetic bird who sings with a clear-voiced
conviction that he at least knows the correct time of day, the rest
preserving silence as if equally convinced that he is mistaken. She
remained upstairs packing till breakfast-time, and then came down in
her ordinary week-day clothes, her Sunday apparel being carefully
folded in her box. Her mother expostulated. "You will never set out to see your folks
without dressing up more the dand than that?"
"But I am going to work!" said Tess.
"Well, yes," said Mrs Durbeyfield; and in a private tone, "at first
there mid be a little pretence o't ... But I think it will be wiser
of 'ee to put your best side outward," she added.