"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

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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.




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