Suddenly there was a dull thump on the ground: a couple had fallen,

and lay in a mixed heap. The next couple, unable to check its

progress, came toppling over the obstacle. An inner cloud of dust

rose around the prostrate figures amid the general one of the room,

in which a twitching entanglement of arms and legs was discernible.

"You shall catch it for this, my gentleman, when you get home!" burst

in female accents from the human heap--those of the unhappy partner

of the man whose clumsiness had caused the mishap; she happened

also to be his recently married wife, in which assortment there was

nothing unusual at Trantridge as long as any affection remained

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between wedded couples; and, indeed, it was not uncustomary in their

later lives, to avoid making odd lots of the single people between

whom there might be a warm understanding.

A loud laugh from behind Tess's back, in the shade of the garden,

united with the titter within the room. She looked round, and saw

the red coal of a cigar: Alec d'Urberville was standing there alone.

He beckoned to her, and she reluctantly retreated towards him.

"Well, my Beauty, what are you doing here?"

She was so tired after her long day and her walk that she confided

her trouble to him--that she had been waiting ever since he saw her

to have their company home, because the road at night was strange to

her. "But it seems they will never leave off, and I really think I

will wait no longer."

"Certainly do not. I have only a saddle-horse here to-day; but come

to The Flower-de-Luce, and I'll hire a trap, and drive you home with

me." Tess, though flattered, had never quite got over her original

mistrust of him, and, despite their tardiness, she preferred to walk

home with the work-folk. So she answered that she was much obliged

to him, but would not trouble him. "I have said that I will wait for

'em, and they will expect me to now."

"Very well, Miss Independence. Please yourself... Then I shall not

hurry... My good Lord, what a kick-up they are having there!"

He had not put himself forward into the light, but some of them

had perceived him, and his presence led to a slight pause and a

consideration of how the time was flying. As soon as he had re-lit

a cigar and walked away the Trantridge people began to collect

themselves from amid those who had come in from other farms, and

prepared to leave in a body. Their bundles and baskets were gathered

up, and half an hour later, when the clock-chime sounded a quarter

past eleven, they were straggling along the lane which led up the

hill towards their homes. It was a three-mile walk, along a dry white road, made whiter

to-night by the light of the moon.




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