06-04-苔丝 [47]
． 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 d’Urberville． Even my mother will like you better． You must use the name of d’Urberville from this very day．’
‘I like the other name best．’
‘But you must！ By the way， there's someone who has taken the d’Urberville 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 d’Urberville， 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 for ever！’
He held her and kissed her．
‘Yes！’No sooner had she said it than 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 Tess desperately， holding him close and kissing him． For the first time Clare 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，dear child． Where does she live？’
‘In Marlott．’
‘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．Clare 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 fogs 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 Clare and Tess stretched a quarter of a mile ahead of them，like two long pointing fingers．When Clare 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 152 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 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 d’Urberville． Even my mother will like you better． You must use the name of d’Urberville from this very day．’
‘I like the other name best．’
‘But you must！ By the way， there's someone who has taken the d’Urberville 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 d’Urberville， 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 for ever！’
He held her and kissed her．
‘Yes！’No sooner had she said it than 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 Tess desperately， holding him close and kissing him． For the first time Clare 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，dear child． Where does she live？’
‘In Marlott．’
‘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．Clare 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 fogs 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 Clare and Tess stretched a quarter of a mile ahead of them，like two long pointing fingers．When Clare 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 152 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