06-04-苔丝 [57]
had drunk tea from the same cup．
As he closed the door behind him，Tess jumped up．He had gone：she could not stay．She put out the candles and followed him The rain was over and the night was now clear．
Clare walked slowly and without purpose．His shape was black and frightening She walked just behind him．There was water on the road，where the stars could be seen reflected． Away from the house the road went through the fields．She followed Clare as a dog follows its owner．
Eventually Tess could not help speaking to him．
‘What have I done？Nothing interferes with my love for you．You don't think I planned it，Angel，do you？I would not deceive you like that！’ ‘H'm， well．No，maybe you would not，but you are not the same．No，not the same But don't make me blame you．’
She went on begging for forgiveness．Perhaps she said things that would have been better left to silence．
‘Angel！Angel！I was a child when it happened．I knew nothing of men．’
‘I admit it was not so much your fault as his．’
‘Then won't you forgive me？’
‘I do forgive you，but forgiveness isn't everything．’
‘And do you love me？’
He did not answer this question．
‘Oh Angel－my mother says she knows several cases which were worse than mine，and the husband has not minded much …well，he has accepted it at least．And in those cases the woman hasn't loved him as I love you！’
‘Don't，Tess，don't argue．Those are just country people's ways．There is a correct way of doing things．I think that parson who discovered you were a d’Urberville should have kept quiet．Perhaps you were weak and could not refuse this man because your ancient noble blood has run thin，because your family is no good any more．I thought you were a child of nature，but you have the worst of your ancient family in you！’
Tess accepted his bitterness，not understanding the details． He did not love her as he had done，and nothing else mattered．
They went on again in silence．They walked slowly for hours，with sad anxious faces，not talking，one behind the other，like a funeral procession． Tess said to her husband：
‘I don't want to cause you sadness all your life．The river is down there．I can put an end to myself in it．I'm not afraid．’
‘Don't talk like that．Do what I ask，go back to the house and go to bed．’
‘I will，’she said obediently．
When she returned to the house，she found everything as they had left it and the fire still burning She went to the bedroom．There was a mistletoe branch hanging above the bed． Now she understood why Angel had brought a strange parcel with him．It was to surprise her．He had delightedly hung it there．Now it looked foolish and out of place．
As she had nothing more to fear，and nothing more to hope for，she lay down．In a few moments lonely Tess was asleep， in the bedroom once used by the young wives of her ancestor．
Later on that night Clare also came back to the house．He prepared a bed downstairs，but crept shoeless upstairs to see if Tess was asleep．He was relieved to see her sleeping deeply． And yet he felt he alone had the whole worry of what action to take，and the responsibility for her life as well as his．He turned away from her door，and then turned back again， pulled by his love for her．But his eye was caught by a painting on the wall of one of Tess's ancestors，a proud fierce woman， who looked as if she hated and wanted to deceive all men．He thought she and Tess looked alike．That was enough to stop him，and he went downstairs to his lonely bed．
He looked calm and cold，full of self-control．His face showed he had fought against passion and won，but did not like being the winner．He still found it difficult to accept that Tess，the pure village maiden，was not what she seemed． How unexpected life could be！He
As he closed the door behind him，Tess jumped up．He had gone：she could not stay．She put out the candles and followed him The rain was over and the night was now clear．
Clare walked slowly and without purpose．His shape was black and frightening She walked just behind him．There was water on the road，where the stars could be seen reflected． Away from the house the road went through the fields．She followed Clare as a dog follows its owner．
Eventually Tess could not help speaking to him．
‘What have I done？Nothing interferes with my love for you．You don't think I planned it，Angel，do you？I would not deceive you like that！’ ‘H'm， well．No，maybe you would not，but you are not the same．No，not the same But don't make me blame you．’
She went on begging for forgiveness．Perhaps she said things that would have been better left to silence．
‘Angel！Angel！I was a child when it happened．I knew nothing of men．’
‘I admit it was not so much your fault as his．’
‘Then won't you forgive me？’
‘I do forgive you，but forgiveness isn't everything．’
‘And do you love me？’
He did not answer this question．
‘Oh Angel－my mother says she knows several cases which were worse than mine，and the husband has not minded much …well，he has accepted it at least．And in those cases the woman hasn't loved him as I love you！’
‘Don't，Tess，don't argue．Those are just country people's ways．There is a correct way of doing things．I think that parson who discovered you were a d’Urberville should have kept quiet．Perhaps you were weak and could not refuse this man because your ancient noble blood has run thin，because your family is no good any more．I thought you were a child of nature，but you have the worst of your ancient family in you！’
Tess accepted his bitterness，not understanding the details． He did not love her as he had done，and nothing else mattered．
They went on again in silence．They walked slowly for hours，with sad anxious faces，not talking，one behind the other，like a funeral procession． Tess said to her husband：
‘I don't want to cause you sadness all your life．The river is down there．I can put an end to myself in it．I'm not afraid．’
‘Don't talk like that．Do what I ask，go back to the house and go to bed．’
‘I will，’she said obediently．
When she returned to the house，she found everything as they had left it and the fire still burning She went to the bedroom．There was a mistletoe branch hanging above the bed． Now she understood why Angel had brought a strange parcel with him．It was to surprise her．He had delightedly hung it there．Now it looked foolish and out of place．
As she had nothing more to fear，and nothing more to hope for，she lay down．In a few moments lonely Tess was asleep， in the bedroom once used by the young wives of her ancestor．
Later on that night Clare also came back to the house．He prepared a bed downstairs，but crept shoeless upstairs to see if Tess was asleep．He was relieved to see her sleeping deeply． And yet he felt he alone had the whole worry of what action to take，and the responsibility for her life as well as his．He turned away from her door，and then turned back again， pulled by his love for her．But his eye was caught by a painting on the wall of one of Tess's ancestors，a proud fierce woman， who looked as if she hated and wanted to deceive all men．He thought she and Tess looked alike．That was enough to stop him，and he went downstairs to his lonely bed．
He looked calm and cold，full of self-control．His face showed he had fought against passion and won，but did not like being the winner．He still found it difficult to accept that Tess，the pure village maiden，was not what she seemed． How unexpected life could be！He