06-04-苔丝 [86]
thought．‘I look so different，so much older！’He was still weak after his illness．He could hardly stand，and held on to the back of a chair，as she entered the room．
He was not prepared for what he saw．Tess was wearing fashionable clothes，and looked even more beautiful than he remembered．He had held out his arms，but they fell to his side，because she stood still in the doorway．He thought she could not bear his changed appearance．
‘Tess！’he whispered．His voice was low and breaking with emotion．‘Can you forgive me for going away？Can't you…come to me？Why are you… so beautiful？’
‘It is too late，’she said，her voice hard and her eyes shining unnaturally．
‘I didn't see you as you really were！Please forgive me，Tessy！’he begged． ‘Too late，too late！’she said，waving her hand impatiently．
‘Don't come close，Angel！Keep away！’
‘But is it that you don't love me，my dear wife，because I've been ill？I've come to find you．My parents will welcome you！I've told them everything！’
‘Yes，yes！But it is too late．’Every moment seemed like an hour to her．She felt as if she was in a dream，trying to escape，but unable to．‘Don't you know what has happened？I waited and waited for you．But you didn't come！And I wrote to you，and you didn't come！He kept on saying you would never come back again，and he was very kind to my family after father's death．He…’
‘I don't understand．’
‘He has won me back to him．’
Clare stared at her．He saw her fashionable clothes．He saw her relaxed，well－fed body．He saw her white，delicate hands．At last he understood，and fell into a chair，as if hit on the head．
She continued，‘He is upstairs．I hate him now，because he told me a lie，that you would never return，and you have returned！Will you go away now，Angel，please，and never come back？’
They looked at each other without joy and without hope，desperately wanting to be sheltered from reality．
‘It's my fault！said Clare．But talking did not help．The Tess he had first loved had separated her body from her soul．Her soul remained and would remain faithful to him for ever．But what happened to her body no longer interested her after he had rejected it．
After a few moments of confused reflection，he realized Tess had left the room．His mind was in a fog．He felt very cold and very ill．Somehow he found himself in the street，walking，although he did not know where．
Mrs Brooks was not usually curious about her guests．She was too interested in the money they paid her，to ask many questions．However，Angel Clare's visit to her wealthy guests，Mr and Mrs d'Urberville，as she knew them，was unusual enough to interest her．She could hear parts of the conversation between the two lost souls，and when Tess went back upstairs，Mrs Brooks crept quietly up to listen outside the bedroom door．She heard Tess sobbing，and through the keyhole could see her half lying over the breakfast table．
‘And then my dear husband came home to me…And it's too late！Because you persuaded me，you with your fine words as you did when you seduced me！You told me he would never come back！But he did！And you helped my family—that's how you persuaded me so cleverly．But when I believed you and came to live with you，he came back！And now I've lost him a second time，and this time for ever！He will hate me now！’She turned her tear－stained face and Mrs Brooks could see how she was suffering．‘And he's dying，he looks as if he's dying！It will be my fault if he dies！You have destroyed my life and his！I can't bear it，I can't！’The man spoke sharply，and after that there was silence．
Mrs Brooks went back downstairs to wait until she was called to take their breakfast away．She could hear Tess moving about，and then saw Tess leave the house，fully
He was not prepared for what he saw．Tess was wearing fashionable clothes，and looked even more beautiful than he remembered．He had held out his arms，but they fell to his side，because she stood still in the doorway．He thought she could not bear his changed appearance．
‘Tess！’he whispered．His voice was low and breaking with emotion．‘Can you forgive me for going away？Can't you…come to me？Why are you… so beautiful？’
‘It is too late，’she said，her voice hard and her eyes shining unnaturally．
‘I didn't see you as you really were！Please forgive me，Tessy！’he begged． ‘Too late，too late！’she said，waving her hand impatiently．
‘Don't come close，Angel！Keep away！’
‘But is it that you don't love me，my dear wife，because I've been ill？I've come to find you．My parents will welcome you！I've told them everything！’
‘Yes，yes！But it is too late．’Every moment seemed like an hour to her．She felt as if she was in a dream，trying to escape，but unable to．‘Don't you know what has happened？I waited and waited for you．But you didn't come！And I wrote to you，and you didn't come！He kept on saying you would never come back again，and he was very kind to my family after father's death．He…’
‘I don't understand．’
‘He has won me back to him．’
Clare stared at her．He saw her fashionable clothes．He saw her relaxed，well－fed body．He saw her white，delicate hands．At last he understood，and fell into a chair，as if hit on the head．
She continued，‘He is upstairs．I hate him now，because he told me a lie，that you would never return，and you have returned！Will you go away now，Angel，please，and never come back？’
They looked at each other without joy and without hope，desperately wanting to be sheltered from reality．
‘It's my fault！said Clare．But talking did not help．The Tess he had first loved had separated her body from her soul．Her soul remained and would remain faithful to him for ever．But what happened to her body no longer interested her after he had rejected it．
After a few moments of confused reflection，he realized Tess had left the room．His mind was in a fog．He felt very cold and very ill．Somehow he found himself in the street，walking，although he did not know where．
Mrs Brooks was not usually curious about her guests．She was too interested in the money they paid her，to ask many questions．However，Angel Clare's visit to her wealthy guests，Mr and Mrs d'Urberville，as she knew them，was unusual enough to interest her．She could hear parts of the conversation between the two lost souls，and when Tess went back upstairs，Mrs Brooks crept quietly up to listen outside the bedroom door．She heard Tess sobbing，and through the keyhole could see her half lying over the breakfast table．
‘And then my dear husband came home to me…And it's too late！Because you persuaded me，you with your fine words as you did when you seduced me！You told me he would never come back！But he did！And you helped my family—that's how you persuaded me so cleverly．But when I believed you and came to live with you，he came back！And now I've lost him a second time，and this time for ever！He will hate me now！’She turned her tear－stained face and Mrs Brooks could see how she was suffering．‘And he's dying，he looks as if he's dying！It will be my fault if he dies！You have destroyed my life and his！I can't bear it，I can't！’The man spoke sharply，and after that there was silence．
Mrs Brooks went back downstairs to wait until she was called to take their breakfast away．She could hear Tess moving about，and then saw Tess leave the house，fully