The hot weather of July had crept upon them unawares, and the atmosphere of the flat vale hung heavy as an opiate over the dairy-folk, the cows, and the trees. —
Hot steaming rains fell frequently, making the grass where the cows fed yet more rank, and hindering the late haymaking in the other meads.
It was Sunday morning; the milking was done; the outdoor milkers had gone home. —
Tess and the other three were dressing themselves rapidly, the whole bevy having agreed to go together to Mellstock Church, which lay some three or four miles distant from the dairy-house. —
She had now been two months at Talbothays, and this was her first excursion.
All the preceding afternoon and night heavy thunderstorms had hissed down upon the meads, and washed some of the hay into the river; —
but this morning the sun shone out all the more brilliantly for the deluge, and the air was balmy and clear.
The crooked lane leading from their own parish to Mellstock ran along the lowest levels in a portion of its length, and when the girls reached the most depressed spot they found that the result of the rain had been to flood the lane over-shoe to a distance of some fifty yards. —
This would have been no serious hindrance on a week-day; —
they would have clicked through it in their high pattens and boots quite unconcerned; —
but on this day of vanity, this Sun’s-day, when flesh went forth to coquet with flesh while hypocritically affecting business with spiritual things; —
on this occasion for wearing their white stockings and thin shoes, and their pink, white, and lilac gowns, on which every mud spot would be visible, the pool was an awkward impediment. —
They could hear the church-bell calling - as yet nearly a mile off.
`Who would have expected such a rise in the river in summertime!’ —
said Marian, from the top of the roadside-bank on which they had climbed, and were maintaining a precarious footing in the hope of creeping along its slope till they were past the pool.
`We can’t get there anyhow, without walking right through it, or else going round the Turnpike way; —
and that would make us so very late!’ said Retty, pausing hopelessly.
`And I do colour up so hot, walking into church late, and all the people staring round,’ said Marian,’ that I hardly cool down again till we get into the That-it-may-please-Thees.’
While they stood clinging to the bank they heard a splashing round the bend of the road, and presently appeared Angel Clare, advancing along the lane towards them through the water.
Four hearts gave a big throb simultaneously.
His aspect was probably as un-Sabbatarian a one as a dogmatic parson’s son often presented; —
his attire being his dairy clothes, long wading boots, a cabbage-leaf inside his hat to keep his head cool, with a thistle-spud to finish him off.
`He’s not going to church,’ said Marian.
`No - I wish he was!’ murmured Tess.
Angel, in fact, rightly or wrongly (to adopt the safe phrase of evasive controversialists), preferred sermons in stones to sermons in churches and chapels on fine summer days. —
This morning, moreover, he had gone out to see if the damage to the hay by the flood was considerable or not. —
On his walk he observed the girls from a long distance, though they had been so occupied with their difficulties of passage as not to notice him. —
He knew that the water had risen at that spot, and that it would quite check their progress. —
So he had hastened on, with a dim idea of how he could help them - one of them in particular.
The rosy-cheeked, bright-eyed quartet looked so charming in their light summer attire, clinging to the roadside bank like pigeons on a roof-slope, that he stopped a moment to regard them before coming close. —
Their gauzy skirts had brushed up from the grass innumerable files and butterflies which, unable to escape, remained caged in the transparent tissue as in an aviary. —
Angel’s eye at last fell upon Tess, the hindmost of the four; —
she, being full of suppressed laughter at their dilemma, could not help meeting his glance radiantly.
He came beneath them in the water, which did not rise over his long boots; —
and stood looking at the entrapped flies and butterflies.
`Are you trying to get to church?’ he said to Marian, who was in front, including the next two in his remark, but avoiding Tess.
`Yes, sir; and ‘tis getting late; and my colour do come up so–’
`I’ll carry you through the pool - every Jill of you.’
The whole four flushed as if one heart beat through them.
`I think you can’t, sir,’ said Marian.
`It is the only way for you to get past. Stand still. Nonsense - you are not too heavy! —
I’d carry you all four together. Now, Marian, attend,’ he continued, `and put your arms round my shoulders, so. —
Now! Hold on. That’s well done.’
Marian had lowered herself upon his arm and shoulder as directed, and Angel strode off with her, his slim figure, as viewed from behind, looking like the mere stem to the great nosegay suggested by hers. —
They disappeared round the curve of the road, and only his sousing footsteps and the top ribbon of Marian’s bonnet told where they were. —
In a few minutes he reappeared. Izz Huett was the next in order upon the bank.
`Here he comes,’ she murmured, and they could hear that her lips were dry with emotion. —
`And I have to put my arms round his neck and look into his face as Marian did.’
`There’s nothing in that,’ said Tess quickly.
`There’s a time for everything,’ continued Izz, unheeding. —
`A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; —
the first is now going to be mine.’
`Fie - it is Scripture, Izz!’
Yes,' said Izz,I’ve always a’ ear at church for pretty verses.’ —
Angel Clare, to whom three-quarters of this performance was a commonplace act of kindness, now approached Izz. She quietly and dreamily lowered herself into his arms, and Angel methodically marched off with her. —
When he was heard returning for the third time Retty’s throbbing heart could be almost seen to shake her. —
He went up to the red-haired girl, and while he was seizing her he glanced at Tess. His lips could not have pronounced more plainly, `It will soon be you and J.’ Her comprehension appeared in her face; —
she could not help it. There was an understanding between them.
Poor little Retty, though by far the lightest weight, was the most troublesome of Clare’s burdens. —
Marian had been like a sack of meal, a dead weight of plumpness under which he had literally staggered. —
Izz had ridden sensibly and calmly. Retty was a bunch of hysterics.
However, he got through with the disquieted creature, deposited her, and returned. —
Tess could see over the hedge the distant three in a group, standing as he had placed them on the next rising ground. —
It was now her turn. She was embarrassed to discover that excitement at the proximity of Mr Clare’s breath and eyes, which she had contemned in her companions, was intensified in herself; —
and as if fearful of betraying her secret she pattered with him at the last moment.
I may be able to clim' along the bank perhaps - I can clim' better than they. ---
<span><tang1>也许我可以沿着河岸爬——我可以比她们爬得更好。 —
You must be so tired, Mr Clare!’
No, no, Tess,' said he quickly. And almost before she was aware she was seated in his arms and resting against his shoulder.
<span><tang1>不，不，特丝，’他迅速地说。几乎在她意识到之前，她已经坐在他的臂弯中并倚在他的肩膀上。
Three Leahs to get one Rachel,' he whispered.
<span><tang1>要得到一个拉切尔需要三个利亚，’他轻声说。
They are better women than I,' she replied, magnanimously sticking to her resolve.
<span><tang1>她们比我更好，’她宽宏地坚持说。
Not to me,' said Angel.
<span><tang1>至少在我眼里不是，’安吉尔说。
He saw her grow warm at this; and they went some steps in silence.
I hope I am not too heavy?' she said timidly.O no. You should lift Marian! Such a lump. —
我希望我不会太重？'她小心地说。不，不。你应该抱着玛丽安！像一个沐浴在阳光下的起伏波涛。 —
You are like an undulating billow warmed by the sun. —
And all this fluff of muslin about you is the froth.’
It is very pretty - if I seem like that to you.'
<span><tang1>如果在你眼里我看起来很漂亮的话，那太好了。’
Do you know that I have undergone three-quarters of this labour entirely for the sake of the fourth quarter?'
<span><tang1>你知道吗，我这四分之三的努力完全是为了最后的四分之一？’
No.'
<span><tang1>不知道。’
I did not expect such an event to-day.'
<span><tang1>我没料到今天会发生这样的事情。’
Nor I... The water came up so sudden.'
<span><tang1>我也没有…水涨得如此之快。’
That the rise in the water was what she understood him to refer to, the state of her breathing belied. —
Clare stood still and inclined his face towards hers.
O Tessy!' he exclaimed.
<span><tang1>苔丝啊！’他叫道。
The girl’s cheeks burned to the breeze, and she could not look into his eyes for her emotion. —
It reminded Angel that he was somewhat unfairly taking advantage of an accidental position; —
and he went no further with it. No definite words of love had crossed their lips as yet, and suspension at this point was desirable now. —
However, he walked slowly, to make the remainder of the distance as long as possible; —
but at last they came to the bend, and the rest of their progress was in full view of the other three. —
The dry land was reached, and he set her down.
Her friends were looking with round thoughtful eyes at her and him, and she could see that they had been talking of her. —
He hastily bade them farewell, and splashed back along the stretch of submerged road.
The four moved on together as before, till Marian broke the silence by saying–
No - in all truth; we have no chance against her!' She looked joylessly at Tess.
<span><tang1>不 - 说实话；我们根本没机会对抗她！’ 她无欢乐地看着苔丝。
What do you mean?' asked the latter.
<span><tang1>你是什么意思？’ 后者问道。
He likes 'ee best - the very best! We could see it as he brought 'ee. ---
<span><tang1>他喜欢你最 - 最最！我们看得出他带你时。 —
He would have kissed ‘ee, if you had encouraged him to do it, ever so little.’
No, no,' said she.
<span><tang1>不，不，’ 她说道。
The gaiety with which they had set out had somehow vanished; —
and yet there was no enmity or malice between them. They were generous young souls; —
they had been reared in the lonely country nooks where fatalism is a strong sentiment, and they did not blame her. —
Such supplanting was to be.
Tess’s heart ached. There was no concealing from herself the fact that she loved Angel Clare, perhaps all the more passionately from knowing that the others had also lost their hearts to him. —
There is contagion in this sentiment, especially among women. —
And yet that same hungry heart of hers compassionated her friends. —
Tess’s honest nature had fought against this, but too feebly, and the natural result had followed.
`I will never stand in your way, nor in the way of either of you!’ —
she declared to Retty that night in the bedroom (her tears running down). —
I can't help this, my dear! I don't think marrying is in his mind at all; ---
<span><tang1>亲爱的，我无法控制这个!我认为他根本没有结婚的打算； —
but if he were even to ask me I should refuse him, as I should refuse any man.’
Oh! would you? Why?' said wondering Retty.
<span><tang1>哦！你会吗？为什么呢？’奇怪的Retty问道。
It cannot be! But I will be plain. Putting myself quite on one side, I don't think he will choose either of you.'
<span><tang1>不可能！但我会直说。除了考虑自己之外，我不认为他会选中你们两个中的任何一个。’
I have never expected it - thought of it!'moaned Retty.But O! I wish I was dead!’
我从来没指望过 - 想过！' Retty哀叹道。但是哦！我真希望我死了！’
The poor child, torn by a feeling which she hardly understood, turned to the other two girls who came upstairs just then.
We be friends with her again,' she said to them. ---
<span><tang1>我们再次和她做朋友，’她对她们说。 —
She thinks no more of his choosing her than we do.'
<span><tang1>她对自己被选择没有想像中那么在意，就像我们一样。’
So the reserve went off, and they were confiding and warm.
I don't seem to care what I do now,' said Marian, whose mood was tuned to its lowest bass. ---
<span><tang1>我现在似乎无所谓该怎么做了，’玛丽安说，她的心情调到了最低的音调。 —
I was going to marry a dairyman at Stickleford, who's asked me twice; ---
<span><tang1>我本来要嫁给Stickleford的一个奶农，他已经两次向我求婚； —
but - my soul - I would put an end to myself rather’n be his wife now! —
Why don’t ye speak, Izz?’
To confess, then,' murmured Izz,I made sure to-day that he was going to kiss me as he held me; —
and I lay still against his breast, hoping and hoping, and never moved at all. But he did not. —
I don’t like biding here at Talbotbays any longer! —
I shall go hwome.’
The air of the sleeping-chamber seemed to palpitate with the hopeless passion of the girls. —
They writhed feverishly under the oppressiveness of an emotion thrust on them by cruel Nature’s law - an emotion which they had neither expected nor desired. —
The incident of the day had fanned the flame that was burning the inside of their hearts out, and the torture was almost more than they could endure. —
The differences which distinguished them as individuals were abstracted by this passion, and each was but portion of one organism called sex. —
There was so much frankness and so little jealousy because there was no hope. —
Each one was a girl of fair common sense, and she did not delude herself with any vain conceits, or deny her love, or give herself airs, in the idea of outshining the others. —
The full recognition of the futility of their infatuation, from a social point of view; —
its purposeless beginning; its self-bounded outlook; —
its lack of everything to justify its existence in the eye of civilization (while lacking nothing in the eye of Nature); —
the one fact that it did exist, ecstasizing them to a killing joy; —
all this imparted to them a resignation, a dignity, which a practical and sordid expectation of winning him as a husband would have destroyed.
They tossed and turned on their little beds, and the cheese-wring dripped monotonously downstairs.
`B’ you awake, Tess?’ whispered one, half-an-hour later.
It was Izz Huett’s voice.
Tess replied in the affirmative, whereupon also Retty and Marian suddenly flung the bedclothes off them, and sighed–
`So be we!’
`I wonder what she is like - the lady they say his family have looked out for him!’
`I wonder,’ said Izz.
Some lady looked out for him?' gasped Tess, starting.I have never heard o’ that!’
`O yes–‘tis whispered; a young lady of his own rank, chosen by his family; —
a Doctor of Divinity’s daughter near his father’s parish of Emminster; —
he don’t much care for her, they say. But he is sure to marry her.’
They had heard so very little of this; yet it was enough to build up wretched dolorous dreams upon, there in the shade of the night. —
They pictured all the details of his being won round to consent, of the wedding preparations, of the bride’s happiness, of her dress and veil, of her blissful home with him, when oblivion would have fallen upon themselves as far as he and their love were concerned. —
Thus they talked, and ached, and wept till sleep charmed their sorrow away.
After this disclosure Tess nourished no further foolish thought that there lurked any grave and deliberate import in Clare’s attentions to her. —
It was a passing summer love of her face, for love’s own temporary sake - nothing more. —
And the thorny crown of this sad conception was that she whom he really did prefer in a cursory way to the rest, she who knew herself to be more impassioned in nature, cleverer, more beautiful than they, was in the eyes of propriety far less worthy of him than the homelier ones whom he ignored.
