# ■ 5

The chickens for which Tess was responsible lived in an old cottage on Mrs d’Urberville's land．On her first day Tess had to take some of the chickens to show to their owner．She immediately realized the old lady was blind．Mrs d’Urberville held each bird and felt it carefully to see that it was in good health．At the end she suddenly asked Tess a question．

‘Can you whistle？’

‘Whistle，Ma’am？’

‘Yes，whistle tunes．I want you to practise and whistle to my birds every day．’

‘Yes，Ma’am．’

Tess was not surprised at Mrs d’Urberville's cold manner，and did not expect any more of such a great lady．However，she did not realize that the old lady had never even heard about the family connection．

Tess began to enjoy her new work with the chickens，and the next day in the cottage garden she decided to practise whistling as instructed．She was shocked to find that she had completely forgotten how to whistle．Suddenly she noticed a movement behind a tree near the wall．It was Alec d’Urberville．

‘Well，cousin Tess，’he said，‘I've never seen such a beautiful thing as you！I've been watching you from over the wall．Look，I can give you a lesson or two．’

‘Oh no you won't！’cried Tess，going back towards the door．

‘Don't worry，I won't touch you．Just look…’and he showed her how to whistle．From that moment Tess found she could whistle tunes to the birds just as Mrs d’Urberville wanted．And as the weeks passed， she often met d’Urberville in the garden and began to lose her shyness of him．

Every Saturday night the other farm workers from the surrounding area used to go to drink and dance in the market town two or three miles away． On Sundays they would sleep late．For a long time Tess did not go with them．But after a while she wanted a change from her routine and began to go on the weekly trips regularly．She always came home with the others at night， preferring the protection of being in a group．One Saturday night she was in the town looking for her companions as it was time to go home，when she met Alec d’Urberville．

‘What，my beauty？Here so late？’he said，smiling at her．

‘I'm just waiting for my friends，’she answered．

‘I'll see you again，’he said as she moved away．

She became worried when she realized the workers were still dancing wildly and would not be going home soon．Again she caught sight of Alec，waiting in a doorway，his cigar glowing red in the dark．Eventually she joined a group wandering home．They had all been drinking，but she felt safer with them than alone．But after a while she became involved in a quarrel with them，and was trying to get away from the angry group，when Alec d’Urberville rode by．He offered to take her home on the back of his horse．She hesitatedt，then accepted．

Together they rode along in the dark，Tess holding on to Alec．She was very tired：every day that week she had got up at five．So she did not notice that they were riding off the main road and into The Chase，the oldest wood in England．It began to get foggy，and finally Alec admitted honestly that he was lost．

‘Put me down here，sir，’cried Tess at once．‘Let me walk home from here．How wrong of you to bring me away from the main road！I knew I shouldn't trust you！’

‘Don't worry，my beauty，’laughed Alec．‘I thought you would enjoy a longer ride on such a lovely night．But I can't let you go．The fog is so bad now that you couldn't possibly find your way．I'll leave you here and go to find out where we are．When I come back，I'll tell you，and you can come with me on horseback or go alone on foot—just as you like．’

She agreed to this．‘Shall I hold the horse？’she asked．

‘No，he'll stay quiet，’answered Alec．‘By the way， your father has a new horse today．And the children have some new toys．’

‘Was it…was it you who gave them？Oh，how good of you！’murmured Tess with a heavy heart．‘I almost wish you hadn't！’

‘Tessy，don't you love me just a little now？’

‘I'm grateful，’she admitted，‘but I'm afraid I don't…’and slowly she started to cry．

‘Now don't cry，my dear．Sit here and wait for me．’He made a bed for the tired girl among the dead leaves， and covered her with his coat．He set off into the fog to find out where he was，and came back to find Tess fast asleep． He saw her in her white dress among the leaves， a pale，shining figure in the dark．He bent down and touched her cheek with his．Everywhere there was darkness and silence．The birds and animals slept，safe in and under the trees．But who was looking after Tess？Who was protecting her innocence？

‘Tess！’said d’Urberville，and lay down beside her．The girl was not strong enough to resist him．

Why was Tess's girlish purity lost？Why does the wrong man take the wrong woman？Why do the bad so often ruin the good？ Why is beauty damaged by ugliness？Thousands of years of philosophy cannot give us the answers to these questions．These things happen， and have always happened． Perhaps in the past，rolling home after a battle，Tess's ancestors，the real d’Urbervilles，had done the same，even more cruelly，to young country girls．But we cannot accept that that is Tess's fault，and should happen to her．As the people of her village say，‘It was to be．’And from now on，Tess's life was to be completely different．

■ 5

苔絲要養的雞關在德伯夫人莊園的一間舊茅舍裡。第一天她就要帶著幾隻雞去見它們的主人。她馬上就意識到這個老婦人已經雙目失明。德伯夫人一隻只地抱過她的雞，仔細地撫摩著，以便確認它們全都很好。之後，她突然向苔絲問道：

“你會吹口哨嗎？”

“吹口哨，夫人？”

“對，吹點兒曲調。我要你練習每天給我的雞兒們吹口哨。”

“是，夫人。”

苔絲對德伯夫人的冷漠並不感到驚訝，她本來就沒對這樣一位貴婦人抱更多的期望。然而她並不瞭解，這個老婦人根本就沒聽人說起過她們的親戚關係。

苔絲開始喜歡上了這份養雞的差事。第二天，在雞舍的院子裡，她決定奉命練習吹口哨，但她震驚地發現她把怎麼吹口哨全給忘光了。突然，她發覺圍牆附近一棵樹後有響動，是亞歷克·德伯在那兒。

“喂，苔絲表妹，”他說，“我從來沒見過像你這麼漂亮的姑娘！我一直在牆這邊觀察你。瞧，我可以教你一兩下。”

“哦，不，你不能這樣。”苔絲叫道，轉身朝房門走去。

“別擔心，我不會碰你的。看著……”他開始給她示範如何吹口哨。從那以後，苔絲髮現自己可以按照德伯夫人的心意對著那些雞兒吹調子了。幾個星期來，她經常在花園裡遇見德伯，漸漸地在他面前也就不再感到害羞了。

每個星期六晚上，附近地區的農民們都會到兩三英里以外的鎮上喝酒、跳舞，然後在星期天睡個懶覺。很長一段時間，苔絲都沒有跟他們去。但過了一陣子，苔絲想改變一下原來一成不變的生活，就開始有規律地去參加這一週一次的活動。夜裡她總是和大夥兒結伴回來，在一群人當中，她可以尋得保護。一個週六的晚上，她正在鎮上尋找同伴兒，因為到該回去的時候了。這時，她遇上了亞歷克·德伯。

“怎麼了，我的美人兒？這麼晚了還在這兒？”他笑著對她說。

“我只不過在等我的朋友們。”她回答道。

“我會再找你的，”當她走開時他說道。

她看到那些人還在瘋狂地跳著舞，不像就要回去的樣子，於是變得焦急起來。她又一次看到了亞歷克，他正等在門口，雪茄煙在黑暗中閃爍著紅光。最後她還是跟著一群人逛著回去，他們全都喝了酒，但是她覺得這樣也比孤身一人安全些。但是過了一會兒，她捲入了一場爭吵中，正極力想從憤怒的人群中脫開身時，亞歷克騎著馬過來了。他叫她坐在他的馬背上，要帶她回去。她猶豫了一下，同意了。

他們在黑暗中往前騎著，苔絲扶著亞歷克。她太累了，那個星期她每天都5點鐘起床。因此，她沒有注意到他們已經偏離了大道，進入逐獵林，那片英格蘭最古老的森林。空氣中開始瀰漫著霧靄。終於，亞歷克老實地承認他迷路了。

“放我下馬吧，先生。”苔絲立即哭叫道，“讓我從這兒走回去！你不該把我從大道帶到這兒來，這太過分了！我早知道不該相信你的！”

“彆著急，我的美人兒，”亞歷克笑著說，“我以為你會喜歡在這樣美麗的夜晚多騎一會兒的。但我不能讓你走。現在霧這麼大，你是根本找不著路的。我把你放在這兒等著，我去看看我們現在到了哪兒。我回來以後就告訴你。那時，你可以跟我騎馬回去，也可以一個人走回去——隨你的便。”

這麼一說她便同意了。“我需要牽著馬嗎？”她問。

“不，它會乖乖地待著的，”亞歷克回答道，“順便告訴你，你父親今天有匹新馬了，孩子們也得到了一些新玩具。”

“是……是你送給他們的嗎？哦，真得謝謝你的一片好心！”苔絲心情沉重地嘀咕著，“我真有點兒希望你沒這麼做！”

“苔絲，現在你會愛我一點了吧？”

“我很感激你，”她承認道，“但是，恐怕我並不——”她開始哭了起來。

“別哭，我的寶貝兒。現在你就坐在這兒，等我回來吧！”他用枯葉給這疲倦的女孩兒鋪了張床，還給她披上了自己的衣服。然後他離開了她，走入大霧中，試圖辨別他所在的地方。回來時他發現苔絲早已熟睡。他看到了在一堆樹葉中穿著白色衣裙的她，黑暗中一個柔弱、美麗的身影。他俯下身來，用自己的臉頰貼著她的。這兒到處都那麼漆黑、靜謐。鳥獸們都安全地在樹上或樹下睡著了。但是有誰會來照料苔絲？又有誰會來保護她的貞節呢？

“苔絲！”德伯喚道，並在她身邊躺了下來。這個柔弱的女子是無力抵擋他的。

為什麼苔絲會失去少女的貞操？為什麼不合適的男人要與不合適的女人結合？為什麼壞人總是毀滅好人？為什麼美麗總被邪惡踐踏？數千年來的哲理無法給予我們這些問題的答案。這些事情發生著，總在發生著。也許過去，苔絲的祖先們，那些真正的德伯家的人，在經歷了一場戰鬥返回時，曾對鄉村的姑娘們做過同樣的事，甚至更殘酷的事。但我們不能認為這是苔絲的過錯，應由她來償還。也許就像她村子裡的人們說的那樣：“這一切都是命中註定的。”從這以後，苔絲的生活就截然不同了。