# ■ 3

Life now became rather difficult for the Durbeyfields．Without Prince to carry loads，John Durbeyfield could not buy and sell as he used to．He had never worked hard or regularly，and now he only occasionally felt like working．Tess wondered how she could help her parents．One day her mother made a suggestion．

‘It's lucky we've found out about your noble blood，Tess．Do you know there's a very rich lady called Mrs d’Urberville living on the other side of the wood？ She must be our relation．You must go to her and claim relationship with her，and ask for same help in our trouble．’

‘I wouldn't like to do that，’said Tess．‘If there is such a lady，it would be enough to be friendly．We can't expect help from her．’

‘You could persuade anybody，my dear．Besides，something else might happen．You never know．’And her mother nodded wisely．

‘I'd rather try to get work，’said Tess sadly．

‘What do you say，Durbeyfield？’said his wife，turning to him．

‘I don't like my children asking for help，’said he proudly．‘I'm the head of the oldest branch of the family and a noble family like ours shouldn't have to ask for help．’Tess could not accept his reasons for not going．

‘Well，as I killed the horse，mother，I suppose I ought to go．But don't start thinking about her finding a husband for me．

‘Who said I had such an idea？’asked Joan innocently．

‘I know you，mother．But I'll go．’

Next morning Tess walked to Shaston，a town she hardly knew，and went on by waggon to Trantridge．The Vale of Blackmoor was her only world， and she had never been far outside the valley．All the knowledge she had came from her lessons in the village school，which she had left a year or two earlier．As soon as she left school she had tried to earn a little money by helping in the fields or milking cows or making butter．She blamed her mother for thoughtlessly producing so many children．Joan Durbeyfield was like a child herself， and never thought about the future．It was Tess who worried and worked and felt responsible for her little brothers and sisters．So naturally it was Tess who should represent her family at the d’Urberville home．

From Trantridge she walked up a hill，and turning a corner，saw the house．She stoppd in amazement．It was large and almost new， a rich red against the green of the bushes around it．Behind it lay the woods called The Chase， an ancient forest．There were greenhouses and well-kept gardens．There was no lack of money here． Tess hesitated， almost frightened．

‘I thought we were an old family！’she said to herself，‘but this is all new！’She wished she had not come．

She was right in a way．All this was owned by the d’Urbervilles，or the Stoke-d’Urbervilles as they called themselves at first．The Stokes were a northern business family who took an old-sounding name to add to their own when they moved into the south．So Tess was more of a d’Urberville than any of them， but did not know it．

A young man appeared in the garden． He looked about twenty-four， and was tall and dark， with full red lips and a black moustache curled at the ends．

‘Well，my beauty，what can I do for you？’he said， looking interestedly at her．‘I'm Mr d’Urberville．’

It needed all Tess's courage to reply．‘I came to see your mother，sir．’

‘I'm afraid you can't see her． She's ill．What do you want to see her about？’

‘I…I…it seems so foolish！’

‘Never mind，’said he kindly．‘I like foolish things．Try again，my dear．’

‘I came，sir，to tell you we are of the same family as you．’

‘Aha！Poor relations？’

‘Yes．’

‘Stokes？’

‘No，d’Urbervilles．’

‘Oh yes，of course，I mean d’Urbervilles．’

‘We have several proofs that we are d’Urbervilles．We have an old silver spoon and a seal at home．But mother uses the spoon to stir the soup．Mother said we ought to tell you，as we are the oldest branch of the family and we've lost our horse in an accident．’

‘Very kind of your mother，’said Alec d’Urberville，‘and I certainly don't regret it．’He looked admiringly at Tess，whose face blushed a deep pink．‘And so you've come on a friendly visit？’

‘I suppose I have，’murmured Tess， looking uncomfortable．

‘Let us walk round the gardens until you have to go home，my pretty cousin．’Tess wanted to leave as soon as possible，but the young man insisted．He took her to the greenhouses．

‘Do you like strawberries？’he asked．

‘Yes，’said Tess，‘when they are ready．’

‘These are ready now，’and so saying，d’Urberville picked one and held it to her mouth．

‘No no！’she said．‘I'd rather take it myself．’

But Alec put it into her mouth．He put roses into her hair and filled her basket with strawberries and flowers． He gave her food to eat，and watched her，while he quietly smoked a cigarette． She looked more adult and womanly than she really was．Alec could not take his eyes off her．She did not know as she smiled innocently at the flowers that behind the cigarette smoke was the cause of future sorrow in her life．

‘What is your name？’asked Alec．

‘Tess Durbeyfield．We live at Marlott．’

‘I must see if my mother can find a place for you．’They said goodbye and she set off home carrying her strawberries and flowers．

This then was the beginning． Why did she have to meet the wrong man， and one who was so strongly attracted to her？Yet to the right man， she was only a half-forgotten impression from an evening's dancing in a country field．In life， the right man to love hardly ever comes at the right time for loving．Nature does not often answer a call for love， until the caller is tired of calling．In this case，as in millions，it was not the two halves of a perfect whole who met．A missing half wandered somewhere else，arriving much later．This delay was to have tragic results．

■ 3

德北一家的生活陷入了困境。沒有“王子”運貨，約翰·德北就不能像過去那樣做買賣了。他從來沒有堅持賣力地幹過活兒，現在也就偶爾才會想找點活兒幹。苔絲琢磨著怎樣才能幫上父母的忙。一天，她母親提出了一個建議。

“苔絲，得知你有高貴的血統是件幸運的事。你知道在林子那頭兒有位非常有錢的德伯太太嗎？她準是我們的親戚。你應當上她那兒去，說明和她的親戚關係。就說我們處境困難，請求她幫幫忙。”

“我不願做這種事，”苔絲說，“如果真有這麼一位太太，只要她對我們友善，就足夠了。我們不能指望從她那兒得到幫助。”

“你能打動任何人，親愛的。而且，也許會有別的什麼你意想不到的事兒發生呢。”她母親自作聰明地點著頭。

“我寧願去找工作。”苔絲傷心地說。

“你認為怎樣，德北？”妻子轉向丈夫，問道。

“我不願意我的孩子去求別人幫助。”他驕傲地說，“我是這個家族裡最古老的一房的家長，像我們這樣高貴的家庭是不應該求助於人的。”他的這些不讓去的理由讓苔絲無法接受。

“好吧，媽，是我害死了馬，我想我該去一趟。不過別指望她會替我找個丈夫。”

“誰說我這麼想啦？”瓊顯得很無辜地問道。

“我知道你怎麼想，媽。不過，我會去的。”

第二天早晨，苔絲步行到夏斯頓，一個她很陌生的城鎮，然後搭上一輛馬車前往純瑞脊。黑荒野山谷是苔絲生活的整個世界，她從來沒有遠離過那個山谷。她一兩年前離開了村裡的學校，她所有的知識就是從那兒的課上學來的。一離開學校，她就在地裡幫著幹活，擠牛奶或是做黃油，靠這些來掙點小錢。她責怪母親不加考慮地生了那麼多孩子。而瓊·德北自己還像個孩子似的，從不為將來打算。倒是苔絲又操心又幹活，覺得對弟弟妹妹們負有責任。因此，很自然地，她就要作為家庭代表前往德伯家。

到了純瑞脊，苔絲爬上了一個小山坡，拐過一個彎後，就看到了一座房子。她詫異地停住了腳步。這是一座很大而且幾乎全新的豔紅色房子，被綠色灌木圍繞著。在它後面是一片叫做逐獵林的樹林，這是一片原始森林。還有溫室花房和保養得很好的花園。這裡是不會缺錢的。苔絲躊躇著，幾乎有些驚恐不安了。

“我還以為我們是古老的家族呢，”她自言自語道，“但這兒都是全新的！”她真希望她沒來。

在某些方面她是想對了。這一切都歸德伯，或如他們最初稱呼自己的那樣，歸斯托克—德伯家所有。斯托克是北部一個經商的家庭，當他們遷居到南方時，就給自己加了一個聽起來古老高貴的姓氏。因此，比起他們中的任何人來，苔絲都更有資格是德伯家族的一員，但對此她一無所知。

一個年輕人從花園裡走了出來。他看起來有二十四歲左右，高大，黝黑，嘴脣肥厚紅潤，留著打卷的脣髭。

“喂，我的美人兒，我能為你效勞嗎？”他說道，一邊頗有興趣地看著她。“我是德伯先生。”

苔絲鼓足了所有的勇氣，回答道：“我是來看望你母親的，先生。”

“恐怕你不能見她，她病了。你見她有什麼事兒嗎？”

“我……我……這事顯得太傻了！”

“不要緊，”他溫和地說，“我就愛聽傻事兒。說吧，親愛的。”

“我來這兒是想告訴你們，我們是同族的親戚，先生。”

“啊，窮親戚吧？”

“是的。”

“斯托克家的人嗎？”

“不是，是德伯家的。”

“哦，對，當然，我指的是德伯家。”

“我們有根據說自己是德伯家的人。我們家有個舊銀匙，還有個印章。但我母親用那個銀匙攪湯。母親說我們應該來告訴你們，因為我們是這個家族最古老的一房。還有，在一次事故中，我們連馬都失去了。”

“你母親可真是一片好意。”亞歷克·德伯說，“我當然不會為此感到遺憾。”他傾慕地盯著她，這使苔絲的臉變得緋紅。“那麼你是來做一次友好訪問的嘍？”

“我想是的。”苔絲低聲說，顯得有些侷促不安。

“在你必須回家之前，讓我們在花園裡轉轉吧，我的漂亮表妹！”雖然苔絲想盡快離開，但這年輕人堅持不讓。他帶她來到溫室。

“你喜歡吃草莓嗎？”他問。

“是的！”苔絲說，“等它們熟透了的時候。”

“它們已經熟透了。”說著，德伯就摘了一個，準備塞到苔絲嘴裡。

“哦，不！”她說，“我寧願自己來。”

但是亞歷克還是把草莓放進了她嘴裡。他還採了玫瑰別在她頭上，並在她的籃子裡裝滿了草莓和鮮花。他拿東西給她，自己就靜靜地抽著雪茄看她吃。苔絲看起來比實際上的她更成熟也更具有女人味兒。亞歷克無法將視線從她身上移開。她不會想到，就在她天真無邪地對著那些鮮花微笑時，坐在雪茄煙霧後面的，正是會給她未來生活帶來痛苦的冤家對頭。

“你叫什麼名字？”亞歷克問道。

“苔絲·德北。我家在馬勒特村。”

“我一定留意看看我母親是否能給你找份工作。”他們告別之後，苔絲帶著一籃子草莓和鮮花回去了。

事情就這樣開了頭。為什麼她一定要遇上這個不合適卻如此垂涎於她的男人？而她留給那個適合於她的男人的，只不過是一個來自鄉間黃昏舞會的已經模糊了的印象。在生活中，適合於愛的男人很少在適合於愛的時間出現。上天總是無視人們對愛的呼喚，直至人們呼喚得精疲力竭。這只不過是無數個陰差陽錯的故事中的一個。兩個無法完美結合的一半相遇了，而丟失的另一半還在別處徘徊，姍姍來遲。這樣的延誤即將導致悲劇的結局。