# ■ 4

When Tess arrived home the following afternoon a letter had already been received by her mother．It appeared to come from Mrs d’Urberville，and offered Tess work looking after chickens． Joan Durbeyfield was delighted．

‘It's just a way of getting you there without raising your hopes．She's going to recognize you as family，I'm sure of it．’

‘I would rather stay here with father and you，’said Tess，looking out of the window．

‘But why？’

‘I'd rather not tell you， mother．I don't really know．’

A few days later when Tess came back from looking for work， the children came running out and danced round her．

‘The gentleman's been here！’they shouted．

Joan was full of smiles． Mrs d’Urberville's son had called，and asked if Tess could come or not．

‘He's a very handsome man！’said Mrs Durbeyfield．

‘I don't think so，’said Tess coldly．‘I'll think it over．’She left the room．

‘He's in love with her， you can see that，’said Mrs Durbeyfield to her husband．‘No doubt he'll marry her and she'll be a fine lady．’

John Durbeyfield had more pride in his new-found blood than energy or health．‘That's what young Mr d’Urberville is trying to do！Improve his blood by marrying into the old line！’

Persuaded by her mother and the children，Tess finally agreed to go．Mrs Durbeyfield secretly made wedding plans．Then the day came when Tess， wearing her best Sunday clothes on her mother's orders，said goodbye to her family．

‘Goodbye，my girl，’said Sir John，waking from a short sleep．‘Tell young d’Urberville I'll sell him the title，yes，sell it，at a reasonable price．’

‘Not for less than a thousand pounds！’cried Lady Durbeyfield．

‘No，tell him he can have it for a hundred！No，fifty， no—twenty！Yes，twenty pounds，that's the lowest．Family honour is family honour and I won't take any less！’

Tess felt like crying but turned quickly and went out．Her mother went with her to the edge of the village．There she stopped and stood waving goodbye，and watched her daughter walking away into the distance． A waggon came to take her bags，and then a fashionable little carriage appeared．It was driven by a well-dressed young man smoking a cigar．After a moment's hesitation，Tess stepped in．

Joan Durbeyfield，watching，wondered for the first time if she had been right in encouraging Tess to go． That night she said to her husband，‘Perhaps I should have found out how the gentleman really feels about her．’

‘Yes，perhaps you ought，’murmured John，half asleep．Joan's natural trust in the future came back to her．

‘Well，if he doesn't marry her before，he'll marry her after．If she plays her cards right．’

‘If he knows about her d’Urberville blood，you mean？’

‘No，stupid，if she shows him her pretty face．’

Meanwhile Alec d’Urberville was whipping his horse and driving the carriage faster and faster downhill．The trees rushed past at great speed．Tess was feeling thoroughly frightened．He took no notice when she asked him to slow down．She cried out and held on to his arm in fear．

‘Don't touch my arm， hold on to my waist！’he shouted． At the top of another hill he said，laughing，‘Put your arms around me again， my beauty！’

‘Never！’said Tess independently．

‘Let me give you one little kiss， Tess， and I'll stop！’

‘Will nothing else do？’cried Tess in despair．‘Oh， very well！’

As they raced on，he was on the point of kissing her，when she suddenly moved aside，so that he almost fell off．

‘I'll break both our necks！’he swore passionately．

‘I thought you would be kind to me，’said Tess，her eyes filling with tears．‘I don't want to kiss anybody！’

But he insisted，so in the end she sat still and d’Urberville kissed her．No sooner had he done so than she wiped the place on her cheek with her handkerchief．Just then her hat blew off into the road and d’Urberville stopped the horse．Tess jumped down to get it，then turned triumphantly to Alec．

‘I shall walk from here，’she said firmly．

‘But it's five or six miles more．’

‘I don't care．’

‘You made that hat blow off on purpose！You did，didn't you？’

She was silent．He swore angrily at her．

‘Don't use such bad words！’cried Tess．‘I shall go back to mother！I hate you！’

D’Urberville suddenly started laughing．

‘Look，I promise never to do that again，’he said．‘Come，let me take you in the carriage．’

But she refused， and began to walk in the direction of Trantridge．So they progressed slowly，d’Urberville driving the carriage beside Tess．

■ 4

第二天下午，沒等苔絲回到家，她母親就先收到了一封信。信像是德伯夫人寫來的，她給苔絲提供了一份養雞的差事。瓊·德北非常高興。

“這是讓你去他們那裡，同時不要抱太大希望。我相信她一定會把你當做一家人看待的。”

“我寧願留在家裡跟你和爸爸在一起。”苔絲看著窗外說。

“那又為什麼？”

“還是別對你說的好，媽媽，我也不太清楚。”

幾天過後，當苔絲外出找工作回來時，孩子們都跑了出來，圍著她手舞足蹈。

“有位先生來過這兒！”他們嚷嚷道。

瓊笑意盎然。德伯夫人的兒子來拜訪過，他問苔絲還能否去他那兒。

“他很英俊！”德北夫人說。

“我可不覺得。”苔絲冷漠地說，“我會仔細考慮的。”說完，她離開了房間。

“看得出來，他愛上她了。”德北夫人對她丈夫說，“毫無疑問，他會跟她結婚的，她就快是一個貴婦人啦。”

與體力或健康相比，約翰·德北更為他那新發現的血統感到自豪。“跟古老的家族聯姻，使自己的血統變得更高貴，這就是年輕的德伯先生想要做的事！”

經過母親和孩子們的勸說，苔絲終於決定去了。德北夫人則暗自籌劃著婚禮。到了要走的那天，苔絲依照母親的吩咐穿上了最好的節日禮服，跟家人告別了。

“再見，我的孩子。”約翰爵士說道，他剛剛睡了一小覺。“告訴年輕的德伯，我願意把爵士頭銜賣給他。對，賣給他，如果價錢合理的話。”

“少於一千英鎊就不賣！”德北夫人喊道。

“不，告訴他一百也行！不，五十，不，二十！對，二十英鎊是最低價了。家族榮譽到底是家族榮譽，再少我就不幹了！”

苔絲直覺得想哭，但她還是迅速轉身走了。她母親陪她走到了村頭。在那兒停住，揮手道別後，母親就看著女兒漸漸走遠了。一輛貨車駛過來，裝上了苔絲的行李，然後又有一輛時髦的小馬車出現在她面前。駕車的是一個抽著雪茄、穿著講究的年輕人。苔絲猶豫了一下，然後上了車。

瓊·德北瞪大了眼睛，頭一次懷疑起她鼓勵苔絲去到底正確與否。那天晚上，她對丈夫說：“也許我應該先弄清楚那位先生對她的真實感情才對。”

“是的，也許你該這樣。”約翰嘀咕著，半睡半醒。瓊那對未來充滿信心的天性又恢復了。

“嗯，就算他早不娶她，他晚也會娶她。要是苔絲有點兒心計的話。”

“你是說如果他知道了她的德伯家血統？”

“不，傻瓜，如果她向他展示她的漂亮臉蛋兒。”

就在這時，亞歷克·德伯正鞭打著馬，駕馭著他的馬車以越來越快的速度下山。樹木在飛快地倒退著。苔絲覺得自己簡直要被嚇蒙了。她請求他放慢速度，他根本不予理睬。苔絲尖叫著，恐懼中她抓住了他的手臂。

“別碰我的手臂，抱著我的腰！”他叫道。又到了另一座山頭，他笑著說道：“伸出你的手抱著我吧，我的美人兒！”

“決不！”苔絲的語氣表明她不願再求助於他。

“苔絲，讓我輕輕地吻你一下，我就停下來！”

“非這樣做不可嗎？”苔絲絕望地哭了。“哦，那好吧！”

馬車還在急駛著。當他正準備吻她時，苔絲突然躲開了，以至於他幾乎摔了下來。

“我會讓我們倆的脖子一起摔斷的！”他暴躁地咒罵道。

“我原以為你不會欺侮我的。”苔絲說，她的眼眶盈滿了淚水。“我不想親任何人！”

但是他堅持要這樣。因此，最後她只好坐著不動，讓德伯吻了她一下，但她立即就用手帕擦拭臉上被吻過的地方。就在這時，她的帽子被風吹到了地上。德伯停住了車，苔絲跳下車撿起了帽子，然後帶著勝利的神情轉向亞歷克。

“我從這兒走著去。”苔絲說得很堅決。

“但還有五六英里路呢！”

“我不在乎。”

“你是故意讓帽子被風吹掉的！肯定是這樣的，對嗎？”

她沒做聲，他怒氣衝衝地對她破口大罵開了。

“請不要說這麼髒的話！”苔絲叫道，“我要回到媽媽那兒去，我恨你！”

德伯突然間大笑起來。

“好了，我保證再也不這樣了。”他說，“上來吧，讓我用車載你去。”

但她拒絕了，並朝純瑞脊方向走去。因此，德伯只好駕著車跟在她身旁。兩個人就這樣緩緩前行著。