Tess of the dUrbervilles - Page 249/283

"But we have already taken the rooms at Kingsbere!" she declared.

"And we can wait there--"

"Wait--what for? For that nice husband, no doubt. Now look here,

Tess, I know what men are, and, bearing in mind the grounds of

your separation, I am quite positive he will never make it up with

you. Now, though I have been your enemy, I am your friend, even

if you won't believe it. Come to this cottage of mine. We'll get

up a regular colony of fowls, and your mother can attend to them

excellently; and the children can go to school."

Tess breathed more and more quickly, and at length she said-

"How do I know that you would do all this? Your views may

change--and then--we should be--my mother would be--homeless

again."

"O no--no. I would guarantee you against such as that in writing, if

necessary. Think it over." Tess shook her head. But d'Urberville persisted; she had seldom seen

him so determined; he would not take a negative.

"Please just tell your mother," he said, in emphatic tones. "It is

her business to judge--not yours. I shall get the house swept out

and whitened to-morrow morning, and fires lit; and it will be dry by

the evening, so that you can come straight there. Now mind, I shall

expect you." Tess again shook her head, her throat swelling with complicated

emotion. She could not look up at d'Urberville.

"I owe you something for the past, you know," he resumed. "And you

cured me, too, of that craze; so I am glad--"

"I would rather you had kept the craze, so that you had kept the

practice which went with it!"

"I am glad of this opportunity of repaying you a little. To-morrow I

shall expect to hear your mother's goods unloading... Give me your

hand on it now--dear, beautiful Tess!"

With the last sentence he had dropped his voice to a murmur, and put

his hand in at the half-open casement. With stormy eyes she pulled

the stay-bar quickly, and, in doing so, caught his arm between the

casement and the stone mullion.

"Damnation--you are very cruel!" he said, snatching out his arm.

"No, no!--I know you didn't do it on purpose. Well I shall expect

you, or your mother and children at least."

"I shall not come--I have plenty of money!" she cried. "Where?"

"At my father-in-law's, if I ask for it."

"IF you ask for it. But you won't, Tess; I know you; you'll never

ask for it--you'll starve first!"