“Very kind of your mother， I'm sure.And I， for one， don't regret her step.”Alec looked at Tess as he spoke， in a way that made her blush a little.“And so， my pretty girl， you've come on a friendly visit to us， as relations？”
“I suppose I have， ”faltered Tess， looking uncomfortable again.
“Well—there's no harm in it.Where do you live？What are you？”
She gave him br ief p articulars； an d responding to further inquiries told him that she was intending to go back by the same carrier who had brought her.
“It is a long while before he returns past Trantridge Cross.Supposing we walk round the grounds to pass the time， my pretty Coz？”
Tess wished to abridge her visit as much as possible； bu t the young man was pressing， and she co nsented to accompany him.He cond ucted her about the lawns， and flower-beds， and conservatories； and thence to the fruit-gar denand greenhouses， where he asked her if she liked strawberries.
“Yes， ”said Tess， “when they come.”
“They are already here.”D'Urberville began gath ering specimens of th e fruit for her， handing them back to her as he stooped； and， presently， selecting a specially fine product of the“British Queen”variety， he stood up and held it by the stem to her mouth.
“No—no！”she said qu ickly， putting her fingers between his hand and her lips.“I would rather take it in my own hand.”
“Nonsense！”he insisted； and in a s light distress she parted her lips and took it in.
They had spent so me time wander ing desultor ily thus， Tess eating in a half-pleased， half-reluctant state whatever d'Urberville offered her.When she could consume no more of the strawberries he filled her little basket with them； and then the two passed round to the rose trees， whence he gathered blossoms and gave h er to put in her bosom.Sh e obeyed like one in a dream， and when she cou ld af fix no more he h imself tucked a bu d or two in to her hat， and heaped her basket with others in the prodigality of his b ounty.At last， looking at his watch， he said， “Now， by the time you have had something to eat， it will be time for you to leave， if you want to catch the carrier to Shaston.Come here， and I'll see what grub I can find.”
Stoke-d'Urberville took her back to the lawn and into the ten t， where h e left her， soon reappearing with a bas ket of light luncheon， wh ich he put b efore her himself.It was evid ently the gen tleman's wish not to b e disturbed in this pleasant tête-à-tête by the servantry.
“Do you mind my smoking？”he asked.
“Oh， not at all， sir.”
He watched her pretty and uncons cious munching through the skeins of smoke th at pervaded the ten t， and Tess Durbey field did n ot div ine， as she innocently looked down at the roses in her boso m， that there behind th e blue narcotic haze was poten tially the“tr agic mischief”of her dr ama—one who stood fair to be the blood-red ray in the spectrum of her young life.She had an attribute which amounted to a d isadvantage just now； and it was th is that caused Alec d'Urberville's ey es to rivet themselves upon her.I t was aluxuriance of aspect， a f ulness of gr owth， which made h er appear more of a woman th an she really was.She had inher ited the feature fr om her mother without the quality it d enoted.It had troubled her mind occasionally， till her companions had said that it was a fault which time would cure.
She soon had finished h er lunch.“Now I am going home， sir， ”she said， rising.
“And what do they call you？”he asked， as he accompanied her along the drive till they were out of sight of the house.
“Tess Durbeyfield， down at Marlott.”
“And you say your people have lost their horse？”
“I—killed h im！”sh e answered， h er eyes fil ling with tears a s she g ave particulars o f Prince's d eath.“And I don't know what to do for fath er on account of it！”
“I must think if I canno t do som ething.My mother must find a berth for you.But， Tess， no nons ense abou t‘d'Urberville'； —‘Durbeyfield'only， you know—quite another name.”
“I wish for no better， sir， ”said she with something of dignity.
For a moment—only for a moment—when they were in the turning of the drive， between the tall rhododendrons and conif ers， before the lodge became visible， he inclined his face towards her as if—but， no：he thou ght better of it， and let her go.
Thus the thing began.Had she perceived this meeting's import she might have asked why she was doomed to be seen and coveted that day by the wrong man， and not by some other man， the right and desired one in all respects—as nearly as hu manity can s upply the r ight and d esired； yet to him who amongst her acquaintance might have approximated to this kind， she was but a transient impression， half forgotten.
In the ill-judged execu tion of the well-judged plan of th ings the call seldom produces the comer， the man to love rarely coincides with the hour for loving.Nature does no t often say“See！”to her poor creature at a tim e when seeing can lead to happy doing； or reply“Here！”to a body's cry of“Where？”till the hide-and-seek has become an irksome， outworn game.We may wonder whether a t the ac me and summit of the hu man p rogress thes e anachr onismswill be corrected by a finer in tuition， a closer interaction of th e social machinery than that which now jolts us round and alo ng； but su chcompleteness is not to be prophesied， or even conceived as p ossible.Enough that in the present case， as in millions， it was not the two ha lves of a perf ect whole that confronted each other at the perf ect moment； a missing counterpart wandered independently about the earth waiting in crass obtuseness till the late time cam e.Out of which maladroit delay sprang anxieties， disappointments， shocks， catastrophes， and passing-strange destinies.
When d'Urberville go t b ack to the tent he sat d own astr ide on a cha ir reflecting， with a pleased gleam in his face.Then he broke into a loud laugh.
“Well， I'm damned！What a funny thing！Ha-ha-ha！And what a cru mby girl！”
6
Tess went down the hill to Trantridge Cross， and inattentively waitedto take her seat in the van returning from Chaseborough to Shaston.She did not know what other o ccupants said to h er as she en tered， thou gh she answered them； and w hen they had started anew she rode along with an inward and not an outward eye.
One among her fellow-tr avellers addr essed her more pointedly than any had spoken before：“Why， you be quite a posy！And such roses in early June！”
Then she be came aware of the spec tacle she pres ented to their surprised vision：roses at her breast； roses in her hat； roses and strawberries in her basket to the brim.She blushed， and said co nfusedly that the flowers had been given to her.When the passengers were not looking she stealthily removed the more prominent b looms fro m her hat and placed them in the basket， wher e she covered them with her handkerchief.Then she f ell to reflecting again， and in looking dow nwards a th orn of the r ose rem aining in her breast acciden tally pricked her chin.Like all the cottagers in Blackmoor Vale， Tess was steeped in fancies and prefigurative superstitions； she thought this an ill omen—the first she had noticed that day.
The van travelled only so far as Shas ton， and there were sever al miles of pedestrian descent from that mountaintown into the vale to Marlott.Her mother had advised her to stay here for the night， at the house of a cottagewoman they knew， if she should feel too tired to come on， and this Tess did， not descending to her home till the following afternoon.