登陆注册
5453500000025

第25章

Tess was indignant and ashamed.She no longer minded the loneliness of the way and the lateness of the hour; her one object was to get away from the whole crew as soon as possible.She knew well enough that the better among them would repent of their passion next day.They were all now inside the field, and she was edging back to rush off alone when a horseman emerged almost silently from the corner of the hedge that screened the road, and Alec d'Urberville looked round upon them.

`What the devil is all this row about, work-folk?' he asked.

The explanation was not readily forthcoming; and, in truth, he did not require any.Having heard their voices while yet some way off he had ridden creepingly forward, and learnt enough to satisfy himself.

Tess was standing apart from the rest, near the gate.He bent over towards her.`Jump up behind me' he whispered, `and we'll get shot of the screaming cats in a jiffy!'

She felt almost ready to faint, so vivid was her sense of the crisis.

At almost any other moment of her life she should have refused such profferer aid and company, as she had refused them several times before; and now the loneliness would not of itself have forced her to do otherwise.But coming as the invitation did at the particular juncture when fear and indignation at these adversaries could be transformed by a spring of the foot into a triumph over them, she abandoned herself to her impulse, climbed the gate, put her toe upon his instep, and scrambled into the saddle behind him.The pair were speeding away into the distant gray by the time that the contentious revellers became aware of what had happened.

The Queen of Spades forgot the stain on her bodice, and stood beside the Queen of Diamonds and the new-married, staggering young woman - all with a gaze of fixity in the direction in which the horse's tramp was diminishing into silence on the road.

`What be ye looking at?' asked a man who had not observed the incident.

`Ho-ho-ho!' laughed dark Car.

`Hee-hee-hee!' laughed the tippling bride, as she steadied herself on the arm of her fond husband.

`Heu-heu-heu!' laughed dark Car's mother, stroking her moustache as she explained laconically: `Out of the frying-pan into the fire!'

Then these children of the open air, whom even excess of alcohol could scarce injure permanently, betook themselves to the field-path; and as they went there moved onward with them, around the shadow of each one's head, a circle of opalixed light, formed by the moon's rays upon the glistening sheet of dew.Each pedestrian could see no halo but his or her own, which never deserted the head-shadow, whatever its vulgar unsteadiness might be; but adhered to it, and persistently beautified it; till the erratic motions seemed an inherent part of the irradiation, and the fumes of their breathing a component of the night's mist; and the spirit of the scene, and of the moonlight, and of Nature, seemed harmoniously to mingle with the spirit of wine.

Chapter 11 The twain cantered along for some time without speech, Tess as she clung to him still panting in her triumph, yet in other respects dubious.She had perceived that the horse was not the spirited one he sometimes rode, and felt no alarm on that score, though her seat was precarious enough despite her tight hold of him.She begged him to slow the animal to a walk, which Alec accordingly did.

`Neatly done, was it not, dear Tess?' he said by and by.

`Yes!' said she.`I am sure I ought to be much obliged to you.'

`And are you?'

She did not reply.

`Tess, why do you always dislike my kissing you?'

`I suppose - because I don't love you.'

`You are quite sure?'

`I am angry with you sometimes!'

`Ah, I half feared as much.' Nevertheless, Alec did not object to that confession.He knew that anything was better than frigidity.`Why haven't you told me when I have made you angry?'

`You know very well why.Because I cannot help myself here.'

`I haven't offended you often by love-making?'

`You have sometimes.'

`How many times?'

`You know as well as I - too many times.'

`Every time I have tried.'

She was silent, and the horse ambled along for a considerable distance, till a faint luminous fog, which had hung in the hollows all the evening, became general and enveloped them.It seemed to hold the moonlight in suspension, rendering it more pervasive than in clear air.Whether on this account, or from absentmindedness, or from sleepiness, she did not perceive that they had long ago passed the point at which the lane to Trantridge branched from the highway, and that her conductor had not taken the Trantridge track.

She was inexpressibly weary.She had risen at five o'clock every morning of that week, had been on foot the whole of each day and on this evening had in addition walked the three miles to Chaseborough, waited three hours for her neighbours without eating or drinking, her impatience to start them preventing either; she had then walked a mile of the way home, and had undergone the excitement of the quarrel, till, with the slow progress of their steed, it was now nearly one o'clock.Only once, however, was she overcome by actual drowsiness.In that moment of oblivion her head sank gently against him.

D'Urberville stopped the horse, withdrew his feet from the stirrups, turned sideways on the saddle, and enclosed her waist with his arm to support her.

This immediately put her on the defensive, and with one of those sudden impulses of reprisal to which she was liable she gave him a little push from her.In his ticklish position he nearly lost his balance and only just avoided rolling over into the road, the horse, though a powerful one, being fortunately the quietest he rode.

`That is devilish unkind!' he said.`I mean no harm - only to keep you from failing.'

She pondered suspiciously; till, thinking that this might after all be true, she relented, and said quite humbly, `I beg your pardon, sir.'

`I won't pardon you unless you show some confidence in me.Good God!'

同类推荐
  • 会稽三赋

    会稽三赋

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 脉诀汇辨

    脉诀汇辨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 宦乡要则

    宦乡要则

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说大乘戒经

    佛说大乘戒经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 北山录

    北山录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 花心总裁的契约新娘

    花心总裁的契约新娘

    这是清第一次尝试写现代的,如写的不好之处,敬请见谅!!!--------------------------------------------三年前她,从未享受过家庭温暖的善良女人,却因为父亲的一纸契约而被迫嫁给他。‘啪’一声巨响,五条微红的指印出现在她白皙的脸上,顿时,雷颖的眼泪不听话的流了出来。“你凭什么安排我的生活?我不要嫁人,更不要嫁给那个不知道是什么东西的有钱人!”手轻轻抚在火辣辣的右脸颊上,雷颖一脸委屈地大叫道。他,上流社会的花心大少,因为爷爷的病重,不得不妥协地结婚。宫臣浩是个道道地地的花花公子,他甚至曾在某杂志的专访里大言不惭的说:“女人若是花,我这太阳当然得公平的普照大地…”杂志一出刊,这句话成了他的名言,更可笑的是,那些女人竟然完全不在意,反而很高兴「每个人」都有机会和宫大少交往!三年后“这是离婚协议,请你签字。”递上手里的纸张,语气冷淡。宫臣浩看也没看一眼,就把纸张撕成了碎片,“离婚?哼~~那是不可能的。”“你为什么就是不肯放开我?”雷颖看着他问道。“因为你欠我的,还没还完。”宫臣浩嘴角勾着笑,眼睛直直地盯着她看。-------------------------------------------------------------------本故事纯属虚构,如有雷同,纯属巧合~~~~感谢亲们的支持,喜欢的就请收藏一个,推荐一下!!————————————————再来就是打个小广告!!推荐一下朋友的文。喜欢的可以去看一下哦!!写的都很不错!!!紫极光:(相公多多多)小水滴:(黑帝的猎物)夏贵:(绝色伪君子)菁菁苜蓿:(乱世女人花)南乔妩媚:(青丝引)汪无忆:(汉宫孽妃)夏末悲伤:(原来你就在我身边)景行:(盼宠)蓝色吇偑:(宠妻系列之皇上抢妻)西座:(妖娆惑君)嘟嘟妮:(孽王夺欢)愢诺公主:(霸道总裁的宠爱小甜心)you柔:(另类女生的完美总裁)落林音音:(囚妻)懒兜:(迷糊爹地的原告宝贝)推荐【狂君囚宠】(源何来飞)-------------------------------------------------------清建了个群!!!有兴趣的朋友可以加进来一起探讨!!群号是:49190694(敲门砖是书中任意人物的名称!!)
  • 我家仙君又挂了

    我家仙君又挂了

    历劫仙君碰见某女的那一世……她挽着温柔的桃娘莞尔一笑,“王爷,我给你挑的这个王妃如何?”黎司声音低沉,“本王没有那断袖之癖!”再一世……绯惜治好那个倔强高傲冷酷的七岁男娃,捏着他的小脸蛋,“儿砸,给娘乐一个!”七岁的黎司:……滚!又一世……绯惜出其不意抽掉他手里的书,挑眉,“小公子,人活一世不能这么枯燥,姐姐带你去寻点乐子如何?”黎司千年面瘫终于眉心微瞥,“姑娘,请自重!”……仙君归位了,想起了这几世的种种,心中装的尽是那一身红衣敢爱敢恨的女子……仙君将她逼在角落,指着旁边的两个包子,声音的尾调扬起,含着危险气息,“你敢背着我生孩子?”
  • 这个世界我们都来过

    这个世界我们都来过

    假设人生还有最后七天,你会何去何从?七天,168个小时,10080分钟,就像莎士比亚曾经说过“生存还是死亡,这是个问题!”当我在键盘上敲下这两行文字,我仿佛听到时钟“滴答,滴答”作响,你越是想要挽留时间,它却悄无声息悄悄从你身边滑过,时间对于生命而言,无比珍贵,我多么希望每一秒钟都过得慢一点儿。当生命进入倒计时,你才知道生命的珍贵,我们为什么活着?生命的意义又是什么?每一个人都有不同的答案......
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 感人至深的亲情故事(感悟青少年心灵的故事)

    感人至深的亲情故事(感悟青少年心灵的故事)

    重新寻回难得的感动,重新唤起对真善美的追求! 成长,是大自然最寻常的奇迹,比如一粒种子可以长成参天大树。成长,也是人生最朴素的过程,我们都要从孩童长成大人。每一个好故事,都会给孩子们种下完美人生的种子。《感悟青少年心灵的故事:感人至深的亲情故事》精选了众多极具代表性的亲情故事,阅读这些温暖而充满智慧的故事,能够使青少年受到启发和教益,提高素质,培养趣味。《感悟青少年心灵的故事:感人至深的亲情故事》内容丰富,可读性强,是青少年最佳的课外知识读物。
  • 今天太太上热搜了吗

    今天太太上热搜了吗

    【甜宠+小苏】童安柒是一个表里不一的少女,对粉丝对工作,那可都是表里不一。唯独对爵爷那叫一个表里如一,天天就是宠宠宠,时不时撒撒娇!撒娇卖萌都擅长的童安柒偏偏不用在综艺上,偏偏就喜欢缠着爵爷。身边的朋友们表示,这很正常,已经习惯了,别大惊小怪,正常正常。粉丝们表示,安柒安柒!我们也想要你撒娇给我们看!就这样,被粉丝们围攻的童安柒又一次被推上了热搜。童安柒哭了:我不想上热搜!放我下去!靳爵风摸了摸她的头:乖,我帮你撤下来。众多粉丝:我酸了
  • 你是我流年里的温柔

    你是我流年里的温柔

    我们走过流年的山高水长,总有一份温暖盈满心怀,总有一份热爱在生命里灿烂。
  • 猎吻冷酷魔族殿下

    猎吻冷酷魔族殿下

    堂堂天界公主,仙送外号小魔女不懂何为情爱;于是一次事件后,她逃下天界,来到了几界之中的结合界寻找姐姐口中那很甜蜜很甜蜜的爱。看到他的第一眼,就被他的特殊迷住,她吻上他,一切皆由一个吻开始。阴谋的出现,真相的浮现,她,该作何选择。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • The Copy-Cat

    The Copy-Cat

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 激励青少年自信坚韧的励志故事

    激励青少年自信坚韧的励志故事

    古今中外,很多成功者都曾从励志故事中获得人生启示,激发无限潜能:拿破仑从一则小故事中找到了矮个子的自信,终于成就了创世伟业;帕瓦罗带通过一则椅子的故事走出迷茫,成为世人瞩目的男高音歌唱家;一根树枝的故事,启动了世界营销大师科特勒的辉煌事业。每一个故事都是一方通向成功之门的铺路石,为你指引前进的道路。简单的故事里蕴含着积极的精神和上进的力量,让我们在轻松的阅读中产生高远的志向,孕育奋发的力量,在确定理想后努力去拼搏,在遇到挫折时积极去面对。