see why any man should, sooner or later, be able to help despising
me.... How wickedly mad I was! Yet formerly I never could bear to
hurt a fly or a worm, and the sight of a bird in a cage used often to
make me cry.'
They remained yet another day. In the night the dull sky cleared,
and the result was that the old caretaker at the cottage awoke early.
The brilliant sunrise made her unusually brisk; she decided to open
the contiguous mansion immediately, and to air it thoroughly on such
a day. Thus it occurred that, having arrived and opened the lower
rooms before six o'clock, she ascended to the bedchambers, and was
about to turn the handle of the one wherein they lay. At that moment
she fancied she could hear the breathing of persons within. Her
slippers and her antiquity had rendered her progress a noiseless one
so far, and she made for instant retreat; then, deeming that her
hearing might have deceived her, she turned anew to the door and
softly tried the handle. The lock was out of order, but a piece of
furniture had been moved forward on the inside, which prevented her
opening the door more than an inch or two. A stream of morning light
through the shutter-chink fell upon the faces of the pair, wrapped in
profound slumber, Tess's lips being parted like a half-opened flower
near his cheek. The caretaker was so struck with their innocent
appearance, and with the elegance of Tess's gown hanging across a
chair, her silk stockings beside it, the pretty parasol, and the
other habits in which she had arrived because she had none else, that
her first indignation at the effrontery of tramps and vagabonds gave
way to a momentary sentimentality over this genteel elopement, as it
seemed. She closed the door, and withdrew as softly as she had come,
to go and consult with her neighbours on the odd discovery.
Not more than a minute had elapsed after her withdrawal when Tess
woke, and then Clare. Both had a sense that something had disturbed
them, though they could not say what; and the uneasy feeling which
it engendered grew stronger. As soon as he was dressed he narrowly
scanned the lawn through the two or three inches of shutter-chink.
'I think we will leave at once,' said he. 'It is a fine day. And I
cannot help fancying somebody is about the house. At any rate, the
woman will be sure to come to-day.'
She passively assented, and putting the room in order, they took up
the few articles that belonged to them, and departed noiselessly.
When they had got into the Forest she turned to take a last look at
the house.
'Ah, happy house--goodbye!' she said. 'My life can only be a
question of a few weeks. Why should we not have stayed there?'
'Don't say it, Tess! We shall soon get out of this district
altogether. We'll continue our course as we've begun it, and keep
straight north. Nobody will think of looking for us there. We shall
be looked for at the Wessex ports if we are sought at all. When we
are in the north we will get to a port and away.'
Having thus persuaded her, the plan was pursued, and they kept a
bee-line northward. Their long repose at the manor-house lent them
