'And the children have some toys.'
'I didn't know--you ever sent them anything!' she murmured, much
moved. 'I almost wish you had not--yes, I almost wish it!'
'Why, dear?'
'It--hampers me so.'
'Tessy--don't you love me ever so little now?'
'I'm grateful,' she reluctantly admitted. 'But I fear I do not--'
The sudden vision of his passion for herself as a factor in this
result so distressed her that, beginning with one slow tear, and
then following with another, she wept outright.
'Don't cry, dear, dear one! Now sit down here, and wait till I
come.' She passively sat down amid the leaves he had heaped, and
shivered slightly. 'Are you cold?' he asked.
'Not very--a little.'
He touched her with his fingers, which sank into her as into down.
'You have only that puffy muslin dress on--how's that?'
'It's my best summer one. 'Twas very warm when I started, and I
didn't know I was going to ride, and that it would be night.'
'Nights grow chilly in September. Let me see.' He pulled off a
light overcoat that he had worn, and put it round her tenderly.
'That's it--now you'll feel warmer,' he continued. 'Now, my pretty,
rest there; I shall soon be back again.'
Having buttoned the overcoat round her shoulders he plunged into the
webs of vapour which by this time formed veils between the trees.
She could hear the rustling of the branches as he ascended the
adjoining slope, till his movements were no louder than the hopping
of a bird, and finally died away. With the setting of the moon the
pale light lessened, and Tess became invisible as she fell into
reverie upon the leaves where he had left her.
In the meantime Alec d'Urberville had pushed on up the slope to clear
his genuine doubt as to the quarter of The Chase they were in. He
had, in fact, ridden quite at random for over an hour, taking any
turning that came to hand in order to prolong companionship with her,
and giving far more attention to Tess's moonlit person than to any
wayside object. A little rest for the jaded animal being desirable,
he did not hasten his search for landmarks. A clamber over the
hill into the adjoining vale brought him to the fence of a highway
whose contours he recognized, which settled the question of their
whereabouts. D'Urberville thereupon turned back; but by this time
the moon had quite gone down, and partly on account of the fog The
Chase was wrapped in thick darkness, although morning was not far
off. He was obliged to advance with outstretched hands to avoid
contact with the boughs, and discovered that to hit the exact spot
from which he had started was at first entirely beyond him. Roaming
up and down, round and round, he at length heard a slight movement of
the horse close at hand; and the sleeve of his overcoat unexpectedly
caught his foot.
'Tess!' said d'Urberville.
There was no answer. The obscurity was now so great that he could
