Thomas Hardy: Tess of the d'Urbervilles

Phase the Sixth: The Convert 51. CHAPTER LI (continued)

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 tomorrow 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. Tomorrow 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.