登陆注册
5254300000139

第139章

`Angel,' she said, as if waiting for this, `do you know what I have been running after you for? To tell you that I have killed him!' A pitiful white smile lit her face as she spoke.

`What!' said he, thinking from the strangeness of her manner that she was in some delirium.

`I have done it - I don't know how,' she continued.`Still, I owed it to you, and to myself, Angel.I feared long ago, when I struck him on the mouth with my glove, that I might do it some day for the trap he set for me in my simple youth, and his wrong to you through me.He has come between us and ruined us, and now he can never do it any more.I never loved him at all, Angel, as I loved you.You know it, don't you? You believe it?

You didn't come back to me, and I was obliged to go back to him.Why did you go away - why did you - when I loved you so? I can't think why you did it.But I don't blame you; only, Angel, will you forgive me my sin against you, now I have killed him? I thought as I ran along that you would be sure to forgive me now I have done that.It came to me as a shining light that I should get you back that way.I could not bear the loss of you any longer - you don't know how entirely I was unable to bear your not loving me! Say you do now, dear, dear husband; say you do, now I have killed him!'

`I do love you, Tess - O, I do - it is all come back!' he said, tightening his arms round her with fervid pressure.`But how do you mean - you have killed him?'

`I mean that I have,' she murmured in a reverie.

`What, bodily? Is he dead?'

`Yes.He heard me crying about you, and he bitterly taunted me; and called you by a foul name; and then I did it.My heart could not bear it.

He had nagged me about you before.And then I dressed myself and came away to find you.'

By degrees he was inclined to believe that she had faintly attempted, at least, what she said she had done; and his horror at her impulse was mixed with amazement at the strength of her affection for himself, and at the strangeness of its quality, which had apparently extinguished her moral sense altogether.Unable to realize the gravity of her conduct she seemed at last content; and he looked at her as she lay upon his shoulder, weeping with happiness, and wondered what obscure strain in the d'Urberville blood had led to this aberration - if it were an aberration.There momentarily flashed through his mind that the family tradition of the coach and murder might have arisen because the d'Urbervilles had been known to do these things.As well as his confused and excited ideas could reason, he supposed that in the moment of mad grief of which she spoke her mind had lost its balance, and plunged her into this abyss.

It was very terrible if true; if a temporary hallucination, sad.But, anyhow, here was this deserted wife of his, this passionately fond woman, clinging to him without a suspicion that he would be anything to her but a protector.He saw that for him to be otherwise was not, in her mind, within the region of the possible.Tenderness was absolutely dominant in Clare at last.He kissed her endlessly with his white lips, and held her hand, and said `I will not desert you! I will protect you by every means in my power, dearest love, whatever you may have done or not have done!'

They then walked on under the trees, Tess turning her head every now and then to look at him.Worn and unhandsome as he had become, it was plain that she did not discern the least fault in his appearance.To her he was, as of old, all that was perfection, personally and mentally.He was still her Antinous, her Apollo even; his sickly face was beautiful as the morning to her affectionate regard on this day no less than when she first beheld him; for was it not the face of the one man on earth who had loved her purely, and who had believed in her as pure.

With an instinct as to possibilities he did not now, as he had intended, make for the first station beyond the town, but plunged still farther under the firs, which here abounded for miles.Each clasping the other round the waist they promenaded over the dry bed of fir-needles, thrown into a vague intoxicating atmosphere at the consciousness of being together at last, with no living soul between them; ignoring that there was a corpse.

Thus they proceeded for several miles till Tess, arousing herself, looked about her, and said, timidly--`Are we going anywhere in particular?'

`I don't know, dearest.Why?'

`I don't know.'

`Well, we might walk a few miles further, and when it is evening find lodgings somewhere or other - in a lonely cottage, perhaps.Can you walk well, Tessy?'

`O yes! I could walk for ever and ever with your arm round me!' Upon the whole it seemed a good thing to do.Thereupon they quickened their pace, avoiding high roads, and following obscure paths tending more or less northward.But there was an unpractical vagueness in their movements throughout the day; neither one of them seemed to consider any question of effectual escape, disguise, or long concealment.Their every idea was temporary and unforefending, like the plans of two children.

At mid-day they drew near to a roadside inn, and Tess would have entered it with him to get something to eat, but he persuaded her to remain among the trees and bushes of this half-woodland, half-moorland part of the country, till he should come back.Her clothes were of recent fashion; even the ivory-handled parasol that she carried was of a shape unknown in the retired spot to which they had now wandered; and the cut of such articles would have attracted attention in the settle of a tavern.He soon returned, with food enough for half-a-dozen people and two bottles of wine - enough to last them for a day or more, should any emergency arise.

They sat down upon some dead boughs and shared their meal.Between one and two o'clock they packed up the remainder and went on again.

`I feel strong enough to walk any distance,' said she.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 变脸

    变脸

    瓦庄的人记得很清楚,咧脸第一次到瓦庄来是一个春末的黄昏。我也记得很清楚,那天放了学后,我和葛金狗没有直接回家,而是在满畈的油菜地里奔跑,虽然油菜花开得有些败落了,但因为满畈都是这种植物,所以映入眼里的仍是金黄黄的一大片,随着微风吹起,油菜花粉直往我们的鼻子里、喉咙里和胸腔里钻,我和葛金狗不停地打喷嚏,打得鼻翼两边都微微地酸痛。我们奔跑着,往河边的堤坝上跑去,堤坝边靠河水的地方长着一种叫溜溜儿的果实,熟了的时候,颜色是鲜红的,小小的如人的小手指头,充满了蜜汁,一咬一口糖水,我们赶去看看它们熟了没有。
  • 我的萌主女友

    我的萌主女友

    屌丝青年夏侯纯被莫名其妙召唤到平行都市,成了大小姐的宠物。随身携带“萌主守卫者系统”,随着女主人的心情值提升,就能兑换一切来自动漫空间的能力和道具。为了成为大神,重返地球回家路,夏侯纯开始了他的最强召唤兽传奇!宣言:“虽然我家大小姐很傲娇,但是你们谁也不能欺负她!不准让她不高兴!必须每天萌萌哒!”“否则,纯哥会开启轮回眼,身着圣斗衣,变身撒亚人,左手震震果实,右手斩魄刀,教你如何做人!”“我的目标是:终有一天,扑倒大小姐,PAPAPA”。群号:311950201
  • 前生3

    前生3

    青年女作者王晓燕最新长篇小说《前生》,以其特有的视角与简练的文笔将一个故事向读者娓娓道来,把都市里职业男女的爱恨情仇描写的淋漓尽致。评论家称,在这样一个小说家已经被贬为毫无意义的故事复述者的年代里,王晓燕所坚持的叙述方向不是故事本身而是故事之外的寓意与叙述的技巧,其作品叙事诡秘,没有随传统或流行叙事的方式而自成格调。
  • 洞穴:深邃的探险之路

    洞穴:深邃的探险之路

    本套作品知识全面、内容精炼、图文并茂,形象生动,能够培养我们的科学兴趣和爱好,达到普及科学知识的目的,具有很强的可读性、启发性和知识性,是我们广大青少年读者了解科技、增长知识、开阔视野、提高素质、激发探索和启迪智慧的良好科普读物。
  • 三嫁囚宠妃

    三嫁囚宠妃

    简介:罗小冰,一个二十一世纪高校的医学系研究生,被狠心的男友推下大海,醒来,她的灵魂已穿越到古代的东荣国。他成了东荣国三王爷的王妃——一个倾城倾国的美人儿,谁料一场噩梦正等着她。在他眼里,她早已没了第一次,她是个不洁的女人。他将她囚禁两年。无双居就是她的“冷宫”。那夜,华丽的锦被之上,居然有一点落红……===骆冰心:罗小冰穿越到东荣国的身份,当朝丞相骆傲天的养女,东荣国三王爷的妃子。她嫁进王府的那一天,被老嬷嬷发现不是贞女。从此,她背上不洁的恶名。是她害得王爷的宠妃怜儿流产,是她害得怜儿发疯失踪。暗地里,她身负重任,受养父差谴守护在他的身边,做他的影卫。到最后,真相揭开,她竟是——===慕容明珺:东荣国的三王爷,冷漠如他,无情如他。皇上下旨赐婚,他娶了骆冰心,并处处为难她,甚至把她囚禁在无双居,狠狠凌辱她。他恨她入骨。谁料,两年的囚禁,她变了,变得倔强而又脱俗。每每处于危难之中,她都挺身相救。真情触动,情结难解,无情的伤害,痛苦的折磨,终于他醒悟,却为时晚了?他对她说:“怜儿永远无法取代!你是本王永远的仇人!”语罢,他冷笑一声,大手一把钳过她的下额,冷冷一笑,道:“一个失贞的妃子,还妄想得到什么!你要用你的身体和自由还清怜儿的债。”===慕容明浩:东荣国的皇长子。外表温柔,一个翩翩君子。一袭素衣,一个微笑,迷倒千万少女。世人都认为皇太子之位是他的。谁料,温柔的面孔之下,却是野心勃勃。他对她一见钟情,苦苦纠缠。他对她说:“独拥佳人一夜,万里江山皆可抛。”===慕容明杉:皇五子,朝中五王爷,皇上赐为镇远王爷,喜武,故常年在外征战,战功显赫。为人木讷、固执。认定了就不会改变。他对她说:“跟本王走!离开这个是非之地。”===延呼镜:西凉国的皇子(东荣与西凉是邻国,两国达成协议,和平共处。但必须以皇子为人质。)他就是被送往东荣国的质子。一个好吃,好玩,好赌的小王爷,整天无所事是。看似贪玩的他,心思细腻。对她,有着特别的关爱。他对她说:“记住你的使命!完成任务后,你,就是我的妻子。”===小泪亲亲帮忙制作的《三嫁囚宠妃》的相册视频:?pstyle=1慕容明珺与骆冰心的相册视频:?pstyle=1&3190===特别推荐:《特工女皇帝》===小伊其他作品:《狱妃驭皇》《帝后惑香》《王爷1咱偷腥去》
  • 问时间情为何物

    问时间情为何物

    这不只是一本关于爱的小说,而是关于人性,也关于人生。也许被忙碌生活推着走的我们,已经不再思考这些问题。但不可否认的是,正是我们所付出和所接受的爱,定义塑造了我们的人生。也许你是几千公里外大都市的普通上班族,每天早高峰的地铁被挤成沙丁鱼,在手机上看这部小说,偶尔也会让你会心一笑;也许你置身于小县城,对外面的世界充满憧憬,却日复一日过着平淡的生活,至少有些故事能为你打发光阴;也许你劳累了一天刚洗完热水澡,钻进温暖的被窝,身边的家人已熟睡,你读着这些文字,蓦然想起了自己年华似水的青春;也许你是在旅途中,看书看累了,眺望下天边的夕阳和云彩,书中人物的命运引发你无限的感慨。
  • 官夫贼妻

    官夫贼妻

    她,白日里是深闺中的贤淑小姐,夜晚却化作大盗劫富济贫。他,守卫一方的父母官,为了辖区的安定,势要抓住这个扰乱治安的大盗。阴差阳错间,她将要嫁与他为妻……为了能退婚,她扮成男子接近他,一探虚实。却不想成了他的拍档,联手共破惊天大案。一个是官,一个为贼,最终是殊途陌路,还是有情人终成眷属?--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 扑克巫师

    扑克巫师

    太监了(*/?\*)不要看ヽ(≧Д≦)ノ
  • 明伦汇编皇极典宽严部

    明伦汇编皇极典宽严部

    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。
  • 奢侈:爱马仕总裁回忆录

    奢侈:爱马仕总裁回忆录

    全球奢侈品业最中心人物的切身观感与记录,一本纵横年代、地域视野,探讨美与创意之源的格调典范!一次很偶然的机会,布朗卡特进入奢侈品行业,并空降到爱马仕这一豪华的星球。此书是他2009年从爱马仕离任后以日记体呈现的回忆录。在书中,作者记录了在爱马仕担任CEO期间与全球各界名流的交往和这个行业的故事,而这些故事通常断断续续写于旅途与公差途中。无论如何,此书的中心仍然是爱马仕这个奢侈品王国,它的理念、它的工匠、它的神秘,及展现在作者眼中的它的魅力和灵魂。