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苔斯-第18部分
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ame close and he saw it was less．
‘I saw you—turn on to the road－from the station—and I've been following you all this way！’She was pale，breathless and trembling．He did not question her but took her arm and helped her along．They took a footpath under some trees，to avoid being seen．
‘Angel，’she said，‘do you know why I've been running after you？To tell you that I've killed him！’There was a pitiful smile on her white face as she spoke．
‘What！’he cried，thinking her mind was disturbed．
‘I don't know how I did it，’she said．‘I had to do it，for you and me，Angel．I was afraid long ago，when I hit him in the mouth with that heavy glove，that I might kill him one day．He has come between us and ruined our lives．I never loved him at all，Angel．You believe me，don't you？Oh，why did you go away，when I loved you so much？But I don't blame you，Angel．Only，will you forgive me now？I could not bear losing you any longer，I had to kill him．Say you love me now，say you do！’
‘Oh，I do love you，Tess，I do．It has all come back！’he said，holding her tightly in his arms．‘But what do you mean，you've killed him？’
‘He is dead．He heard me crying about you，and he called you rude names．I couldn't bear it．So I killed him．’
Eventually Angel came to believe that she probably had killed d'Urberville．He was amazed at the strength of her feeling，and this，it seemed，had made her forget the difference between right and wrong．She did not seem to realize what she had done，and laid her head on his shoulder，crying with happiness．He wondered if the bad blood of the d'Urbervilles was to blame for this moment of madness．
However，he knew he could not leave her now．She expected him to protect her．And at last，Clare felt nothing but love for this passionate，loving wife of his．He kissed her again and again，and held her hand．
‘I won't leave you！I'll protect you as well as I can，my dearest love，whatever you may or may not have done！’
They walked on，less turning her head occasionally to look at him．For her he was still perfection，despite his thinness and pale face．He was the one man who had loved her purely，and who believed in her as pure．Their arms around each other's waists，they walked through the woods on lonely footpaths，taking care not to meet anybody．They did not talk much，being content to be together at last．
‘Where shall we go？’asked Tess．
‘I don't know．Perhaps we could find a cottage to stay in tonight．Can you walk a long way，Tessy？’
‘Oh yes！I could walk for ever with your arm around me！’ At midday Angel went to a public house and brought food and wine back to where Tess was waiting in the woods for him．Her clothes were so fashionable that the country people would have noticed her．
‘I think we should keep walking inland，away from the coasts，said Clare，as they finished eating．‘We can hide there for a while．Later on，when they stop looking for us，we can go to a port and get right out of the country．’
But their plans were vague．They were like two children，who think only of the moment．The weather was warm and they enjoyed walking together．However，in the afternoon they did nut find any suitable cottages to stay in，and it was too cold to sleep outside．They had walked about fifteen miles，when they passed a large empty house in the middle of the woods．
‘All those rooms empty！’said Tess，‘and we have no shelter！’
‘We can stay the night there，’said Clare．‘Look，there's a window open．The caretaker probably airs the rooms in the daytime．We can climb in．Nobody will know．’
And so they did．They chose a bedroom with heavy old－fashioned furniture and a huge old bed．They kept quiet while the caretaker came to shut the windows in the evening．Then the house was theirs．They ate some of the food they had brought，and went to bed in total darkness．
During the night she told him about his sleepwalking just after their wedding．
‘You should have told me at the time！’
‘Don't think of the past！Think of the present．Tomorrow may mean the end of our happiness．’
But when tomorrow came it was wet and foggy．It seemed that the caretaker only came on fine days，so they were alone in the house．They had enough food and wine，and stayed there for the next five days．It was the honeymoon they had never had．They had no contact with people，and only noticed changes in the weather．Neither mentioned the depressing period from their wedding－day to the present．They lived for the moment，and were completely happy．When Angel suggested leaving their shelter and travelling to a port like Southampton or London，Tess was unwilling．
‘Why put an end to sweetness and happiness？Outside，everything is confused and sad．Here，we are quite content．
Angel agreed．Inside was forgiveness and love：outside was eventual punishment．
‘And…’she said，putting her cheek against his，‘I want you to go on loving me．I'm afraid you might reject me one day for what I've done．Then I would rather be dead．I must have been mad to kill him！But I don't want to be alive when you reject me for it．’
They stayed for one more day，but the caretaker came early that fine sunny morning．She wanted to open the windows in the bedrooms，which she did not usually do，and opened their bedroom door．She saw the young couple lying in the big bed，fast asleep，and hurried away to tell her neighbours．
Tess and Angel woke soon after，and decided to leave immediately．They dared not stay any longer．When they were in the woods Tess turned to look at the house．
‘So much happiness in that house！’she whispered．‘My life can only be a question of a few weeks．Why couldn't we have stayed there？’
‘Don't say that，Tess！We'll go northwards and get to a port．They won't find us．’
They kept going all day and most of the night，passing the cathedral city of Melchester and reaching open land．It was a windy，cloudy night．They walked on grass，so as not to make any noise on the road．They were alone and in darkness． Suddenly，Clare almost bumped into a great stone rising up in front of him．Moving forwards carefully，they found other stones，standing tall and black against the night sky．
‘What on earth is this place？’Clare asked．
‘Listen！’cried Tess．
The wind，playing on the huge stones，produced a strange tune，like the notes of a great harp．The couple walked slowly into the middle of the great circle of stones．
‘It's Stonehenge！’cried Clare．
‘The pagan temple？’
‘Yes．Older than the centuries；Older than the d'Urbervilles！’
‘Let's stay here tonight，Angel，’said Tess，lying down on a flat stone which was still warm from the day's sunshine．
‘We'd better not．This place can be seen for miles in daylight．’
‘I feel at home here，’murmured Tess．‘You used to say at Talbothays that I was a pagan，do you remember？’
He bent over her and kissed her．
‘Sleepy，are you，dearest？’
‘I love it here，’she said．‘I have been so happy with you．And here I have only the sky above my face．There is nobody in the world except us two．’
Clare thought she could rest a while here．He put his coat over her，and lay down beside her．
‘Angel，’she asked presently，as they listened to the wind among the stones，‘if anything happens to me，will you take care of Liza－Lu？’
‘I will．’
She is so good and pure．Oh Angel，I wish you would marry her if you lose me，as you will do soon ‘If I lose you，I lose everything．’
‘She has all the best of me without my bad side，and if she were yours，it would almost seem as if we were not separated by death．Well，I won't mention it again．’
There was silence for a while．Angel could see the first light in the east．They had not much time．
‘Did they sacrifice to God here？’she asked
‘No，to the sun．’
‘That reminds me，dear．Tell me，do you think we shall meet again after we are dead？I want to know．
He kissed her to avoid replying．
‘Oh Angel，that means no！’she almost sobbed．‘And I so wanted to see you again－so much，so much！Not even you and I，Angel，who love each other so much？’
He could not answer．Soon she fell asleep on the stone of sacrifice The night wind died away，and the stones looked black in the half－light．Something seemed to move in the distance．It was a figure approaching Stonehenge．Clare wished they had gone on，but it was too late．He turned，and saw another，and another．They were uniformed men，closing in on Tess with slow purposeful steps．Clare jumped up wildly，looking round for a way to escape．
‘It's no use，sir，’said the nearest policeman．‘We've surrounded the place．’
‘Let her finish her sleep！’he begged in a whisper，as the men gathered round the stone．He held her hand．She was breathing more like a trapped animal than a woman．All waited in the growing light，their faces and hands silver，the stones grey．When the light was strong，she awoke．
‘What is it，Angel？’she said，sitting up．‘Have they come for me？’
‘Yes，dearest，they have．’
‘That is right．I am almost glad．This happiness could not have lasted！’
She stood up and went towards the waiting men．‘I am ready，’she said quietly．
One July morning the sun shone on two figures climbing the hill leading out of the fine city of Wintoncester．They were young but they walked bent in sorrow．One was Angel Clare，the other Tess's younger sister，Liza－Lu．Hand in hand，with pale，tear－stained faces，they walked in silence．
When they reached the top of the hill，they heard the town clocks strike eight．They turned quickly and looked back at the city．They could see the cathedral，the college and the prison very clearly．A tall post was fixed to the prison tower．A few minutes after eight，as they watched，a black flag moved slowly up the post．
The gods had finished playing with Tess．Society had seen ‘justice’done．Her d'Urberville ancestors slept on in their tombs，uncaring．The two silent watchers dropped to the ground and stayed there without moving for a long time．The flag waved in the wind．As soon as they had strength，they stood up�
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