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long as possible， and put her down on dry land． Her friends were looking with round thoughtful eyes at them．He said goodbye and went back by the road．
The four walked on together． Marian broke the silence by saying，‘No， we have no chance against her！’She looked joylessly at Tess．
‘What do you mean？’asked Tess．
‘He likes you best， the very best！We saw as he brought you over． He'd have kissed you if you had encouraged him， only a little．’
They were no longer cheerful but they were not bitter．They were generous country girls who accept that such things happen．Tess's heart ached．She knew that she loved Angel Clare， perhaps all the more passionately because the others also loved him．And yet that same hungry heart of hers pitied her friends．
‘I will never stand in your way！’ she cried to them that evening in the bedroom．‘I don't think he's thinking of marrying， but even if he asked me， I'd refuse him， as I'd refuse any man．’
‘Oh why？’they asked．
‘I cannot marry！ But I don't think he will choose any of you．
So the girls remained friends． They all shared each other's secret． The air in their bedroom was full of their hopeless passion． There was a flame burning the inside of their hearts out． But because they had no hope， they were not jealous of each other．They had even heard that Angel's family were planning for him to marry a neighbour's daughter． Tess no longer attached any importance to Clare's interest in her．It was a passing summer attraction， nothing more．
The heat grew steadily greater． In this stormy atmosphere even a passing attraction would deepen into love． Everything in nature was ready for love．Clare became gradually more passionately in love with the soft and silent Tess． The fields were dry． Waggons threw up clouds of dust on the road． Cows jumped over gates， chased by flies． Dairyman Crick's sleeves were rolled up from Monday to Saturday， and the milkers milked in the fields for coolness．
On one of these afternoons Tess and Angel were milking near each other． Tess used to rest her head on the cow's body，her eyes fixed on a distant field． The sun shone on the beautiful lines of the face． She did not know that Clare had followed her round and sat watching her． How very lovable her face was to him． He had never seen such beautiful lips and teeth， like roses filled with snow．
Suddenly Clare jumped up， leaving his bucket to be kicked over by the cow， went quickly towards her， and， kneeling down beside her， took her in his arms． Tess let herself relax in his arms in a moment of joyful surprise． He was on the point of kissing that tempting mouth， but stopped himself．
‘Forgive me， Tess dear！’he whispered．‘I ought to have asked．I love you， Tess really！’
Tess tried to free herself and her eyes began to fill with tears．
‘Why are you crying， my darling？’he asked．
‘Oh I don't know！’ she murmured， trying to pull away．
‘Well， I've shown my feeling at last， Tess，’he said with a curious sigh， showing that his heart had overcome his reason．‘I do love you dearly and truly． But I shall go no further now．I have surprised you．’
She freed herself and they went on milking． Nobody had noticed， and when Dairyman Crick came round there was no sign to show that there was any connection between them． Yet something had happened which was to change their whole world． As a practical man， the dairyman might laugh at love，but love has a habit of changing people's lives．It is a force to be respected．
The Result
12
The nights were as hot as the days． Angel Clare could not sleep． He went out into the darkness to think over what had happened that afternoon． He had come as a student of farming to this dairy， thinking he would be here only a short time． He thought it would be a quiet place． From here he could observe the great world outside， before plunging back into it． But the world outside had lost its interest， and the quiet place was now the centre of all feeling．
Clare was a thoughtful， honest man． He knew Tess was not a toy to play with and throw away when finished with． Her life was as important to her as his was to him． He knew he must treat her affection for him seriously． But if they went on meeting every day， their relationship must develop： he could not stop himself．As he had not decided what purpose their relationship should have， he decided that for the moment they should meet as little as possible． But it was not easy to keep to this decision．He was driven towards her by the heat in his blood．
He thought he would go and see his family．In less than five months he would have finished his studies here． After a few more months on other farms， he would be ready to start farming himself． Shouldn't a farmer's wife be a woman who understood farming？
He rode along the narrow road towards Emminster and his parents’ house． His eyes were looking， not at the road， but at next year． He loved her： ought he to marry her？ What would his mother and brothers say？ What would he himself say two years after the wedding？
As he rode into the village， he saw a group of young girls waiting outside the church． Walking quickly to join them was Miss Mercy Chant， only daughter of his father's neighbour．His parents quietly hoped Angel would marry Mercy one day． She was very good at giving Bible classes， but in Angel's mind was the face of the pretty milkmaid who hardly ever thought of God．
His family were delighted，though surprised，to see him．Angel was glad to be at home，and yet he did not feel so much part of the family as he used to． His father's religious belief was very strict， but he was a kind， honest man， and fond of his sons． However， he would have been shocked to know of the pagan pleasure in nature and pretty womanhood experienced by Angel． His mother shared his father's religious views and helped in his church work． His brothers seemed rather unimaginative and narrow…minded， although they were both well educated：they felt that anybody outside the Church or university could not be respected．
As he walked with his brothers， Angel felt that， however lucky they were to have a university education， neither of them really saw life as it was lived． They thought farming was a poor man's job， not suitable for a gentleman． Angel felt all the more determined to keep to his choice．
In the evening he spoke to his father alone after prayers． Mr Clare told his son he had been saving the money he would have spent on his university education for him． This encouraged Angel to ask his father what sort of wife a farmer needed．
‘A really Christian woman． Nothing else matters．For example，my neighbour Dr Chant…’
‘But isn't the main thing that she should be able to milk cows，churn good butter， value animals and direct farm workers？’
Mr Clare had clearly never thought of this before．
‘Yes，yes， certainly． But I was going to say that you will never find a purer woman than Mercy Chant． Your mother and I would be very happy if you…’
‘Yes，yes，Mercy is good， I know．But，father，don't you think that one who is just as good and pure，and who understands farm life as well as the farmer， would be much better？’
After much discussion Angel got down to details．He explained he had met a woman who was ideally suited to be a farmer's wife， who went to church reqularly， who was honest， sensitive， intelligent， graceful， pure as snow， and extremely beautiful．
‘Is she of a good family， like Mercy？’ asked his surprised mother， who had come in during the conversation．
‘She is not what we call a lady，’ said Angel firmly．‘ She is a cottager's daughter．What's the advantage of good family to me？ My wife will have to work hard and manage with very little money．’
‘Mercy is educated． That has its charm，’ said his mother，looking at him through her silver glasses．
‘I shall help her with her reading． She will learn fast． She's full of poetry， real poetry． She lives what poets only write．And she is a good Christian girl． I'm sure you'll v