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Tess of the D'Urbervilles

By THOMAS HARDY Condensation by RUTH McCALL "GOOD morning, Sir John." The bewilderment of a dusty, threadbare peddler thus addressed was speedily converted into a majestic pride upon learning that he, John Durbeyfield of Marlott, was actually a lineal descendant of the noble family of D'Urberville.

And no sooner had Joan, his handsome, shallow-minded wife, the easy-going mother of his many children, heard of her exalted estate than her romantic soul began secretly to devise a brilliant and fitting alliance for her beautiful young daughter. To which end Tess was artfully prevailed upon to seek work in a wealthy upstart family of the same illustrious name. And so the innocent child, whose single-minded desire was to mend the broken fortunes of her family, became poultrykeeper for a blind old woman of spurious title and ultimate prey for her son, a dissolute wretch, young Alec D'Urberville. After a while back to Marlott came the disillusioned girl, where she lived in a gray seclusion until her wizened little baby's death. But after several bitter years of heart-searching, Tess determined to leave home again--this time to be dairymaid at Talbothays, a large, fertile farm in the valley of the Great Dairies. And here, too, was a young man, the youngest son of a stern and zealous divine of the old school. Angel Clare had sadly disappointed his father, first by nonconformist views and then by sincere scruples against taking orders. So now, in process of becoming gentleman farmer, he was specializing at various farms. Cultured, idealistic, sympathetic, he seemed to Tess a demigod, and though she had sworn herself to celibacy, the enforced propinquity ripened into intimacy and drifted into love. Together they went afield in the wondrous dewy dawns and the warm summer afternoons found them making butter and cheese in the cool, white dairy-house. The birds sang for them and for them the stars shone, and the whole verdant valley, teeming with richness and increase, gave up its odorous vapors. Young, happy, pagan-hearted, the universe was theirs. Her quick mind grew in contact with his, and her warm, rich voice lost its country speech and unconsciously adopted his cultured accents.