Chapter 552.docx

1、Chapter 552Chapter 55At eleven oclock that night, having secured a bed at one of the hotels and telegraphed his address to his father immediately on his arrival, he walked out into the streets of Sandbourne. It was too late to call on or inquire for any one, and he reluctantly postponed his purpose

2、till the morning. But he could not retire to rest just yet.This fashionable watering-place, with its eastern and its western stations, its piers, its groves of pines, its promenades, and its covered gardens, was, to Angel Clare, like a fairy place suddenly created by the stroke of a wand, and allowe

3、d to get a little dusty. An outlying eastern tract of the enormous Egdon Waste was close at hand, yet on the very verge of that tawny piece of antiquity such a glittering novelty as this pleasure city had chosen to spring up. Within the space of a mile from its outskirts every irregularity of the so

4、il was prehistoric, every channel an undisturbed British trackway; not a sod having been turned there since the days of the Czars. Yet the exotic had grown here, suddenly as the prophets gourd; and had drawn hither Tess.By the midnight lamps he went up and down the winding ways of this new world in

5、an old one, and could discern between the trees and against the stars the lofty roofs, chimneys, gazebos, and towers of the numerous fanciful residences of which the place was composed. It was a city of detached mansions; a Mediterranean lounging-place on the English Channel; and as seen now by nigh

6、t it seemed even more imposing than it was.The sea was near at hand, but not intrusive; it murmured, and he thought it was the pines; the pines murmured in precisely the same tones, and he thought they were the sea.Where could Tess possibly be, a cottage-girl, his young wife, amidst all this wealth

7、and fashion? The more he pondered the more was he puzzled. Were there any cows to milk here? There certainly were no fields to till. She was most probably engaged to do something in one of these large houses; and he sauntered along, looking at the chamber-windows and their lights going out one by on

8、e; and wondered which of them might be hers.Conjecture was useless, and just after twelve oclock he entered and went to bed. Before putting out his light he re-read Tesss impassioned letter. Sleep, however, he could not, - so near her, yet so far from her - and he continually lifted the window-blind

9、 and regarded the backs of the opposite houses, and wondered behind which of the sashes she reposed at that moment.He might almost as well have sat up all night. In the morning he arose at seven, and shortly after went out, taking the direction of the chief post-office. At the door he met an intelli

10、gent postman coming out with letters for the morning delivery.Do you know the address of a Mrs Clare? asked Angel.The postman shook his head.Then, remembering that she would have been likely to continue the use of her maiden name, Clare said-Or a Miss Durbeyfield?Durbeyfield?This also was strange to

11、 the postman addressed.Theres visitors coming and going every day, as you know, sir, he said; and without the name of the house tis impossible to find em.One of his comrades hastening out at that moment, the name was repeated to him.I know no name of Durbeyfield; but there is the name of dUrberville

12、 at The Herons, said the second.Thats it! cried Clare, pleased to think that she had reverted to the real pronunciation. What place is The Herons?A stylish lodging-house. Tis all lodging-houses here, bless ee.Clare received directions how to find the house, and hastened thither, arriving with the mi

13、lkman. The Herons, though an ordinary villa, stood in its own grounds, and was certainly the last place in which one would have expected to find lodgings, so private was its appearance. If poor Tess was a servant here, as he feared, she would go to the back-door to that milkman, and he was inclined

14、to go thither also. However, in his doubts he turned to the front, and rang.The hour being early the landlady herself opened the door.Clare inquired for Teresa dUrberville or Durbeyfield.Mrs dUrberville?Yes.Tess, then, passed as a married woman, and he felt glad, even though she had not adopted his

15、name.Will you kindly tell her that a relative is anxious to see her?It is rather early. What name shall I give, sir?Angel.Mr Angel?No; Angel. It is my Christian name. Shell understand.Ill see if she is awake.He was shown into the front room - the dining-room - and looked out through the spring curta

16、ins at the little lawn, and the rhododendrons and other shrubs upon it. Obviously her position was by no means so bad as he had feared, and it crossed his mind that she must somehow have claimed and sold the jewels to attain it. He did not blame her for one moment. Soon his sharpened ear detected fo

17、otsteps upon the stairs, at which his heart thumped so painfully that he could hardly stand firm. Dear me! what will she think of me, so altered as I am! he said to himself; and the door opened.Tess appeared on the threshold - not at all as he had expected to see her - bewilderingly otherwise, indee

18、d. Her great natural beauty was, if not heightened, rendered more obvious by her attire. She was loosely wrapped in a cashmere dressing-gown of gray-white, embroidered in half-mourning tints, and she wore slippers of the same hue. Her neck rose out of a frill of down, and her well-remembered cable o

19、f dark-brown hair was partially coiled up in a mass at the back of her head and partly hanging on her shoulder - the evident result of haste.He had held out his arms, but they had fallen again to his side; for she had not come forward, remaining still in the opening of the doorway. Mere yellow skele

20、ton that he was now he felt the contrast between them, and thought his appearance distasteful to her.Tess! he said huskily, can you forgive me for going away? Cant you - come to me? How do you get to be - like this?It is too late, said she, her voice sounding hard through the room, her eyes shining

21、unnaturally.I did not think rightly of you - I did not see you as you were! he continued to plead. I have learnt to since, dearest Tessy mine!Too late, too late! she said, waving her hand in the impatience of a person whose tortures cause every instant to seem an hour. Dont come close to me, Angel!

22、No - you must not. Keep away.But dont you love me, my dear wife, because I have been so pulled down by illness? You are not so fickle - I am come on purpose for you - my mother and father will welcome you now!Yes - O, yes, yes! But I say, I say it is too late. She seemed to feel like a fugitive in a

23、 dream, who tries to move away, but cannot. Dont you know all - dont you know it? Yet how do you come here if you do not know?I inquired here and there, and I found the way.I waited and waited for you, she went on, her tones suddenly resuming their old fluty pathos. But you did not come! And I wrote

24、 to you, and you did not come! He kept on saying you would never come any more, and that I was a foolish woman. He was very kind to me, and to mother, and to all of us after fathers death. He-I dont understand.He has won me back to him.Clare looked at her keenly, then, gathering her meaning, flagged

25、 like one plague-stricken, and his glance sank; it fell on her hands, which, once rosy, were now white and more delicate.She continued-He is upstairs. I hate him now, because he told me a lie - that you would not come again; and you have come! These clothes are what hes put upon me: I didnt care wha

26、t he did wi me! But - will you go away, Angel, please, and never come any more?They stood fixed, their baffled hearts looking out of their eyes with a joylessness pitiful to see. Both seemed to implore something to shelter them from reality.Ah - it is my fault! said Clare.But he could not get on. Sp

27、eech was as inexpressive as silence. But he had a vague consciousness of one thing, though it was not clear to him till later; that his original Tess had spiritually ceased to recognize the body before him as hers - allowing it to drift, like a corpse upon the current, in a direction dissociated fro

28、m its living will.A few instants passed, and he found that Tess was gone. His face grew colder and more shrunken as he stood concentrated on the moment, and a minute or two after he found himself in the street, walking along he did not know whither. 当晚十一点钟，克莱尔一到桑德波恩，就立即找了一家旅馆，安排好睡觉的地方，打电报把自己的地址告诉了父亲

29、，然后出门走到街上。这时候拜访什么人或打听什么人已经太晚了，他只好无可奈何地把寻找苔丝的事推迟到明天早晨。不过他仍然不肯回去休息。 这是一个东西两头都有火车站的时髦人物常去的海滨胜地，它的突堤、成片的松林、散步的场所、带棚架的花园，在安琪尔克莱尔眼里，就像是用魔杖一挥突然创造出来的神话世界，不过地面上有一层薄薄的沙土。在附近，是广大的一爱一敦荒原东部向外突出的地带，一爱一敦荒原是古老的，然而就在黄褐色的那一部分的边缘，一个辉煌新颖的娱乐城市突然出现了。在它的郊外一英里的范围内，起伏不平的土壤保持着洪荒以来的特点，每一条道路仍然是当年不列颠人踩出来的；自从凯撒时代以来，那儿的土地一寸也没有翻一动

30、过。然而这种外来的风物就像先知的蓖麻一样，已经在这儿生长起来了，并且还 把苔丝吸引到了这儿。 公元前五十五和五十四两年，罗马大将凯撒曾率领部队两次入侵不列颠。 参见圣经约拿书第四章第六节；上帝安排一棵蓖麻，使蓖麻在一日之内长得高过先知约拿，拿影儿遮住他的头，救他脱离苦楚。 这个新世界是从旧世界中诞生出来的，克莱尔借着半夜的街灯，在它蜿蜒曲折的道路上来回走着；他能够在星光里看见掩映在树木中的高一耸的屋顶、烟囱、凉亭和塔楼，因为这个地方是由无数新奇的建筑物组成的。它是一座由独立式大厦构成的城市；是坐落在英吉利海峡上的一处地中海休闲胜地；现在从黑夜里看上去，比平时更加显得雄伟壮观。 大海就在附近，但

31、是没有不谐调的感觉：大海传来阵阵涛声，他听了以为是松林发出的涛声；松林发出的涛声和海涛完全一样，他以为听见的是海涛。 在这座富丽时髦的城市里，他年轻的妻子苔丝、一个乡下姑一娘一，会在什么地方呢？他越是思考，越是疑惑，这儿是不是有一奶一牛需要挤一奶一呢？这儿肯定没有需要耕种的土地。她最大的可能是被某个大户人家雇去干活。他往前走着，瞧着一个个房间的窗户，窗户里的灯光也一个接一个地熄灭了，但是他不知道苔丝究竟在哪一个房间里。 猜想是毫无用处的，十二点刚过，他就回到旅馆，上一床一睡觉了。他在熄灯之前，又把苔丝那封感情热烈的信重新读了一遍。但是，他一点睡意也没有，他离她是这么近，可是又离她那么远他不停地

32、把百叶窗打开，向对面那些房子的背后打量，想知道这时候苔丝睡在哪一个窗户的后面。 整整一个夜晚，他差不多都是坐着度过的。他在第二天早上七点钟就起了一床一，不一会儿就走出旅馆，向邮政总局走去。他在邮政总局门口碰见一个伶俐的邮差，拿着信从邮局走出来，去送早班信。 “你知道一个叫克莱尔夫人的人的地址吗？”安琪尔问。 那个邮差摇了摇头。 克莱尔接着想到她可能还 在继续使用没有结婚以前的姓，又问 “或者一个叫德北菲尔德小一姐的人？” “德北菲尔德？” 这个邮差还 是不知道。 “先生，你知道，观光的人每天有来的也有走的，”他说；“要是不知道他们的住址，你是不可能找到他们的。” 就在那个时候，又有一个邮差急急忙忙从邮局里走出来，克莱尔又向他问了一遍。 “我不知道姓德北菲尔德的；但是有一个姓德贝维尔的，住在苍鹭。”第二个邮差说。 “不错！”克莱尔心想苔丝用了她本来的姓了，心里一喜，大声喊着说。“苍鹭在什么地方？” “苍鹭是一家时髦的公寓。上帝啊，这儿可遍地都