Directly Tess was out of sight, and the interest of the matter as a drama was at an end, the little ones' eyes filled with tears. The youngest child said, `I wish poor, poor Tess wasn't gone away to be a lady！' and, lowering the corners of his lips, burst out crying. The new point of view was infectious, and the next child did likewise, and then the next, till the whole three of them wailed loud.

　　There were tears also in Joan Durbeyfield's eyes as she turned to go home. But by the time she had got back to the village she was passively trusting to the favour of accident. However, in bed that night she sighed, and her husband asked her what was the matter.

　　`Oh, I don't know exactly,' she said. `I was thinking that perhaps it would ha' been better if Tess had not gone.'

　　`Oughtn't ye to have thought of that before?'

　　`Well, 'tis a chance for the maid------Still, if 'twere the doing again, I wouldn't let her go till I had found out whether the gentleman is really a good hearted young man and choice over her as his kinswoman.'

　　`Yes, you ought, perhaps, to ha' done that,' snored Sir John.

　　Joan Durbeyfield always managed to find consolation somewhere: `Well, as one of the genuine stock, she ought to make her way with 'en, if she plays her trump card aright. And if he don't marry her afore he will after. For that he's all afire wi' love for her any eye can see.'

　　`What's her trump card? Her d'Urberville blood, you mean?'

　　`No, stupid; her face - as 'twas mine.'

　　在约好动身的那天早上，天还没亮苔丝就醒了——那时候正是黑夜即将天亮的时刻，树林里静偷偷的，只有一只先知先觉的鸟儿在用清脆嘹亮的声音歌唱着，坚信至少自己知道一天的正确时辰，但是其它的鸟儿却保持着沉默，仿佛也同样坚信那只唱歌的鸟儿把时辰叫错了。苔丝一直在楼上收拾行李，到了吃早饭的时候，她才穿着日常穿的衣服走下楼，而她那套最好的服装却仔仔细细地叠好了放在箱子里。