D

Tessstillstoodhesitatinglikeaswimmerabouttomakehisdive,hardlyknowingwhethertoreturnormoveforward,whenafigurecameoutfromthedarkdoorofthetent.Itwasatallyoungman,smoking.

Hehadanalmostblackface,thoughredandsmooth.Hismoustachewasblackwithcurledpoints,thoughhecouldnotbemorethantwenty-threeor-four.Therewasallunusualforceinhisface,andinhisdaringrollingeyes.

“Well,mybeauty,whatcanIdoforyou?”saidhe,comingforward.Andseeingthatshewasquiteataloss:“Nevermindme,IamMr.d’Urbervilles.Haveyoucometoseemeormymother”

ThisdifferedgreatlyfromwhatTesshadexpected.Shehaddreamedofanagedanddignifiedface.Shetriedtokeepcalmandanswered-“Icametoseeyourmother,sir.”

“Iamafraidyoucannotseeher-sheisillinbed,”repliedtherepresentativeofthehouse;forthiswasMr.Alec,theonlysonofthenoblefamily.“Whatisthebusinessyouwishtoseeherabout?”

“Itisn’tbusiness-itis-Icanhardlysaywhat.”

“Pleasure”

“Ohno.Why,sir,ifItellyou,itwillseem…”

Tess’ssenseofacertainridiculewasnowsostrongthatdespitehergeneraldiscomfortatbeinghere,herrosylipscurved（弯曲）towardsasmile,muchtotheattractionoftheyoungman.

“Itissofoolish,”shestammered（结结巴巴地说）;“IfearIcan’ttellyou”

“Nevermind;Ilikefoolishthings.Tryagain,mydear,”saidhekindly.

“Motheraskedmetocome,”Tesscontinued,“and,indeed,Iwasinthemindtodosomyself. ButIdidnotthinkitwouldbelikethis.Icame,sir,totellyouthatweareofthesamefamilyasyou.”

“Ho!Poorrelations!”

“Yes.”

“Stokes”

“No;d’Urbervilles.”

“Ay,ay;Imeand’Urbervilles.”

“OurnamesarewornawaytoDurbeyfield;butwehaveseveralproofsthatweared’Urbervilles.Thelocalscholarsholdtheviewthatweare,…and…andwehaveanoldseal（印章）andasilverspoonmarkedwiththesamecastleasyours.Somothersaidweoughttomakeourselvesknowntoyou,aswe’velostourhorsebyabadaccident;wecanhardlymakealiving.”

“Verykindofyourmother,I’msure.”AleclookedatTessashespoke,inawaythatmadeheruneasy.”Andso,myprettygirl,you’vecomeonafriendlyvisittous,asrelations.”

“IsupposeIhave,”lookinglessconfidentanduncomforta