But
his opponent began to think better of the matter. He looked anew at
Tess as he passed her, and said to Clare--
"I beg pardon, sir; 'twas a complete mistake. I thought she was
another woman, forty miles from here."
Clare, feeling then that he had been too hasty, and that he was,
moreover, to blame for leaving her standing in an inn-passage, did
what he usually did in such cases, gave the man five shillings to
plaster the blow; and thus they parted, bidding each other a pacific
good night. As soon as Clare had taken the reins from the ostler,
and the young couple had driven off, the two men went in the other
direction.
"And was it a mistake?" said the second one.
"Not a bit of it. But I didn't want to hurt the gentleman's
feelings--not I."
In the meantime the lovers were driving onward.
"Could we put off our wedding till a little later?" Tess asked in a
dry dull voice. "I mean if we wished?"
"No, my love. Calm yourself. Do you mean that the fellow may have
time to summon me for assault?" he asked good-humouredly.
"No--I only meant--if it should have to be put off."
What she meant was not very clear, and he directed her to dismiss
such fancies from her mind, which she obediently did as well as she
could.
Pages:
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347