"
"What is the matter at home?"
"Mother is took very bad, and the doctor says she's dying, and as
father is not very well neither, and says 'tis wrong for a man of
such a high family as his to slave and drave at common labouring
work, we don't know what to do."
Tess stood in reverie a long time before she thought of asking
'Liza-Lu to come in and sit down. When she had done so, and 'Liza-Lu
was having some tea, she came to a decision. It was imperative that
she should go home. Her agreement did not end till Old Lady-Day, the
sixth of April, but as the interval thereto was not a long one she
resolved to run the risk of starting at once.
To go that night would be a gain of twelve-hours; but her sister
was too tired to undertake such a distance till the morrow. Tess
ran down to where Marian and Izz lived, informed them of what had
happened, and begged them to make the best of her case to the farmer.
Returning, she got Lu a supper, and after that, having tucked the
younger into her own bed, packed up as many of her belongings as
would go into a withy basket, and started, directing Lu to follow
her next morning.
L
She plunged into the chilly equinoctial darkness as the clock struck
ten, for her fifteen miles' walk under the steely stars.
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