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Tess of the D’Urbervilles Chapter XVIII

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TessOriginalCoverIn Chapter XVII Tess milks some cows and finds Angel Clare under a cow, milking it, of course.

In Chapter XVIII we learn about Angel, as I kinda predicted we might.

Before I continue I want to say that I’m not really liking Angel that much, even though I know that I’m supposed to.  I’ve heard a little too much about the book, and the book is too tragic for this to go well and so I’m assuming the worst.  Subsequently, I’m suspicious of Angel and even though he’s written as a good man, I’m skeptical.

Angel’s father is a parson, as are his two older brothers, and his father expected he would also become a parson.  However, Angel was not interested in taking this route, I’ll talk about the reasons why later.  Anyway, when Angel told his father he would not be going into this field his father refused to send him to Cambridge.  Now Angel is working on building up other useful skills that he can take to the colonies or America.

So, why doesn’t Angel want to go the religious route?  Well it seems he doesn’t believe in the text enough and would rather see a more liberal, forgiving interpretation.

Here is what he tells his father, “I should like to say, once for all, that I should prefer not to take Orders. I fear I could not conscientiously do so. I love the church as one loves a parent. I shall always have the warmest affection for her. There is no institution for whose history I have a deeper admiration; but I cannot honestly be ordained her minister, as my brothers are, while she refuses to liberate her mind from an untenable redemptive theolatry.”

He later tells his father, “My whole instinct in matters of religion is towards reconstruction: to quote your favorite Epistle to the Hebrews, ‘the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.”

It sounds as though this caused a rift between Angel and his father, more then the refusal to send Angel to Cambridge.  Angel seems to end up floating around for a while educating himself, living in different places and now at 26 was learning farming.  He thought it would provide a living and allow him the opportunity to continue educating himself.  He sounds like a bit of a book worm and not over ambitious.

But he does seem to be a good person, the kind of guy I should be falling in love with.  Angel lives in a loft of the dairy house, he’s arranged it to have a bedroom area and a sitting area.  A nice place for him to hide while reading or studying music.  After a while he eventually decides to hang out with Mr. and Mrs. Crick and the dairymen and woman who eat with the family.

One day at breakfast, a few days after Tess arrived, Angel is sitting at his special table by himself in the corner when he, for the first time, hears Tess’ fluty voice.

He hears her saying that she knows souls can go outside of your body while you’re alive.  This comment goes over like a lead balloon.  Mr. Crick gives her the look of death and she explains that you can lie outside on a stary night and soon find you are miles away above your body. After realizing that everyone is a bit freaked out by her statement, she backtracks and says it was just a thought.

Angel thinks to himself, “What a fresh and virginal daughter of Nature that milkmaid is.” I guess it’s safe to say that for all his experience in life he’s a bit naive. And then it hits him, he’s seen her before, he not entirely sure when or where.  But, he likes this woman.

And I think in this moment, he finally redeems himself to me.  I’m still waiting for the the next bit of tragedy, but for now, I think I’ll like the next few chapters.

Crissy

Tess of the D’Urbervilles Chapter XVII

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TessOriginalCoverIn Chapter XVI Tess travels in the month of May from her home of Marlott to Egdon to start her new life as a milkmaid.

In Chapter XVII I learn way more about milking cows then I ever needed to know, which isn’t really all that much.  As for Tess, she meets Dairyman Dick (AKA Mister Richard Crick), the owner of the farm.  She quickly gets to work milking cows, no rest for the weary here!

We learn that Richard Crick is religious and he does milk some of the more difficult cows himself.  He does seem to be a bit reticent at first since Tess obviously hasn’t spent much time outside, but she wins him over.  She quickly settles in and is already feeling comfortable in this new life.

There are nearly 100 men and woman on the farm milking cows.  When the cows seem to be withholding their milk they will sing, which starts a conversation about who enjoys singing more.  Bulls or cows? This naturally gets one of the men to tell a story about a man who was chased by a bull and only got away by singing to the bull.

Of course one man is skeptical of the story, a new milkman who is quite slow, plays a fiddle and is called, “sir.”  Tess recognizes his nicer clothing and his breeding before she recognizes him.  He’s none other then the man she had seen at the May Day Dance a few years ago, Angel.  The one who didn’t dance with her.  He doesn’t seem to recognize her now either.

After milking is over the other girls comment that Tess is pretty.  But it’s implied they are picking up on much more then beauty, perhaps her natural sexuality?

Off in the dairyhouse, Tess will be sharing a room with 3 other girls.  While Tess is drifting off to sleep she overhears one of them talking about Mr. Angel Clare.  His father and brothers are parsons.  Instead of also being a Parson, he seems to be running around England learning different trades, in this case he’s learning about milking, and we’re left to think there is a reason for this that will be revealed later.  The last bit of information we learn about Angel is that he keeps to himself, or at least keeps his distance from the woman.

If the book was written in a different time and had a different purpose, I would wonder if he is gay.  I’m kidding.

Chapter XVIII

Crissy

Tess of the D’Urbervilles Chapter XVI

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TessOriginalCoverIn Chapter XV several months have passed and Tess accepts an offer to be a milkmaid in Talbothays. Tess is hopeful for her future, and my book induced depression is subsiding.

In Chapter XVI we find out a few years have actually passed and Tess is now 20.  It’s May and she’s headed to Egdon via Stourcastle, which is in the opposite direction of Trantridge.  The journey takes most of the day, and all of the chapter.  Not too much happens in this chapter, instead it sets the scene for this third phase of Tess.

The narrator tells us that she’s sad to go, but also knows it’s the best choice for her and the family.  Although they will feel the loss of her at first, they will adjust to the new normal and Tess believes it will likely improve their fate by removing her bad example from the household.  How sad is that?

So, the area that she is going to is an area that she has never been to, it seems to be a bit harder to travel to this area from Marlott and out of the sphere of influence for them. But she does feel connected to this area, perhaps because she’s passing the burial place of her ancestors, the real d’Urbervilles.   At this she recognizes that she is only part d’Urberville. She got her beauty from her mother, but her spirit from her father.

The other thing we learn about in this chapter is about Egdon.  The area is quite different from Marlott.  It’s a much larger area, and the farms are much larger here.  Its strikes me that Marlott is mostly a small self sustaining village and Egdon is more of an “industrial” farm town.

And so the chapter ends with Tess arriving in Egdon just as it’s time to milk the cows.

If you’re wondering where this is in England, it’s south of Bath.

HardysWessex

Crissy

Tess of the D’Urbervilles Chapter XV

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TessOriginalCoverIn Chapter XIV we move ahead to August, shortly after Tess has the son of Alec.  Sorrow passes away in the chapter, about a week after he was born.  I was initially depressed reading the chapter, but after my second read through and writing the post about it I develop hatred for Thomas Hardy and Sir John.  At least Thomas Hardy was a real person…

Chapter 15 starts with Tess still depressed, going through the motions, and thinking about milestones – such as her debasement, her birthday, her babies birth and death.  Then she starts thinking about the date she doesn’t know, her death.

Shockingly, things start to get better.  She realizes over the months that she needs to move on.  Whether true or just in her head, she doesn’t see herself as having a life in Marlott, with everyone knowing her past.

She also contemplates if her chastity was truly lost, or if she could regain it.  An interesting thought by her and extremely progressive for the time.  Obviously she’ll never physically be a virgin again, but if she was raped would you say she’s lost her chastity?  Even in 2013 we would say that a person who was raped was not a virgin.  We would differentiate them from someone who willingly had sex, but in well over 100 years since Tess was written we haven’t come that far.

It’s also mentioned that Tess has been making clothes for her siblings from cloth sent by d’Urberville.  It’s implied she never uses it for herself and she has never reached out to him.  But I think it does speak to Alec’s guilt.

In May Joan receives a letter from a friend saying that a milkmaid was needed for the summer months in her town many miles to the south.  Joan has finally accepted and respected Tess’ position and had sought out this job.  She also finally stopped dreaming and talking of their ancestors.

The dairy is in Talbothays, not too far from the former estates of the d’Urbervilles, near the family vaults.  The chapters ends of a high note:

“She would be able to look at them, and to think not only that d’Urberville, like Babylon, had fallen, but that the individual innocence of a humble descendant could lapse as silently.  All the while she wondered if any strange good thing might come to her being in her ancestral land; and some spirit within her rose automatically as the sap in the twigs. It was unexpanded youth, surging up anew after its temporary check, and bringing with it hope, and the invincible instinct towards self-delight.”

And this concludes Phase the Second.  Phase the Third is titled, “The Rally” and that title alone gives me more hope.

Crissy

Tess of the D’Urbervilles Chapter XIV

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TessOriginalCoverIn Chapter XIII, Tess is so depressed that I’m depressed too.

In Chapter XIV, that condition is made worse and I wonder if I can continue on…

It’s now August in Marlott village and time for harvest.  The men are running the reaping machines through the corn fields and the woman are behind them binding the corn.  There are pages and pages describing this, containing many metaphors about woman being part of the earth and it’s impact on sexuality.  Is this what happens when you can’t write about sex outright, you imply it in every sentence instead?

Tess is apparently seducing attention by not seeking it out.  I’m guessing like a woman playing hard to get, except she’s probably actually hard to get, due to her circumstances.  And on to her circumstances, she is in the fields today, and often glancing up at the hill.  What you wonder is up the hill these many months later?  Her son.  Yup, Tess is now 17 and a mother.  And yes, she is breastfeeding.  Sorry, had to throw that one in there since Hardy did first.

Tess has this pull where she hates the child for what it represents, but loves it more then that.  And this emotion is not lost on her neighbors, who seem to know a bit of what had happened to her in Tantridge and seem to pity her more then shame her.  I was starting to feel some hope at this point.  Even though this child left Tess conflicted and would likely grow up tarnished, I felt hope in it.  Even Tess is having a good time by the end of the day.

Later that night the child is sick.  Really? Hardy, you could only give me a page of happiness before drawing me back to misery?

It seems the baby had always been small and frail.  As I read this part I’m wondering if the self induced stress of Tess during the pregnancy was part of the reason for the child being so sickly.  Then I realize that they didn’t have this research in Hardy’s time and TESS AND THE BABY AREN’T REAL and Hardy is just a bastard (poor choice of words?)

But, he’s not the only pissing me off now.  Yes, Sir John has made another appearance, returned from Rolliver’s Inn.  He refuses to let the local parson into the house when he comes to check on the sick child.  Why you ask? He’s self righteous and doesn’t want to add to the families shame.  But if you ask me the prick only adds to it.

The child is still quite young and Tess had not had him baptized yet, and Sir John has turned away the last proper chance to let that happen.  Fucker!

As Tess tries to sleep all she can imagine is her child going to hell – both illegitimate and not baptized.  In desperation, she wakes her siblings in the middle of the night to perform a baptism of the child.

“SORROW, I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Ghost.”

In the morning after Sorrow had passed, Tess feels a bit more at peace, having baptized her son.  She knows that he will either be accepted in heaven or she does not value the world that would not accept him into heaven.

Tess seeks out the parson, asking if her child could have a christian burial.  He doesn’t want to, the baptism wasn’t right by his standard.

Let me just say that I attended CCD until I was Confirmed, I didn’t learn much.  Mostly because I didn’t try, but I distinctly remember learning about baptism and anyone can do it anywhere!  Take that Parson Stick Up Your Ass!

In the end he agrees to let the child be buried in the cemetery, in the corner where the other undesirables are buried (unbaptized infants, drunkards, suicides, etc).

The chapter ends this way, “Tess bravely made a little cross of two laths and a piece of string, and having bound it with flowers, she stuck it up at the head of the grave one evening when she could enter the churchyard without being seen, putting at the foot also a bunch of the same flowers in a little jar of water to keep them alive.  What matter was it that on the outside of the jar the eye of mere observation noted the words ‘Keelwell’s Marmalade’? The eye of maternal affection did not see them in its vision of higher things.”

I’m left with two thoughts, what is Hardy getting at with the Keelwell’s Marmalade?  I did a little research and it’s a popular topic with lots of different theories.  So many that I can’t wrap my brain around it.  I may have to revisit this point later.

My other thought is, how much worse can this get?  Because, if it gets worse, I might have to stop reading this book and that would be rude to you readers. Fine, I’ll continue reading!

Crissy

Tess of the D’Urbervilles Chapter XIII

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TessOriginalCoverIn Chapter XII we learn that the “rape” may have been more of  taking advantage of a young innocent woman instead of a forceable rape.  We also learn that Joan has terrible parenting skills.  And we see the scene where the lines warning Ana of Christian came from.

I had to read Chapter 13 a couple times to get it, it’s short and full of Hardy describing Tess’ state upon her return with no real progress to the story. It’s actually taken a few days to want to spend the time to get to know this chapter and write about it.

Word that Tess was home had spread pretty quickly and several of Tess’ friends had come over to find out what had happened with her 31st cousin.  It seems the talk is that her cousin had fallen in love with her, and he was known as being a bit of a heartbreaker.  The talk of the ladies is that he bought her the beautiful dress she was wearing and they were a bit envious of her experience at being courted.  Joan is loving it and is already plotting how she can use this to get her daughter married off.  Yet, I can’t help but think that Tess will die an old maid.

Tess did get caught up in the moment that night, even starting to think and act like it had been a great experience.  You remember that time in your youth when you know you have more experience then your friends and they’ll be coming to you for experience.

But after that night her mood drops and she becomes depressed.  After a few weeks she managed to pull herself together enough to go to church.  While at church Psalm 102 is sang, it’s a depressing Psalm, “a prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the lord.” Without knowing what it is she connects with it.  Then she notices the woman peak at her and whisper, she knew they were talking about her.  That was her last trip to church.

Hardy goes on to spend 2 more pages explaining her self imposed guilt and depression.  She doesn’t go out, and when she does it’s only at times and places when she knows she wont see anyone.

This chapter is flat out depressing, I hope something better happens in Chapter XIV.

Crissy

Tess of the D’Urbervilles Chapter XII

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TessOriginalCoverIn Chapter XI Thomas Hardy messes with my head.  He makes Alec likable (at times) and then he rapes Tess.  Fucker!

We’re now entering the second phase of Tess: Maiden No More and I’m sad. The title is “Maiden No More” the sad bit is my own mood entering this phase.  In Chapter XII I find myself having an inner struggle, damn you Thomas Hardy!

It’s now late October and Tess has made an early morning run for home on a Sunday morning, effectively sneaking out of the d’Uberville’s.  But, she’s busted by Alec.

Her mood since the rape is changed, depressed and shamed for what she thinks she allowed to happen.  When Alec finds her he’s a bit mad at her and tells her he would have let her leave, and that he would have assisted her in going home. That is at least part of the reason he went after her, to help get her home. She does allow him to do this, no longer afraid of what he could do to her.

On the ride they discuss how Tess came to end up in Tantridge (where the poultry farm is) and while she never says why, it’s obvious that he had always thought it was because she was interested in him.  Which it seems he only now realizes wasn’t the case. But I think her comment is interesting,

“Tis quite true. If I had gone for love o’ you, if I had ever sincerely loved you, if I loved you still, I should not so loathe and hate myself for my weakness as I do now! … My eyes were dazed by you for a little, and that was all.”

This confirms my early suspicion that she had been a little smitten by him at first and also shows the rape was not a violent rape.  It was more of taking advantage of a young inexperienced girl in a time of need. And since she stayed around for a few weeks, I’m thinking this isn’t just about one night, but the level of consent that Tess might have given.

And for what it’s worth Alec is contrite. Yes, he has some excuses for his behavior.  But he also knows he did wrong and did ruin whatever was between them. He seems to want to do the right thing.  He never offers marriage, but he certainly does want to take care of her.  I wonder if he doesn’t offer marriage because of the class difference or because he knows she will say no?

He does offer that if she needs anything to contact him, that he would be in London, but would be getting his mail.  So if she ends up pregnant she should send a letter and he’ll send money?  It’s a depressing goodbye, even under these circumstances.  Tess seems dead inside and Alec feels the weight of that, knowing that it is not her fault and having no words to change that.  Even though I probably shouldn’t, I feel bad for Alec.  He fucked up a woman he cared for and is powerless to change what he did or fix things going forward.  It seems he might be running away too.

As Tess finishes the walk home she runs across an artisan who is painting scripture on signs.

“THY, DAMNATION, SLUMBERETH, NOT.”

“And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.”

“THOU, SHALT, NOT COMMIT-”

“This invocation starts the seventh of the The Commandments; Thou shalt not commit adultery.”

Tess doesn’t take this well and it only adds to her guilt and shame.  Tess tries to engage a conversation, only to be told to seek out the preacher Mr. Clare in town.

When she arrives home her mother is shocked and surprised.  Once Tess explains the circumstances, Joan is, shall we say, unsupportive.  This is now about what Tess should have done for the family – obviously marrying Alec.  Never mind that Tess had already given up 4 months of her life because she killed the horse that her father was supposed to be driving, but was too drunk to.  Yes, good parenting skills Joan!

As she’s processing this we get more insight into the relationship between Tess and Alec:

She had dreaded him, winced before him, succumbed to adroit advantages he took of her helplessness; then, temporarily blinded by his ardent manners, had been stirred to confused surrender awhile: had suddenly despised and disliked him, and had run away. 

And Mom tells her, “You ought to have been more careful if you didn’t mean to get him to make you his wife!”  Thanks Mom!

But Tess is a strong woman and delivers the line you’ve been waiting for:

How could I be expected to know? I was a child when I left this house four months ago. Why didn’t you tell me there was danger in men-folk? Why didn’t you warn me? Ladies know what to fend against, because they read novels that tell them of these tricks; but I never had the chance o’ learning in that way, and you did not help me!

GreyWarn_2172

Joan gets this and admits she did not warn Tess because she did not want Tess to be too careful. In other words, she didn’t want to scare her off from Alec because she was hoping they would marry, heartwarming…

Chapter XII

Crissy

Tess of the D’Urbervilles Chapter XI

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TessOriginalCoverIn Chapter X we left with Tess jumping out of the fying-pan an into the fire, or onto Alec’s horse.

In Chapter XI Thomas Hardy pisses me off! Even though I know what is to happen with Alec, Hardy makes him likable, at times.  Gee thanks!

Alec and Tess are riding along and Tess is having mixed emotions.  On the one hand she’s happy to be away from the Queens of Spades and Diamonds and on the other hand, she’s with Alec. As they ride, Alec asks why Tess does not like his kisses and she explains that she is not in love with him and he makes her angry. And further that she is not able to truly express this given her circumstances there.

Meanwhile, enjoying having Tess close to him, Alec does not go straight to Tess’ cottage. Instead he takes some different trails and gets them completely lost.

It’s near 1:00 AM, Tess is exhausted and falling asleep so Alec stops the horse and tries to adjust the way they are sitting.  He claims to her it’s to keep her from falling, but it’s also so he can hold her. This of course leads to a bit of an argument between the two: Alec insisting he was being polite, which is partially true.  But he also says he loves her and that he’s tired of being snubbed and trifled with for months.  See, I start to feel a little bad for Alec, that whole unrequited love thing is terrible. Tess felt bad too and submits to being held by Alec.

After a bit Tess realizes they are lost, or at least not on the trail back to her cottage. Alec makes no lies about this, but explains that he is prolonging their time together.  Tess is naturally pissed off and insists on getting off the horse.  STAY ON THE HORSE GIRL!

He stops and explains that they are a bit lost, it’s foggy and he’ll allow her off provided she allows him to go off and figure out where they are.  She agrees to stay behind with the horse while he goes searching for the road.

Oh, but one thing before he goes.  Alec tells her he sent a horse to her father and toys to her siblings, leaving Tess with mixed emotions and she starts to cry.  On the one hand she’s grateful, but she’s afraid of what it might mean.  Before he leaves he also gives Tess his coat to keep her warm, see the man does have manners at times.  DAMN YOU THOMAS HARDY!  I want to hate him for manipulating her, but I also think he genuinely likes her and wants to take care of her.  The feeling doesn’t last too long.

Alec truly is lost and gets lost while searching for the road and his way back to Tess. Meanwhile, Tess falls asleep, as does her guardian angel. When Alec returns he practically stumbles over her and what perhaps starts as a tender moment watching her sleep turns into her debasement/rape.

Written in true Victorian style, you need to read deep (or twice with a peak that the next section is called “Maiden No More”).  Ok, we are given a description of the rape in 3 pages of writing. “Doubtless some of Tess d’Urberville’s mailed ancestors rollicked home from a fray had dealt the same measure even more ruthlessly towards peasant girls of their time.” Well at least we know he wasn’t a complete barbarian.

I think what feelings on this chapter are best expressed by saying that I read it before going to bed with the intention of writing in the morning. Instead I had had to write about this chapter in the middle of the night because I couldn’t sleep.  DAMN YOU ALEC!

Chapter XII

Crissy

Tess of the D’Urbervilles Chapter X

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TessOriginalCoverIn Chapter IX we left off with Tess settling into life at the farm.  Her being dependent on Mrs. d’Urberville, who was dependent on Alec.  And Alec creeps around spying on Tess while trying to softener her up to him.

In Chapter X we move ahead a few month to September.  Tess has begun going out on Saturday nights with the other members of the working class.  It’s slipped in here that marriages happen young (though not at 16 years old).  So on Saturday nights Tess walks the 2 or 3 miles to the decayed market-town of Chaseborough to hang out with those who choose to drink and dance and then sleep off the night on Sundays.

On this particular night Tess is waiting for her friends to finish up before walking home, she does this every week as it’s a long walk late at night.  But on this particular night she’s waiting a bit longer then she would like and runs into Alec, not once, but twice.  She’s particularly cautious tonight because their was a fair in town, so more unfamiliar men around the area.  I read each word dreading what might happen tonight.

But Tess still is not a fan of Alec, still bitter and mistrusting from the ride from her home.  She declines his offer to take her home and continues to wait for her friends. Finally, at 11:15 the group start the walk home.

While walking we meet Car and Nancy Darch the “Queen of Spades” and “Queen of Diamonds.” Car it seems has fallen out of favor of the d’Urbervilles and has had a bit too much to drink (so has everyone else in the group). Tess is not impressed with the drinking, having learned its dangers from her parents, but continues on.  During the walk treacle (syrup) spills onto Car (it was in a basket on her head), and she tries getting it off by rubbing her back in a field.  As you might expect, everyone laughs, including Tess.

The Queen of Spades didn’t take this so well, but managed to keep a certain level of decorum, or NOT.  She got in Tess’ face and called her a “hussy.” She then started ripping off part of her own bodice, “till she had bared her plump neck, shoulders, and arms to the moonshine.” That folks, is the dangers of drinking, because today the only thing you have covering your breasts is your bra and not the 80 layers of underclothing they wore back then.

The mood quickly went downhill from the near stripping by Car, and now all the ladies were ganging up on Tess.  When the men tried to defend her it only added to the berating of Tess.   Tess is now indignant and ashamed and wants nothing more then to get the hell out of there.

And who do you guess overheard part of this?  Yes, Alec d’Urberville.  He rides in on his horse to rescue her. I’m pretty sure it’s not a white horse, not even tonight.  When he offers her a ride and without any real thought, she jumped on behind him and off they went.

Behind them they left the group laughing when Car’s mother comments, “out of the frying-pan into the fire.”

Oh Tess!

Chapter XI

Crissy

Tess of the D’Urbervilles Chapter IX

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Tess_2173In Chapter VIII we left off with Alec manipulating kisses out of Tess and Tess effectively shutting him down.

Now settling into her new job at the poultry farm we learn that the cottage at the farm has essentially been turned into a chicken/hen coop.  And this is where Tess was to live, sounds great!  Actually, the house before being a chicken coop sounded nice.  Living with animals though, well that could be interesting.

And we do finally get to meet Mrs. d’Urberville who is blind, around 60 years old and loves her chickens. Mrs. d’Urberville proceeds to have her morning ritual of checking the cocks and hens with her hands.  We also find out that she likes to have her animals whistled tunes too.

In this first meeting between Tess and Mrs. d’Urberville there is no indication that Mrs. d’Urberville is aware of the family connection.  And we also find out that she’s not a big fan of her son, she’s “bitterly fond” of him.  Why does none of this surprise me?  Mrs. d’Urberville seems ok, she’s obviously involved in the household, but I’m guessing she’s not overly involved in her sons life.

As I was expecting, Tess and Alec do meet again, while Tess is practicing her whistling.  A couple things stick out from this brief meeting.  First, Alec mockingly calls Tess “cousin,” this is not a surprise to the reader who knows they are not cousins and we are given no indication if Tess picks up on it.  Though I think she’s already suspicious that they are not cousins.

And so she starts to settle in, I like Hardy’s description of this:

A familiarity with Alec d’Urberville’s presence-which the young man carefully cultivated in her by playful dialogue, and by jestingly calling her his cousin when they were alone-removed much of her original shyness of him without, however, implanting any feeling which could engender shyness of a new and tenderer kind. But she was more pliable under his hands then a mere companionship would have made her, owing to the her unavoidable dependence upon his mother, and, through that lady’s comparative helplessness, upon him.

And it appears Alec is creepying around spying on her.

Chapter X

Crissy