riding by chance in the direction of Marlott. He had wished to know, finally, in the name of his mother, if Tess could really come to manage the old lady’s fowl-farm or not; the lad who had hitherto superintended the birds having proved untrustworthy. “ Mr. d’Urberville says you must be a good girl if you are at all as you appear; he knows you must be worth your weight in gold. He is very much interested in ’ee—truth to tell.”
Tess seemed for the moment really pleased to hear that she had won such high opinion from a stranger when, in her own esteem, she had sunk so low.
“It is very good of him to think that,” she murmured; “and if I was quite sure how it would be living there, I would go any-when.”
“He is a mighty handsome man!”
“I don’t think so,” said Tess coldly.
“Well, there’s your chance, whether or no; and I’m sure he wears a beautiful diamond ring!”
“Yes,” said little Abraham, brightly, from the window-bench; “and I seed it! and it did twinkle when he put his hand up to his mistarshers. Mother, why did our grand relation keep on putting his hand up to his mistarshers?”
“Hark at that child!” cried Mrs. Durbeyfield, with parenthetic admiration.
“Perhaps to show his diamond ring,” murmured Sir John, dreamily, from his chair.
“I’ll think it over,” said Tess, leaving the room.