“I didn’t wish to hear it, dearest,” she said proudly.

But to know that things were in train was an immense relief to Tess notwithstanding, who had well-nigh feared that somebody would stand up and forbid the banns on the ground of her history.  How events were favouring her!

“I don’t quite feel easy,” she said to herself.  “All this good fortune may be scourged out of me afterwards by a lot of ill.  That’s how Heaven mostly does.  I wish I could have had common banns!”

But everything went smoothly.  She wondered whether he would like her to be married in her present best white frock, or if she ought to buy a new one.  The question was set at rest by his forethought, disclosed by the arrival of some large packages addressed to her.  Inside them she found a whole stock of clothing, from bonnet to shoes, including a perfect morning costume, such as would well suit the simple wedding they planned.  He entered the house shortly after the arrival of the packages, and heard her upstairs undoing them.

A minute later she came down with a flush on her face and tears in her eyes.

“How thoughtful you’ve been!” she murmured, her cheek upon his shoulder.  “Even to the gloves and handkerchief!  My own love—­how good, how kind!”

“No, no, Tess; just an order to a tradeswoman in London—­nothing more.”

And to divert her from thinking too highly of him, he told her to go upstairs, and take her time, and see if it all fitted; and, if not, to get the village sempstress to make a few alterations.

She did return upstairs, and put on the gown.  Alone, she stood for a moment before the glass looking at the effect of her silk attire; and then there came into her head her mother’s ballad of the mystic robe—­

     That never would become that wife
       That had once done amiss,

which Mrs Durbeyfield had used to sing to her as a child, so blithely and so archly, her foot on the cradle, which she rocked to the tune.  Suppose this robe should betray her by changing colour, as her robe had betrayed Queen Guinevere.  Since she had been at the dairy she had not once thought of the lines till now.

XXXIII

Angel felt that he would like to spend a day with her before the wedding, somewhere away from the dairy, as a last jaunt in her company while there were yet mere lover and mistress; a romantic day, in circumstances that would never be repeated; with that other and greater day beaming close ahead of them.  During the preceding week, therefore, he suggested making a few purchases in the nearest town, and they started together.

Clare’s life at the dairy had been that of a recluse in respect the world of his own class.  For months he had never gone near a town, and, requiring no vehicle, had never kept one, hiring the dairyman’s cob or gig if he rode or drove.  They went in the gig that day.