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Tess of the d'Urbervilles Chapter 27
Angel arrives back at Talbothays just as the nap hour of the afternoon is ending and he catches Tess alone downstairs. He hugs her and tells her that he's come back so soon just to see her. He helps Tess skim the milk from the morning and they are alone together. He asks her to marry him and Tess refuses him as she's sworn to herself and Marian, Izz, and Rhetty, that she would although she wants nothing more than to marry Angel. Angel asks if she loves him, and she admits that she does, but she insists that she does not want to be married. He thinks she is just startled or is being coy, although it's unlike her, so he promises to give her time before asking her to marry him again. She tells him that she is too lowly for him and that his parents would be unhappy with her as his wife, which he denies in spite of its truth.
To change the subject, Angel tells Tess about his father's encounter with Alec d'Urberville, and although he does not say the name, Tess knows from his description that Angel is talking about Alec. Angel has no idea that bringing up Alec will only harden Tess's resolve to refuse Angel because he knows nothing of her history with Alec. So after he tells Tess the story, he, thinking he is bringing up a new subject, asks Tess to consider marrying him, and she refuses to even consider marrying Angel because her history with Alec is fresh in her mind.
