"What?"
"It should ha' been the first time of asking to-day," she answered,
looking quietly at Tess. "You meant to be married New Year's Eve,
deary?" The other returned a quick affirmative.
"And there must be three times of asking. And now there be only two
Sundays left between." Tess felt her cheek paling; Izz was right; of course there must be
three. Perhaps he had forgotten! If so, there must be a week's
postponement, and that was unlucky. How could she remind her lover?
She who had been so backward was suddenly fired with impatience and
alarm lest she should lose her dear prize. A natural incident relieved her anxiety.
Izz mentioned the omission of the banns to Mrs Crick, and Mrs Crick assumed a matron's privilege
of speaking to Angel on the point. "Have ye forgot 'em, Mr Clare? The banns, I mean."
"No, I have not forgot 'em," says Clare. As soon as he caught Tess alone he assured her:
"Don't let them tease you about the banns. A licence will be quieter
for us, and I have decided on a licence without consulting you.
So if you go to church on Sunday morning you will not hear your own
name, if you wished to."
"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.