Her mother’s pride in the girl’s appearance led her to step back, like a painter from his easel, and survey her work as a whole.
‘You must see yourself!’ she cried. ‘It is much better than you was t’other day.’
As the looking-glass was only large enough to reflect a very small portion of Tess’s person at one time, Mrs. Durbeyfield hung a black cloak outside the casement, and so made a large reflector of the panes, as it is the wont of bedecking cottagers to do. After this she went downstairs to her husband, who was sitting in the lower room.
‘I’ll tell ’ee what ’tis, Durbeyfield,’ said she exultingly; ‘he’ll never have the heart not to love her. But whatever you do, don’t say too much to Tess of his fancy for her, and this chance she has got. She is such an odd maid that it mid set her against him, or against going there, even now. If all goes well, I shall certainly be for making some return to that pa’son at Stagfoot Lane for telling us—dear, good man!’
However, as the moment for the girl’s setting out drew nigh, when the first excitement of the dressing had passed off, a slight misgiving found
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