Page:Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1891 Volume 2).pdf/199



‘I do remember,’ said Clare; ‘but I had quite forgotten.’

Unlocking the case, they found it to contain a necklace, with pendant, bracelets, and ear-rings; and also some other small ornaments.

Tess seemed afraid to touch them at first, but her eyes sparkled for a moment as much as the stones when Clare spread out the set.

‘Are they mine?’ she asked incredulously.

‘They are, certainly,’ said he.

He looked into the fire. He remembered how, when he was a lad of fifteen, his godmother, the Squire’s wife—the only rich person with whom he had ever come in contact—had pinned her faith to his success; had prophesied a wondrous career for him. There had seemed nothing at all out of keeping with such a conjectured career in the storing up of these showy ornaments for his wife