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 vehicle, or mark, save some occasional horse-droppings which dotted its cold aridity here and there. While slowly breasting this ascent Tess became conscious of footsteps behind her, and, turning quickly, she saw approaching that well-known form, so strangely accoutred as the Methodist—the one personage in all the world she wished not to encounter alone on this side of the grave.

There was not much time, however, for thought or elusion, and she yielded as calmly as she could to the necessity of letting him overtake her. She saw that he was excited, less by the speed of his walk than by the feelings within him.

'Tess!' he said.

She slackened speed without looking round.

'Tess!' he repeated. 'It is I—Alec D'Urberville.'

She then looked back at him, and he came up.

'I see it is,' she answered coldly.

'Well—is that all? Yet I deserve no more! I heard you had gone away, nobody knew where. Tess, you wonder why I have followed you?'