Chapter 14 Chapter 2 The people of Hualuo Village are ready

All afternoon, Hualuo Village was in a state of hustle and bustle, preparing for the return of the one whom Eustacia had been thinking about and whom they had been waiting for.Her aunt's persuasion, and Thomasy's instinctive admiration for her cousin Clem, made her very excited and refreshed, which was true during the most painful period of her life. It's very unusual.While Eustacia was listening to the woodbuilders' talk of Clem's return, Thomasy was running up to the attic of his aunt's woodshed, picking the best and largest apples from the store there, and Come prepare for the good times to come.

The attic was illuminated by a small semicircular hole through which the pigeons entered their nests in the high pavilion of the house, and a ray of golden sunlight shone through the hole, shining on the kneeling birds. On the girl, she was thrusting her bare arms into the soft brown fern, which grows plentifully on the Eden Moor, where people store all kinds of hoards and the pigeons fly without scruple. Flying above her head, some light fell on the aunt, whose face was only exposed above the attic floor, and who was standing halfway up the ladder, staring at the place she dared not climb up rashly.

Take a few more tawny apples, Thomasy, he likes them almost as much as he likes the Rabton apples. Tomasi turned around and turned the other corner of the fern to the side, and at a glance saw more ripe fruits piled there, emitting a strong fragrance.She didn't go get the apples right away. Dear Clem, I wonder what you look like now?She said, staring intently at the hole where the pigeons came in and out.Now the sun was streaming in through the hole, and it was shining on her brown hair and sheer clothes, and it seemed to be shining through her. If he could really make you feel amiable in another way, said Mrs Yeobright on the ladder, the meeting might be very pleasant.

What's the use of saying that doesn't solve the problem, Auntie? Useful, said her aunt a little excitedly, let everyone know about this misfortune in the past, so that other girls can learn from it and never experience it again. Thomasy looked down at the pile of apples again.I'm as remonstrable as a thief and a drunkard and a gambler, she whispered.What a man he has become!Am I really like this kind of person?How ridiculous!Auntie, why does everyone always treat me like that, making me think that's who I am?Why don't others judge me by my actions?Here, do you see me kneeling here, picking up these apples, do I look like a lost woman?I wish all good women were as good as I am!she said emotionally.

Strangers don't see you the way I do, said Mrs. Yeobright: they're partial listeners, they can't judge rightly.Well, that was a stupid thing to do, and even I deserve some of the blame. And what will be done faster than rashness!replied the girl.Her lips were trembling, and her eyes were filled with tears. She rummaged through the apples, trying to hide her weakness, but the tears almost made it impossible for her to see which was an apple and which was a fern. When you got the apples, said her aunt, going down the ladder, Come down now, and we must pick holly.There is no one on the heath this afternoon, so you don't have to worry about being seen.We've got to get some berries, or Clem won't believe what we've done to prepare.

Thomasy picked the apples and came down from the attic. The two of them stepped out of the white fence and walked out to the wilderness together.The air in the open mountains is fresh and clear, and the smoke in the distance is thick, which often happens on a sunny winter day, showing layers of different colors, and you can see the luster shining on the nearby scenery a little bit far away an orange sheen cast over a dark blue sheen, and the farther landscape behind them shrouded in a bleak gray. They came to the place where the hollies grew, a conical depression in which the tops of the hollies did not rise much above ground level.Thomasy put her feet up on a branch of a tree, which she had always done with joy in many of the same situations, and began to chop up the berry-laden branches with a small hatchet she had brought.

Be careful not to scratch your face, said the aunt standing on the edge of the hollow, looking at the girl who was standing on the tree with lush green leaves and red fruits.Will you walk with me to meet him tonight? I really want to go.Or it seems I've forgotten him, said Thomasy, dropping a twig.It's not that it doesn't matter whether you go or not, it's just that I already belong to a man, and this can't be changed.For my self-respect, I must marry him. I'm afraid Mrs. Yeobright has just spoken. Ah, you are thinking, how can this frail girl want to marry a man, but how can she let someone else marry her?But, aunt, let me tell you one thing: Mr. Wilderf is no more a misbehaving man than I am a misbehaving woman.He was born unlucky, and he wouldn't try to please people if they didn't like him in their hearts.

Thomasy, said Mrs Yeobright calmly, looking at her niece, do you think you can fool me by defending Mr Wildeve? What do you mean by that? I have suspected it for a long time, since you found out that he is not the saint you imagined in your mind, your love for him is not as passionate as before. I suspect that you just want to put on that appearance in front of me. He wants to marry me and I want to marry him. Well, let me ask you, would you agree to be his wife at this moment if this hadn't happened to complicate your relationship with him so much? Thomasy stared at the branch, looking very disturbed.Aunt, she said after a while, I think I have the right to refuse to answer that question.

Yes, you have the right. You may want to choose someone.I never said or did anything that would make you think I had other thoughts about him than I ever would, I must marry him. Well, just wait until he proposes to you again.I figured since he knew I told him something he might do it.I never doubted that it was quite right for you to marry him.In spite of my disapproval of him the other day, you may rest assured that I agree with you.It was the only way out of a position that was both embarrassing and deeply annoying. What did you tell him? I say he's getting in the way of another man loving you.

Auntie, said Thomasy, staring wide-eyed.What do you mean by that? Don't make such a fuss; it's my responsibility to do so.Now I won't say anything more about it, but when it's over I'll tell you exactly what I said, and why I did it. Thomasy had to leave it to her. Now you have to keep it a secret and don't tell Clem that I'm not married, okay?she continued pleading. I promise.But what is the use of doing this?Before long he must know what happened.All he needs to do is look at your face and it will tell him something is wrong. Thomasy turned and looked at her aunt from the tree.Now, listen to me, she said, a force that was not physical, making her soft voice very firm.Don't tell him anything.If he finds me unworthy to be his cousin, that's up to him.But, as he had loved me so much, he should not have been too quick to tell him of my misfortune, lest he should feel badly.I know it was rumored everywhere; but in the first few days, no one dared to talk to him face to face and tell him about it.He's close to me, and that's going to hide it from him in the first place.If in a week or two I can't escape other people's gossip, I'll tell him about it myself.

Thomasy's words were so earnest that her aunt didn't raise any objections, she just said, well.But last time, when the wedding was about to take place, he had a right to know about it.He will never forgive you for keeping it from him like this. No, I think he'll forgive me when he knows it's because I wanted to keep it from him, and I didn't expect him to come home so soon.You must not let me spoil your Christmas party.Bringing it out will only make things worse. Of course I won't talk about it.I don't want to make a fool of myself in all Eden, or in front of a man like Wildeff, as if I've failed in the matter.I figured the berries were enough, best to just take them home.After we've adorned the house with these berries and hung up these sprigs of mistletoe, we should think of setting off to fetch him. Thomasy came down from the tree, shook the berries off her hair and clothes, and followed her aunt down the hill, each bringing half of the twigs they had picked.It was almost four o'clock in the afternoon, and there was no sunlight in the valley.When the sunset glowed red in the west, the two women went out of the house again and walked towards the wilderness, but this time it was different from the direction in the afternoon. They were walking towards a place on the road far away. The person they were waiting for was about to Came back along the main road.