.. wooed and won, what she her sel f was capabl e of i n t hat ki nd. The st r uggl es and wr angl es of t he l ads f or her hand i n a j i g wer e an amusement t o her - - no mor e; and when t hey became f i er ce she r ebuked t hem.
She mi ght have st ayed even l at er , but t he i nci dent of her f at her ' s odd appear ance and manner r et ur ned upon t he gi r l ' s mi nd t o make her anxi ous, and wonder i ng what had become of hi mshe dr opped away f r om t he dancer s and bent her st eps t owar ds t he end of t he vi l l age at whi ch t he par ent al cot t age l ay.
Whi l e yet many scor e yar ds of f , ot her r hyt hmi c sounds t han t hose she had qui t t ed became audi bl e t o her ; sounds t hat she knew wel l - - so wel l . They wer e a r egul ar ser i es of t humpi ngs f r omt he i nt er i or of t he house, occasi oned by t he vi ol ent r ocki ng of a cr adl e upon a st one f l oor , t o whi ch movement a f emi ni ne voi ce kept t i me by si ngi ng, i n a vi gor ous gal l opade, t he f avour i t e di t t y of " The Spot t ed Cow" - -
I saw her l i e do' - own i n yon' - der gr een gr o' - ove; Come, l ove! ' and I ' l l t el l ' you wher e! '
The cr adl e- r ocki ng and t he song woul d cease si mul t aneousl y f or a moment , and an excl amat i on at hi ghest vocal pi t ch woul d t ake t he pl ace of t he mel ody.
" God bl ess t hy di ment eyes! And t hy waxen cheeks! And t hy cher r y mout h! And t hy Cubi t ' s t hi ghs! And ever y bi t o' t hy bl essed body! "
Af t er t hi s i nvocat i on t he r ocki ng and t he si ngi ng woul d r ecommence, and t he " Spot t ed Cow" pr oceed as bef or e. So mat t er s st ood when Tess opened t he door and paused upon t he mat wi t hi n i t , sur veyi ng t he scene.
The i nt er i or , i n spi t e of t he mel ody, st r uck upon t he gi r l ' s senses wi t h an unspeakabl e dr ear i ness. Fr omt he hol i day gai et i es of t he f i el d- - t he whi t e gowns, t he nosegays, t he wi l l ow- wands, t he whi r l i ng movement s on t he gr een, t he f l ash of gent l e sent i ment t owar ds t he st r anger - - t o t he yel l ow mel anchol y of t hi s one- candl ed spect acl e, what a st ep! Besi des t he j ar of cont r ast t her e came t o her a chi l l sel f - r epr oach t hat she had not r et ur ned sooner , t o hel p her mot her i n t hese domest i ci t i es, i nst ead of i ndul gi ng her sel f out - of - door s.
Ther e st ood her mot her ami d t he gr oup of chi l dr en, as Tess had l ef t her , hangi ng over t he Monday washi ng- t ub, whi ch had now, as al ways, l i nger ed on t o t he end of t he week. Out of t hat t ub had come t he day bef or e- - Tess f el t i t wi t h a dr eadf ul st i ng of r emor se- - t he ver y whi t e f r ock upon her back whi ch she had so car el essl y gr eened about t he ski r t on t he dampi ng gr ass- - whi ch had been wr ung up and i r oned by her mot her ' s own hands.
As usual , Mr s Dur beyf i el d was bal anced on one f oot besi de t he t ub, t he ot her bei ng engaged i n t he af or esai d busi ness of r ocki ng her youngest chi l d. The cr adl e- r ocker s had done har d dut y f or so many year s, under t he wei ght of so many chi l dr en, on t hat f l agst one f l oor , t hat t hey wer e wor n near l y f l at , i n consequence of whi ch a huge j er k accompani ed each swi ng of t he cot , f l i ngi ng t he baby f r omsi de t o si de l i ke a weaver ' s shut t l e, as Mr s Dur beyf i el d, exci t ed by her song, t r od t he r ocker wi t h al l t he spr i ng t hat was l ef t i n her af t er a l ong day' s seet hi ng i n t he suds.