One sighed, and another sighed, and Marian's plump figure sighed biggest of all. Somebody in bed hard by sighed too. Tears came into the eyes of Retty Priddle, the pretty red-haired youngest - the last bud of the Paridelles, so important in the county annals. They watched silently a little longer, their three faces still close together as before, and the triple hues of their hair mingling. But the unconscious Mr Clare had gone indoors, and they saw him no more; and, the shades beginning to deepen, they crept into their beds. In a few minutes they heard him ascend the ladder to his own room. Marian was soon snoring, but Izz did not drop into forgetfulness for a long time. Retty Priddle cried herself to sleep.
這個在嘆氣，那個也在嘆氣，其中嘆氣最厲害的是那個身體健壯的瑪麗安。另外還有一個人躺在床上，也在那兒嘆氣。萊蒂·普里德爾的眼睛里充滿了淚水，她長著一頭紅頭發(fā)，是她們中間最年輕的，她也是普里德爾家族最后的一個花苞，在當?shù)氐淖V系上占據(jù)著十分重要的地位。她們悄悄地又觀察了一會兒，三張臉像先前一樣擠在一起，三種不同顏色的頭發(fā)也混合在一起。一無所知的克萊爾先生進屋去了，再也看不見他了；天色漸漸暗下來，她們也就上床睡覺了。不一會兒，她們就聽見他走上了樓梯，進了自己的房問。不久，瑪麗安的鼾聲響了起來，但是伊茨過了好久才入睡，才忘記剛才的一切。萊蒂·普里德爾是哭著入睡的。

The deeper-passioned Tess was very far from sleeping even then. This conversation was another of the bitter pills she had been obliged to swallow that day. Scarce the least feeling of jealousy arose in her breast. For that matter she knew herself to have the preference. Being more finely formed, better educated, and, though the youngest except Retty, more woman than either, she perceived that only the slightest ordinary care was necessary for holding her own in Angel Clare's heart against these her candid friends. But the grave question was, ought she to do this? There was, to be sure, hardly a ghost of a chance for either of them, in a serious sense; but there was, or had been, a chance of one or the other inspiring him with a passing fancy for her, and enjoying the pleasure of his attentions while he stayed here. Such unequal attachments had led to marriage; and she had heard from Mrs Crick that Mr Clare had one day asked, in a laughing way, what would be the use of his marrying a fine lady, and all the while ten thousand acres of Colonial pasture to feed, and cattle to rear, and corn to reap. A farm-woman would be the only sensible kind of wife for him. But whether Mr Clare had spoken seriously or not, why should she, who could never conscientiously allow any man to marry her now, and who had religiously determined that she never would be tempted to do so, draw off Mr Clare's attention from other women, for the brief happiness of sunning herself in his eyes while he remained at Talbothays?
苔絲用情更深，即便到了那個時候，苔絲竟是毫無睡意。這場談話是她那天不得不咽下去的第二枚苦果。在她的心里，一絲妒忌的感情也沒有。在她們說到的那件事上，她知道自己的優(yōu)勢。因為她的身材更美，受過更好的教育，除了萊蒂就數(shù)她最年輕，所以她覺得，只要她稍微用一點兒心思，她就準能抓住安琪爾·克萊爾的心，戰(zhàn)勝她那些心地坦誠的朋友們。但是有一個嚴肅的問題存在，就是她應不應該去用心思？但是嚴格說來，她們三個人肯定誰也沒有機會，連幻想的機會也沒有；但是有一個機會，這機會已經(jīng)存在，可以讓他對她產(chǎn)生轉瞬即逝的情意，只要他住在這兒，就可以享受他的殷勤。這種奇特的戀愛關系最后導致結婚的事也是有過的；她曾經(jīng)聽克里克太太說，克萊爾先生曾以開玩笑的方式對她說，將來他在殖民地擁有上萬畝牧場，有牛群要照料，有莊稼要收割，那么娶一個上流社會的太太有什么用處呢？娶一個出身農(nóng)家的姑娘做妻子，這才是明智的。不過無論克萊爾先生真的說過還是沒有說過，她從來就沒有想到過讓哪個男人現(xiàn)在就娶了她，她曾在教堂里發(fā)過誓，決心毫不動搖，永遠不嫁人結婚，她不能把克萊爾先生的用情從別的女人身上吸引到自己的身上，趁他還在泰波塞斯的時候，自己能夠在他雙眼的注視中享受到短暫的幸福。