Chapter 38
The gatekeeper at Marlott, not recognizing Tess, tells her that John Durbeyfield's daughter has recently married a gentleman, so the town has celebrated the marriage. Tess sneaks to her parents' home through side streets so that she will not bring more shame to her family than she already has.
Joan is angry with Tess when she hears that Tess told Angel of her past.
Durbeyfield himself questions whether or not she and Angel are actually "married," basically calling his daughter a tramp. Tess is too hurt to defend herself and decides to find a way out of there as soon as possible. When a letter arrives from Angel telling her that he is going north to look at farms, she tells her family that she's going to join her husband. She leaves them twenty-five pounds out of the fifty that Angel left her and then she goes to look for work.
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