Tess of the d'Urbervilles Book Notes Summary

Tess is sitting in the window of her parents' cottage at night thinking of how she's moving the family to Kingsbere the following day. Alec rides up and she doesn't even notice him until he taps on the window. She tells him that she thought she'd heard a carriage pass, but she paid no attention to it, so she wasn't looking for him. He takes that opportunity to tell her the d'Urberville legend about how the carriage is a bad omen for d'Urbervilles.

Alec offers her family the cottage she lived in at Tantridge while she tended birds there, but Tess refuses the offer.

When Alec finally leaves, Tess writes another letter to Angel that says:

"O why have you treated me so monstrously, Angel! I do not deserve it. I have thought it all over carefully, and I can never, never forgive you! You know that I did not intend to wrong you - why have you so wronged me? You are cruel, cruel indeed! I will try to forget you. It is all injustice I have received at your hands!" Chapter 51, pg. 350

Joan Durbeyfield knows that Alec stopped by while she was gone, but Tess won't tell her what he wanted until they are settled in Kingsbere the following day.

Tess is beginning to feel that, as much as she dislikes Alec d'Urberville, he is the only husband she has ever had, physically and financially. Her resistance is weakened by his persistence and Angel's indifference.