“Safe, thank God, in spite of your fooling!” said she, her face on fire.
“Tess—fie! that’s temper!” said d’Urberville.
“’Tis truth.”
“Well, you need not let go your hold of me so thanklessly the moment you feel yourself out of danger.”
She had not considered what she had been doing; whether he were man or woman, stick or stone, in her involuntary hold on him. Recovering her reserve, she sat without replying, and thus they reached the summit of another declivity.
“Now then, again!” said d’Urberville.
“No, no!” said Tess. “Show more sense, do, please.”
“But when people find themselves on one of the highest points in the county, they must get down again,” he retorted.
He loosened rein, and away they went a second time. D’Urberville turned his face to her as they rocked, and said, in playful raillery: “Now then, put your arms round my waist again, as you did before, my Beauty.”
“Never!” said Tess independently, holding on as well as she could without touching him.