Тесс з роду д’Ербервілей

Chapter 2

           

           ItwasaninterestingeventtotheyoungerinhabitantsofMarlott,thoughitsrealinterestwasnotobservedbytheparticipatorsintheceremony.Itssingularitylaylessintheretentionofacustomofwalkinginprocessionanddancingoneachanniversarythaninthemembersbeingsolelywomen.Inmen’sclubssuchcelebrationswere,thoughexpiring,lessuncommon;buteitherthenaturalshynessofthesoftersex,orasarcasticattitudeonthepartofmalerelatives,haddenudedsuchwomen’sclubsasremained(ifanyotherdid)orthistheirgloryandconsummation.TheclubofMarlottalonelivedtoupholdthelocalCerealia.Ithadwalkedforhundredsofyears,ifnotasbenefit-club,asvotivesisterhoodofsomesort;anditwalkedstill.

           ThebandedoneswerealldressedinwhitegownsagaysurvivalfromOldStyledays,whencheerfulnessandMay-timeweresynonymsdaysbeforethehabitoftakinglongviewshadreducedemotionstoamonotonousaverage.Theirfirstexhibitionofthemselveswasinaprocessionalmarchoftwoandtworoundtheparish.Idealandrealclashedslightlyasthesunlituptheirfiguresagainstthegreenhedgesandcreeper-lacedhouse-fronts;for,thoughthewholetroopworewhitegarments,notwowhiteswerealikeamongthem.Someapproachedpureblanching;somehadabluishpallor;somewornbytheoldercharacters(whichhadpossiblylainbyfoldedformanyayear)inclinedtoacadaveroustint,andtoaGeorgianstyle.

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