In a sitting-r oom on the ground-floor， ensconced in an armchair with h er back to the light， was the owner and mistress o f the estate， a white-ha ired woman of not more than sixty， or ev en less， wear ing a large cap.She had the mobile features frequent in those whose sight has decayed by stages， has beenlaboriously striven af ter， and reluctantly let go， rather than the stagnan t mien apparent in persons long sightless or born blind.Tess walked up to this lady with her feathered charges—one sitting on each arm.
“Ah， you are the y oung woman come to look after my birds？”said Mrs.d'Urberville， recognizing a new footstep.“I hope you will be kind to them.My bailiff tells me y ou are quite the proper person.Well， where are they？Ah， this is Strut！But he is hardly so lively to-day， is he？He is alarmed at being handled by a stranger， I suppose.And Phena too—yes， they are a little f rightened—aren't you， dears？But they will soon get used to you.”
While the o ld lady had been speak ing Tess and th e o ther maid， in obedience to her gestures， had placed the fowl severally in her lap， and she had felt them over from head to tail， examining their beaks， their combs， the manes of the co cks， their wings， and their claws.Her tou ch enabled her to recognize them in a moment， and to discover if a single feather were crippled or draggled.She handled their crops， and knew what th ey had eaten， and if too little or too much； her f ace en acting a viv id pan tomime of the criticis ms passing in her mind.
The birds that the two girls had brou ght in were duly returned to the y ard， and the process was repeated till all the pet cocks and hens had been submitted to the o ld woman—Hamburghs， Bantam s， Coch ins， Brah mas， Dorkings， and such other s orts as were in fashion just then—her perception of each visito r being seldom at fault as she received the bird upon her knees.
It reminded Tess of a Confirmation， in which Mrs.d'Urberville was the bishop， the fowls the young people presented， and herself and the maid-servant the p arson and cur ate of th e paris h bring ing them up.At the end of th e ceremony Mrs.d'Urberville abruptly asked Tess， wrinkling and twitching her face into undulations， “Can you whistle？”
“Whistle， ma'am？”
“Yes， whistle tunes.”
Tess could whistle likemost other coun try girls， though theaccomplishment was one which she did not care to profess in genteel company.However， she blandly admitted that such was the fact.
“Then you will have to practise it ev ery day.I had a lad who did it verywell， but he has left.I want y ou to w histle to my bullfinches； as I cann ot see them I like to hear them， and we teach'em airs that way.Tell her where the cages are， Elizabeth.You must begin to-morrow， or they will go back in their piping.They have been neglected these several days.”
“Mr.d'Urberville whistled to'em this morning， ma'am， ”said Elizabeth.“He！Pooh！”
The old lady's face creased into furrows of repugnance， and she made no further reply.
Thus the reception of Tess by her fancied kinswoman terminated， and the birds were taken back to theirquarters.The gir l's surprise at Mrs.
d'Urberville's manner was not great； f or since seeing the size of the house she had expected no more.But she was f ar from being aware that the old lady had never h eard a word of the so-called kinship.She gathered that no g reat affection flowed between the b lind woman and her son.Bu t in th at， too， she was mistaken.Mrs.d'Urberville was not the first mother compelled to love her offspring resentfully， and to be bitterly fond.
In spite of the unpleasant initiation of the day before， Tess inclined to the freedom and novelty of her new position in the morning when the sun shone， now that she was once installed there； and she was curious to test her powers in the unexpected direction asked of her， so as to ascertain her chance of retaining her post.As soon as she was alone within the w alled gard en she sat h erself down on a coop， and ser iously screwed up her mouth for the long-neglected practice.She found her fo rmer ability to have degenerated to the production of a hollow rush of wind through the lips， and no clear note at all.
She remained fruitlessly blowing and blowing， wondering how she cou ld have so grown out of the art which had come by nature， till she became aware of a movement among the ivy-boughs which clo aked the garden-wall no less than the cottage.Looking that way she beheld a form springing from the coping to the plot.It was Alec d'Urberville， whom she had not set eyes on since he had conducted her the day before to th e door of the gardener's cottage where she had lodgings.
“Upon m y honour！”he cried， “th ere was never before such a beau tiful thing in Nature or Art as you look， ‘Cousin'Tess（‘Cousin'had a faint ring of mockery）.I have been watching you from o ver the wall—sitting like Impatience on a monument， and pouting up that pr etty red mouth to wh istling shape， and whooing and whooing， and privately swearing， and never being able to produce a note.Why， you are quite cross because you can't do it.”
“I may be cross， but I didn't swear.”
“Ah！I understand why you are try ing—those bullies！My mother wantsyou to carry on their musical education.How selfish of her！As if attendin g tothese curst cocks and hens here were not enough work for any girl.I wouldflatly refuse， if I were you.”
“But she wants me par ticularly to do it， an d to be ready by to-morrow morning.”
“Does she？Well then—I'll give you a lesson or two.”
“Oh no， you won't！”said Tess， withdrawing towards the door.
“Nonsense； I don't want to touch you.See—I'll stand on th is side of the wire-netting， and you can keep on the other； so you may feel quite safe.Now， look here； you screw up your lips too harshly.There'tis—so.”
He suited the act ion t o t he word， an d whistled a line of“Take， O tak e those lips away.”But the allusion was lost upon Tess.
“Now try， ”said d'Urberville.
She attempted to look reserved； her face put on a s culptural severity.But he persisted in his demand， and at last， to get rid of him， she did put up her lips as directed for producing a clear note； laughing distressfully， however， and then blushing with vexation that she had laughed.
He encouraged her with“Try again！”
Tess was qu ite ser ious， painfully ser ious by th is tim e； and s he tried—ultimately and unexpectedly emittin g a real ro und sound.The momentary pleasure of success got the better of her； her ey es enlarged， and sheinvoluntarily smiled in his face.