Rivenhall's little sister comes down with a fever that might be typhus. Sophy rises to the occasion, while Charles's betrothed won't come near the place. Charles finds out about Sophy's "saving" of Hubert and admires her. Nice scene in which he does insult her and she cries, then pretends that the tears were fake and called on demand. Other than that, the predictable plot winds its way forward. I think, actually, that the entirely predictable nature of the plot is one of the reasons for the books enduring popularity and its high rating on Goodreads. It's a comfortable read--a cozy romance. All the characters are clear, likable, despicable, irresponsible, solid. Nobody surprises anyone. We, as readers, are like the author. We know where this is going. We watch the characters come out of the darkness into the light, rubbing their eyes. "How foolish--why didn't they see all that earlier." Reader is easily smug.
"To all humankind, Tess was only a passing thought. Even to friends, she was only a frequently passing thought." Angel Clare is a good character. He's "enlightened," in so many ways, but when Tess's confesses her "crime," he reverts to ancestral form . . . Tess's "confession" comes earlier than I expected, right after Angel reveals that he has had a bad moment with a woman. Tess points out the similarity in their transgressions, though his is the only true transgression, expecting forgiveness. She doesn't get it. She returns to her mother . . . realizes she can't stay with her. Thoughts to suicide. Unhappiness that divorce is not possible. Departs. Tragic in that the two, if Angel could just see clearly, would indeed be a great couple, each adding to the other. Nature as a definite force involved in the tragedy. It's not neutral--when things go bad, the very skies mock Tess. Tess as unaware of the power of her bea...
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