read text again. Imagine Tess nowadays.

- What could her problem be?

- Where does she live?

- What's her family like?

-Who might she go to for help?

... As Tess grew older, and began to see how matters stood, she wished her mother hadn't thoughtlessly given her so many little sisters and brothers, l1 l l. Her mother's way of thinking was that of a happy child: Joan Durbeyfield was simply another in a large family, waiting for help from fate. Every day seemed to throw upon her young shoulders more of the family burdens, and that Tess should be the representative of the Durbeyfields at the d'Urberville mansion, was taken for granted She got off the van at Trantridge Cross, and continued on foot up a hill in the direction of the district known as The Chase, on the borders of which, as she had been informed, Mrs d'Urberville's estate, The Slopes, would be found. It was not a manor in the ordinary sense, with fields, and pastures, and a grumbling farmer, out of whom the owner had to squeeze an income for himself and his family bv hook or bv crook. | 3 | | with not an acre of troublesome land attached to it beyond what was required for residential purposes, and for a little fancy farm kept by the owner, and tended by a bailiff . The crimson brick lodge came first in sight, up to its eaves in thick evergreen trees, | 4 | | passing through the side gate with some anxiety, and onward to a turn in the drive, the house itself stood in full view. It was built recently - indeed almost new - and of the same rich red colour as the lodge. Far behind the corner of the house, stretched the soft emerald landscape of The Chase - a truly impressive area of forest land, | 5 | | where mistletoe was still found on aged oaks, and where enormous yew trees had grown since their branches were cut for bows. All of which, however, though visible from The Slopes, was outside of the estate. Everything on this property was bright, thriving, and well kept - acres of greenhouses stretched across the grounds down to the trees. | 6 | | - like the last coin issued from the Mint4. The stables, surrounded by Austrian pine trees and evergreen oaks, and fitted with every modern appliance, were as dignified as a church hall. On the huge lawn stood an ornamental tent, with its door facing her. Simple Tess Durbeyfield stood gazing in apprehension on the edge of the gravel driveway. Her feet had brought her to this point before she had quite realised where she was; | 7 | | . "I thought we were an old family; but this is all new!", she said, in her innocence. She wished that she had not fallen in so readily with her mother's plans for "claiming kin5," and had tried to find assistance nearer home. The d'Urbervilles - or Stoke-d'Urbervilles, as they at first called themselves - who owned all this, were a somewhat unusual family to find in such an old- fashioned part of the country. Parson Tringham had spoken truly when he said that Tess's father, John Durbeyfield, was the only real descendant of the old d'Urberville family existing in the county, or near it. He might have added, what he knew very well, that the Stoke-d'Urbervilles were no more d'Urbervilles than he was himself. Yet it must be admitted that this family had a good basis upon which to attach a name which sadly needed restoring to a good position.