第1部分

請關閉瀏覽器的閱讀/暢讀/小說模式並且關閉廣告遮蔽過濾功能，避免出現內容無法顯示或者段落錯亂。

and；　and　the　vicar　was　the　master。　His　soul　was　master　of　the

other　man's。　And　why……why？　She　decided　it　was　a　question　of

knowledge。

The　curate　was　poor　enough；　and　not　very　efficacious　as　a

man；　either；　yet　he　took　rank　with　those　others；　the　superior。

She　watched　his　children　being　born；　she　saw　them　running　as

tiny　things　beside　their　mother。　And　already　they　were　separate

from　her　own　children；　distinct。　Why　were　her　own　children

marked　below　the　others？　Why　should　the　curate's　children

inevitably　take　precedence　over　her　children；　why　should

dominance　be　given　them　from　the　start？　It　was　not　money；　nor

even　class。　It　was　education　and　experience；　she　decided。

It　was　this；　this　education；　this　higher　form　of　being；　that

the　mother　wished　to　give　to　her　children；　so　that　they　too

could　live　the　supreme　life　on　earth。　For　her　children；　at　least

the　children　of　her　heart；　had　the　plete　nature　that　should

take　place　in　equality　with　the　living；　vital　people　in　the

land；　not　be　left　behind　obscure　among　the　labourers。　Why　must

they　remain　obscured　and　stifled　all　their　lives；　why　should

they　suffer　from　lack　of　freedom　to　move？　How　should　they　learn

the　entry　into　the　finer；　more　vivid　circle　of　life？

Her　imagination　was　fired　by　the　squire's　lady　at　Shelly

Hall；　who　came　to　church　at　Cossethay　with　her　little　children；

girls　in　tidy　capes　of　beaver　fur；　and　smart　little　hats；

herself　like　a　winter　rose；　so　fair　and　delicate。　So　fair；　so

fine　in　mould；　so　luminous；　what　was　it　that　Mrs。　Hardy　felt

which　she；　Mrs。　Brangwen；　did　not　feel？　How　was　Mrs。　Hardy's

nature　different　from　that　o