He was surprised to find that this dairymaid had such sad thoughts．She was expressing in her own words the ache of modern life．This sadness made her more interesting to him．He did not know that her experience had given her great strength of feeling．Tess，on the other hand，could not understand why a man of religious family，good education and financial independence should feel sorry to be alive．How could this admirable and poetic man have felt，as she did two or three years ago， that he would rather die？It was true that he was not at present living among gentlemen．But he was studying what he wanted to know， and would become a rich farmer in time．So，as they neither understood each other's secrets， they were both puzzled and waited to find out more．
