Sorry for causing trouble, which I didn't mean to - but Tess is one of the standard much-studied 19th-century classics and I thought its plot was well known by now. It never occurred to me I was giving anything away. They even summarise the plot on the back cover of the published book!

Still, I'd prefer not to have my paragraph deleted - if the elves really think it's necessary, perhaps someone could just add SPOILER ALERT in between it and the first one? Sorry.