'Tessa looked up and saw a lady in black'

Grayscale illustration of a frightened woman looking up at a lady in black. Youths in laurel leaves surround them, carrying a basket of jewelry.

In a Florentine street during Carnival, Tessa stands frightened as white robed boys press her to surrender her jewelry for the Bonfire of Vanities. Romola intervenes, shielding Tessa with calm authority and helping her conceal her necklace, an act of protection that sends Tessa home shaken but safe. “Tessa looked up and saw a lady in black, with a young heavenly face and loving hazel eyes. She had never seen anyone like this lady before, and under other circumstances might have had awe-struck thoughts about her; but now everything else was overcome by the sense that loving protection was near her" ("Tessa Abroad and at Home", Chapter 50).

Hammond, G. Demain (1862-1952)

George Eliot Archive , edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org

1911

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Hammond, G. Demain (1862-1952), 'Tessa looked up and saw a lady in black', George Eliot Illustrations Gallery, George Eliot Archive , edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://www.georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/83457