`Whycouldn’tIknowbetterthanaddressutterstrangersinsuchaway？
Imaybeanimpostor，andidlescamp，amanwithabadcharacter，forallthattheyknowtothecontrary……Perhapsthat’swhatIam！’
Nevertheless，hefoundhimselfclingingtothehopeofsomereplyastohisonelastchanceofredemption。Hewaiteddayafterday，sayingthatitwasperfectlyabsurdtoexpect，yetexpecting。WhilehewaitedhewassuddenlystirredbynewsaboutPhillotson。PhillotsonwasgivinguptheschoolnearChristminster，foralargeronefurthersouth，inMid-Wessex。
Whatthismeant；howitwouldaffecthiscousin；whether，asseemedpossible，itwasapracticalmoveoftheschoolmaster’stowardsalargerincome，inviewofaprovisionfortwoinsteadofone，hewouldnotallowhimselftosay。AndthetenderrelationsbetweenPhillotsonandtheyounggirlofwhomJudewaspassionatelyenamouredeffectuallymadeitrepugnanttoJude’stastestoapplytoPhillotsonforadviceonhisownscheme。
MeanwhiletheacademicdignitariestowhomJudehadwrittenvouchsafednoanswer，andtheyoungmanwasthusthrownbackentirelyonhimself，asformerly，withtheaddedgloomofaweakenedhope。Byindirectinquirieshesoonperceivedclearlywhathehadlonguneasilysuspected，thattoqualifyhimselfforcertainopenscholarshipsandexhibitionswastheonlybrilliantcourse。Buttodothisagooddealofcoachingwouldbenecessary，andmuchnaturalability。Itwasnexttoimpossiblethatamanreadingonhisownsystem，howeverwidelyandthoroughly，evenovertheprolongedperiodoftenyears，shouldbeabletocompetewiththosewhohadpassedtheirlivesundertrainedteachersandhadworkedtoordainedlines。