Judewaited，knowingthatshecouldentereasilyenough，thefrontdoorbeingopenedmerelybyaknobwhichanybodycouldturn，asinmostoldcountrytowns。Hepalpitatedatthethoughtthatshehadfledtohiminhertroubleashehadfledtoherinhis。Whatcounterpartstheywere！
Heunlatchedthedoorofhisroom，heardastealthyrustleonthedarkstairs，andinamomentsheappearedinthelightofhislamp。Hewentuptoseizeherhand，andfoundshewasclammyasamarinedeity，andthatherclothesclungtoherliketherobesuponthefiguresintheParthenonfrieze。
`I’msocold！’shesaidthroughherchatteringteeth。`CanIcomebyyourfire，Jude？’
Shecrossedtohislittlegrateandverylittlefire，butasthewaterdrippedfromherasshemoved，theideaofdryingherselfwasabsurd。
`Whateverhaveyoudone，darling？’heasked，withalarm，thetenderepithetslippingoutunawares。
`Walkedthroughthelargestriverinthecounty-that’swhatI’vedone！Theylockedmeupforbeingoutwithyou；anditseemedsounjustthatIcouldn’tbearit，soIgotoutofthewindowandescapedacrossthestream！’Shehadbeguntheexplanationinherusualslightlyindependenttones，butbeforeshehadfinishedthethinpinklipstrembled，andshecouldhardlyrefrainfromcrying。
`DearSue！’hesaid。`Youmusttakeoffallyourthings！Andletmesee-youmustborrowsomefromthelandlady。I’llaskher。’
`No，no！Don’tletherknow，forGod’ssake！Wearesoneartheschoolthatthey’llcomeafterme！’
`Thenyoumustputonmine。Youdon’tmind？’
`Ohno。’
`MySundaysuit，youknow。Itisclosehere。’Infact，everythingwascloseandhandyinJude’ssinglechamber，becausetherewasnotroomforittobeotherwise。Heopenedadrawer，tookouthisbestdarksuit，andgivingthegarmentsashake，said，`Now，howlongshallIgiveyou？’
`Tenminutes。’
Judelefttheroomandwentintothestreet，wherehewalkedupanddown。Aclockstruckhalf-pastseven，andhereturned。Sittinginhisonlyarm-chairhesawaslimandfragilebeingmasqueradingashimselfonaSunday，sopatheticinherdefencelessnessthathisheartfeltbigwiththesenseofit。Ontwootherchairsbeforethefirewereherwetgarments。Sheblushedashesatdownbesideher，butonlyforamoment。
`Isuppose，Jude，itisoddthatyoushouldseemelikethisandallmythingshangingthere？Yetwhatnonsense！Theyareonlyawoman’sclothes-sexlessclothandlinen……IwishIdidn’tfeelsoillandsick！
Willyoudrymyclothesnow？Pleasedo，Jude，andI’llgetalodgingbyandby。Itisnotlateyet。’
`No，youshan’t，ifyouareill。Youmuststayhere。Dear，dearSue，whatcanIgetforyou？’
`Idon’tknow！Ican’thelpshivering。IwishIcouldgetwarm。’
Judeputonherhisgreat-coatinaddition，andthenranouttothenearestpublic-house，whencehereturnedwithalittlebottleinhishand。`Here’ssixofbestbrandy，’hesaid。`Nowyoudrinkit，dear；allofit。’
`Ican’toutofthebottle，canI？’Judefetchedtheglassfromthedressing-table，andadministeredthespiritinsomewater。Shegaspedalittle，butgulpeditdown，andlaybackinthearmchair。
Shethenbegantorelatecircumstantiallyherexperiencessincetheyhadparted；butinthemiddleofherstoryhervoicefaltered，herheadnodded，andsheceased。Shewasinasoundsleep。Jude，dyingofanxietylestsheshouldhavecaughtachillwhichmightpermanentlyinjureher，wasgladtoheartheregularbreathing。Hesoftlywentnearertoher，andobservedthatawarmflushnowrosedherhithertobluecheeks，andfeltthatherhanginghandwasnolongercold。Thenhestoodwithhisbacktothefireregardingher，andsawinheralmostadivinity。
JudetheObscureChapter22III-ivJude’sreveriewasinterruptedbythecreakoffootstepsascendingthestairs。
HewhiskedSue’sclothingfromthechairwhereitwasdrying，thrustitunderthebed，andsatdowntohisbook。Somebodyknockedandopenedthedoorimmediately。Itwasthelandlady。
`Oh，Ididn’tknowwhetheryouwasinornot，Mr。Fawley。Iwantedtoknowifyouwouldrequiresupper。Iseeyou’veayounggentleman——
’
`Yes，ma’am。ButIthinkIwon’tcomedownto-night。Willyoubringsupperuponatray，andI’llhaveacupofteaaswell。’
ItwasJude’scustomtogodownstairstothekitchen，andeathismealswiththefamily，tosavetrouble。Hislandladybroughtupthesupper，however，onthisoccasion，andhetookitfromheratthedoor。
Whenshehaddescendedhesettheteapotonthehob，anddrewoutSue’sclothesanew；buttheywerefarfromdry。Athickwoollengown，hefound，heldadealofwater。Sohehungthemupagain，andenlargedhisfireandmusedasthesteamfromthegarmentswentupthechimney。
Suddenlyshesaid，`Jude！’
`Yes。Allright。Howdoyoufeelnow？’
`Better。Quitewell。Why，Ifellasleep，didn’tI？Whattimeisit？Notlatesurely？’
`Itispastten。’
`Isitreally？WhatshallIdo！’shesaid，startingup。
`Staywhereyouare。’
`Yes；that’swhatIwanttodo。ButIdon’tknowwhattheywouldsay！Andwhatwillyoudo？’
`Iamgoingtositherebythefireallnight，andread。To-morrowisSunday，andIhaven’ttogooutanywhere。Perhapsyouwillbesavedasevereillnessbyrestingthere。Don’tbefrightened。I’mallright。
Lookhere，whatIhavegotforyou。Somesupper。’
Whenshehadsatuprightshebreathedplaintivelyandsaid，`I
dofeelratherweakstill。lthoughtIwaswell；andIoughtnottobehere，oughtI？’Butthesupperfortifiedhersomewhat，andwhenshehadhadsometeaandhadlainbackagainshewasbrightandcheerful。
Theteamusthavebeengreen，ortoolongdrawn，forsheseemedpreternaturallywakefulafterwards，thoughJude，whohadnottakenany，begantofeelheavy；tillherconversationfixedhisattention。
`Youcalledmeacreatureofcivilization，orsomething，didn’tyou？’shesaid，breakingasilence。`Itwasveryoddyoushouldhavedonethat。’
`Why？’
`Well，becauseitisprovokinglywrong。Iamasortofnegationofit。’
`Youareveryphilosophical。`Anegation’isprofoundtalking。’
`Isit？DoIstrikeyouasbeinglearned？’sheasked，withatouchofraillery。
`No-notlearned。Onlyyoudon’ttalkquitelikeagirl-well，agirlwhohashadnoadvantages。’
`Ihavehadadvantages。Idon’tknowLatinandGreek，thoughI
knowthegrammarsofthosetongues。ButIknowmostoftheGreekandLatinclassicsthroughtranslations，andotherbookstoo。IreadLempriere，Catullus，Martial，Juvenal，Lucian，BeaumontandFletcher，Boccaccio，Scarron，DeBrantame，Sterne，DeFoe，Smollett，Fielding，Shakespeare，theBible，andothersuch；andfoundthatallinterestintheunwholesomepartofthosebooksendedwithitsmystery。’
`YouhavereadmorethanI，’hesaidwithasigh。`Howcameyoutoreadsomeofthosequeererones？’
`Well，’shesaidthoughtfully，`itwasbyaccident。Mylifehasbeenentirelyshapedbywhatpeoplecallapeculiarityinme。Ihavenofearofmen，assuch，noroftheirbooks。Ihavemixedwiththem-oneortwoofthemparticularly-almostasoneoftheirownsex。ImeanI
havenotfeltaboutthemasmostwomenaretaughttofeel-tobeontheirguardagainstattacksontheirvirtue；fornoaverageman-nomanshortofasensualsavage-willmolestawomanbydayornight，athomeorabroad，unlesssheinviteshim。Untilshesaysbyalook`Comeon’heisalwaysafraidto，andifyouneversayit，orlookit，henevercomes。However，whatIwasgoingtosayisthatwhenIwaseighteenIformedafriendlyintimacywithanundergraduateatChristminster，andhetaughtmeagreatdeal，andlentmebookswhichIshouldneverhavegotholdofotherwise。’
`Isyourfriendshipbrokenoff？’
`Ohyes。Hedied，poorfellow，twoorthreeyearsafterhehadtakenhisdegreeandleftChristminster。’
`Yousawagooddealofhim，Isuppose？’
`Yes。Weusedtogoabouttogether-onwalkingtours，readingtours，andthingsofthatsort-liketwomenalmost。Heaskedmetolivewithhim，andIagreedtobyletter。ButwhenIjoinedhiminLondonI
foundhemeantadifferentthingfromwhatImeant。Hewantedmetobehismistress，infact，butIwasn’tinlovewithhim-andonmysayingIshouldgoawayifhedidn’tagreetomyplan，hedidso。Wesharedasitting-roomforfifteenmonths；andhebecamealeader-writerforoneofthegreatLondondailies；tillhewastakenill，andhadtogoabroad。
HesaidIwasbreakinghisheartbyholdingoutagainsthimsolongatsuchclosequarters；hecouldneverhavebelieveditofwoman。Imightplaythatgameoncetoooften，hesaid。Hecamehomemerelytodie。Hisdeathcausedaterribleremorseinmeformycruelty-thoughIhopehediedofconsumptionandnotofmeentirely。lwentdowntoSandbournetohisfuneral，andwashisonlymourner。Heleftmealittlemoney-becauseIbrokehisheart，Isuppose。That’showmenare-somuchbetterthanwomen！’
`Goodheavens！-whatdidyoudothen？’
`Ah-nowyouareangrywithme！’shesaid，acontraltonoteoftragedycomingsuddenlyintohersilveryvoice。`Iwouldn’thavetoldyouifIhadknown！’
`No，Iamnot。Tellmeall。’
`Well，Iinvestedhismoney，poorfellow，inabubblescheme，andlostit。IlivedaboutLondonbymyselfforsometime，andthenIreturnedtoChristminster，asmyfather-whowasalsoinLondon，andhadstartedasanartmetal-workernearLong-Acre-wouldn’thavemeback；andIgotthatoccupationintheartist-shopwhereyoufoundme……Isaidyoudidn’tknowhowbadIwas！’
Judelookedrounduponthearm-chairanditsoccupant，asiftoreadmorecarefullythecreaturehehadgivenshelterto。Hisvoicetrembledashesaid：`Howeveryouhavelived，Sue，Ibelieveyouareasinnocentasyouareunconventional！’
`Iamnotparticularlyinnocent，asyousee，nowthatIhave`twitchedtherobeFromthatblanklay-figureyourfancydraped，’’saidshe，withanostensiblesneer，thoughhecouldhearthatshewasbrimmingwithtears。`ButIhaveneveryieldedmyselftoanylover，ifthat’swhatyoumean！IhaveremainedasIbegan。’
`Iquitebelieveyou。Butsomewomenwouldnothaveremainedastheybegan。’
`Pehapsnot。Betterwomenwouldnot。PeoplesayImustbecold-natured-sexless-onaccountofit。ButIwon’thaveit！Someofthemostpassionatelyeroticpoetshavebeenthemostself-containedintheirdailylives。’
`HaveyoutoldMr。Phillotsonaboutthisuniversityscholarfriend？’
`Yes-longago。Ihavenevermadeanysecretofittoanybody。’
`Whatdidhesay？’
`Hedidnotpassanycriticism-onlysaidIwaseverythingtohim，whateverIdid；andthingslikethat。’
Judefeltmuchdepressed；sheseemedtogetfurtherandfurtherawayfromhimwithherstrangewaysandcuriousunconsciousnessofgender。
`Aren’tyoureallyvexedwithme，dearJude？’shesuddenlyasked，inavoiceofsuchextraordinarytendernessthatithardlyseemedtocomefromthesamewomanwhohadjusttoldherstorysolightly。`I
wouldratheroffendanybodyintheworldthanyou，Ithink！’
`Idon’tknowwhetherIamvexedornot。IknowIcareverymuchaboutyou！’
`IcareasmuchforyouasforanybodyIevermet。’
`Youdon’tcaremore！There，Ioughtnottosaythat。Don’tanswerit！’
Therewasanotherlongsilence。Hefeltthatshewastreatinghimcruelly，thoughhecouldnotquitesayinwhatway。Herveryhelplessnessseemedtomakehersomuchstrongerthanhe。
`Iamawfullyignorantongeneralmatters，althoughIhaveworkedsohard，’hesaid，toturnthesubject。`Iamabsorbedintheology，youknow。AndwhatdoyouthinkIshouldbedoingjustaboutnow，ifyouweren’there？Ishouldbesayingmyeveningprayers。Isupposeyouwouldn’tlike——’
`Ohno，no，’sheanswered，`Iwouldrathernot，ifyoudon’tmind。
Ishouldseemso-suchahypocrite。’
`Ithoughtyouwouldn’tjoin，soIdidn’tproposeit。YoumustrememberthatIhopetobeausefulministersomeday。’
`Tobeordained，Ithinkyousaid？’
`Yes。’