`AndI，too，mustupandoff！’repliedtheother，springingoutofbedsosuddenlythatthesoftpartsofherpersonshook。Suejumpedasideintrepidation。`Lord，Iamonlyawoman-notasix-footsojer！……Justamoment，dear，’shecontinued，puttingherhandonSue’sarm。
`IreallydidwanttoconsultJudeonalittlematterofbusiness，asI
toldhim。Icameaboutthatmorethananythingelse。WouldherunuptospeaktomeatthestationasIamgoing？Youthinknot。Well，I’llwritetohimaboutit。Ididn’twanttowriteit，butnevermind-Iwill。’
JudetheObscureChapter37V-iiiWhenSuereachedhomeJudewasawaitingheratthedoortotaketheinitialsteptowardstheirmarriage。Sheclaspedhisarm，andtheywentalongsilentlytogether，astruecomradesoft-timesdo。Hesawthatshewaspreoccupied，andforboretoquestionher。
`OhJude-I’vebeentalkingtoher，’shesaidatlast。`IwishIhadn’t！Andyetitisbesttoberemindedofthings。’
`Ihopeshewascivil。’
`Yes。I-Ican’thelplikingher-justalittlebit！She’snotanungenerousnature；andIamsogladherdifficultieshaveallsuddenlyended。’SheexplainedhowArabellahadbeensummonedback，andwouldbeenabledtoretrieveherposition。`Iwasreferringtoouroldquestion。
WhatArabellahasbeensayingtomehasmademefeelmorethaneverhowhopelesslyvulgaraninstitutionlegalmarriageis-asortoftraptocatchaman-Ican’tbeartothinkofit。IwishIhadn’tpromisedtoletyouputupthebannsthismorning！’
`Oh，don’tmindme。Anytimewilldoforme。Ithoughtyoumightliketogetitoverquickly，now。’
`Indeed，Idon’tfeelanymoreanxiousnowthanIdidbefore。
PerhapswithanyothermanImightbealittleanxious；butamongtheveryfewvirtuespossessedbyyourfamilyandmine，dear，IthinkImaysetstaunchness。SoIamnotabitfrightenedaboutlosingyou，nowIreallyamyoursandyoureallyaremine。Infact，IameasierinmymindthanIwas，formyconscienceisclearaboutRichard，whonowhasarighttohisfreedom。Ifeltweweredeceivinghimbefore。’
`Sue，youseemwhenyouarelikethistobeoneofthewomenofsomegrandoldcivilization，whomIusedtoreadaboutinmybygone，wasted，classicaldays，ratherthanadenizenofamereChristiancountry。IalmostexpectyoutosayatthesetimesthatyouhavejustbeentalkingtosomefriendwhomyoumetintheViaSacra，aboutthelatestnewsofOctaviaorLivia；orhavebeenlisteningtoAspasia’seloquence，orhavebeenwatchingPraxiteleschisellingawayathislatestVenus，whilePhrynemadecomplaintthatshewastiredofposing。’
Theyhadnowreachedthehouseoftheparishclerk。Suestoodback，whileherloverwentuptothedoor。Hishandwasraisedtoknockwhenshesaid：`Jude！’
Helookedround。
`Waitaminute，wouldyoumind？’
Hecamebacktoher。
`Justletusthink，’shesaidtimidly。`Ihadsuchahorriddreamonenight！……AndArabella——’
`WhatdidArabellasaytoyou？’heasked`Oh，shesaidthatwhenpeopleweretiedupyoucouldgetthelawofamanbetterifhebeatyou-andhowwhencouplesquarrelled……
Jude，doyouthinkthatwhenyoumusthavemewithyoubylaw，weshallbesohappyaswearenow？Themenandwomenofourfamilyareverygenerouswheneverythingdependsupontheirgoodwill，buttheyalwayskickagainstcompulsion。Don’tyoudreadtheattitudethatinsensiblyarisesoutoflegalobligation？Don’tyouthinkitisdestructivetoapassionwhoseessenceisitsgratuitousness？’
`Uponmyword，love，youarebeginningtofrightenme，too，withallthisforeboding！Well，let’sgobackandthinkitover。’
Herfacebrightened。`Yes-sowewill！’saidshe。Andtheyturnedfromtheclerk’sdoor，Suetakinghisarmandmurmuringastheywalkedonhomeward：
Canyoukeepthebeefromranging，Orthering-dovesneckfromchanging？
No！Norfetter’dlove……Theythoughtitover，orpostponedthinking。Certainlytheypostponedaction，andseemedtoliveoninadreamyparadise。Attheendofafortnightorthreeweeksmattersremainedunadvanced，andnobannswereannouncedtotheearsofanyAldbrickhamcongregation。
WhilsttheywerepostponingandpostponingthusaletterandanewspaperarrivedbeforebreakfastonemorningfromArabella。SeeingthehandwritingJudewentuptoSue’sroomandtoldher，andassoonasshewasdressedshehasteneddown。Sueopenedthenewspaper；Judetheletter。
Afterglancingatthepapersheheldacrossthefirstpagetohimwithherfingeronaparagraph；buthewassoabsorbedinhisletterthathedidnotturnawhile。
`Look！’saidshe。
Helookedandread。ThepaperwasonethatcirculatedinSouthLondononly，andthemarkedadvertisementwassimplytheannouncementofamarriageatSt。John’sChurch，WaterlooRoad，underthenames，`CARTLETT-
DONN’；theunitedpairbeingArabellaandtheinn-keeper。
`Well，itissatisfactory，’saidSuecomplacently。`Though，afterthis，itseemsratherlowtodolikewise，andIamglad。However，sheisprovidedfornowinaway，Isuppose，whateverherfaults，poorthing。
Itisnicerthatweareabletothinkthat，thantobeuneasyabouther。
Iought，too，towritetoRichardandaskhimhowheisgettingon，perhaps？’
ButJude’sattentionwasstillabsorbed。Havingmerelyglancedattheannouncementhesaidinadisturbedvoice：`Listentothisletter。
WhatshallIsayordo？’
TheThreeHorns，Lambeth。DearJudeIwon’tbesodistantastocallyouMr。Fawley，-Isendto-dayanewspaper，fromwhichusefuldocumentyouwilllearnthatIwasmarriedoveragaintoCartlettlastTuesday。Sothatbusinessissettledrightandtightatlast。ButwhatIwriteaboutmoreparticularisthatprivateaffairIwantedtospeaktoyouonwhenIcamedowntoAldbrickham。Icouldn’tverywelltellittoyourladyfriend，andshouldmuchhavelikedtoletyouknowitbywordofmouth，asIcouldhaveexplainedbetterthanbyletter。Thefactis，Jude，that，thoughIhaveneverinformedyoubefore，therewasaboybornofourmarriage，eightmonthsafterIleftyou，whenIwasatSydney，livingwithmyfatherandmother。Allthatiseasilyprovable。
AsIhadseparatedfromyoubeforeIthoughtsuchathingwasgoingtohappen，andIwasoverthere，andourquarrelhadbeensharp，Ididnotthinkitconvenienttowriteaboutthebirth。Iwasthenlookingoutforagoodsituation，somyparentstookthechild，andhehasbeenwiththemeversince。ThatwaswhyIdidnotmentionitwhenImetyouinChristminster，noratthelawproceedings。Heisnowofanintelligentage，ofcourse，andmymotherandfatherhavelatelywrittentosaythat，astheyhaveratherahardstruggleoverthere，andIamsettledcomfortablyhere，theydon’tseewhytheyshouldbeencumberedwiththechildanylonger，hisparentsbeingalive。Iwouldhavehimwithmehereinamoment，butheisnotoldenoughtobeofanyuseinthebarnorwillbeforyearsandyears，andnaturallyCartlettmightthinkhimintheway。Theyhave，however，packedhimofftomeinchargeofsomefriendswhohappenedtobecominghome，andImustaskyoutotakehimwhenhearrives，forIdon’tknowwhattodowithhim。Heislawfullyyours，thatIsolemnlyswear。Ifanybodysaysheisn’t，callthembrimstoneliars，formysake。WhateverImayhavedonebeforeorafterwards，IwashonesttoyoufromthetimeweweremarriedtillIwentaway，andIremain，yours，&；c。，ArabellaCartlett。Sue’slookwasoneofdismay。`Whatwillyoudo，dear？’sheaskedfaintly。
Judedidnotreply，andSuewatchedhimanxiously，withheavybreaths。
`Ithitsmehard！’saidheinanunder-voice。`Itmaybetrue！Ican’tmakeitout。Certainly，ifhisbirthwasexactlywhenshesays，he’smine。Icannotthinkwhyshedidn’ttellmewhenImetheratChristminster，andcameonherethateveningwithher！……Ah-Idoremembernowthatshesaidsomethingabouthavingathingonhermindthatshewouldlikemetoknow，ifeverwelivedtogetheragain。’
`Thepoorchildseemstobewantedbynobody！’Suereplied，andhereyesfilled。
Judehadbythistimecometohimself。`Whataviewoflifehemusthave，mineornotmine！’hesaid。`Imustsaythat，ifIwerebetteroff，Ishouldnotstopforamomenttothinkwhosehemightbe。Iwouldtakehimandbringhimup。Thebeggarlyquestionofparentage-whatisit，afterall？Whatdoesitmatter，whenyoucometothinkofit，whetherachildisyoursbybloodornot？Allthelittleonesofourtimearecollectivelythechildrenofusadultsofthetime，andentitledtoourgeneralcare。
Thatexcessiveregardofparentsfortheirownchildren，andtheirdislikeofotherpeople’s，is，likeclass-feeling，patriotism，save-your-own-soul-ism，andothervirtues，ameanexclusivenessatbottom。’
SuejumpedupandkissedJudewithpassionatedevotion。`Yes-
soitis，dearest！Andwe’llhavehimhere！Andifheisn’tyoursitmakesitallthebetter。Idohopeheisn’t-thoughperhapsIoughtnottofeelquitethat！Ifheisn’t，Ishouldlikesomuchforustohavehimasanadoptedchild！’
`Well，youmustassumeabouthimwhatismostpleasingtoyou，mycuriouslittlecomrade！’hesaid。`Ifeelthat，anyhow，Idon’tliketoleavetheunfortunatelittlefellowtoneglect。JustthinkofhislifeinaLambethpothouse，andallitsevilinfluences，withaparentwhodoesn’twanthim，andhas，indeed，hardlyseenhim，andastepfatherwhodoesn’tknowhim。`LetthedayperishwhereinIwasborn，andthenightinwhichitwassaid，Thereisamanchildconceived！’That’swhattheboy-myboy，perhaps，willfindhimselfsayingbeforelong！’
`Ohno！’
`AsIwasthepetitioner，Iamreallyentitledtohiscustody，Isuppose。’
`Whetherorno，wemusthavehim。Iseethat。I’lldothebestIcantobeamothertohim，andwecanaffordtokeephimsomehow。I’llworkharder。Iwonderwhenhe’llarrive？’
`Inthecourseofafewweeks，Isuppose。’
`Iwish-Whenshallwehavecouragetomarry，Jude？’
`Wheneveryouhaveit，IthinkIshall。Itremainswithyouentirely，dear。Onlysaytheword，andit’sdone。’
`Beforetheboycomes？’
`Certainly。’
`Itwouldmakeamorenaturalhomeforhim，perhaps，’shemurmured。
Judethereuponwroteinpurelyformaltermstorequestthattheboyshouldbesentontothemassoonashearrived，makingnoremarkwhateveronthesurprisingnatureofArabella’sinformation，norvouchsafingasinglewordofopinionontheboy’spaternity，noronwhether，hadheknownallthis，hisconducttowardsherwouldhavebeenquitethesame。
Inthedown-trainthatwastimedtoreachAldbrickhamstationaboutteno’clockthenextevening，asmall，palechild’sfacecouldbeseeninthegloomofathird-classcarriage。Hehadlarge，frightenedeyes，andworeawhitewoollencravat，overwhichakeywassuspendedroundhisneckbyapieceofcommonstring：thekeyattractingattentionbyitsoccasionalshineinthelamplight。Inthebandofhishathishalf-ticketwasstuck。
Hiseyesremainedmostlyfixedonthebackoftheseatopposite，andneverturnedtothewindowevenwhenastationwasreachedandcalled。Ontheotherseatweretwoorthreepassengers，oneofthemaworkingwomanwhoheldabasketonherlap，inwhichwasatabbykitten。Thewomanopenedthecovernowandthen，whereuponthekittenwouldputoutitshead，andindulgeinplayfulantics。Atthesethefellow-passengerslaughed，exceptthesolitaryboybearingthekeyandticket，who，regardingthekittenwithhissaucereyes，seemedmutelytosay：`Alllaughingcomesfrommisapprehension。
Rightlylookedatthereisnolaughablethingunderthesun。’
Occasionallyatastoppagetheguardwouldlookintothecompartmentandsaytotheboy，`Allright，myman。Yourboxissafeinthevan。’Theboywouldsay，`Yes，’withoutanimation，wouldtrytosmile，andfail。
HewasAgemasqueradingasJuvenility，anddoingitsobadlythathisrealselfshowedthroughcrevices。Aground-swellfromancientyearsofnightseemednowandthentoliftthechildinthishismorning-life，whenhisfacetookabackviewoversomegreatAtlanticofTime，andappearednottocareaboutwhatitsaw。