Afterthisexhilaratingtraditionfromthewidowontheeveofthesolemnizationtheyrose，and，wishingtheirguestgood-night，retired。
ThenextmorningSue，whosenervousnessintensifiedwiththehours，tookJudeprivatelyintothesitting-roombeforestarting。`Jude，Iwantyoutokissme，asalover，incorporeally，’shesaid，tremulouslynestlinguptohim，withdamplashes。`Itwon’tbeeverlikethisanymore，willit！Iwishwehadn’tbegunthebusiness。ButIsupposewemustgoon。Howhorridthatstorywaslastnight！Itspoiltmythoughtsofto-day。Itmakesmefeelasifatragicdoomoverhungourfamily，asitdidthehouseofAtreus。’
`OrthehouseofJeroboam，’saidthequondamtheologian。
`Yes。Anditseemsawfultemerityinustwotogomarrying！I
amgoingtovowtoyouinthesamewordsIvowedintomyotherhusband，andyoutomeinthesameasyouusedtoyourotherwife；regardlessofthedeterrentlessonweweretaughtbythoseexperiments！’
`IfyouareuneasyIammadeunhappy，’saidhe。`Ihadhopedyouwouldfeelquitejoyful。Butifyoudon’t，youdon’t。Itisnousepretending。
Itisadismalbusinesstoyou，andthatmakesitsotome！’
`Itisunpleasantlylikethatothermorning-that’sall，’shemurmured。`Letusgoonnow。’
Theystartedarminarmfortheofficeaforesaid，nowitnessaccompanyingthemexcepttheWidowEdlin。Thedaywaschillyanddull，andaclammyfogblewthroughthetownfrom`Royal-tower’dThame。’Onthestepsoftheofficetherewerethemuddyfoot-marksofpeoplewhohadentered，andintheentryweredampumbrellasWithintheofficeseveralpersonsweregathered，andourcoupleperceivedthatamarriagebetweenasoldierandayoungwomanwasjustinprogress。Sue，Jude，andthewidowstoodinthebackgroundwhilethiswasgoingon，Suereadingthenoticesofmarriageonthewall。
Theroomwasadrearyplacetotwooftheirtemperament，thoughtoitsusualfrequentersitdoubtlessseemedordinaryenough。Law-booksinmustycalfcoveredonewall，andelsewherewerepost-officedirectories，andotherbooksofreference。Papersinpacketstiedwithredtapewerepigeon-holedaround，andsomeironsafesfilledarecess，whilethebarewoodfloorwas，likethedoor-step，stainedbypreviousvisitors。
Thesoldierwassullenandreluctant：thebridesadandtimid；
shewassoon，obviously，tobecomeamother，andshehadablackeye。Theirlittlebusinesswassoondone，andthetwainandtheirfriendsstraggledout，oneofthewitnessessayingcasuallytoJudeandSueinpassing，asifhehadknownthembefore：`Seethecouplejustcomein？Ha，ha！Thatfellowisjustoutofgaolthismorning。Shemethimatthegaolgates，andbroughthimstraighthere。She’spayingforeverything。’
Sueturnedherheadandsawanill-favouredman，closelycropped，withabroad-faced，pock-markedwomanonhisarm，ruddywithliquorandthesatisfactionofbeingonthebrinkofagratifieddesire。Theyjocoselysalutedtheoutgoingcouple，andwentforwardinfrontofJudeandSue，whosediffidencewasincreasing。Thelatterdrewbackandturnedtoherlover，hermouthshapingitselflikethatofachildabouttogivewaytogrief：
`Jude-Idon’tlikeithere！Iwishwehadn’tcome！Theplacegivesmethehorrors：itseemssounnaturalastheclimaxofourlove！
Iwishithadbeenatchurch，ifithadtobeatall。Itisnotsovulgarthere！’
`Dearlittlegirl，’saidJude。`Howtroubledandpaleyoulook！’
`Itmustbeperformedherenow，Isuppose？’
`No-perhapsnotnecessarily。’
Hespoketotheclerk，andcameback。`No-weneednotmarryhereoranywhere，unlesswelike，evennow，’hesaid。`Wecanbemarriedinachurch，ifnotwiththesamecertificatewithanotherhe’llgiveus，Ithink。Anyhow，letusgoouttillyouarecalmer，dear，andItoo，andtalkitover。’
Theywentoutstealthilyandguiltily，asiftheyhadcommittedamisdemeanour，closingthedoorwithoutnoise，andtellingthewidow，whohadremainedintheentry，togohomeandawaitthem；thattheywouldcallinanycasualpassersaswitnesses，ifnecessary。Wheninthestreettheyturnedintoanunfrequentedsidealleywheretheywalkedupanddownastheyhaddonelongagointhemarket-houseatMelchester。
`Now，darling，whatshallwedo？Wearemakingamessofit，itstrikesme。Still，anythingthatpleasesyouwillpleaseme。’
`ButJude，dearest，Iamworryingyou！Youwantedittobethere，didn’tyou？’
`Well，totellthetruth，whenIgotinsideIfeltasifIdidn’tcaremuchaboutit。Theplacedepressedmealmostasmuchasitdidyou-itwasugly。AndthenIthoughtofwhatyouhadsaidthismorningastowhetherweought。’
Theywalkedonvaguely，tillshepaused，andherlittlevoicebegananew：`Itseemssoweak，too，tovacillatelikethis！Andyethowmuchbetterthantoactrashlyasecondtime……Howterriblethatscenewastome！Theexpressioninthatflabbywoman’sface，leadingherontogiveherselftothatgaol-bird，notforafewhours，asshewould，butforalifetime，asshemust。Andtheotherpoorsoul-toescapeanominalshamewhichwasowingtotheweaknessofhercharacter，degradingherselftotherealshameofbondagetoatyrantwhoscornedher-amanwhomtoavoidforeverwasheronlychanceofsalvation……Thisisourparishchurch，isn’tit？Thisiswhereitwouldhavetobe，ifwediditintheusualway？Aserviceorsomethingseemstobegoingon。’
Judewentupandlookedinatthedoor。`Why-itisaweddingheretoo，’hesaid。`Everybodyseemstobeonourtackto-day。’
SuesaidshesupposeditwasbecauseLentwasjustover，whentherewasalwaysacrowdofmarriages。`Letuslisten，’shesaid，`andfindhowitfeelstouswhenperformedinachurch。’
Theysteppedin，andenteredabackseat，andwatchedtheproceedingsatthealtar。Thecontractingcoupleappearedtobelongtothewell-to-domiddleclass，andtheweddingaltogetherwasofordinaryprettinessandinterest。Theycouldseetheflowerstrembleinthebride’shand，evenatthatdistance，andcouldhearhermechanicalmurmurofwordswhosemeaningherbrainseemedtogathernotatallunderthepressureofherself-consciousness。
SueandJudelistened，andseverallysawthemselvesintimepastgoingthroughthesameformofself-committal。
`Itisnotthesametoher，poorthing，asitwouldbetomedoingitoveragainwithmypresentknowledge，’Suewhispered。`Yousee，theyarefreshtoit，andtaketheproceedingsasamatterofcourse。Buthavingbeenawakenedtoitsawfulsolemnityaswehave，oratleastasIhave，byexperience，andtomyowntoosqueamishfeelingsperhapssometimes，itreallydoesseemimmoralinmetogoandundertakethesamethingagainwithopeneyes。Cominginhereandseeingthishasfrightenedmefromachurchweddingasmuchastheotherdidfromaregistryone……Weareaweak，tremulouspair，Jude，andwhatothersmayfeelconfidentinIfeeldoubtsof-mybeingproofagainstthesordidconditionsofabusinesscontractagain！’
Thentheytriedtolaugh，andwentondebatinginwhisperstheobject-lessonbeforethem。AndJudesaidhealsothoughttheywerebothtoothin-skinned-thattheyoughtnevertohavebeenborn-muchlesshavecometogetherforthemostpreposterousofalljointventuresforthem-matrimony。
Hisbetrothedshuddered；andaskedhimearnestlyifheindeedfeltthattheyoughtnottogoincoldbloodandsignthatlife-undertakingagain？’Itisawfulifyouthinkwehavefoundourselvesnotstrongenoughforit，andknowingthis，areproposingtoperjureourselves，’shesaid。
`IfancyIdothinkit-sinceyouaskme，’saidJude。`RememberI’lldoitifyouwish，owndarling。’Whileshehesitatedhewentontoconfessthat，thoughhethoughttheyoughttobeabletodoit，hefeltcheckedbythedreadofincompetencyjustasshedid-fromtheirpeculiarities，perhaps，becausetheywereunlikeotherpeople。`Wearehorriblysensitive；
that’sreallywhat’sthematterwithus，Sue！’hedeclared。
`Ifancymorearelikeusthanwethink！’
`Well，Idon’tknow。Theintentionofthecontractisgood，andrightformany，nodoubt；butinourcaseitmaydefeatitsownendsbecausewearethequeersortofpeopleweare-folkinwhomdomestictiesofaforcedkindsnuffoutcordialityandspontaneousness。’
Suestillheldthattherewasnotmuchqueerorexceptionalinthem：thatallwereso。`Everybodyisgettingtofeelaswedo。Wearealittlebeforehand，that’sall。Infifty，ahundred，yearsthedescendantsofthesetwowillactandfeelworsethanwe。Theywillseewelteringhumanitystillmorevividlythanwedonow，asShapeslikeourownselveshideouslymultiplied，andwillbeafraidtoreproducethem。’
`Whataterriblelineofpoetry！……thoughIhavefeltitmyselfaboutmyfellow-creatures，atmorbidtimes。’
Thustheymurmuredon，tillSuesaidmorebrightly：
`Well-thegeneralquestionisnotourbusiness，andwhyshouldweplagueourselvesaboutit？Howeverdifferentourreasonsarewecometothesameconclusion；thatforusparticulartwo，anirrevocableoathisrisky。Then，Jude，letusgohomewithoutkillingourdream！Yes？Howgoodyouare，myfriend：yougivewaytoallmywhims！’
`Theyaccordverymuchwithmyown。’
Hegaveheralittlekissbehindapillarwhiletheattentionofeverybodypresentwastakenupinobservingthebridalprocessionenteringthevestry；andthentheycameoutsidethebuilding。Bythedoortheywaitedtilltwoorthreecarriages，whichhadgoneawayforawhile，returned，andthenewhusbandandwifecameintotheopendaylight。Suesighed。
`Theflowersinthebride’shandaresadlylikethegarlandwhichdeckedtheheifersofsacrificeinoldtimes！’
`Still，Sue，itisnoworseforthewomanthanfortheman。That’swhatsomewomenfailtosee，andinsteadofprotestingagainsttheconditionstheyprotestagainsttheman，theothervictim；justasawomaninacrowdwillabusethemanwhocrushesagainsther，whenheisonlythehelplesstransmitterofthepressureputuponhim。’
`Yes-somearelikethat，insteadofunitingwiththemanagainstthecommonenemy，coercion。’Thebrideandbridegroomhadbythistimedrivenoff，andthetwomovedawaywiththerestoftheidlers。`No-don’tlet’sdoit，’shecontinued。`Atleastjustnow。’
Theyreachedhome，andpassingthewindowarminarmsawthewidowlookingoutatthem。`Well，’criedtheirguestwhentheyentered，`IsaidtomyselfwhenIzeedyecomingsolovinguptothedoor，`Theymadeuptheirmindsatlast，then！’’
Theybrieflyhintedthattheyhadnot。
`What-andha’n’tyereallydoneit？Chok’itall，thatIshouldhavelivedtoseeagoodoldsayinglike`marryinhasteandrepentatleisure’spoiledlikethisbyyoutwo！’TistimeIgotbackagaintoMarygreen-sakesiftidden-ifthisiswhatthenewnotionsbeleadingusto！Nobodythoughto’beingafeardo’matrimonyinmytime，norofmuchelsebutacannon-balloremptycup-board！WhywhenIandmypoormanweremarriedwethoughtnomoreo’tthanofagameo’dibs！’
`Don’ttellthechildwhenhecomesin，’whisperedSuenervously。
`He’llthinkithasallgoneonright，anditwillbebetterthatheshouldnotbesurprisedandpuzzled。Ofcourseitisonlyputoffforreconsideration。
Ifwearehappyasweare，whatdoesitmattertoanybody？’
JudetheObscureChapter39V-vThepurposeofachroniclerofmoodsanddeedsdoesnotrequirehimtoexpresshispersonalviewsuponthegravecontroversyabovegiven。Thatthetwainwerehappy-betweentheirtimesofsadness-wasindubitable。
AndwhentheunexpectedapparitionofJude’schildinthehousehadshownitselftobenosuchdisturbingeventasithadlooked，butonethatbroughtintotheirlivesanewandtenderinterestofanennoblingandunselfishkind，itratherhelpedthaninjuredtheirhappiness。
Tobesure，withsuchpleasinganxiousbeingsastheywere，theboy’scomingalsobroughtwithitmuchthoughtforthefuture，particularlyasheseemedatpresenttobesingularlydeficientinalltheusualhopesofchildhood。Butthepairtriedtodismiss，forawhileatleast，atoostrenuouslyforwardview。
ThereisinUpperWessexanoldtownofnineortenthousandsouls；
thetownmaybecalledStoke-Barehills。Itstandswithitsgaunt，unattractive，ancientchurch，anditsnewredbricksuburb，amidtheopen，chalk-soiledcornlands，nearthemiddleofanimaginarytrianglewhichhasforitsthreecornersthetownsofAldbrickhamandWintoncester，andtheimportantmilitarystationofQuartershot。ThegreatwesternhighwayfromLondonpassesthroughit，nearapointwheretheroadbranchesintotwo，merelytouniteagainsometwentymilesfurtherwestward。Outofthisbifurcationandreunionthereusedtoariseamongwheeledtravellers，beforerailwaydays，endlessquestionsofchoicebetweentherespectiveways。Butthequestionisnowasdeadasthescot-and-lotfreeholder，theroadwaggoner，andthemailcoachmanwhodisputedit；andprobablynotasingleinhabitantofStoke-Barehillsisnowevenawarethatthetworoadswhichpartinhistownevermeetagain；