Judewouldnowhavebeendescribedasayoungmanwithaforcible，meditative，andearnestratherthanhandsomecastofcountenance。Hewasofdarkcomplexion，withdarkharmonizingeyes，andheworeacloselytrimmedblackbeardofmoreadvancedgrowththanisusualathisage；this，withhisgreatmassofblackcurlyhair，wassometroubletohimincombingandwashingoutthestone-dustthatsettledonitinthepursuitofhistrade。Hiscapabilitiesinthelatter，havingbeenacquiredinthecountry，wereofanall-roundsort，includingmonumentalstone-cutting，gothicfree-stoneworkfortherestorationofchurches，andcarvingofageneralkind。InLondonhewouldprobablyhavebecomespecializedandhavemadehimselfa`mouldingmason，’a`foliagesculptor’-perhapsa`statuary。’
HehadthatafternoondriveninacartfromAlfredstontothevillagenearestthecityinthisdirection，andwasnowwalkingtheremainingfourmilesratherfromchoicethanfromnecessity，havingalwaysfanciedhimselfarrivingthus。
Theultimateimpulsetocomehadhadacuriousorigin-onemorenearlyrelatedtotheemotionalsideofhimthantotheintellectual，asisoftenthecasewithyoungmen。OnedaywhileinlodgingsatAlfredstonhehadgonetoMarygreentoseehisoldaunt，andhadobservedbetweenthebrasscandlesticksonhermantlepiecethephotographofaprettygirlishface，inabroadhatwithradiatingfoldsunderthebrimliketheraysofahalo。Hehadaskedwhoshewas。Hisgrand-aunthadgrufflyrepliedthatshewashiscousinSueBridehead，oftheinimicalbranchofthefamily；
andonfurtherquestioningtheoldwomanhadrepliedthatthegirllivedinChristminster，thoughshedidnotknowwhere，orwhatshewasdoing。
Hisauntwouldnotgivehimthephotograph。Butithauntedhim；
andultimatelyformedaquickeningingredientinhislatentintentoffollowinghisfriendtheschoolmasterthither。
Henowpausedatthetopofacrookedandgentledeclivity，andobtainedhisfirstnearviewofthecity。Grey-stonedanddun-roofed，itstoodwithinhailoftheWessexborder，andalmostwiththetipofonesmalltoewithinit，atthenorthernmostpointofthecrinkledlinealongwhichtheleisurelyThamesstrokesthefieldsofthatancientkingdom。
Thebuildingsnowlayquietinthesunset，avanehereandthereontheirmanyspiresanddomesgivingsparkletoapictureofsobersecondaryandtertiaryhues。
Reachingthebottomhemovedalongthelevelwaybetweenpollardwillowsgrowingindistinctinthetwilight，andsoonconfrontedtheoutmostlampsofthetown-someofthoselampswhichhadsentintotheskythegleamandglorythatcaughthisstrainedgazeinhisdaysofdreaming，somanyyearsago。Theywinkedtheiryelloweyesathimdubiously，andasif，thoughtheyhadbeenawaitinghimalltheseyearsindisappointmentathistarrying，theydidnotmuchwanthimnow。
HewasaspeciesofDickWhittingtonwhosespiritwastouchedtofinerissuesthanamerematerialgain。Hewentalongtheoutlyingstreetswiththecautioustreadofanexplorer。Hesawnothingoftherealcityinthesuburbsonthisside。Hisfirstwantbeingalodginghescrutinizedcarefullysuchlocalitiesasseemedtoofferoninexpensivetermsthemodesttypeofaccommodationhedemanded；andafterinquirytookaroominasuburbnicknamed`Beersheba，’thoughhedidnotknowthisatthetime。Hereheinstalledhimself，andhavinghadsometeasalliedforth。
Itwasawindy，whispering，moonlessnight。Toguidehimselfheopenedunderalampamaphehadbrought。Thebreezeruffledandflutteredit，buthecouldseeenoughtodecideonthedirectionheshouldtaketoreachtheheartoftheplace。
Aftermanyturningshecameuptothefirstancientmediaevalpilethathehadencountered。Itwasacollege，ashecouldseebythegateway。Heenteredit，walkedround，andpenetratedtodarkcornerswhichnolamplightreached。Closetothiscollegewasanother；andalittlefurtheronanother；andthenhebegantobeencircledasitwerewiththebreathandsentimentofthevenerablecity。Whenhepassedobjectsoutofharmonywithitsgeneralexpressionheallowedhiseyestoslipoverthemasifhedidnotseethem。
Abellbeganclanging，andhelistenedtillahundred-and-onestrokeshadsounded。Hemusthavemadeamis-take，hethought：itwasmeantforahundred。
Whenthegateswereshut，andhecouldnolongergetintothequadrangles，herambledunderthewallsanddoorways，feelingwithhisfingersthecontoursoftheirmouldingsandcarving。Theminutespassed，fewerandfewerpeoplewerevisible，andstillheserpentinedamongtheshadows，forhadhenotimaginedthesescenesthroughtenbygoneyears，andwhatmatteredanight’srestforonce？Highagainsttheblackskytheflashofalampwouldshowcrocketedpinnaclesandindentedbattlements。
Downobscurealleys，apparentlynevertroddennowbythefootofman，andwhoseveryexistenceseemedtobeforgotten，therewouldjutintothepathporticoes，oriels，doorwaysofenrichedandfloridmiddle-agedesign，theirextinctairbeingaccentuatedbytherottennessofthestones。Itseemedimpossiblethatmodernthoughtcouldhouseitselfinsuchdecrepitandsupersededchambers。
Knowingnotahumanbeinghere，Judebegantobeimpressedwiththeisolationofhisownpersonality，aswithaself-spectre，thesensationbeingthatofonewhowalkedbutcouldnotmakehimselfseenorheard。
Hedrewhisbreathpensively，and，seemingthusalmosthisownghost，gavehisthoughtstotheotherghostlypresenceswithwhichthenookswerehaunted。
Duringtheintervalofpreparationforthisventure，sincehiswifeandfurniture’suncompromisingdisappearanceintospace，hehadreadandlearntalmostallthatcouldbereadandlearntbyoneinhisposition，oftheworthieswhohadspenttheiryouthwithinthesereverendwalls，andwhosesoulshadhauntedthemintheirmaturerage。Someofthem，bytheaccidentsofhisreading，loomedoutinhisfancydisproportionatelylargebycomparisonwiththerest。Thebrushingsofthewindagainsttheangles，buttresses，anddoor-jambswereasthepassingoftheseonlyotherinhabitants，thetappingsofeachivyleafonitsneighbourwereasthemutteringsoftheirmournfulsouls，theshadowsastheirthinshapesinnervousmovement，makinghimcomradesinhissolitude。Inthegloomitwasasifheranagainstthemwithoutfeelingtheirbodilyframes。
Thestreetswerenowdeserted，butonaccountofthesethingshecouldnotgoin。Therewerepoetsabroad，ofearlydateandoflate，fromthefriendandeulogistofShakespearedowntohimwhohasrecentlypassedintosilence，andthatmusicaloneofthetribewhoisstillamongus。Speculativephilosophersdrewalong，notalwayswithwrinkledforeheadsandhoaryhairasinframedportraits，butpink-faced，slim，andactiveasinyouth；moderndivinessheetedintheirsurplices，amongwhomthemostrealtoJudeFawleywerethefoundersofthereligiousschoolcalledTractarian；thewell-knownthree，theenthusiast，thepoet，andtheformularist，theechoesofwhoseteachingshadinfluencedhimeveninhisobscurehome。
Astartofaversionappearedinhisfancytomovethematsightofthoseothersonsoftheplace，theforminthefull-bottomedwig，statesmanrake，reasonerandsceptic；thesmoothlyshavenhistoriansoironicallyciviltoChristianity；withothersofthesameincreduloustemper，whokneweachquadaswellasthefaithful，andtookequalfreedominhauntingitscloisters。
Heregardedthestatesmenintheirvarioustypes，menoffirmermovementandlessdreamyair；thescholar，thespeaker，theplodder；themanwhosemindgrewwithhisgrowthinyears，andthemanwhosemindcontractedwiththesame。
Thescientistsandphilologistsfollowedoninhismind-sightinanoddimpossiblecombination，menofmeditativefaces，strainedforeheads，andweak-eyedasbatswithconstantresearch；thenofficialcharacters-suchmenasgovernor-generalsandlord-lieutenants，inwhomhetooklittleinterest；chief-justicesandlordchancellors，silentthin-lippedfiguresofwhomheknewbarelythenames。Akeenerregardattachedtotheprelates，byreasonofhisownformerhopes。Ofthemhehadanampleband-somemenofheart，othersrathermenofhead；hewhoapologizedfortheChurchinLatin；thesaintlyauthoroftheEveningHymn；andnearthemthegreatitinerantpreacher，hymn-writer，andzealot，shadowedlikeJudebyhismatrimonialdifficulties。
Judefoundhimselfspeakingoutloud，holdingconversationswiththemasitwere，likeanactorinamelodramawhoapostrophizestheaudienceontheothersideofthefootlights；tillhesuddenlyceasedwithastartathisabsurdity。Perhapsthoseincoherentwordsofthewandererwereheardwithinthewallsbysomestudentorthinkeroverhislamp；andhemayhaveraisedhishead，andwonderedwhatvoiceitwas，andwhatitbetokened。
Judenowperceivedthat，sofarassolidfleshwent，hehadthewholeagedcitytohimselfwiththeexceptionofabelatedtownsmanhereandthere，andthatheseemedtobecatchingacold。
Avoicereachedhimoutoftheshade；arealandlocalvoice：
`You’vebeena-settin’alongtimeonthatplinth-stone，youngman。Whatmedyoubeupto？’
ItcamefromapolicemanwhohadbeenobservingJudewithoutthelatterobservinghim。
Judewenthomeandtobed，afterreadingupalittleaboutthesemenandtheirseveralmessagestotheworldfromabookortwothathehadbroughtwithhimconcerningthesonsoftheuniversity。Ashedrewtowardssleepvariousmemorablewordsoftheirsthathehadjustbeenconningseemedspokenbytheminmutteringutterances；someaudible，someunintelligibletohim。OneofthespectreswhoafterwardsmournedChristminsteras`thehomeoflostcauses，’thoughJudedidnotrememberthiswasnowapostrophizingherthus：
`Beautifulcity！sovenerable，solovely，sounravagedbythefierceintellectuallifeofourcentury，soserene！……Herineffablecharmkeepsevercallingustothetruegoalofallofus，totheideal，toperfection。’
AnothervoicewasthatoftheCornLawconvert，whosephantomhehadjustseeninthequadranglewithagreatbell。Judethoughthissoulmighthavebeenshapingthehistoricwordsofhismaster-speech：
`Sir，Imaybewrong，butmyimpressionisthatmydutytowardsacountrythreatenedwithfaminerequiresthatthatwhichhasbeentheordinaryremedyunderallsimilarcircumstancesshouldberesortedtonow，namely，thatthereshouldbefreeaccesstothefoodofmanfromwhateverquarteritmaycome……Deprivemeofofficeto-morrow，youcanneverdeprivemeoftheconsciousnessthatIhaveexercisedthepowerscommittedtomefromnocorruptorinterestedmotives，fromnodesiretogratifyambition，fornopersonalgain。’
ThentheslyauthoroftheimmortalChapteronChristianity：`HowshallweexcusethesupineinattentionofthePaganandphilosophicworld，tothoseevidences[miracles]whichwerepresentedbyOmnipotence？……
ThesagesofGreeceandRometurnedasidefromtheawfulspectacle，andappearedunconsciousofanyalterationsinthemoralorphysicalgovernmentoftheworld。’
Thentheshadeofthepoet，thelastoftheoptimists：
Howtheworldismadeforeachofus！……
AndeachoftheManyhelpstorecruitThelifeoftheracebyageneralplan。Thenoneofthethreeenthusiastshehadseenjustnow，theauthoroftheApologia：
`Myargumentwas……thatabsolutecertitudeastothetruthsofnaturaltheologywastheresultofanassemblageofconcurringandconvergingprobabilities……thatprobabilitieswhichdidnotreachtologicalcertaintymightcreateamentalcertitude。’
Thesecondofthem，nopolemic，murmuredquieterthings：
Whyshouldwefaint，andfeartolivealone，Sinceallalone，soHeavenhaswill’d，wedie？Helikewiseheardsomephrasesspokenbythephantomwiththeshortface，thegenialSpectator：
`WhenIlookuponthetombsofthegreat，everymotionofenvydiesinme；whenIreadtheepitaphsofthebeautiful，everyinordinatedesiregoesout；whenImeetwiththegriefofparentsuponatombstone，myheartmeltswithcompassion；whenIseethetombsoftheparentsthemselves，Iconsiderthevanityofgrievingforthosewhomwemustquicklyfollow。’
Andlastlyagentle-voicedprelatespoke，duringwhosemeek，familiarrhyme，endearedtohimfromearliestchildhood，Judefellasleep：
Teachmetolive，thatImaydreadThegraveaslittleasmybed。
Teachmetodie……Hedidnotwaketillmorning。Theghostlypastseemedtohavegone，andeverythingspokeofto-day。Hestartedupinbed，thinkinghehadoverslepthimselfandthensaid：
`ByJove-Ihadquiteforgottenmysweet-facedcousin，andthatshe’shereallthetime！……andmyoldschoolmaster，too。’Hiswordsabouthisschoolmasterhad，perhaps，lesszestinthemthanhiswordsconcerninghiscousin。
JudetheObscureChapter13II-iiNecessarymeditationsontheactual，includingthemeanbread-and-cheesequestion，dissipatedthephantasmalforawhile，andcompelledJudetosmotherhighthinkingsunderimmediateneeds。Hehadtogetup，andseekforwork，manualwork；theonlykinddeemedbymanyofitsprofessorstobeworkatall。