Thenawaveofwarmthcameoverhimashethoughthownearhenowstoodtothebright-eyedvivaciousgirlwiththebroadforeheadandpileofdarkhairaboveit；thegirlwiththekindlingglance，daringlysoftattimes-somethinglikethatofthegirlshehadseeninengravingsfrompaintingsoftheSpanishschool。Shewashere-actuallyinthisClose-inoneofthehousesconfrontingthisverywestfa&；cced；ade。
Hewentdownthebroadgravelpathtowardsthebuilding。Itwasanancientedificeofthefifteenthcentury，onceapalace，nowatraining-school，withmullionedandtransomedwindows，andacourtyardinfrontshutinfromtheroadbyawall。Judeopenedthegateandwentuptothedoorthroughwhich，oninquiringforhiscousin，hewasgingerlyadmittedtoawaiting-room，andinafewminutesshecame。
Thoughshehadbeenheresuchashortwhile，shewasnotashehadseenherlast。Allherboundingmannerwasgone；hercurvesofmotionhadbecomesubduedlines。Thescreensandsubtletiesofconventionhadlikewisedisappeared。Yetneitherwasshequitethewomanwhohadwrittentheletterthatsummonedhim。Thathadplainlybeendashedoffinanimpulsewhichsecondthoughtshadsomewhatregretted；thoughtsthatwerepossiblyofhisrecentself-disgrace。Judewasquiteovercomewithemotion。
`Youdon’t-thinkmeademoralizedwretch-forcomingtoyouasIwas-andgoingsoshamefully，Sue？’
`Oh，Ihavetriednotto！Yousaidenoughtoletmeknowwhathadcausedit。IhopeIshallneverhaveanydoubtofyourworthiness，mypoorJude！AndIamgladyouhavecome！’
Sheworeamurrey-colouredgownwithalittlelacecollar。Itwasmadequiteplain，andhungaboutherslightfigurewithclinginggracefulness。
Herhair，whichformerlyshehadwornaccordingtothecustomofthedaywasnowtwisteduptightly，andshehadaltogethertheairofawomanclippedandprunedbyseverediscipline，anunder-brightnessshiningthroughfromthedepthswhichthatdisciplinehadnotyetbeenabletoreach。
Shehadcomeforwardprettily，butJudefeltthatshehadhardlyexpectedhimtokissher，ashewasburningtodo，underothercoloursthanthoseofcousinship。HecouldnotperceivetheleastsignthatSueregardedhimasalover，oreverwoulddoso，nowthatsheknewtheworstofhim，evenifhehadtherighttobehaveasone；andthishelpedonhisgrowingresolvetotellherofhismatrimonialentanglement，whichhehadputoffdoingfromtimetotimeinsheerdreadoflosingtheblissofhercompany。
Suecameoutintothetownwithhim，andtheywalkedandtalkedwithtonguescentredonlyonthepassingmoments。Judesaidhewouldliketobuyheralittlepresentofsomesort，andthensheconfessed，withsomethingofshame，thatshewasdreadfullyhungry。Theywerekeptonveryshortallowancesinthecollege，andadinner，tea，andsupperallinonewasthepresentshemostdesiredintheworld。Judethereupontookhertoaninnandorderedwhateverthehouseafforded，whichwasnotmuch。
Theplace，however，gavethemadelightfulopportunityforatê；te-à；-tê；te，nobodyelsebeingintheroom，andtheytalkedfreely。
Shetoldhimabouttheschoolasitwasatthatdate，andtheroughliving，andthemixedcharacterofherfellow-students，gatheredtogetherfromallpartsofthediocese，andhowshehadtogetupandworkbygas-lightintheearlymorning，withallthebitternessofayoungpersontowhomrestraintwasnew。Toallthishelistened；butitwasnotwhathewantedespeciallytoknow-herrelationswithPhillotson。Thatwaswhatshedidnottell。Whentheyhadsatandeaten，Judeimpulsivelyplacedhishanduponhers；shelookedupandsmiled，andtookhisquitefreelyintoherownlittlesoftone，dividinghisfingersandcoollyexaminingthem，asiftheywerethefingersofagloveshewaspurchasing。
`Yourhandsareratherrough，Jude，aren’tthey？’shesaid。
`Yes。Sowouldyoursbeiftheyheldamalletandchiselallday。’
`Idon’tdislikeit，youknow。Ithinkitisnobletoseeaman’shandssubduedtowhatheworksin……Well，I’mrathergladIcametothistraining-school，afterall。SeehowindependentIshallbeafterthetwoyears’training！Ishallpassprettyhigh，Iexpect，andMr。Phillotsonwillusehisinfluencetogetmeabigschool。’
Shehadtouchedthesubjectatlast。`Ihadasuspicion，afear，’
saidJude，`thathe-caredaboutyouratherwarmly，andperhapswantedtomarryyou。’
`Nowdon’tbesuchasillyboy！’
`Hehassaidsomethingaboutit，Iexpect。’
`Ifhehad，whatwoulditmatter？Anoldmanlikehim！’
`Oh，come，Sue；he’snotsoveryold。AndIknowwhatIsawhimdoing`Notkissingme-thatI’mcertain！’
`No。Butputtinghisarmroundyourwaist。’
`Ah-Iremember。ButIdidn’tknowhewasgoingto。’
`Youarewrigglingoutifit，Sue，anditisn’tquitekind！’
Herever-sensitivelipbegantoquiver，andhereyetoblink，atsomethingthisreproofwasdecidinghertosay。
`Iknowyou’llbeangryifItellyoueverything，andthat’swhyIdon’twantto！’
`Verywell，then，dear，’hesaidsoothingly。`Ihavenorealrighttoaskyou，andIdon’twishtoknow。’
`Ishalltellyou！’saidshe，withtheperversenessthatwaspartofher。`ThisiswhatIhavedone：Ihavepromised-Ihavepromised-
thatIwillmarryhimwhenIcomeoutofthetraining-schooltwoyearshence，andhavegotmycertificate；hisplanbeingthatweshallthentakealargedoubleschoolinagreattown-hetheboys’andIthegirls’-
asmarriedschool-teachersoftendo，andmakeagoodincomebetweenus。’
`Oh，Sue！……Butofcourseitisright-youcouldn’thavedonebetter！’
Heglancedatherandtheireyesmet，thereproachinhisownbelyinghiswords。Thenhedrewhishandquiteawayfromhers，andturnedhisfaceinestrangementfromhertothewindow。Sueregardedhimpassivelywithoutmoving。
`Iknewyouwouldbeangry！’shesaidwithanairofnoemotionwhatever。`Verywell-Iamwrong，Isuppose！Ioughtnottohaveletyoucometoseeme！Wehadbetternotmeetagain；andwe’llonlycorrespondatlongintervals，onpurelybusinessmatters！’
Thiswasjusttheonethinghewouldnotbeabletobear，assheprobablyknew，anditbroughthimroundatonce。`Ohyes，wewill，’hesaidquickly。`Yourbeingengagedcanmakenodifferencetomewhatever。
IhaveaperfectrighttoseeyouwhenIwantto；andIshall！’
`Thendon’tletustalkofitanymore。Itisquitespoilingoureveningtogether。Whatdoesitmatteraboutwhatoneisgoingtodotwoyearshence！’
Shewassomethingofariddletohim，andheletthesubjectdriftaway。`Shallwegoandsitinthecathedral？’heasked，whentheirmealwasfinished。
`Cathedral？Yes。ThoughIthinkI’drathersitintherailwaystation，’sheanswered，aremnantofvexationstillinhervoice。`That’sthecentreofthetownlifenow。Thecathedralhashaditsday！’
`Howmodernyouare！’
`SowouldyoubeifyouhadlivedsomuchintheMiddleAgesasIhavedonetheselastfewyears！Thecathedralwasaverygoodplacefourorfivecenturiesago；butitisplayedoutnow……Iamnotmodern，either。
Iammoreancientthanmediaevalism，ifyouonlyknew。’
Judelookeddistressed。
`There-Iwon’tsayanymoreofthat！’shecried。`Onlyyoudon’tknowhowbadIam，fromyourpointofview，oryouwouldn’tthinksomuchofme，orcarewhetherIwasengagedornot。Nowthere’sjusttimeforustowalkroundtheClose，thenImustgoin，orIshallbelockedoutforthenight。’
Hetookhertothegateandtheyparted。Judehadaconvictionthathisunhappyvisittoheronthatsadnighthadprecipitatedthismarriageengagement，anditdidanythingbutaddtohishappiness。Herreproachhadtakenthatshape，then，andnottheshapeofwords。However，nextdayhesetaboutseekingemployment，whichitwasnotsoeasytogetasatChristminster，therebeing，asarule，lessstone-cuttinginprogressinthisquietcity，andhandsbeingmostlypermanent。Butheedgedhimselfinbydegrees。Hisfirstworkwassomecarvingatthecemeteryonthehill；
andultimatelyhebecameengagedonthelabourhemostdesired-thecathedralrepairs，whichwereveryextensive，thewholeinteriorstoneworkhavingbeenoverhauled，tobelargelyreplacedbynew。Itmightbealabourofyearstogetitalldone，andhehadconfidenceenoughinhisownskillwiththemalletandchiseltofeelthatitwouldbeamatterofchoicewithhimselfhowlonghewouldstay。
ThelodgingshetookneartheCloseGatewouldnothavedisgracedacurate，therentrepresentingahigherpercentageonhiswagesthanmechanicsofanysortusuallycaretopay。Hiscombinedbedandsitting-roomwasfurnishedwithframedphotographsoftherectoriesanddeaneriesatwhichhislandladyhadlivedastrustedservantinhertime，andtheparlourdownstairsboreaclockonthemantelpieceinscribedtotheeffectthatitwaspresentedtothesameserious-mindedwomanbyherfellow-servantsontheoccasionofhermarriage。Judeaddedtothefurnitureofhisroombyunpackingphotographsoftheecclesiasticalcarvingsandmonumentsthathehadexecutedwithhisownhands；andhewasdeemedasatisfactoryacquisitionastenantofthevacantapartment。
Hefoundanamplesupplyoftheologicalbooksinthecitybook-shops，andwiththesehisstudieswererecommencedinadifferentspiritanddirectionfromhisformercourse。AsarelaxationfromtheFathers，andsuchstockworksasPaleyandButler，hereadNewman，Pusey，andmanyothermodernlights。Hehiredaharmonium，setitupinhislodging，andpractisedchantsthereon，singleanddouble。
JudetheObscureChapter20III-ii`To-morrowisourgrandday，youknow。Whereshallwego？’
`Ihaveleavefromthreetillnine。Whereverwecangettoandcomebackfrominthattime。Notruins，Jude-Idon’tcareforthem。’
`Well-WardourCastle。AndthenwecandoFonthillifwelike-allinthesameafternoon。’
`WardourisGothicruins-andIhateGothic！’
`No。Quiteotherwise。Itisaclassicbuilding-Corinthian，I
think；withalotofpictures。’
`Ah-thatwilldo。IlikethesoundofCorinthian。We’llgo。’
Theirconversationhadrunthussomefewweekslater，andnextmorningtheypreparedtostart。EverydetailoftheoutingwasafacetreflectingasparkletoJude，andhedidnotventuretomeditateonthelifeofinconsistencyhewasleading。HisSue’sconductwasonelovelyconundrumtohim；hecouldsaynomore。
Theredulycamethecharmofcallingatthecollegedoorforher；
heremergenceinanunlikesimplicityofcostumethatwasratherenforcedthandesired；thetraipsingalongtothestation，theporters’`B’yourleave！，’thescreamingofthetrains-everythingformedthebasisofabeautifulcrystallization。NobodystaredatSue，becauseshewassoplainlydressed，whichcomfortedJudeinthethoughtthatonlyhimselfknewthecharmsthosehabilimentssubdued。Amatteroftenpoundsspentinadrapery-shop，whichhadnoconnectionwithherreallifeorherrealself，wouldhavesetallMelchesterstaring。Theguardofthetrainthoughttheywerelovers，andputthemintoacompartmentallbythemselves。
`That’sagoodintentionwasted！’saidshe。
Judedidnotrespond。Hethoughttheremarkunnecessarilycruel，andpartlyuntrue。
Theyreachedtheparkandcastleandwanderedthroughthepicture-galleries，JudestoppingbypreferenceinfrontofthedevotionalpicturesbyDelSarto，GuidoReni，Spagnoletto，Sassoferrato，CarloDolci，andothers。
Suepausedpatientlybesidehim，andstolecriticallooksintohisfaceas，regardingtheVirgins，HolyFamilies，andSaints，itgrewreverentandabstracted。Whenshehadthoroughlyestimatedhimatthis，shewouldmoveonandwaitforhimbeforeaLelyorReynolds。Itwasevidentthathercousindeeplyinterestedher，asonemightbeinterestedinamanpuzzlingouthiswayalongalabyrinthfromwhichonehadone’sselfescaped。
WhentheycameoutalongtimestillremainedtothemandJudeproposedthatassoonastheyhadhadsomethingtoeattheyshouldwalkacrossthehighcountrytothenorthoftheirpresentposition，andinterceptthetrainofanotherrailwayleadingbacktoMelchester，atastationaboutsevenmilesoff。Sue，whowasinclinedforanyadventurethatwouldintensifythesenseofherday’sfreedom，readilyagreed；andawaytheywent，leavingtheadjoiningstationbehindthem。
Itwasindeedopencountry，wideandhigh。Theytalkedandboundedon，Judecuttingfromalittlecovertalongwalking-stickforSueastallasherself，withagreatcrook，whichmadeherlooklikeashepherdess。