Theystoodpossessedbythesamethought，uglyenough，evenasanassumption：thataunionbetweenthem，hadsuchbeenpossible，wouldhavemeantaterribleintensificationofunfitness-twobittersinonedish。
`Oh，buttherecan’tbeanythinginit！’shesaidwithnervouslightness。`Ourfamilyhavebeenunluckyoflateyearsinchoosingmates-that’sall。’
Andthentheypretendedtopersuadethemselvesthatallthathadhappenedwasofnoconsequence，andthattheycouldstillbecousinsandfriendsandwarmcorrespondents，andhavehappygenialtimeswhentheymet，eveniftheymetlessfrequentlythanbefore。Theirpartingwasingoodfriendship，andyetJude’slastlookintohereyeswastingedwithinquiry，forhefeltthathedidnotevennowquiteknowhermind。
JudetheObscureChapter25III-viiTidingsfromSueadayortwoafterpassedacrossJudelikeawitheringblast。
Beforereadingtheletterhewasledtosuspectthatitscontentswereofasomewhatseriouskindbycatchingsightofthesignature-whichwasinherfullname，neverusedinhercorrespondencewithhimsinceherfirstnote：
MydearJude，-Ihavesomethingtotellyouwhichperhapsyouwillnotbesurprisedtohear，thoughcertainlyitmaystrikeyouasbeingacceleratedastherailwaycompaniessayoftheirtrains。Mr。PhillotsonandIaretobemarriedquitesoon-inthreeorfourweeks。Wehadintended，asyouknow，towaittillIhadgonethroughmycourseoftrainingandobtainedmycertificate，soastoassisthim，ifnecessary，intheteaching。
Buthegenerouslysayshedoesnotseeanyobjectinwaiting，nowIamnotatthetrainingschool。Itissogoodofhim，becausetheawkwardnessofmysituationhasreallycomeaboutbymyfaultingettingexpelled。
Wishmejoy。RememberIsayyouareto，andyoumustn’trefuse！-
Youraffectionatecousin，SusannaFlorenceMaryBridehead。Judestaggeredunderthenews；couldeatnobreakfast；andkeptondrinkingteabecausehismouthwassodry。Thenpresentlyhewentbacktohisworkandlaughedtheusualbitterlaughofamansoconfronted。Everythingseemedturningtosatire。Andyet，whatcouldthepoorgirldo？heaskedhimself：
andfeltworsethansheddingtears。
`OSusannaFlorenceMary！’hesaidasheworked。`Youdon’tknowwhatmarriagemeans！’
Coulditbepossiblethathisannouncementofhisownmarriagehadprickedherontothis，justashisvisittoherwheninliquormayhaveprickedherontoherengagement？Tobesure，thereseemedtoexisttheseotherandsufficientreasons，practicalandsocial，forherdecision；
butSuewasnotaverypracticalorcalculatingperson；andhewascompelledtothinkthatapiqueathavinghissecretsprunguponherhadmovedhertogivewaytoPhillotson’sprobablerepresentations，thatthebestcoursetoprovehowunfoundedwerethesuspicionsoftheschoolauthoritieswouldbetomarryhimoff-hand，asinfulfilmentofanordinaryengagement。Suehad，infact，beenplacedinanawkwardcorner。PoorSue！
HedeterminedtoplaytheSpartan；tomakethebestofit，andsupporther；buthecouldnotwritetherequestedgoodwishesforadayortwo。Meanwhiletherecameanothernotefromhisimpatientlittledear：
Jude，willyougivemeaway？Ihavenobodyelsewhocoulddoitsoconvenientlyasyou，beingtheonlymarriedrelationIhavehereonthespot，evenifmyfatherwerefriendlyenoughtobewilling，whichheisn’t。Ihopeyouwon’tthinkitatrouble？Ihavebeenlookingatthemarriageserviceintheprayer-book，anditseemstomeveryhumiliatingthatagiver-awayshouldberequiredatall。Accordingtotheceremonyasthereprinted，mybridegroomchoosesmeofhisownwillandpleasure；
butIdon’tchoosehim。Somebodygivesmetohim，likeashe-assorshe-goat，oranyotherdomesticanimal。Blessyourexaltedviewsofwoman，Ochurchman！ButIforget：Iamnolongerprivilegedtoteaseyou-
Ever，SusannaFlorenceMaryBridehead。Judescrewedhimselfuptoheroickey；andreplied：
MydearSue，-OfcourseIwishyoujoy！AndalsoofcourseIwillgiveyouaway。WhatIsuggestisthat，asyouhavenohouseofyourown，youdonotmarryfromyourschoolfriend’s，butfrommine。Itwouldbemoreproper，Ithink，sinceIam，asyousay，thepersonnearestrelatedtoyouinthispartoftheworld。
Idon’tseewhyyousignyourletterinsuchanewandterriblyformalway？Surelyyoucareabitaboutmestill！-Everyouraffectionate，Jude。Whathadjarredonhimevenmorethanthesignaturewasalittlestinghehadbeensilenton-thephrase`marriedrelation’-Whatanidiotitmadehimseemasherlover！IfSuehadwrittenthatinsatire，hecouldhardlyforgiveher；ifinsuffering-ah，thatwasanotherthing！
HisofferofhislodgingmusthavecommendeditselftoPhillotsonatanyrate，fortheschoolmastersenthimalineofwarmthanks，acceptingtheconvenience。Suealsothankedhim。Judeimmediatelymovedintomorecommodiousquarters，asmuchtoescapetheespionageofthesuspiciouslandladywhohadbeenonecauseofSue’sunpleasantexperienceasforthesakeofroom。
ThenSuewrotetotellhimthedayfixedforthewedding；andJudedecided，afterinquiry，thatsheshouldcomeintoresidenceonthefollowingSaturday，whichwouldallowofatendays’stayinthecitypriortotheceremony，sufficientlyrepresentinganominalresidenceoffifteen。
Shearrivedbytheteno’clocktrainonthedayaforesaid，Judenotgoingtomeetheratthestation，byherspecialrequest，thatheshouldnotloseamorning’sworkandpay，shesaidifthiswerehertruereason。
ButsowellbythistimedidheknowSuethattheremembranceoftheirmutualsensitivenessatemotionalcrisesmight，hethought，haveweighedwithherinthis。Whenhecamehometodinnershehadtakenpossessionofherapartment。
Shelivedinthesamehousewithhim，butonadifferentfloor，andtheysaweachotherlittle，anoccasionalsupperbeingtheonlymealtheytooktogether，whenSue’smannerwassomethinglikethatofascaredchild。Whatshefelthedidnotknow；theirconversationwasmechanical，thoughshedidnotlookpaleorill。Phillotsoncamefrequently，butmostlywhenJudewasabsent。Onthemorningofthewedding，whenJudehadgivenhimselfaholiday，Sueandhercousinhadbreakfasttogetherforthefirstandlasttimeduringthiscuriousinterval；inhisroom-theparlour-
whichhehadhiredfortheperiodofSue’sresidence。Seeing，aswomendo，howhelplesshewasinmakingtheplacecomfortable，shebustledabout。
`What’sthematter，Jude？’shesaidsuddenly。
Hewasleaningwithhiselbowsonthetableandhischinonhishands，lookingintoafuturitywhichseemedtobesketchedoutonthetablecloth。
`Oh-nothing！’
`Youare`father’，youknow。That’swhattheycallthemanwhogivesyouaway。’
Judecouldhavesaid`Phillotson’sageentitleshimtobecalledthat！’Buthewouldnotannoyherbysuchacheapretort。
Shetalkedincessantly，asifshedreadedhisindulgenceinreflection，andbeforethemealwasoverbothheandshewishedtheyhadnotputsuchconfidenceintheirnewviewofthings，andhadtakenbreakfastapart。
WhatoppressedJudewasthethoughtthat，havingdoneawrongthingofthissorthimself，hewasaidingandabettingthewomanhelovedindoingalikewrongthing，insteadofimploringandwarningheragainstit。Itwasonhistonguetosay，`Youhavequitemadeupyourmind？’
Afterbreakfasttheywentoutonanerrandtogethermovedbyamutualthoughtthatitwasthelastopportunitytheywouldhaveofindulginginunceremoniouscompanionship。Bytheironyoffate，andthecurioustrickinSue’snatureoftemptingProvidenceatcriticaltimes，shetookhisarmastheywalkedthroughthemuddystreet-athingshehadneverdonebeforeinherlife-andonturningthecornertheyfoundthemselvesclosetoagreyperpendicularchurchwithalow-pitchedroof-thechurchofSt。Thomas。
`That’sthechurch，’saidJude。
`WhereIamgoingtobemarried？’
`Yes。’
`Indeed！’sheexclaimedwithcuriosity。`HowIshouldliketogoinandseewhatthespotislikewhereIamsosoontokneelanddoit。’
Againhesaidtohimself，`Shedoesnotrealizewhatmarriagemeans！’
Hepassivelyacquiescedinherwishtogoin，andtheyenteredbythewesterndoor。Theonlypersoninsidethegloomybuildingwasacharwomancleaning。SuestillheldJude’sarm，almostasifshelovedhim。Cruellysweet，indeed，shehadbeentohimthatmorning；buthisthoughtsofapenanceinstoreforherweretemperedbyanache：
`……IcanfindnowayHowablowshouldfall，suchasfallsonmen，Norprovetoomuchforyourwomanhood！’Theystrolledundemonstrativelyupthenavetowardsthealtarrailing，whichtheystoodagainstinsilence，turningthenandwalkingdownthenaveagain，herhandstillonhisarm，preciselylikeacouplejustmarried。
Thetoosuggestiveincident，entirelyofhermaking，nearlybrokedownJude。
`Iliketodothingslikethis，’shesaidinthedelicatevoiceofanepicureinemotions，whichleftnodoubtthatshespokethetruth。
`Iknowyoudo！’saidJude。
`Theyareinteresting，becausetheyhaveprobablyneverbeendonebefore。Ishallwalkdownthechurchlikethiswithmyhusbandinabouttwohours，shan’tI！’
`Nodoubtyouwill！’
`Wasitlikethiswhenyouweremarried？’
`GoodGod，Sue-don’tbesoawfullymerciless！……There，dearone，Ididn’tmeanit！’
`Ah-youarevexed！’shesaidregretfully，assheblinkedawayanaccessofeyemoisture。`AndIpromisednevertovexyou！……IsupposeIoughtnottohaveaskedyoutobringmeinhere。Oh，Ioughtn’t！Iseeitnow。Mycuriositytohuntupanewsensationalwaysleadsmeintothesescrapes。Forgiveme！……Youwill，won’tyou，Jude？’
TheappealwassoremorsefulthatJude’seyeswereevenwetterthanhersashepressedherhandforYes。
`Nowwe’llhurryaway，andIwon’tdoitanymore！’shecontinuedhumbly；andtheycameoutofthebuilding，SueintendingtogoontothestationtomeetPhillotson。Butthefirstpersontheyencounteredonenteringthemainstreetwastheschoolmasterhimself，whosetrainhadarrivedsoonerthanSueexpected。TherewasnothingreallytodemurtoinherleaningonJude’sarm；butshewithdrewherhand，andJudethoughtthatPhillotsonhadlookedsurprised。
`Wehavebeendoingsuchafunnything！’saidshe，smilingcandidly。
`We’vebeentothechurch，rehearsingasitwere。Haven’twe，Jude？’
`How？’saidPhillotsoncuriously。
Judeinwardlydeploredwhathethoughttobeunnecessaryfrankness；
butshehadgonetoofarnottoexplainall，whichsheaccordinglydid，tellinghimhowtheyhadmarcheduptothealtar。
SeeinghowpuzzledPhillotsonseemed，Judesaidascheerfullyashecould，`Iamgoingtobuyheranotherlittlepresent。Willyoubothcometotheshopwithme？’
`No，’saidSue，`I’llgoontothehousewithhim’；andrequestingherlovernottobealongtimeshedepartedwiththeschoolmaster。
Judesoonjoinedthemathisrooms，andshortlyaftertheypreparedfortheceremony。Phillotson’shairwasbrushedtoapainfulextent，andhisshirtcollarappearedstifferthanithadbeenfortheprevioustwentyyears。Beyondthishelookeddignifiedandthoughtful，andaltogetheramanofwhomitwasnotunsafetopredictthathewouldmakeakindandconsideratehusband。ThatheadoredSuewasobvious；andshecouldalmostbeseentofeelthatshewasundeservinghisadoration。
AlthoughthedistancewassoshorthehadhiredaflyfromtheRedLion，andsixorsevenwomenandchildrenhadgatheredbythedoorwhentheycameout。TheschoolmasterandSuewereunknown，thoughJudewasgettingtoberecognizedasacitizen；andthecouplewerejudgedtobesomerelationsofhisfromadistance，nobodysupposingSuetohavebeenarecentpupilatthetrainingschool。
InthecarriageJudetookfromhispockethisextralittlewedding-present，whichturnedouttobetwoorthreeyardsofwhitetulle，whichhethrewoverherbonnetandall，asaveil。
`Itlookssooddoverabonnet，’shesaid。`I’lltakethebonnetoff。’
`Ohno-letitstay，’saidPhillotson。Andsheobeyed。
WhentheyhadpassedupthechurchandwerestandingintheirplacesJudefoundthattheantecedentvisithadcertainlytakenofftheedgeofthisperformance，butbythetimetheywerehalf-wayonwiththeservicehewishedfromhisheartthathehadnotundertakenthebusinessofgivingheraway。HowcouldSuehavehadthetemeritytoaskhimtodoit-acrueltypossiblytoherselfaswellastohim？Womenweredifferentfrommeninsuchmatters。Wasitthattheywere，insteadofmoresensitive，asreputed，morecallous，andlessromantic；orweretheymoreheroic？