`Iamgladyourstayinghadnothingtodowiththat。But，’shesaid，thefaintestpoutenteringintohertone，`youdidn’tcomebacklastnightandmeetme，asyouengagedto！’
`Ididn’t-Iamsorrytosay。Ihadanappointmentatnineo’clock-toolateformetocatchthetrainthatwouldhavemetyours，ortogethomeatall。’
Lookingathislovedoneassheappearedtohimnow，inhistenderthoughtthesweetestandmostdisinterestedcomradethathehadeverhad，livinglargelyinvividimaginings，soetherealacreaturethatherspiritcouldbeseentremblingthroughherlimbs，hefeltheartilyashamedofhisearthlinessinspendingthehourshehadspentinArabella’scompany。
Therewassomethingrudeandimmoralinthrustingtheserecentfactsofhislifeuponthemindofonewho，tohim，wassouncarnateastoseemattimesimpossibleasahumanwifetoanyaverageman。AndyetshewasPhillotson’s。Howshehadbecomesuch，howshelivedassuch，passedhiscomprehensionasheregardedherto-day。
`You’llgobackwithme？’hesaid。`There’satrainjustnow。
Iwonderhowmyauntisbythistime……Andso，Sue，youreallycameonmyaccountallthisway！Atwhatanearlytimeyoumusthavestarted，poorthing！’
`Yes。Sittingupwatchingalonemademeallnervesforyou，andinsteadofgoingtobedwhenitgotlightIstarted。Andnowyouwon’tfrightenmelikethisagainaboutyourmoralsfornothing？’
Hewasnotsosurethatshehadbeenfrightenedabouthismoralsfornothing。Hereleasedherhandtilltheyhadenteredthetrain，-itseemedthesamecarriagehehadlatelygotoutofwithanother-wheretheysatdownsidebyside，Suebetweenhimandthewindow。Heregardedthedelicatelinesofherprofile，andthesmall，tight，applelikeconvexitiesofherbodice，sodifferentfromArabella’samplitudes。Thoughsheknewhewaslookingathershedidnotturntohim，butkepthereyesforward，asifafraidthatbymeetinghisownsometroublousdiscussionwouldbeinitiated。
`Sue-youaremarriednow，youknow，likeme；andyetwehavebeeninsuchahurrythatwehavenotsaidawordaboutit！’
`There’snonecessity，’shequicklyreturned。
`Ohwell-perhapsnot……ButIwish’
`Jude-don’ttalkaboutme-Iwishyouwouldn’t！’sheentreated。`Itdistressesme，rather。Forgivemysayingit！……Wheredidyoustaylastnight？’
Shehadaskedthequestioninperfectinnocence，tochangethetopic。Heknewthat，andsaidmerely，`Ataninn，’thoughitwouldhavebeenarelieftotellherofhismeetingwithanunexpectedone。Butthelatter’sfinalannouncementofhermarriageinAustraliabewilderedhimlestwhathemightsayshoulddohisignorantwifeaninjury。
TheirtalkproceededbutawkwardlytilltheyreachedAlfredston。
ThatSuewasnotasshehadbeen，butwaslabelled`Phillotson，’paralyzedJudewheneverhewantedtocommunewithherasanindividual。Yetsheseemedunaltered-hecouldnotsaywhy。Thereremainedthefive-mileextrajourneyintothecountry，whichitwasjustaseasytowalkastodrive，thegreaterpartofitbeinguphill。JudehadneverbeforeinhislifegonethatroadwithSue，thoughhehadwithanother。Itwasnowasifhecarriedabrightlightwhichtemporarilybanishedtheshadyassociationsoftheearliertime。
Suetalked；butJudenoticedthatshestillkepttheconversationfromherself。Atlengthheinquiredifherhusbandwerewell。
`Oyes，’shesaid。`Heisobligedtobeintheschoolalltheday，orhewouldhavecomewithme。Heissogoodandkindthattoaccompanymehewouldhavedismissedtheschoolforonce，evenagainsthisprinciples-forheisstronglyopposedtogivingcasualholidays-onlyIwouldn’tlethim。Ifeltitwouldbebettertocomealone。AuntDrusilla，Iknew，wassoveryeccentric；andhisbeingalmostastrangertohernowwouldhavemadeitirksometoboth。SinceitturnsoutthatsheishardlyconsciousIamgladIdidnotaskhim。’
JudehadwalkedmoodilywhilethispraiseofPhillotsonwasbeingexpressed。`Mr。Phillotsonobligesyouineverything，asheought，’hesaid。
`Ofcourse。’
`Yououghttobeahappywife。’
`AndofcourseIam。’
`Bride，Imightalmosthavesaid，asyet。ItisnotsomanyweekssinceIgaveyoutohim，and——’
`Yes，Iknow！Iknow！’Therewassomethinginherfacewhichbeliedherlateassuringwords，sostrictlyproperandsolifelesslyspokenthattheymighthavebeentakenfromalistofmodelspeechesin`TheWife’sGuidetoConduct。’JudeknewthequalityofeveryvibrationinSue’svoice，couldreadeverysymptomofhermentalcondition；andhewasconvincedthatshewasunhappy，althoughshehadnotbeenamonthmarried。Butherrushingawaythusfromhome，toseethelastofarelativewhomshehadhardlyknowninherlife，provednothing；forSuenaturallydidsuchthingsasthose。
`Well，youhavemygoodwishesnowasalways，Mrs。Phillotson。’
Shereproachedhimbyaglance。
`No，youarenotMrs。Phillotson，’murmuredJude。`Youaredear，freeSueBridehead，onlyyoudon’tknowit！Wifedomhasnotyetsquashedupanddigestedyouinitsvastmawasanatomwhichhasnofurtherindividuality。’
Sueputonalookofbeingoffended，tillsheanswered，`Norhashusbandomyou，sofarasIcansee！’
`Butithas！’hesaid，shakinghisheadsadly。
Whentheyreachedthelonecottageunderthefirs，betweentheBrownHouseandMarygreen，inwhichJudeandArabellahadlivedandquarrelled，heturnedtolookatit。Asqualidfamilylivedtherenow。HecouldnothelpsayingtoSue：`That’sthehousemywifeandIoccupiedthewholeofthetimewelivedtogether。Ibroughtherhometothathouse。’
Shelookedatit。`Thattoyouwaswhattheschool-houseatShastonistome。’
`Yes；butIwasnotveryhappythereasyouareinyours。’
Sheclosedherlipsinretortivesilence，andtheywalkedsomewaytillsheglancedathimtoseehowhewastakingit。`OfcourseImayhaveexaggeratedyourhappiness-oneneverknows，’hecontinuedblandly。
`Don’tthinkthat，Jude，foramoment，eventhoughyoumayhavesaidittostingme！He’sasgoodtomeasamancanbe，andgivesmeperfectliberty-whichelderlyhusbandsdon’tdoingeneral……IfyouthinkI
amnothappybecausehe’stoooldforme，youarewrong。’
`Idon’tthinkanythingagainsthim-toyoudear。’
`Andyouwon’tsaythingstodistressme，willyou？’
`Iwillnot。’
Hesaidnomore，butheknewthat，fromsomecauseorother，intakingPhillotsonasahusband，Suefeltthatshehaddonewhatsheoughtnottohavedone。
Theyplungedintotheconcavefieldontheothersideofwhichrosethevillage-thefieldwhereinJudehadreceivedathrashingfromthefarmermanyyearsearlier。OnascendingtothevillageandapproachingthehousetheyfoundMrs。Edlinstandingatthedoor，whoatsightofthemliftedherhandsdeprecatingly。`She’sdownstairs，ifyou’llbelieveme！’
criedthewidow。`Outo’bedshegot，andnothingcouldturnher。Whatwillcomeo’tIdonotknow！’
Onentering，thereindeedbythefireplacesattheoldwoman，wrappedinblankets，andturninguponthemacountenancelikethatofSebastiano’sLazarus。Theymusthavelookedtheiramazement，forshesaidinahollowvoice：
`Ah-sceeredye，haveI！Iwasn’tgoingtobideuptherenolonger，topleasenobody！’Tismorethanfleshandbloodcanbear，tobeorderedtodothisandthatbyafellerthatdon’tknowhalfaswellasyoudoyour-self！……Ah-you’llruethismarryingaswellashe！’sheadded，turningtoSue。`Allourfamilydo-andnearlyalleverybodyelse’s。YoushouldhavedoneasIdid，yousimpleton！AndPhillotsontheschoolmaster，ofallmen！Whatmade’eemarryhim？’
`Whatmakesmostwomenmarry，Aunt？’
`Ah！Youmeantosayyoulovedtheman！’
`Idon’tmeanttosayanythingdefinite。’
`Doyeloveun？’
`Don’taskme，Aunt。’
`Icanmindthemanverywell。Averycivil，honourableliver；
butLord！-Idon’twanttowowndyourfeelings，but-therebecertainmenhereandtherethatnowomanofanynicenesscanstomach。Ishouldhavesaidhewasone。Idon’tsaysonow，sinceyoumustha’knownbetterthanI-butthat’swhatIshouldhavesaid！’
Suejumpedupandwentout。Judefollowedher，andfoundherintheouthouse，crying。
`Don’tcry，dear！’saidJudeindistress。`Shemeanswell，butisverycrustyandqueernow，youknow。’
`Ohno-itisn’tthat！’saidSue，tryingtodryhereyes。`I
don’tmindherroughnessonebit。’
`Whatisit，then？’
`Itisthatwhatshesaysis-istrue！’
`God-what-youdon’tlikehim？’askedJude。
`Idon’tmeanthat！’shesaidhastily。`ThatIought-perhapsIoughtnottohavemarried！’
Hewonderedifshehadreallybeengoingtosaythatatfirst。
Theywentback，andthesubjectwassmoothedover，andheraunttookratherkindlytoSue，tellingherthatnotmanyyoungwomennewlymarriedwouldhavecomesofartoseeasickoldcronelikeher。IntheafternoonSuepreparedtodepart，JudehiringaneighbourtodrivehertoAlfredston。
`I’llgowithyoutothestation，ifyou’dlike？’hesaid。
Shewouldnotlethim。Themancameroundwiththetrap，andJudehelpedherintoit，perhapswithunnecessaryattention，forshelookedathimprohibitively。
`Isuppose-Imaycometoseeyousomeday，whenIambackagainatMelchester？’hehalf-crosslyobserved。
Shebentdownandsaidsoftly：`No，dear-youarenottocomeyet。Idon’tthinkyouareinagoodmood。’
`Verywell，’saidJude。`Good-bye！’
`Good-bye！’Shewavedherhandandwasgone。
`She’sright！Iwon’tgo！’hemurmured。
Hepassedtheeveningandfollowingdaysinmortifyingbyeverypossiblemeanshiswishtoseeher，nearlystarvinghimselfinattemptstoextinguishbyfastinghispassionatetendencytoloveher。Hereadsermonsondiscipline，andhunteduppassagesinChurchhistorythattreatedoftheAsceticsofthesecondcentury。BeforehehadreturnedfromMarygreentoMelchestertherearrivedaletterfromArabella。Thesightofitrevivedastrongerfeelingofself-condemnationforhisbriefreturntohersocietythanforhisattachmenttoSue。
Theletter，heperceived，boreaLondonpostmarkinsteadoftheChristminsterone。ArabellainformedhimthatafewdaysaftertheirpartinginthemorningatChristminster，shehadbeensurprisedbyanaffectionateletterfromherAustralianhusband，formerlymanagerofthehotelinSydney。
HehadcometoEnglandonpurposetofindher；andhadtakenafree，fully-licensedpublic，inLambeth，wherehewishedhertojoinhiminconductingthebusiness，whichwaslikelytobeaverythrivingone，thehousebeingsituatedinanexcellent，denselypopulated，gin-drinkingneighbourhood，andalreadydoingatradeof200poundsamonth，whichcouldbeeasilydoubled。
Ashehadsaidthathelovedherverymuchstill，andimploredhertotellhimwhereshewas，andastheyhadonlypartedinaslighttiff，andasherengagementinChristminsterwasonlytemporary，shehadjustgonetojoinhimasheurged。ShecouldnothelpfeelingthatshebelongedtohimmorethantoJude，sinceshehadproperlymarriedhim，andhadlivedwithhimmuchlongerthanwithherfirsthusband。InthuswishingJudegood-byesheborehimnoill-will，andtrustedhewouldnotturnuponher，aweakwoman，andinformagainsther，andbringhertoruinnowthatshehadachanceofimprovinghercircumstancesandleadingagenteellife。
JudetheObscureChapter28III-xJudereturnedtoMelchester，whichhadthequestionablerecommendationofbeingonlyadozenandahalfmilesfromhisSue’snowpermanentresidence。
Atfirsthefeltthatthisnearnesswasadistinctreasonfornotgoingsouthwardatall；butChristminsterwastoosadaplacetobear，whiletheproximityofShastontoMelchestermightaffordhimthegloryofworstingtheEnemyinacloseengagement，suchaswasdeliberatelysoughtbythepriestsandvirginsoftheearlyChurch，who，disdaininganignominiousflightfromtemptation，becameevenchamber-partnerswithimpunity。Judedidnotpausetorememberthat，inthelaconicwordsofthehistorian，`insultedNaturesometimesvindicatedherrights’insuchcircumstances。