ItwastothisbreezyandwhimsicalspotthatJudeascendedfromtheneareststationforthefirsttimeinhislifeaboutfouro’clockoneafternoon，andenteringonthesummitofthepeakafteratoilsomeclimb，passedthefirsthousesoftheaerialtown；anddrewtowardstheschool-house。
Thehourwastooearly；thepupilswerestillinschool，hummingsmall，likeaswarmofgnats；andhewithdrewafewstepsalongAbbeyWalk，whenceheregardedthespotwhichfatehadmadethehomeofallhelovedbestintheworld。Infrontoftheschools，whichwereextensiveandstone-built，grewtwoenormousbeecheswithsmoothmouse-colouredtrunks，assuchtreeswillonlygrowonchalkuplands。Withinthemullionedandtransomedwindowshecouldseetheblack，brown，andflaxencrownsofthescholarsoverthesills，andtopassthetimeawayhewalkeddowntothelevelterracewheretheabbeygardensoncehadspread，hisheartthrobbinginspiteofhim。
Unwillingtoentertillthechildrenweredismissedheremainedheretillyoungvoicescouldbeheardintheopenair，andgirlsinwhitepinaforesoverredandbluefrocksappeareddancingalongthepathswhichtheabbess，prioress，subprioress，andfiftynunshaddemurelypacedthreecenturiesearlier。Retracinghisstepshefoundthathehadwaitedtoolong，andthatSuehadgoneoutintothetownattheheelsofthelastscholar，Mr。Phillotsonhavingbeenabsentalltheafternoonatateachers’
meetingatShottsford。
Judewentintotheemptyschoolroomandsatdown，thegirlwhowassweepingthefloorhavinginformedhimthatMrs。Phillotsonwouldbebackagaininafewminutes。Apianostoodnear-actuallytheoldpianothatPhillotsonhadpossessedatMarygreen-andthoughthedarkafternoonalmostpreventedhimseeingthenotesJudetouchedtheminhishumbleway，andcouldnothelpmodulatingintothehymnwhichhadsoaffectedhiminthepreviousweek。
Afiguremovedbehindhim，andthinkingitwasstillthegirlwiththebroomJudetooknonotice，tillthepersoncamecloseandlaidherfingerslightlyuponhisbasshand。Theimposedhandwasalittleoneheseemedtoknow，andheturned。
`Don’tstop，’saidSue。`Ilikeit。IlearntitbeforeIleftMelchester。Theyusedtoplayitinthetrainingschool。’
`Ican’tstrumbeforeyou！Playitforme。’
`Ohwell-Idon’tmind。’
Suesatdown，andherrenderingofthepiece，thoughnotremarkable，seemeddivineascomparedwithhisown。She，likehim，wasevidentlytouched-toherownsurprise-bytherecalledair；andwhenshehadfinished，andhemovedhishandtowardshers，itmethisownhalf-way。Judegraspedit-justashehaddonebeforehermarriage。
`Itisodd，’shesaid，inavoicequitechanged，`thatIshouldcareaboutthatair；because——’
`Becausewhat？’
`Iamnotthatsort-quite。’
`Noteasilymoved？’
`Ididn’tquitemeanthat。’
`Oh，butyouareoneofthatsort，foryouarejustlikemeatheart！’
`Butnotathead。’
Sheplayedonandsuddenlyturnedround；andbyanunpremeditatedinstincteachclaspedtheother’shandagain。
Sheutteredaforcedlittlelaughassherelinquishedhisquickly。
`Howfunny！’shesaid。`Iwonderwhatwebothdidthatfor？’
`Isupposebecausewearebothalike，asIsaidbefore。’
`Notinourthoughts！Perhapsalittleinourfeelings。’
`Andtheyrulethoughts……Isn’titenoughtomakeoneblasphemethatthecomposerofthathymnisoneofthemostcommonplacemenIevermet！’
`What-youknowhim？’
`Iwenttoseehim。’
`Oh，yougoose-todojustwhatIshouldhavedone！Whydidyou？’
`Becausewearenotalike，’hesaiddrily。
`Nowwe’llhavesometea，’saidSue。`Shallwehaveithereinsteadofinmyhouse？Itisnotroubletogetthekettleandthingsbroughtin。
Wedon’tliveattheschoolyouknow，butinthatancientdwellingacrossthewaycalledOld-GrovePlace。Itissoantiqueanddismalthatitdepressesmedreadfully。Suchhousesareverywelltovisit，butnottolivein-
Ifeelcrushedintotheearthbytheweightofsomanypreviouslivestherespent。Inanewplaceliketheseschoolsthereisonlyyourownlifetosupport。Sitdown，andI’lltellAdatobringthetea-thingsacross。’
Hewaitedinthelightofthestove，thedoorofwhichsheflungopenbeforegoingout，andwhenshereturned，followedbythemaidenwithtea，theysatdownbythesamelight，assistedbytheblueraysofaspirit-lampunderthebrasskettleonthestand。
`Thisisoneofyourwedding-presentstome，’shesaid，signifyingthelatter。
`Yes，’saidJude。
Thekettleofhisgiftsangwithsomesatireinitsnote，tohismind；andtochangethesubjecthesaid，`DoyouknowofanygoodreadableeditionoftheuncanonicalbooksoftheNewTestament？Youdon’treadthemintheschoolIsuppose？’
`Ohdearno！-’twouldalarmtheneighbourhood……Yes，thereisone。Iamnotfamiliarwithitnow，thoughIwasinterestedinitwhenmyformerfriendwasalive。Cowper’sApocryphalGospels。’
`ThatsoundslikewhatIwant。’Histhoughts，howeverrevertedwithatwingetothe`formerfriend’-bywhomshemeant，asheknew，theuniversitycomradeofherearlierdays。HewonderedifshetalkedofhimtoPhillotson。
`TheGospelofNicodemusisverynice，’shewentontokeephimfromhisjealousthoughts，whichshereadclearly，asshealwaysdid。Indeedwhentheytalkedonanindifferentsubject，asnow，therewaseverasecondsilentconversationpassingbetweentheiremotions，soperfectwasthereciprocitybetweenthem。`Itisquitelikethegenuinearticle。Allcutupintoverses，too；sothatitislikeoneoftheotherevangelistsreadinadream，whenthingsarethesame，yetnotthesame。But，Jude，doyoutakeaninterestinthosequestionsstill？AreyougettingupApologetica？’
`Yes。IamreadingDivinityharderthanever。’
Sheregardedhimcuriously。
`Whydoyoulookatmelikethat？’saidJude。
`Oh-whydoyouwanttoknow？’
`IamsureyoucantellmeanythingImaybeignorantofinthatsubject。Youmusthavelearntalotofeverythingfromyourdeardeadfriend！’
`Wewon’tgetontothatnow！’shecoaxed。`Willyoubecarvingoutatthatchurchagainnextweek，whereyoulearnttheprettyhymn？’
`Yes，perhaps。’
`Thatwillbeverynice。ShallIcomeandseeyouthere？Itisinthisdirection，andIcouldcomeanyafternoonbytrainforhalfanhour？’
`No。Don’tcome！’
`What-aren’twegoingtobefriends，then，anylonger，asweusedtobe？’
`No。’
`Ididn’tknowthat。Ithoughtyouwerealwaysgoingtobekindtome！’
`No，Iamnot。’
`WhathaveIdone，then？IamsureIthoughtwetwo——’Thetremoloinhervoicecausedhertobreakoff。
`Sue，Isometimesthinkyouareaflirt，’saidheabruptly。
Therewasamomentarypause，tillshesuddenlyjumpedup；andtohissurprisehesawbythekettle-flamethatherfacewasflushed。
`Ican’ttalktoyouanylonger，Jude！’shesaid，thetragiccontraltonotehavingcomebackasofold。`Itisgettingtoodarktostaytogetherlikethis，afterplayingmorbidGoodFridaytunesthatmakeonefeelwhatoneshouldn’t！……Wemustn’tsitandtalkinthiswayanymore。Yes-
youmustgoaway，foryoumistakeme！Iamverymuchthereverseofwhatyousaysocruelly-Oh，Jude，itwascrueltosaythat！YetIcan’ttellyouthetruth-IshouldshockyoubylettingyouknowhowIgivewaytomyimpulses，andhowmuchIfeelthatIshouldn’thavebeenprovidedwithattractivenessunlessitweremeanttobeexercised！Somewomen’sloveofbeinglovedisinsatiable；andso，often，istheirloveofloving；
andinthelastcasetheymayfindthattheycan’tgiveitcontinuouslytothechamber-officerappointedbythebishop’slicencetoreceiveit。
Butyouaresostraightforward，Jude，thatyoucan’tunderstandme！……
Nowyoumustgo。Iamsorrymyhusbandisnotathome。’
`Areyou？’
`IperceiveIhavesaidthatinmereconvention！HonestlyIdon’tthinkIamsorry。Itdoesnotmatter，eitherway，sadtosay！’
Astheyhadoverdonethegraspofhandssometimesooner，shetouchedhisfingersbutlightlywhenhewentoutnow。Hehadhardlygonefromthedoorwhen，withadissatisfiedlook，shejumpedonaformandopenedtheironcasementofawindowbeneathwhichhewaspassinginthepathwithout。`Whendoyouleaveheretocatchyourtrain，Jude？’sheasked。
Helookedupinsomesurprise。`Thecoachthatrunstomeetitgoesinthree-quartersofanhourorso。’
`Whatwillyoudowithyourselfforthetime？’
`Oh-wanderabout，Isuppose。PerhapsIshallgoandsitintheoldchurch。’
`Itdoesseemhardofmetopackyouoffso！Youhavethoughtenoughofchurches，Heavenknows，withoutgoingintooneinthedark。Staythere。’
`Where？’
`Whereyouare。Icantalktoyoubetterlikethisthanwhenyouwereinside……Itwassokindandtenderofyoutogiveuphalfaday’sworktocometoseeme！……YouareJosephthedreamerofdreams，dearJude。AndatragicDonQuixote。AndsometimesyouareSt。Stephen，who，whiletheywerestoninghim，couldseeHeavenopened。Oh，mypoorfriendandcomrade，you’llsufferyet！’
Nowthatthehighwindow-sillwasbetweenthem，sothathecouldnotgetather，sheseemednottomindindulginginafranknessshehadfearedatclosequarters。
`Ihavebeenthinking，’shecontinued，stillinthetoneofonebrimfuloffeeling，`thatthesocialmouldscivilizationfitsusintohavenomorerelationtoouractualshapesthantheconventionalshapesoftheconstellationshavetotherealstar-patterns。IamcalledMrs。RichardPhillotson，livingacalmweddedlifewithmycounterpartofthatname。
ButIamnotreallyMrs。RichardPhillotson，butawomantossedabout，allalone，withaberrantpassions，andunaccountableantipathies……Nowyoumustn’twaitlonger，oryouwilllosethecoach。Comeandseemeagain。
Youmustcometothehousethen。’
`Yes！’saidJude。`Whenshallitbe？’
`To-morrowweek。Good-bye-good-bye！’Shestretchedoutherhandandstrokedhisforeheadpitifully-justonce。Judesaidgood-bye，andwentawayintothedarkness。
PassingalongBimportStreethethoughtheheardthewheelsofthecoachdeparting，and，trulyenough，whenhereachedtheDuke’sArmsintheMarketPlacethecoachhadgone。Itwasimpossibleforhimtogettothestationonfootintimeforthistrain，andhesettledhimselfperforcetowaitforthenext-thelasttoMelchesterthatnight。