`Andyouhavegivenupyourcathedralworkhere？’
`Yes。Itwasrathersudden-yourmessagecomingunexpectedly。
Strictly，Imighthavebeenmadetofinishouttheweek。ButIpleadedurgencyandIwasletoff。Iwouldhavedesertedanydayatyourcommand，dearSue。Ihavedesertedmorethanthatforyou！’
`IfearIamdoingyoualotofharm。RuiningyourprospectsoftheChurch；ruiningyourprogressinyourtrade；everything！’
`TheChurchisnomoretome。Letitlie！IamnottobeoneofThesoldier-saintswho，rowonrow，Burnupwardeachtohispointofbliss，ifanysuchtherebe！Mypointofblissisnotupward，buthere。’
`OhIseemsobad-upsettingmen’scourseslikethis！’saidshe，takingupinhervoicetheemotionthathadbeguninhis。Butsherecoveredherequanimitybythetimetheyhadtravelledadozenmiles。
`Hehasbeensogoodinlettingmego，’sheresumed。`Andhere’sanoteIfoundonmydressing-table，addressedtoyou。’
`Yes。He’snotanunworthyfellow，’saidJude，glancingatthenote。`AndIamashamedofmyselfforhatinghimbecausehemarriedyou。’
`Accordingtotheruleofwomen’swhimsIsupposeIoughttosuddenlylovehim，becausehehasletmegosogenerouslyandunexpectedly，’sheansweredsmiling。`ButIamsocold，ordevoidofgratitude，orsosomething，thateventhisgenerosityhasn’tmademelovehim，orrepent，orwanttostaywithhimashiswife；althoughIdofeelIlikehislarge-mindedness，andrespecthimmorethanever。’
`Itmaynotworksowellforusasifhehadbeenlesskind，andyouhadrunawayagainsthiswill，’murmuredJude。
`ThatIneverwouldhavedone。’
Jude’seyesrestedmusinglyonherface。Thenhesuddenlykissedher；andwasgoingtokissheragain。`No-onlyoncenow-please，Jude！’
`That’srathercruel，’heanswered；butacquiesced。`Suchastrangethinghashappenedtome，’Judecontinuedafterasilence。`Arabellahasactuallywrittentoaskmetogetadivorcefromher-inkindnesstoher，shesays。Shewantstohonestlyandlegallymarrythatmanshehasalreadymarriedvirtually；andbegsmetoenablehertodoit。’
`Whathaveyoudone？’
`Ihaveagreed。IthoughtatfirstIcouldn’tdoitwithoutgettingherintotroubleaboutthatsecondmarriage，andIdon’twanttoinjureherinanyway。Perhapsshe’snoworsethanIam，afterall！Butnobodyknowsaboutitoverhere，andIfinditwillnotbeadifficultproceedingatall。IfshewantstostartafreshIhaveonlytooobviousreasonsfornothinderingher。’
`Thenyou’llbefree？’
`Yes，Ishallbefree。’
`Wherearewebookedfor？’sheasked，withthediscontinuitythatmarkedherto-night。
`Aldbrickham，asIsaid。’
`Butitwillbeverylatewhenwegetthere？’
`Yes。Ithoughtofthat，andIwiredforaroomforusattheTemperanceHotelthere。’
`One？’
`Yes-one。’
Shelookedathim。`OhJude！’Suebentherforeheadagainstthecornerofthecompartment。`Ithoughtyoumightdoit；andthatIwasdeceivingyou。ButIdidn’tmeanthat！’
Inthepausewhichfollowed，Jude’seyesfixedthemselveswithastultifiedexpressionontheoppositeseat。`Well！’hesaid……`Well！’
Heremainedinsilence；andseeinghowdiscomfitedhewassheputherfaceagainsthischeek，murmuring，`Don’tbevexed，dear！’
`Oh-there’snoharmdone，’hesaid。`But-Iunderstooditlikethat……Isthisasuddenchangeofmind？’
`Youhavenorighttoaskmesuchaquestion；andIshan’tanswer！’
shesaid，smiling。
`Mydearone，yourhappinessismoretomethananything-althoughweseemtovergeonquarrellingsooften！-andyourwillislawtome。
Iamsomethingmorethanamere-selfishfellow，Ihope。Haveitasyouwish！’Onreflectionhisbrowshowedperplexity。`Butperhapsitisthatyoudon’tloveme-notthatyouhavebecomeconventional！Muchas，underyourteaching，Ihateconvention，Ihopeitisthat，nottheotherterriblealternative！’
EvenatthisobviousmomentforcandourSuecouldnotbequitecandidastothestateofthatmystery，herheart。`Putitdowntomytimidity，’
shesaidwithhurriedevasiveness；`toawoman’snaturaltimiditywhenthecrisiscomes。ImayfeelaswellasyouthatIhaveaperfectrighttolivewithyouasyouthought-fromthismoment。Imayholdtheopinionthat，inaproperstateofsociety，thefatherofawoman’schildwillbeasmuchaprivatematterofhersasthecutofherunderlinen，onwhomnobodywillhaveanyrighttoquestionher。Butpartly，perhaps，becauseitisbyhisgenerositythatIamnowfree，Iwouldrathernotbeotherthanalittlerigid。Iftherehadbeenarope-ladder，andhehadrunafteruswithpistols，itwouldhaveseemeddifferent，andImayhaveactedotherwise。
Butdon’tpressmeandcriticizeme，Jude！AssumethatIhaven’tthecourageofmyopinions。IknowIamapoormiserablecreature。Mynatureisnotsopassionateasyours！’
Herepeatedsimply！`Ithought-whatInaturallythought。Butifwearenotlovers，wearenot。Phillotsonthoughtso，Iamsure。See，hereiswhathehaswrittentome。’Heopenedthelettershehadbrought，andread：
`Imakeonlyonecondition-thatyouaretenderandkindtoher。
Iknowyouloveher。Butevenlovemaybecruelattimes。Youaremadeforeachother：itisobvious，palpable，toanyunbiasedolderperson。
Youwereallalong`theshadowythird’inmyshortlifewithher。Irepeat，takecareofSue。’
`He’sagoodfellow，isn’the！’shesaidwithlatenttears。Onreconsiderationsheadded，`Hewasveryresignedtolettingmego-tooresignedalmost！Ineverwassonearbeinginlovewithhimaswhenhemadesuchthoughtfularrangementsformybeingcomfortableonmyjourney，andofferingtoprovidemoney。YetIwasnot。IfIlovedhimeversolittleasawife，I’dgobacktohimevennow。’
`Butyoudon’t，doyou？’
`Itistrue-ohsoterriblytrue！-Idon’t。’
`Normeneither，Ihalf-fear！’hesaidpettishly。`Noranybodyperhaps！Sue，sometimes，whenIamvexedwithyou，Ithinkyouareincapableofreallove。’
`That’snotgoodandloyalofyou！’shesaid，anddrawingawayfromhimasfarasshecould，lookedseverelyoutintothedarkness。Sheaddedinhurttones，withoutturninground：`Mylikingforyouisnotassomewomen’sperhaps。Butitisadelightinbeingwithyou，ofasupremelydelicatekind，andIdon’twanttogofurtherandriskitby-anattempttointensifyit！Iquiterealizedthat，aswomanwithman，itwasarisktocome。But，asmewithyou，Iresolvedtotrustyoutosetmywishesaboveyourgratification。Don’tdiscussitfurther，dearJude！’
`Ofcourse，ifitwouldmakeyoureproachyourself……butyoudolikemeverymuch，Sue？Sayyoudo！Saythatyoudoaquarter，atenth，asmuchasIdoyou，andI’llbecontent！’
`I’veletyoukissme，andthattellsenough。’
`Justonceorso！’
`Well-don’tbeagreedyboy。’
Heleantback，anddidnotlookatherforalongtime。Thatepisodeinherpasthistoryofwhichshehadtoldhim-ofthepoorChristminstergraduatewhomshehadhandledthus，returnedtoJude’smind；andhesawhimselfasapossiblesecondinsuchatorturingdestiny。
`Thisisaqueerelopement！’hemurmured。`Perhapsyouaremakingacat’spawofmewithPhillotsonallthistime。Uponmyworditalmostseemsso-toseeyousittinguptheresoprim！’
`Nowyoumustn’tbeangry-Iwon’tletyou！’shecoaxed，turningandmovingnearertohim。`Youdidkissmejustnow，youknow；andIdidn’tdislikeyouto，Iownit，Jude。OnlyIdon’twanttoletyoudoitagain，justyet-consideringhowwearecircumstanced，don’tyousee！’
Hecouldneverresistherwhenshepleadedasshewellknew。
Andtheysatsidebysidewithjoinedhands，tillshearousedherselfatsomethought。
`Ican’tpossiblygotothatTemperanceInn，afteryourtelegraphingthatmessage！’
`Whynot？’
`Youcanseewellenough！’
`Verywell；there’llbesomeotheroneopen，nodoubt。Ihavesometimesthought，sinceyourmarryingPhillotsonbecauseofastupidscandal，thatundertheaffectationofindependentviewsyouareasenslavedtothesocialcodeasanywomanIknow！’
`Notmentally。ButIhaven’tthecourageofmyviews，asIsaidbefore。Ididn’tmarryhimaltogetherbecauseofthescandal。Butsometimesawoman’sloveofbeinglovedgetsthebetterofherconscience，andthoughsheisagonizedatthethoughtoftreatingamancruelly，sheencourageshimtoloveherwhileshedoesn’tlovehimatall。Then，whensheseeshimsuffering，herremorsesetsin，andshedoeswhatshecantorepairthewrong。’
`Yousimplymeanthatyouflirtedoutrageouslywithhim，pooroldchap，andthenrepented，andtomakereparation，marriedhim，thoughyoutorturedyourselftodeathbydoingit。’
`Well-ifyouwillputitbrutally！-itwasalittlelikethat-thatandthescandaltogether-andyourconcealingfrommewhatyououghttohavetoldmebefore！’
Hecouldseethatshewasdistressedandtearfulathiscriticisms，andsoothedher，saying：`There，dear；don’tmind！Crucifyme，ifyouwill！
Youknowyouarealltheworldtome，whateveryoudo！’
`Iamverybadandunprincipled-Iknowyouthinkthat！’shesaid，tryingtoblinkawayhertears。
`IthinkandknowyouaremydearSue，fromwhomneitherlengthnorbreadth，northingspresentnorthingstocome，candivideme！’
Thoughsosophisticatedinmanythingsshewassuchachildinothersthatthissatisfiedher，andtheyreachedtheendoftheirjourneyonthebestofterms。Itwasaboutteno’clockwhentheyarrivedatAldbrickham，thecountytownofNorthWessex。AsshewouldnotgototheTemperanceHotelbecauseoftheformofhistelegram，Judeinquiredforanother；andayouthwhovolunteeredtofindonewheeledtheirluggagetotheGeorgefartheron，whichprovedtobetheinnatwhichJudehadstayedwithArabellaonthatoneoccasionoftheirmeetingaftertheirdivisionforyears。
Owing，however，totheirnowenteringitbyanotherdoor，andtohispreoccupation，hedidnotatfirstrecognizetheplace。Whentheyhadengagedtheirrespectiveroomstheywentdowntoalatesupper。DuringJude’stemporaryabsencethewaiting-maidspoketoSue。
`Ithink，ma’am，Irememberyourrelation，orfriend，orwhateverheis，cominghereoncebefore-late，justlikethis，withhiswife-
alady，atanyrate，thatwasn’tyoubynomannerofmeans-jestasmedbewithyounow。’
`Ohdoyou？’saidSue，withacertainsicknessofheart。`ThoughIthinkyoumustbemistaken！Howlongagowasit？’
`Aboutamonthortwo。Ahandsome，full-figuredwoman。Theyhadthisroom。’
WhenJudecamebackandsatdowntosupperSueseemedmopingandmiserable。`Jude，’shesaidtohimplaintively，attheirpartingthatnightuponthelanding，`itisnotsoniceandpleasantasitusedtobewithus！
Idon’tlikeithere-Ican’tbeartheplace！AndIdon’tlikeyousowellasIdid！’
`Howfidgetedyouseem，dear！Whydoyouchangelikethis？’
`Becauseitwascrueltobringmehere！’
`Why？’
`YouwerelatelyherewithArabella。There，nowIhavesaidit！’
`Dearme，why-`saidJudelookingroundhim。`Yes-itisthesame！Ireallydidn’tknowit，Sue。Well-itisnotcruel，sincewehavecomeaswehave-tworelationsstayingtogether。’
`Howlongagowasityouwerehere？Tellme，tellme！’
`ThedaybeforeImetyouinChristminster，whenwewentbacktoMarygreentogether。ItoldyouIhadmether。’
`Yes，yousaidyouhadmether，butyoudidn’ttellmeall。Yourstorywasthatyouhadmetasestrangedpeople，whowerenothusbandandwifeatallinHeaven’ssight-notthatyouhadmadeitupwithher。’
`Wedidn’tmakeitup，’hesaidsadly。`Ican’texplain，Sue。’
`You’vebeenfalsetome；you，mylasthope！AndIshallneverforgetit，never！’