`Butyoucangoandseeherto-morrow，Jude！Don’tgonow，Jude！’
cameinplaintiveaccentsfromthedoorway。`Oh，itisonlytoentrapyou，Iknowitis，asshedidbefore！Don’tgo，dear！Sheissuchalow-passionedwoman-Icanseeitinhershape，andhearitinhervoice！
`ButIshallgo，’saidJude。`Don’tattempttodetainme，Sue。
GodknowsIloveherlittleenoughnow，butIdon’twanttobecrueltoher。’Heturnedtothestairs。
`Butshe’snotyourwife！’criedSuedistractedly。`AndI——
’
`Andyouarenoteither，dear，yet，’saidJude。
`Oh，butareyougoingtoher？Don’t！Stayathome！Please，pleasestayathome，Jude，andnotgotoher，nowshe’snotyourwifeanymorethanI！’
`Well，sheis，rathermorethanyou，cometothat，’hesaid，takinghishatdeterminedly。`I’vewantedyoutobe，andI’vewaitedwiththepatienceofJob，andIdon’tseethatI’vegotanythingbymyself-denial。
Ishallcertainlygivehersomething，andhearwhatitissheissoanxioustotellme；nomancoulddoless！’
Therewasthatinhismannerwhichsheknewitwouldbefutiletooppose。Shesaidnomore，but，turningtoherroomasmeeklyasamartyr，heardhimgodown-stairs，unboltthedoor，andcloseitbehindhim。Withawoman’sdisregardofherdignitywheninthepresenceofnobodybutherself，shealsotrotteddown，sobbingarticulatelyasshewent。Shelistened。
SheknewexactlyhowfaritwastotheinnthatArabellahadnamedasherlodging。Itwouldoccupyaboutsevenminutestogetthereatanordinarywalkingpace；seventocomebackagain。Ifhedidnotreturninfourteenminuteshewouldhavelingered。Shelookedattheclock。Itwastwenty-fiveminutestoeleven。HemightentertheinnwithArabella，astheywouldreachitbeforeclosingtime；shemightgethimtodrinkwithher；
andHeavenonlyknewwhatdisasterswouldbefallhimthen。
Inastillsuspenseshewaitedon。Itseemedasifthewholetimehadnearlyelapsedwhenthedoorwasopenedagain，andJudeappeared。
Suegavealittleecstaticcry。`Oh，IknewIcouldtrustyou！-
howgoodyouare！’-shebegan。
`Ican’tfindheranywhereinthisstreet，andIwentoutinmyslippersonly。Shehaswalkedon，thinkingI’vebeensohard-heartedastorefuseherrequestsentirely，poorwoman。I’vecomebackformyboots，asitisbeginningtorain。’
`Oh，butwhyshouldyoutakesuchtroubleforawomanwhohasservedyousobadly！’saidSueinajealousburstofdisappointment。
`But，Sue，she’sawoman，andIoncecaredforher；andonecan’tbeabruteinsuchcircumstances。’
`Sheisn’tyourwifeanylonger！’exclaimedSue，passionatelyexcited。`Youmustn’tgoouttofindher！Itisn’tright！Youcan’tjoinher，nowshe’sastrangertoyou。Howcanyouforgetsuchathing，mydear，dearone！’
`Sheseemsmuchthesameasever-anerring，careless，unreflectingfellow-creature，’hesaid，continuingtopullonhisboots。`WhatthoselegalfellowshavebeenplayingatinLondonmakesnodifferenceinmyrealrelationstoher。IfshewasmywifewhileshewasawayinAustraliawithanotherhusbandshe’smywifenow。’
`Butshewasn’t！That’sjustwhatIhold！There’stheabsurdity！-
Well-you’llcomestraightback，afterafewminutes，won’tyou，dear？
Sheistoolow，toocoarseforyoutotalktolong，Jude，andwasalways！’
`PerhapsIamcoarsetoo，worseluck！Ihavethegermsofeveryhumaninfirmityinme，Iverilybelieve-thatwaswhyIsawitwassopreposterousofmetothinkofbeingacurate。IhavecuredmyselfofdrunkennessIthink；butIneverknowinwhatnewformasuppressedvicewillbreakoutinme！Idoloveyou，Sue，thoughIhavedancedattendanceonyousolongforsuchpoorreturns！Allthat’sbestandnoblestinmelovesyou，andyourfreedomfromeverythingthat’sgrosshaselevatedme，andenabledmetodowhatIshouldneverhavedreamtmyselfcapableof，oranyman，ayearortwoago。Itisallverywelltopreachaboutself-control，andthewickednessofcoercingawoman。ButIshouldjustlikeafewvirtuouspeoplewhohavecondemnedmeinthepast，aboutArabellaandotherthings，tohavebeeninmytantalizingpositionwithyouthroughtheselateweeks！-
they’dbelieve，Ithink，thatIhaveexercisedsomelittlerestraintinalwaysgivingintoyourwishes-livinghereinonehouse，andnotasoulbetweenus。’
`Yes，youhavebeengoodtome，Jude；Iknowyouhave，mydearprotector。’
`Well-Arabellahasappealedtomeforhelp。Imustgooutandspeaktoher，Sue，atleast！’
`Ican’tsayanymore！-Oh，ifyoumust，youmust！’shesaid，burstingoutintosobsthatseemedtotearherheart。`Ihavenobodybutyou，Jude，andyouaredesertingme！Ididn’tknowyouwerelikethis-
Ican’tbearit，Ican’t！Ifshewereyoursitwouldbedifferent！’
`Orifyouwere。’
`Verywellthen-ifImustImust。Sinceyouwillhaveitso，Iagree！Iwillbe。OnlyIdidn’tmeanto！AndIdidn’twanttomarryagain，either！……But，yes-Iagree，Iagree！Idoloveyou。Ioughttohaveknownthatyouwouldconquerinthelongrun，livinglikethis！’
Sheranacrossandflungherarmsroundhisneck。`Iamnotacold-natured，sexlesscreature，amI，forkeepingyouatsuchadistance？
Iamsureyoudon’tthinkso！Waitandsee！Idobelongtoyou，don’tI？
Igivein！’
`AndI’llarrangeforourmarriageto-morrow，orassoonaseveryouwish。’
`Yes，Jude。’
`ThenI’lllethergo，’saidhe，embracingSuesoftly。`Idofeelthatitwouldbeunfairtoyoutoseeher，andperhapsunfairtoher。Sheisnotlikeyou，mydarling，andneverwas：itisonlybarejusticetosaythat。Don’tcryanymore。There；andthere；andthere！’Hekissedherononeside，andontheother，andinthemiddle，andreboltedthefrontdoor。
Thenextmorningitwaswet。
`Now，dear，’saidJudegailyatbreakfast；`asthisisSaturdayImeantocallaboutthebannsatonce，soastogetthefirstpublishingdoneto-morrow，orweshallloseaweek。Bannswilldo？Weshallsaveapoundortwo。’
Sueabsentlyagreedtobanns。Buthermindforthemomentwasrunningonsomethingelse。Aglowhadpassedawayfromher，anddepressionsatuponherfeatures。
`IfeelIwaswickedlyselfishlastnight！’shemurmured。`Itwassheerunkindnessinme-orworse-totreatArabellaasIdid。Ididn’tcareaboutherbeingintrouble，andwhatshewishedtotellyou！Perhapsitwasreallysomethingshewasjustifiedintellingyou。That’ssomemoreofmybadness，Isuppose！Lovehasitsowndarkmoralitywhenrivalryentersin-atleast，minehas，ifotherpeople’shasn’t……Iwonderhowshegoton？Ihopeshereachedtheinnallright，poorwoman。’
`Ohyes：shegotonallright，’saidJudeplacidly。
`Ihopeshewasn’tshutout，andthatshehadn’ttowalkthestreetsintherain。Doyoumindmyputtingonmywaterproofandgoingtoseeifshegotin？I’vebeenthinkingofherallthemorning。’
`Well-isitnecessary？Youhaven’ttheleastideahowArabellaisabletoshiftforherself。Still，darling，ifyouwanttogoandinquireyoucan。’
TherewasnolimittothestrangeandunnecessarypenanceswhichSuewouldmeeklyundertakewheninacontritemood；andthisgoingtoseeallsortsofextraordinarypersonswhoserelationtoherwaspreciselyofakindthatwouldhavemadeotherpeopleshunthemwasherinstinctever，sothattherequestdidnotsurprisehim。
`Andwhenyoucomeback，’headded，`I’llbereadytogoaboutthebanns。You’llcomewithme？’
Sueagreed，andwentoffundercloakandumbrellalettingJudekissherfreely，andreturninghiskissesinawayshehadneverdonebefore。
Timeshaddecidedlychanged。`Thelittlebirdiscaughtatlast！’shesaid，asadnessshowinginhersmile。
`No-onlynested，’heassuredher。
ShewalkedalongthemuddystreettillshereachedthepublichousementionedbyArabella，whichwasnotsoveryfaroff。ShewasinformedthatArabellahadnotyetleft，andindoubthowtoannounceherselfsothatherpredecessorinJude’saffectionswouldrecognizeher，shesentupwordthatafriendfromSpringStreethadcalled，namingtheplaceofJude’sresidence。Shewasaskedtostepupstairs，andonbeingshownintoaroomfoundthatitwasArabella’sbedroom，andthatthelatterhadnotyetrisen。ShehaltedontheturnofhertoetillArabellacriedfromthebed，`Comeinandshutthedoor，’whichSueaccordinglydid。
Arabellalayfacingthewindow，anddidnotatonceturnherhead：
andSuewaswickedenough，despiteherpenitence，towishforamomentthatJudecouldbeholdherforerunnernow，withthedaylightfulluponher。Shemayhaveseemedhandsomeenoughinprofileunderthelamps，butafrowsinesswasapparentthismorning；andthesightofherownfreshcharmsinthelooking-glassmadeSue’smannerbright，tillshereflectedwhatameanlysexualemotionthiswasinher，andhatedherselfforit。
`I’vejustlookedintoseeifyougotbackcomfortablylastnight，that’sall，’shesaidgently。`Iwasafraidafterwardsthatyoumighthavemetwithanymishap？’
`Oh-howstupidthisis！Ithoughtmyvisitorwas-yourfriend-yourhusband-Mrs。Fawley，asIsupposeyoucallyourself？’saidArabella，flingingherheadbackuponthepillowswithadisappointedtoss，andceasingtoretainthedimpleshehadjusttakenthetroubletoproduce。
`IndeedIdon’t，’saidSue。
`Oh，Ithoughtyoumighthave，evenifhe’snotreallyyours。
Decencyisdecency，anyhourofthetwenty-four。’
`Idon’tknowwhatyoumean，’saidSuestiffly。`Heismine，ifyoucometothat！’
`Hewasn’tyesterday。’
Suecolouredroseate，andsaid`Howdoyouknow？’
`Fromyourmannerwhenyoutalkedtomeatthedoor。Well，mydear，you’vebeenquickaboutit，andIexpectmyvisitlastnighthelpediton-ha-ha！ButIdon’twanttogethimawayfromyou。’
Suelookedoutattherain，andatthedirtytoilet-cover，andatthedetachedtailofArabella’shairhangingonthelooking-glass，justasithaddoneinJude’stime；andwishedshehadnotcome。Inthepausetherewasaknockatthedoor，andthechambermaidbroughtinatelegramfor`Mrs。Cartlett。’
Arabellaopeneditasshelay，andherruffledlookdisappeared。
`Iammuchobligedtoyouforyouranxietyaboutme，’shesaidblandlywhenthemaidhadgone；`butitisnotnecessaryyoushouldfeelit。Mymanfindshecan’tdowithoutmeafterall，andagreestostandbythepromisetomarryagainoverherethathehasmademeallalong。
Seehere！Thisisinanswertoonefromme。’SheheldoutthetelegramforSuetoread，butSuedidnottakeit。`Heasksmetocomeback。HislittlecornerpublicinLambethwouldgotopieceswithoutme，hesays。
Butheisn’tgoingtoknockmeaboutwhenhehashadadrop，anymoreafterwearesplicedbyEnglishlawthanbefore！……Asforyou，IshouldcoaxJudetotakemebeforetheparsonstraightoff，andhavedonewithit，ifIwereinyourplace。Isayitasafriend，mydear。’
`He’swaitingto，anyday，’returnedSue，withfrigidpride。
`Thenlethim，inHeaven’sname。Lifewithamanismorebusinesslikeafterit，andmoneymattersworkbetter。Andthen，yousee，ifyouhaverows，andheturnsyououtofdoors，youcangetthelawtoprotectyou，whichyoucan’totherwise，unlesshehalf-runsyouthroughwithaknife，orcracksyournoddlewithapoker。Andifheboltsawayfromyou-Isayitfriendly，aswomantowoman，forthere’sneveranyknowingwhatamanmeddo-you’llhavethestickso’furniture，andwon’tbelookeduponasathief。Ishallmarrymymanoveragain，nowhe’swilling，astherewasalittleflawinthefirstceremony。Inmytelegramlastnightwhichthisisananswerto，ItoldhimIhadalmostmadeitupwithJude；andthatfrightenedhim，Iexpect！PerhapsIshouldquitehavedoneitifithadn’tbeenforyou，’shesaidlaughing；`andthenhowdifferentourhistoriesmighthavebeenfromto-day！NeversuchatenderfoolasJudeisifawomanseemsintrouble，andcoaxeshimabit！Justasheusedtobeaboutbirdsandthings。However，asithappens，itisjustaswellasifIhadmadeitup，andIforgiveyou。And，asIsay，I’dadviseyoutogetthebusinesslegallydoneassoonaspossible。You’llfinditanawfulbotherlateronifyoudon’t。’
`Ihavetoldyouheisaskingmetomarryhim-tomakeournaturalmarriagealegalone，’saidSue，withyetmoredignity。`Itwasquitebymywishthathedidn’tthemomentIwasfree。’
`Ah，yes-youareaoneyertoo，likemyself，’saidArabella，eyeinghervisitorwithhumorouscriticism。`Boltedfromyourfirst，didn’tyou，likeme？’
`Goodmorning！-Imustgo，’saidSuehastily。