Somefewdayslater，intheduskofthesummerevening，theyweresittinginthesamesmallroomdown-stairs，whenaknockcametothefrontdoorofthecarpenter’shousewheretheywerelodging，andinafewmomentstherewasatapatthedooroftheirroom。Beforetheycouldopenitthecomerdidso，andawoman’sformappeared。
`IsMr。Fawleyhere？’
JudeandSuestartedashemechanicallyrepliedintheaffirmative，forthevoicewasArabella’s。
Heformallyrequestedhertocomein，andshesatdowninthewindowbench，wheretheycoulddistinctlyseeheroutlineagainstthelight；
butnocharacteristicthatenabledthemtoestimatehergeneralaspectandair。Yetsomethingseemedtodenotethatshewasnotquitesocomfortablycircumstanced，norsobouncinglyattired，asshehadbeenduringCartlett’slifetime。
Thethreeattemptedanawkwardconversationaboutthetragedy，ofwhichJudehadfeltittobehisdutytoinformherimmediately，thoughshehadneverrepliedtohisletter。
`Ihavejustcomefromthecemetery，’shesaid。`Iinquiredandfoundthechild’sgrave。Icouldn’tcometothefuneral-thankyouforinvitingmeallthesame。Ireadallaboutitinthepapers，andIfeltIwasn’twanted……No-Icouldn’tcometothefuneral，’repeatedArabella，who，seemingutterlyunabletoreachtheidealofacatastrophicmanner，fumbledwithiterations。`ButIamgladIfoundthegrave。As’tisyourtrade，Jude，you’llbeabletoputupahandsomestoneto’em。’
`Ishallputupaheadstone，’saidJudedrearily。
`Hewasmychild，andnaturallyIfeelforhim。’
`Ihopeso。Wealldid。’
`Theothersthatweren’tmineIdidn’tfeelsomuchfor，aswasnatural。’
`Ofcourse。’
AsighcamefromthedarkcornerwhereSuesat。
`IhadoftenwishedIhadminewithme，’continuedMrs。Cartlett。
`Perhaps’twouldn’thavehappenedthen！ButofcourseIdidn’twishtotakehimawayfromyourwife。’
`Iamnothiswife，’camefromSue。
TheunexpectednessofherwordsstruckJudesilent。
`Oh，Ibegyourpardon，I’msure，’saidArabella。`Ithoughtyouwere！’
JudehadknownfromthequalityofSue’stonethathernewandtranscendentalviewslurkedinherwords；butallexcepttheirobviousmeaningwas，naturally，missedbyArabella。Thelatter，afterevincingthatshewasstruckbySue’savowal，recoveredherself，andwentontotalkwithplacidbluntnessabout`her’boy，forwhom，thoughinhislifetimeshehadshownnocareatall，shenowexhibitedaceremonialmournfulnessthatwasapparentlysustainingtotheconscience。Shealludedtothepast，andinmakingsomeremarkappealedagaintoSue。Therewasnoanswer：Suehadinvisiblylefttheroom。
`Shesaidshewasnotyourwife？’resumedArabellainanothervoice。`Whyshouldshedothat？’
`Icannotinformyou，’saidJudeshortly。
`Sheis，isn’tshe？Sheoncetoldmeso。’
`Idon’tcriticizewhatshesays。’
`Ah-Isee！Well，mytimeisup。Iamstayinghereto-night，andthoughtIcoulddonolessthancall，afterourmutualaffliction。
IamsleepingattheplacewhereIusedtobebarmaid，andto-morrowI
gobacktoAlfredston。Fatheriscomehomeagain，andIamlivingwithhim。’
`HehasreturnedfromAustralia？’saidJudewithlanguidcuriosity。
`Yes。Couldn’tgetonthere。Hadaroughtimeofit。Motherdiedofdys-whatdoyoucallit-inthehotweather，andFatherandtwooftheyoungoneshavejustgotback。Hehasgotacottageneartheoldplace，andforthepresentIamkeepinghouseforhim。’
Jude’sformerwifehadmaintainedastereotypedmannerofstrictgoodbreedingevennowthatSuewasgone，andlimitedherstaytoanumberofminutesthatshouldaccordwiththehighestrespectability。WhenshehaddepartedJude，muchrelieved，wenttothestairsandcalledSue-feelinganxiousastowhathadbecomeofher。
Therewasnoanswer，andthecarpenterwhokeptthelodgingssaidshehadnotcomein。Judewaspuzzled，andbecamequitealarmedatherabsence，forthehourwasgrowinglate。Thecarpentercalledhiswife，whoconjecturedthatSuemighthavegonetoSt。Silas’church，assheoftenwentthere。
`Surelynotatthistimeo’night？’saidJude。`Itisshut。’
`Sheknowssomebodywhokeepsthekey，andshehasitwhenevershewantsit。’
`Howlonghasshebeengoingonwiththis？’
`Oh，somefewweeks，Ithink。’
Judewentvaguelyinthedirectionofthechurch，whichhehadneveronceapproachedsincehelivedoutthatwayyearsbefore，whenhisyoungopinionsweremoremysticalthantheywerenow。Thespotwasdeserted，butthedoorwascertainlyunfastened；heliftedthelatchwithoutnoise，andpushingtothedoorbehindhim，stoodabsolutelystillinside。Theprevalentsilenceseemedtocontainafaintsound，explicableasabreathing，orasobbing，whichcamefromtheotherendofthebuilding。Thefloor-clothdeadenedhisfootstepsashemovedinthatdirectionthroughtheobscurity，whichwasbrokenonlybythefaintestreflectednight-lightfromwithout。
Highoverhead，abovethechancelsteps，Judecoulddiscernahuge，solidlyconstructedLatincross-aslarge，probably，astheoriginalitwasdesignedtocommemorate。Itseemedtobesuspendedintheairbyinvisiblewires；itwassetwithlargejewels，whichfaintlyglimmeredinsomeweakraycaughtfromoutside，asthecrossswayedtoandfroinasilentandscarcelyperceptiblemotion。Underneath，uponthefloor，laywhatappearedtobeaheapofblackclothes，andfromthiswasrepeatedthesobbingthathehadheardbefore。ItwashisSue’sform，prostrateonthepaving。
`Sue！’hewhispered。
Somethingwhitediscloseditself；shehadturnedupherface。
`What-doyouwantwithmehere，Jude？’shesaidalmostsharply。
`Youshouldn’tcome！Iwantedtobealone！Whydidyouintrudehere？’
`Howcanyouask！’heretortedinquickreproach，forhisfullheartwaswoundedtoitscentreatthisattitudeofherstowardshim。`WhydoIcome？Whohasarighttocome，Ishouldliketoknow，ifIhavenot！
I，wholoveyoubetterthanmyownself-better-farbetter-thanyouhavelovedme！Whatmadeyouleavemetocomeherealone？’
`Don’tcriticizeme，Jude-Ican’tbearit！-Ihaveoftentoldyouso。YoumusttakemeasIam。Iamawretch-brokenbymydistractions！
Icouldn’tbearitwhenArabellacame-IfeltsoutterlymiserableIhadtocomeaway。Sheseemstobeyourwifestill，andRichardtobemyhusband！’
`Buttheyarenothingtous！’
`Yes，dearfriend，theyare。Iseemarriagedifferentlynow。Mybabieshavebeentakenfrommetoshowmethis！Arabella’schildkillingminewasajudgement-therightslayingthewrong。What，whatshallIdo！Iamsuchavilecreature-tooworthlesstomixwithordinaryhumanbeings！’
`Thisisterrible！’saidJude，vergingontears。`Itismonstrousandunnaturalforyoutobesoremorsefulwhenyouhavedonenowrong！’
`Ah-youdon’tknowmybadness！’
Hereturnedvehemently：`Ido！Everyatomanddregofit！YoumakemehateChristianity，ormysticism，orSacerdotalism，orwhateveritmaybecalled，ifit’sthatwhichhascausedthisdeteriorationinyou。
Thatawoman-poet，awoman-seer，awomanwhosesoulshonelikeadiamond-whomallthewiseoftheworldwouldhavebeenproudof，iftheycouldhaveknownyou-shoulddegradeherselflikethis！IamgladIhadnothingtodowithDivinity-damnglad-ifit’sgoingtoruinyouinthisway！’
`Youareangry，Jude，andunkindtome，anddon’tseehowthingsare。’
`Thencomealonghomewithme，dearest，andperhapsIshall。I
amoverburdened-andyou，too，areunhingedjustnow。’Heputhisarmroundherandliftedher；butthoughshecame，shepreferredtowalkwithouthissupport。
`Idon’tdislikeyou，Jude，’shesaidinasweetandimploringvoice。`Iloveyouasmuchasever！Only-Ioughtnottoloveyou-anymore。OhImustnotanymore！’
`Ican’townit。’
`ButIhavemadeupmymindthatIamnotyourwife！Ibelongtohim-Isacramentallyjoinedmyselftohimforlife。Nothingcanalterit！’
`Butsurelywearemanandwife，ifevertwopeoplewereinthisworld？Nature’sownmarriageitis，unquestionably！’
`ButnotHeaven’s。Anotherwasmadeformethere，andratifiedeternallyinthechurchatMelchester。’
`Sue，Sue-afflictionhasbroughtyoutothisunreasonablestate！
Afterconvertingmetoyourviewsonsomanythings，tofindyousuddenlyturntotheright-aboutlikethis-fornoreasonwhatever，confoundingallyouhaveformerlysaidthroughsentimentmerely！YourootoutofmewhatlittleaffectionandreverenceIhadleftinmefortheChurchasanoldacquaintance……WhatIcan’tunderstandinyouisyourextraordinaryblindnessnowtoyouroldlogic。Isitpeculiartoyou，orisitcommontowoman？Isawomanathinkingunitatall，orafractionalwayswantingitsinteger？Howyouarguedthatmarriagewasonlyaclumsycontract-
whichitis-howyoushowedalltheobjectionstoit-alltheabsurdities！
Iftwoandtwomadefourwhenwewerehappytogether，surelytheymakefournow？Ican’tunderstandit，Irepeat！’
`Ah，dearJude；that’sbecauseyouarelikeatotallydeafmanobservingpeoplelisteningtomusic。Yousay`Whataretheyregarding？
Nothingisthere。’Butsomethingis。’
`Thatisahardsayingfromyou；andnotatrueparallel！Youthrewoffoldhusksofprejudices，andtaughtmetodoit；andnowyougobackuponyourself。IconfessIamutterlystultifiedinmyestimateofyou。’
`Dearfriend，myonlyfriend，don’tbehardwithme！Ican’thelpbeingasIam，IamconvincedIamright-thatIseethelightatlast。
Butoh，howtoprofitbyit！’
Theywalkedalongafewmorestepstilltheywereoutsidethebuildingandshehadreturnedthekey。`Canthisbethegirl，’saidJudewhenshecameback，feelingaslightrenewalofelasticitynowthathewasintheopenstreet；`canthisbethegirlwhobroughtthepagandeitiesintothismostChristiancity？-whomimickedMissFontoverwhenshecrushedthemwithherheel？-quotedGibbon，andShelley，andMill？WherearedearApollo，anddearVenusnow！’
`Ohdon’t，don’tbesocrueltome，Jude，andIsounhappy！’shesobbed。`Ican’tbearit！Iwasinerror-Icannotreasonwithyou。I
waswrong-proudinmyownconceit！Arabella’scomingwasthefinish。
Don’tsatirizeme：itcutslikeaknife！’
Heflunghisarmsroundherandkissedherpassionatelythereinthesilentstreet，beforeshecouldhinderhim。Theywentontilltheycametoalittlecoffee-house。`Jude，’shesaidwithsuppressedtears，`wouldyoumindgettingalodginghere？’
`Iwill-if，ifyoureallywish？Butdoyou？Letmegotoourdoorandunderstandyou。’
Hewentandconductedherin。Shesaidshewantednosupper，andwentinthedarkupstairsandstruckalight。TurningshefoundthatJudehadfollowedher，andwasstandingatthechamberdoor。Shewenttohim，putherhandinhis，andsaid`Good-night。’
`ButSue！Don’twelivehere？’
`YousaidyouwoulddoasIwished！’
`Yes。Verywell！……PerhapsitwaswrongofmetoarguedistastefullyasIhavedone！Perhapsaswecouldn’tconscientiouslymarryatfirstintheold-fashionedway，weoughttohaveparted。Perhapstheworldisnotilluminatedenoughforsuchexperimentsasours！Whowerewe，tothinkwecouldactaspioneers！’
`Iamsogladyouseethatmuch，atanyrate。IneverdeliberatelymeanttodoasIdid。Islippedintomyfalsepositionthroughjealousyandagitation！’
`Butsurelythroughlove-youlovedme？’
`Yes。ButIwantedtoletitstopthere，andgoonalwaysasmerelovers；until——’
`Butpeopleinlovecouldn’tliveforeverlikethat！’
`Womencould：mencan’t，becausethey-won’t。Anaveragewomanisinthissuperiortoanaverageman-thatsheneverinstigates，onlyresponds。Weoughttohavelivedinmentalcommunion，andnomore。’
`Iwastheunhappycauseofthechange，asIhavesaidbefore！……Well，asyouwill！……Buthumannaturecan’thelpbeingitself。’
`Ohyes-that’sjustwhatithastolearn-self-mastery。’
`Irepeat-ifeitherweretoblameitwasnotyoubutI。’