`Itisanaccursedthing-itremindsmeofwhatIwanttoforget！’
Suerepeated。`Itisonlyfitforthefire。’
`Lord，youbetoostrict！Whatdoyeusesuchwordsfor，andcondemntohellyourdearlittleinnocentchildrenthat’slostto’ee！UponmylifeIdon’tcallthatreligion！’
Sueflungherfaceuponthebed，sobbing。`Oh，don’t，don’t！Thatkillsme！’Sheremainedshakenwithhergrief，andslippeddownuponherknees。
`I’lltell’eewhat-yououghtnottomarrythismanagain！’
saidMrs。Edlinindignantly。`Youareinlovewi’t’otherstill！’
`YesImust-Iamhisalready！’
`Pshoo！Youbet’otherman’s。Ifyoudidn’tliketocommityourselvestothebindingvowagain，justatfirst，’twasallthemorecredittoyourconsciences，consideringyourreasons，andyoumedha’livedon，andmadeitallrightatlast。Afterall，itconcernednobodybutyourowntwoselves。’
`Richardsayshe’llhavemeback，andI’mboundtogo！Ifhehadrefused，itmightnothavebeensomuchmydutyto-giveupJude。But-`Sheremainedwithherfaceinthebed-clothes，andMrs。Edlinlefttheroom。
PhillotsonintheintervalhadgonebacktohisfriendGillingham，whostillsatoverthesupper-table。Theysoonrose，andwalkedoutonthegreentosmokeawhile。AlightwasburninginSue’sroom，ashadowmovingnowandthenacrosstheblind。
GillinghamhadevidentlybeenimpressedwiththeindefinablecharmofSue，andafterasilencehesaid，`Well：you’veallbutgotheragainatlast。Shecan’tverywellgoasecondtime。Thepearhasdroppedintoyourhand。’
`Yes！……IsupposeIamrightintakingheratherword。Iconfessthereseemsatouchofselfishnessinit。Apartfromherbeingwhatsheis，ofcourse，aluxuryforafogylikeme，itwillsetmerightintheeyesoftheclergyandorthodoxlaity，whohaveneverforgivenmeforlettinghergo。SoImaygetbackinsomedegreeintomyoldtrack。’
`Well-ifyou’vegotanysoundreasonformarryingheragain，doitnowinGod’sname！Iwasalwaysagainstyouropeningthecage-doorandlettingthebirdgoinsuchanobviouslysuicidalway。Youmighthavebeenaschoolinspectorbythistime，orareverend，ifyouhadn’tbeensoweakabouther。’
`Ididmyselfirreparabledamage-Iknowit。’
`Onceyou’vegotherhousedagain，sticktoher。’
Phillotsonwasmoreevasiveto-night。HedidnotcaretoadmitclearlythathistakingSuetohimagainhadatbottomnothingtodowithrepentanceoflettinghergo，butwas，primarily，ahumaninstinctflyinginthefaceofcustomandprofession。Hesaid，`Yes-Ishalldothat。
Iknowwomanbetternow。Whateverjusticetherewasinreleasingher，therewaslittlelogic，foroneholdingmyviewsonothersubjects。’
Gillinghamlookedathim，andwonderedwhetheritwouldeverhappenthatthereactionaryspiritinducedbytheworld’ssneersandhisownphysicalwisheswouldmakePhillotsonmoreorthodoxlycrueltoherthanhehaderstwhilebeeninformallyandperverselykind。
`Iperceiveitwon’tdotogivewaytoimpulse，’Phillotsonresumed，feelingmoreandmoreeveryminutethenecessityofactinguptohisposition。
`IflewinthefaceoftheChurch’steaching；butIdiditwithoutmaliceprepense。Womenaresostrangeintheirinfluencethattheytemptyoutomisplacedkindness。However，Iknowmyselfbetternow。Alittlejudiciousseverity，perhaps……’
`Yes；butyoumusttightenthereinsbydegreesonly。Don’tbetoostrenuousatfirst。She’llcometoanytermsintime。’
Thecautionwasunnecessary，thoughPhillotsondidnotsayso。
`IrememberwhatmyvicaratShastonsaid，whenIleftaftertherowthatwasmadeaboutmyagreeingtoherelopement。`Theonlythingyoucandotoretrieveyourpositionandhersistoadmityourerrorinnotrestrainingherwithawiseandstronghand，andtogetherbackagainifshe’llcome，andbefirminthefuture。’ButIwassoheadstrongatthattimethatI
paidnoheed。AndthatafterthedivorcesheshouldhavethoughtofdoingsoIdidnotdream。’
ThegateofMrs。Edlin’scottageclicked，andsomebodybegancrossinginthedirectionoftheschool。Phillotsonsaid`Good-night。’
`Oh，isthatMr。Phillotson，’saidMrs。Edlin。`Iwasgoingovertosee’ee。I’vebeenupstairswithher，helpinghertounpackherthings；
anduponmyword，sir，Idon’tthinkthisoughttobe！’
`What-thewedding？’
`Yes。She’sforcingherselftoit，poordearlittlething；andyou’venonotionwhatshe’ssuffering。Iwasnevermuchforreligionnoragainstit，butitcan’tberighttoletherdothis，andyououghttopersuadeheroutofit。Ofcourseeverybodywillsayitwasverygoodandforgivingof’eetotakeherto’eeagain。ButformypartIdon’t。’
`It’sherwish，andIamwilling，’saidPhillotsonwithgravereserve，oppositionmakinghimillogicallytenaciousnow。`Agreatpieceoflaxitywillberectified。’
`Idon’tbelieveit。She’shiswifeifanybody’s。She’shadthreechildrenbyhim，andhelovesherdearly；andit’sawickedshametoeggherontothis，poorlittlequiveringthing！She’sgotnobodyonherside。
Theonemanwho’dbeherfriendtheobstinatecreaturewon’tallowtocomenearher。Whatfirstputherintothismoodo’mind，Iwonder！’
`Ican’ttell。NotIcertainly。Itisallvoluntaryonherpart。
Nowthat’sallIhavetosay。’Phillotsonspokestiffly。`You’veturnedround，Mrs。Edlin。Itisunseemlyofyou！’
`Well。Iknowedyou’dbeaffrontedatwhatIhadtosay；butI
don’tmindthat。Thetruth’sthetruth。’
`I’mnotaffronted，Mrs。Edlin。You’vebeentookindaneighbourforthat。ButImustbeallowedtoknowwhat’sbestformyselfandSusanna。
Isupposeyouwon’tgotochurchwithus，then？’
`No。BehangedifIcan……Idon’tknowwhatthetimesbecomingto！Matrimonyhavegrowedtobethatseriousinthesedaysthatonereallydofeelafeardtomoveinitatall。Inmytimewetookitmorecareless；
andIdon’tknowthatwewasanytheworseforit！WhenIandmypoormanwerejinedinitwekeptupthejunketingalltheweek，anddrunktheparishdry，andhadtoborrowhalfacrowntobeginhousekeeping！’
WhenMrs。EdlinhadgonebacktohercottagePhillotsonspokemoodily。`Idon’tknowwhetherIoughttodoit-atanyratequitesorapidly。’
`Why？’
`Ifsheisreallycompellingherselftothisagainstherinstincts-merelyfromthisnewsenseofdutyorreligion-Ioughtperhapstoletherwaitabit。’
`Nowyou’vegotsofaryououghtnottobackoutofit。That’smyopinion。’
`Ican’tverywellputitoffnow；that’strue。ButIhadaqualmwhenshegavethatlittlecryatsightofthelicence。’
`Now，neveryouhavequalms，oldboy。Imeantogiveherawayto-morrowmorning，andyoumeantotakeher。IthasalwaysbeenonmyconsciencethatIdidn’turgemoreobjectionstoyourlettinghergo，andnowwe’vegottothisstageIshan’tbecontentifIdon’thelpyoutosetthematterright。’
Phillotsonnodded，andseeinghowstaunchhisfriendwas，becamemorefrank。`NodoubtwhenitgetsknownwhatI’vedoneIshallbethoughtasoftfoolbymany。Buttheydon’tknowSueasIdo。Thoughsoelusive，hersissuchanhonestnatureatbottomthatIdon’tthinkshehaseverdoneanythingagainstherconscience。ThefactofherhavinglivedwithFawleygoesfornothing。Atthetimesheleftmeforhimshethoughtshewasquitewithinherright。Nowshethinksotherwise。’
Thenextmorningcame，andtheself-sacrificeofthewomanonthealtarofwhatshewaspleasedtocallherprincipleswasacquiescedinbythesetwofriends，eachfromhisownpointofview。PhillotsonwentacrosstotheWidowEdlin’stofetchSueafewminutesaftereighto’clock。
Thefogofthepreviousdayortwoonthelow-landshadtravelledupherebynow，andthetreesonthegreencaughtarmfuls，andturnedthemintoshowersofbigdrops。Thebridewaswaiting，ready；bonnetandallon。
Shehadneverinherlifelookedsomuchlikethelilyhernameconnotedasshedidinthatpallidmorninglight。Chastened，world-weary，remorseful，thestrainonhernerveshadpreyeduponherfleshandbones，andsheappearedsmallerinoutlinethanshehadformerlydone，thoughSuehadnotbeenalargewomaninherdaysofrudesthealth。
`Prompt，’saidtheschoolmaster，magnanimouslytakingherhand。
Buthecheckedhisimpulsetokissher，rememberingherstartofyesterday，whichunpleasantlylingeredinhismind。
Gillinghamjoinedthem，andtheyleftthehouse，WidowEdlincontinuingsteadfastinherrefusaltoassistintheceremony。
`Whereisthechurch？’saidSue。Shehadnotlivedthereforanylengthoftimesincetheoldchurchwaspulleddown，andinherpreoccupationforgotthenewone。
`Uphere，’saidPhillotson；andpresentlythetowerloomedlargeandsolemninthefog。Thevicarhadalreadycrossedtothebuilding，andwhentheyenteredhesaidpleasantly：`Wealmostwantcandles。’
`Youdo-wishmetobeyours，Richard？’gaspedSueinawhisper。
`Certainly，dear：aboveallthingsintheworld。’
Suesaidnomore；andforthesecondorthirdtimehefelthewasnotquitefollowingoutthehumaneinstinctwhichhadinducedhimtolethergo。
Theretheystood，fivealtogether：theparson，theclerk，thecouple，andGillingham；andtheholyordinancewasresolemnizedforthwith。
Inthenaveoftheedificeweretwoorthreevillagers，andwhentheclergymancametothewords，`WhatGodhathjoined，’awoman’svoicefromamongthesewasheardtoutteraudibly：
`Godhathjinedindeed！’
Itwaslikeare-enactmentbytheghostsoftheirformerselvesofthesimilarscenewhichhadtakenplaceatMelchesteryearsbefore。
Whenthebooksweresignedthevicarcongratulatedthehusbandandwifeonhavingperformedanoble，andrighteous，andmutuallyforgivingact。
`All’swellthatendswell，’hesaidsmiling。`Mayyoulongbehappytogether，afterthushavingbeen`savedasbyfire。’’
Theycamedownthenearlyemptybuilding，andcrossedtotheschoolhouse。
Gillinghamwantedtogethomethatnight，andleftearly。He，too，congratulatedthecouple。`Now，’hesaidinpartingfromPhillotson，whowalkedoutalittleway，`Ishallbeabletotellthepeopleinyournativeplaceagoodroundtale；andthey’llallsay`Welldone，’dependonit。’
WhentheschoolmastergotbackSuewasmakingapretenceofdoingsomehousewiferyasifshelivedthere。Butsheseemedtimidathisapproach，andcompunctionwroughtonhimatsightofit。
`Ofcourse，mydear，Ishan’texpecttointrudeuponyourpersonalprivacyanymorethanIdidbefore，’hesaidgravely。`Itisforourgoodsociallytodothis，andthat’sitsjustification，ifitwasnotmyreason。’
Suebrightenedalittle。
JudetheObscureChapter48VI-viTheplacewasthedoorofJude’slodgingintheout-skirtsofChristminster-farfromtheprecinctsofSt。Silas’wherehehadformerlylived，whichsaddenedhimtosickness。Therainwascomingdown。AwomaninshabbyblackstoodonthedoorsteptalkingtoJude，whoheldthedoorinhishand。
`Iamlonely，destitute，andhouseless-that’swhatIam！FatherhasturnedmeoutofdoorsafterborrowingeverypennyI’dgot，toputitintohisbusiness，andthenaccusingmeoflazinesswhenIwasonlywaitingforasituation。Iamatthemercyoftheworld！Ifyoucan’ttakemeandhelpme，Jude，Imustgototheworkhouse，ortosomethingworse。
OnlyjustnowtwoundergraduateswinkedatmeasIcamealong。’Tishardforawomantokeepvirtuouswherethere’ssomanyyoungmen！’
ThewomanintherainwhospokethuswasArabella，theeveningbeingthatofthedayafterSue’sremarriagewithPhillotson。
`Iamsorryforyou，butIamonlyinlodgings，’saidJudecoldly。
`Thenyouturnmeaway？’
`I’llgiveyouenoughtogetfoodandlodgingforafewdays。’
`Oh，butcan’tyouhavethekindnesstotakemein？Icannotenduregoingtoapublichousetolodge；andIamsolonely。Please，Jude，foroldtimes’sake！’
`No，no，’saidJudehastily。`Idon’twanttoberemindedofthosethings；andifyoutalkaboutthemIshallnothelpyou。’
`ThenIsupposeImustgo！’saidArabella。Shebentherheadagainstthedoorpostandbegansobbing。
`Thehouseisfull，’saidJude。`AndIhaveonlyalittleextraroomtomyown-notmuchmorethanacloset-whereIkeepmytools，andtemplates，andthefewbooksIhaveleft！’
`Thatwouldbeapalaceforme！’
`Thereisnobedsteadinit。’