`ByGad，theyarecoming！Ithinkthedeed’sdone！’
`No，’saidUncleJoe，followinghimin。`Takemyword，heturnedrustyatthelastminute。Theyarewalkinginaveryunusualway；andthat’sthemeaningofit！’
Theywaitedinsilencetillthewedding-partycouldbeheardenteringthehouse。FirstintotheroomcameArabellaboisterously；andherfacewasenoughtoshowthatherstrategyhadsucceeded。
`Mrs。Fawley，Ipresume？’saidTinkerTaylorwithmockcourtesy。
`Certainly。Mrs。Fawleyagain，’repliedArabellablandly，pullingoffhergloveandholdingoutherlefthand。`There’sthepadlock，see……
Well，hewasaverynice，gentlemanlymanindeed。Imeantheclergyman。
Hesaidtomeasgentleasababewhenallwasdone：`Mrs。Fawley，Icongratulateyouheartily，’hesays。`Forhavingheardyourhistory，andthatofyourhusband，Ithinkyouhavebothdonetherightandproperthing。Andforyourpasterrorsasawife，andhisasahusband，Ithinkyououghtnowtobeforgivenbytheworld，asyouhaveforgiveneachother，’sayshe。
Yes：hewasaverynice，gentlemanlyman。`TheChurchdon’trecognizedivorceinherdogma，strictlyspeaking，’hesays：`andbearinmindthewordsoftheserviceinyourgoingsoutandyourcomingsin：WhatGodhathjoinedtogetherletnomanputasunder。’Yes：hewasaverynice，gentlemanlyman……But，Jude，mydear，youwereenoughtomakeacatlaugh！Youwalkedthatstraight，andheldyourselfthatsteady，thatonewouldhavethoughtyouweregoing’prenticetoajudge；thoughIknewyouwereseeingdoubleallthetime，fromthewayyoufumbledwithmyfinger。’
`IsaidI’ddoanythingto-saveawoman’shonour，’mutteredJude。`AndI’vedoneit！’
`Wellnow，olddeary，comealongandhavesomebreakfast。’
`Iwant-some-morewhisky，’saidJudestolidly。
`Nonsense，dear。Notnow！There’snomoreleft。Theteawilltakethemuddleoutofourheads，andweshallbeasfreshaslarks。’
`Allright。I’ve-marriedyou。ShesaidIoughttomarryyouagain，andIhavestraightway。Itistruereligion！Ha-ha-ha！’
JudetheObscureChapter50VI-viiiMichaelmascameandpassed，andJudeandhiswife，whohadlivedbutashorttimeinherfather’shouseaftertheirremarriage，wereinlodgingsonthetopfloorofadwellingnearertothecentreofthecity。
Hehaddoneafewdays’workduringthetwoorthreemonthssincetheevent，buthishealthhadbeenindifferent，anditwasnowprecarious。
Hewassittinginanarm-chairbeforethefire，andcoughedagooddeal。
`I’vegotabargainformytroubleinmarryingtheeoveragain！’
Arabellawassayingtohim。`Ishallhavetokeep’eeentirely-that’swhat’twillcometo！Ishallhavetomakeblack-potandsausages，andhawk’emaboutthestreet，alltosupportaninvalidhusbandI’dnobusinesstobesaddledwithatall。Whydidn’tyoukeepyourhealth，deceivingonelikethis？Youwerewellenoughwhentheweddingwas！’
`Ah，yes！’saidhe，laughingacridly。`IhavebeenthinkingofmyfoolishfeelingaboutthepigyouandIkilledduringourfirstmarriage。
IfeelnowthatthegreatestmercythatcouldbevouchsafedtomewouldbethatsomethingshouldservemeasIservedthatanimal。’
Thiswasthesortofdiscoursethatwentonbetweenthemeverydaynow。Thelandlordofthelodging，whohadheardthattheywereaqueercouple，haddoubtediftheyweremarriedatall，especiallyashehadseenArabellakissJudeoneeveningwhenshehadtakenalittlecordial；andhewasabouttogivethemnoticetoquit，tillbychanceoverhearingheronenightharanguingJudeinrattlingterms，andultimatelyflingingashoeathishead，herecognizedthenoteofgenuinewedlock；andconcludingthattheymustberespectable，saidnomore。
Judedidnotgetanybetter，andonedayherequestedArabella，withconsiderablehesitation，toexecuteacommissionforhim。Sheaskedhimindifferentlywhatitwas。
`TowritetoSue。’
`Whatinthename-doyouwantmetowritetoherfor？’
`Toaskhowsheis，andifshe’llcometoseeme，becauseI’mill，andshouldliketoseeher-onceagain。’
`Itislikeyoutoinsultalawfulwifebyaskingsuchathing！’
`ItisjustinordernottoinsultyouthatIaskyoutodoit。
YouknowIloveSue。Idon’twishtomincethematter-therestandsthefact：Iloveher。Icouldfindadozenwaysofsendingalettertoherwithoutyourknowledge。ButIwishtobequiteabove-boardwithyou，andwithherhusband。Amessagethroughyouaskinghertocomeisatleastfreefromanyodourofintrigue。Ifsheretainsanyofheroldnatureatall，she’llcome。’
`You’venorespectformarriagewhatever，oritsrightsandduties！’
`Whatdoesitmatterwhatmyopinionsare-awretchlikeme！Canitmattertoanybodyintheworldwhocomestoseemeforhalfanhour-herewithonefootinthegrave！……Come，pleasewrite，Arabella！’
hepleaded。`Repaymycandourbyalittlegenerosity！’
`Ishouldthinknot！’
`Notjustonce？-Ohdo！’Hefeltthathisphysicalweaknesshadtakenawayallhisdignity。
`Whatdoyouwanthertoknowhowyouarefor？Shedon’twanttosee’ee。She’stheratthatforsookthesinkingship！’
`Don’t，don’t！’
`AndIstucktoun-themorefoolI！Havethatstrumpetinthehouseindeed！’
AlmostassoonasthewordswerespokenJudesprangfromthechair，andbeforeArabellaknewwhereshewashehadheronherbackuponalittlecouchwhichstoodthere，hekneelingaboveher。
`Sayanotherwordofthatsort，’hewhispered，`andI’llkillyou-hereandnow！I’veeverythingtogainbyit-myowndeathnotbeingtheleastpart。Sodon’tthinkthere’snomeaninginwhatIsay！’
`Whatdoyouwantmetodo？’gaspedArabella。
`Promisenevertospeakofher。’
`Verywell。Ido。’
`Itakeyourword，’hesaidscornfullyasheloosenedher。`ButwhatitisworthIcan’tsay。’
`Youcouldn’tkillthepig，butyoucouldkillme！’
`Ah-thereyouhaveme！No-Icouldn’tkillyou-eveninapassion。Tauntaway！’
Hethenbegancoughingverymuch，andsheestimatedhislifewithanappraiser’seyeashesankbackghastlypale。`I’llsendforher，’Arabellamurmured，`ifyou’llagreetomybeingintheroomwithyouallthetimeshe’shere。’
Thesoftersideofhisnature，thedesiretoseeSue，madehimunabletoresisttheofferevennow，provokedashehadbeen；andherepliedbreathlessly：`Yes，Iagree。Onlysendforher！’
Intheeveningheinquiredifshehadwritten。
`Yes，’shesaid；`Iwroteanotetellingheryouwereill，andaskinghertocometo-morroworthedayafter。Ihaven’tpostedityet。’
ThenextdayJudewonderedifshereallydidpostit，butwouldnotaskher；andfoolishHope，thatlivesonadropandacrumb，madehimrestlesswithexpectation。Heknewthetimesofthepossibletrains，andlistenedoneachoccasionforsoundsofher。
Shedidnotcome；butJudewouldnotaddressArabellaagainthereon。
Hehopedandexpectedallthenextday；butnoSueappeared；neitherwasthereanynoteofreply。ThenJudedecidedintheprivacyofhismindthatArabellahadneverpostedhers，althoughshehadwrittenit。Therewassomethinginhermannerwhichtoldit。Hisphysicalweaknesswassuchthatheshedtearsatthedisappointmentwhenshewasnottheretosee。Hissuspicionswere，infact，wellfounded。Arabella，likesomeothernurses，thoughtthatyourdutytowardsyourinvalidwastopacifyhimbyanymeansshortofreallyactinguponhisfancies。
Heneversaidanotherwordtoherabouthiswishorhisconjecture。
Asilent，undiscernedresolvegrewupinhim，whichgavehim，ifnotstrength，stabilityandcalm。Onemiddaywhen，afteranabsenceoftwohours，shecameintotheroom，shebeheldthechairempty。
Downshefloppedonthebed，andsitting，meditated。`Nowwherethedevilismymangoneto！’shesaid。
Adrivingrainfromthenorth-easthadbeenfallingwithmoreorlessintermissionallthemorning，andlookingfromthewindowatthedrippingspoutsitseemedimpossibletobelievethatanysickmanwouldhaveventuredouttoalmostcertaindeath。YetaconvictionpossessedArabellathathehadgoneout，anditbecameacertaintywhenshehadsearchedthehouse。`Ifhe’ssuchafool，lethimbe！’shesaid。`Icandonomore。’
JudewasatthatmomentinarailwaytrainthatwasdrawingneartoAlfredston，oddlyswathed，paleasamonumentalfigureinalabaster，andmuchstaredatbyotherpassengers。Anhourlaterhisthinform，inthelonggreat-coatandblankethehadcomewith，butwithoutanumbrella，couldhavebeenseenwalkingalongthefive-mileroadtoMarygreen。Onhisfaceshowedthedeterminedpurposethatalonesustainedhim，buttowhichhasweaknessaffordedasorryfoundation。Bytheup-hillwalkhewasquiteblown，buthepressedon；andathalf-pastthreeo’clockstoodbythefamiliarwellatMarygreen。Therainwaskeepingeverybodyindoors；
Judecrossedthegreentothechurchwithoutobservation，andfoundthebuildingopen。Herehestood，lookingforthattheschool，whencehecouldheartheusualsing-songtonesofthelittlevoicesthathadnotlearntCreation’sgroan。
Hewaitedtillasmallboycamefromtheschool-oneevidentlyallowedoutbeforehoursforsomereasonorother。Judehelduphishand，andthechildcame。
`PleasecallattheschoolhouseandaskMrs。Phillotsonifshewillbekindenoughtocometothechurchforafewminutes。’
Thechilddeparted，andJudeheardhimknockatthedoorofthedwelling。Hehimselfwentfurtherintothechurch。Everythingwasnew，exceptafewpiecesofcarvingpreservedfromthewreckedoldfabric，nowfixedagainstthenewwalls。Hestoodbythese：theyseemedakintotheperishedpeopleofthatplacewhowerehisancestorsandSue’s。
Alightfootstep，whichmighthavebeenaccountednomorethananaddeddriptotherainfall，soundedintheporch，andhelookedround。
`Oh-Ididn’tthinkitwasyou！Ididn’t-Oh，Jude！’Ahystericalcatchinherbreathendedinasuccessionofthem。Headvanced，butshequicklyrecoveredandwentback。
`Don’tgo-don’tgo！’heimplored。`Thisismylasttime！Ithoughtitwouldbelessintrusivethantoenteryourhouse。AndIshallnevercomeagain。Don’tthenbeunmerciful。Sue，Sue！Weareactingbytheletter；
and’theletterkilleth’！’
`I’llstay-Iwon’tbeunkind！’shesaid，hermouthquiveringandhertearsflowingassheallowedhimtocomecloser。`Butwhydidyoucome，anddothiswrongthing，afterdoingsucharightthingasyouhavedone？’
`Whatrightthing？’
`MarryingArabellaagain。ItwasintheAlfredstonpaper。Shehasneverbeenotherthanyours，Jude-inapropersense。Andthereforeyoudidsowell-Ohsowell！-inrecognizingit-andtakinghertoyouagain。’
`Godabove-andisthatallI’vecometohear？Ifthereisanythingmoredegrading，immoral，unnatural，thananotherinmylife，itisthismeretriciouscontractwithArabellawhichhasbeencalleddoingtherightthing！Andyoutoo-youcallyourselfPhillotson’swife！Hiswife！
Youaremine。’
`Don’tmakemerushawayfromyou-Ican’tbearmuch！ButonthispointIamdecided。’
`Icannotunderstandhowyoudidit-howyouthinkit-Icannot！’
`Nevermindthat。Heisakindhusbandtome-AndI-I’vewrestledandstruggled，andfasted，andprayed。Ihavenearlybroughtmybodyintocompletesubjection。Andyoumustn’t-willyou-wake-’
`Ohyoudarlinglittlefool；whereisyourreason？Youseemtohavesufferedthelossofyourfaculties！IwouldarguewithyouifIdidn’tknowthatawomaninyourstateoffeelingisquitebeyondallappealstoherbrains。Orisitthatyouarehumbuggingyourself，assomanywomendoaboutthesethings；anddon’tactuallybelievewhatyoupretendto，andonlyareindulgingintheluxuryoftheemotionraisedbyanaffectedbelief？’
`Luxury！Howcanyoubesocruel！’
`Youdear，sad，soft，mostmelancholywreckofapromisinghumanintellectthatithaseverbeenmylottobehold！Whereisyourscornofconventiongone？Iwouldhavediedgame！’