`Ah-yes!-Idodimlyrecallthatincident。’
`Itwasverykindofyoutodoit。Anditwasyouwhofirststartedmeonthatcourse。OnthemorningyouleftMarygreen,whenyourgoodswereonthewaggon,youwishedmegood-bye,andsaidyourschemewastobeauniversitymanandentertheChurch-thatadegreewasthenecessaryhall-markofonewhowantedtodoanythingasatheologianorteacher。’
`IrememberIthoughtallthatprivately;butIwonderIdidnotkeepmyowncounsel。Theideawasgivenupyearsago。’
`Ihaveneverforgottenit。Itwasthatwhichbroughtmetothispartofthecountry,andoutheretoseeyouto-night。’
`Comein,’saidPhillotson。`Andyourcousin,too。’
Theyenteredtheparlouroftheschool-house,wheretherewasalampwithapapershade,whichthrewthelightdownonthreeorfourbooks。Phillotsontookitoff,sothattheycouldseeeachotherbetter,andtheraysfellonthenervouslittlefaceandvivaciousdarkeyesandhairofSue,ontheearnestfeaturesofhercousin,andontheschoolmaster’sownmaturerfaceandfigure,showinghimtobeaspareandthoughtfulpersonageoffive-and-forty,withathin-lipped,somewhatrefinedmouth,aslightlystoopinghabit,andablackfrockcoat,whichfromcontinuedfrictionsshonealittleattheshoulder-blades,themiddleoftheback,andtheelbows。
Theoldfriendshipwasimperceptiblyrenewed,theschoolmasterspeakingofhisexperiences,andthecousinsoftheirs。HetoldthemthathestillthoughtoftheChurchsometimes,andthatthoughhecouldnotenteritashehadintendedtodoinformeryearshemightenteritasalicentiate。Meanwhile,hesaid,hewascomfortableinhispresentposition,thoughhewasinwantofapupil-teacher。
Theydidnotstaytosupper,Suehavingtobeindoorsbeforeitgrewlate,andtheroadwasretracedtoChristminster。Thoughtheyhadtalkedofnothingmorethangeneralsubjects,Judewassurprisedtofindwhatarevelationofwomanhiscousinwastohim。Shewassovibrantthateverythingshedidseemedtohaveitssourceinfeeling。Anexcitingthoughtwouldmakeherwalkaheadsofastthathecouldhardlykeepupwithher;
andhersensitivenessonsomepointswassuchthatitmighthavebeenmisreadasvanity。Itwaswithheart-sicknessheperceivedthat,whilehersentimentstowardshimwerethoseofthefrankestfriendlinessonly,helovedhermorethanbeforebecomingacquaintedwithher;andthegloomofthewalkhomelaynotinthenightoverhead,butinthethoughtofherdeparture。
`WhymustyouleaveChristminster?’hesaidregretfully。`HowcanyoudootherwisethanclingtoacityinwhosehistorysuchmenasNewman,Pusey,Ward,Keble,loomsolarge!’
`Yes-theydo。Thoughhowlargedotheyloominthehistoryoftheworld?……Whatafunnyreasonforcaringtostay!Ishouldneverhavethoughtofit!’Shelaughed。
`Well-Imustgo,’shecontinued。`MissFontover,oneofthepartnerswhomIserve,isoffendedwithme,andIwithher;anditisbesttogo。’
`Howdidthathappen?’
`Shebrokesomestatuaryofmine。’
`Oh?Wilfully?’
`Yes。Shefounditinmyroom,andthoughitwasmypropertyshethrewitonthefloorandstampedonit,becauseitwasnotaccordingtohertaste,andgroundthearmsandtheheadofoneofthefiguresalltobitswithherheel-ahorridthing!’
`TooCatholic-Apostolicforher,Isuppose?Nodoubtshecalledthempopishimagesandtalkedoftheinvocationofsaints。’
`No……No,shedidn’tdothat。Shesawthematterquitedifferently。’
`Ah!ThenIamsurprised!’
`Yes。Itwasforquitesomeotherreasonthatshedidn’tlikemypatron-saints。SoIwasledtoretortuponher;andtheendofitwasthatIresolvednottostay,buttogetintoanoccupationinwhichIshallbemoreindependent。’
`Whydon’tyoutryteachingagain?Youoncedid,Iheard。’
`Ineverthoughtofresumingit;forIwasgettingonasanart-designer。’
`DoletmeaskMr。Phillotsontoletyoutryyourhandinhisschool?Ifyoulikeit,andgotoatrainingcollege,andbecomeafirst-classcertificatedmistress,yougettwiceaslargeanincomeasanydesignerorchurchartist,andtwiceasmuchfreedom。’
`Well-askhim。NowImustgoin。Good-bye,dearJude!Iamsogladwehavemetatlast。Weneedn’tquarrelbecauseourparentsdid,needwe?’
Judedidnotliketoletherseequitehowmuchheagreedwithher,andwenthiswaytotheremotestreetinwhichhehadhislodging。
TokeepSueBrideheadnearhimwasnowadesirewhichoperatedwithoutregardofconsequences,andthenexteveningheagainsetoutforLumsdon,fearingtotrusttothepersuasiveeffectsofanoteonly。Theschool-masterwasunpreparedforsuchaproposal。
`WhatIratherwantedwasasecondyear’stransfer,asitiscalled,’
hesaid。`Ofcourseyourcousinwoulddo,personally;butshehashadnoexperience。Oh-shehas,hasshe?Doesshereallythinkofadoptingteachingasaprofession?’
Judesaidshewasdisposedtodoso,hethought,andhisingeniousargumentsonhernaturalfitnessforassistingMr。Phillotson,ofwhichJudeknewnothingwhatever,soinfluencedtheschoolmasterthathesaidhewouldengageher,assuringJudeasafriendthatunlesshiscousinreallymeanttofollowoninthesamecourse,andregardedthisstepasthefirststageofanapprenticeship,ofwhichhertraininginanormalschoolwouldbethesecondstage,hertimewouldbewastedquite,thesalarybeingmerelynominal。
ThedayafterthisvisitPhillotsonreceivedaletterfromJude,containingtheinformationthathehadagainconsultedhiscousin,whotookmoreandmorewarmlytotheideaoftuition;andthatshehadagreedtocome。ItdidnotoccurforamomenttotheschoolmasterandreclusethatJude’sardourinpromotingthearrangementarosefromanyotherfeelingstowardsSuethantheinstinctofco-operationcommonamongmembersofthesamefamily。
JudetheObscureChapter16II-vTheschoolmastersatinhishomelydwellingattachedtotheschool,bothbeingmodernerections;andhelookedacrossthewayattheoldhouseinwhichhisteacherSuehadalodging。Thearrangementhadbeenconcludedveryquickly。Apupil-teacherwhowastohavebeentransferredtoMr。Phillotson’sschoolhadfailedhim,andSuehadbeentakenasstop-gap。AllsuchprovisionalarrangementsasthesecouldonlylasttillthenextannualvisitofH。M。
Inspector,whoseapprovalwasnecessarytomakethempermanent。HavingtaughtforsometwoyearsinLondon,thoughshehadabandonedthatvocationoflate,MissBrideheadwasnotexactlyanovice,andPhillotsonthoughttherewouldbenodifficultyinretainingherservices,whichhealreadywishedtodo,thoughshehadonlybeenwithhimthreeorfourweeks。HehadfoundherquiteasbrightasJudehaddescribedher;andwhatmaster-tradesmandoesnotwishtokeepanapprenticewhosaveshimhalfhislabour?
Itwasalittleoverhalf-pasteighto’clockinthemorningandhewaswaitingtoseehercrosstheroadtotheschool,whenhewouldfollow。
Attwentyminutestonineshedidcross,alighthattossedonherhead;
andhewatchedherasacuriosity。Anewemanation,whichhadnothingtodowithherskillasateacher,seemedtosurroundherthismorning。Hewenttotheschoolalso,andSueremainedgoverningherclassattheotherendoftheroom,alldayunderhiseye。Shecertainlywasanexcellentteacher。
Itwaspartofhisdutytogiveherprivatelessonsintheevening,andsomearticleintheCodemadeitnecessarythatarespectable,elderlywomanshouldbepresentattheselessonswhentheteacherandthetaughtwereofdifferentsexes。RichardPhillotsonthoughtoftheabsurdityoftheregulationinthiscase,whenhewasoldenoughtobethegirl’sfather;
buthefaithfullyacteduptoit;andsatdownwithherinaroomwhereMrs。Hawes,thewidowatwhosehouseSuelodged,occupiedherselfwithsewing。Theregulationwas,indeed,noteasytoevade,fortherewasnoothersitting-roominthedwelling。
Sometimesasshefigured-itwasarithmeticthattheywereworkingat-shewouldinvoluntarilyglanceupwithalittleinquiringsmileathim,asifsheassumedthat,beingthemaster,hemustperceiveallthatwaspassinginherbrain,asrightorwrong。Phillotsonwasnotreallythinkingofthearithmeticatall,butofher,inanovelwaywhichsomehowseemedstrangetohimaspreceptor。Perhapssheknewthathewasthinkingofherthus。
Forafewweekstheirworkhadgoneonwithamonotonywhichinitselfwasadelighttohim。ThenithappenedthatthechildrenweretobetakentoChristminstertoseeanitinerantexhibition,intheshapeofamodelofJerusalem,towhichschoolswereadmittedatapennyaheadintheinterestsofeducation。Theymarchedalongtheroadtwoandtwo,shebesideherclasswithhersimplecottonsunshade,herlittlethumbcockedupagainstitsstem;andPhillotsonbehindinhislongdanglingcoat,handlinghiswalking-stickgenteelly,inthemusingmoodwhichhadcomeoverhimsinceherarrival。Theafternoonwasoneofsunanddust,andwhentheyenteredtheexhibitionroomfewpeoplewerepresentbutthemselves。
Themodeloftheancientcitystoodinthemiddleoftheapartment,andtheproprietor,withafinereligiousphilanthropywrittenonhisfeatures,walkedrounditwithapointerinhishand,showingtheyoungpeoplethevariousquartersandplacesknowntothembynamefromreadingtheirBibles,MountMoriah,theValleyofJehoshaphat,theCityofZion,thewallsandthegates,outsideoneofwhichtherewasalargemoundlikeatumulus,andonthemoundalittlewhitecross。Thespot,hesaid,wasCalvary。
`Ithink,’saidSuetotheschoolmaster,asshestoodwithhimalittleinthebackground,`thatthismodel,elaborateasitis,isaveryimaginaryproduction。HowdoesanybodyknowthatJerusalemwaslikethisinthetimeofChrist?Iamsurethismandoesn’t。’
`Itismadeafterthebestconjecturalmaps,basedonactualvisitstothecityasitnowexists。’
`IfancywehavehadenoughofJerusalem,’shesaid,`consideringwearenotdescendedfromtheJews。Therewasnothingfirst-rateabouttheplace,orpeople,afterall-astherewasaboutAthens,Rome,Alexandria,andotheroldcities。’
`Butmydeargirl,considerwhatitistous!’
Shewassilent,forshewaseasilyrepressed;andthenperceivedbehindthegroupofchildrenclusteredroundthemodelayoungmaninawhiteflanneljacket,hisformbeingbentsolowinhisintentinspectionoftheValleyofJehoshaphatthathisfacewasalmosthiddenfromviewbytheMountofOlives。`LookatyourcousinJude,’continuedtheschoolmaster。
`Hedoesn’tthinkwehavehadenoughofJerusalem!’
`Ah-Ididn’tseehim!’shecriedinherquick,lightvoice。
`Jude-howseriouslyyouaregoingintoit!’
Judestartedupfromhisreverie,andsawher。`Oh-Sue!’hesaid,withagladflushofembarrassment。`Theseareyourschool-children,ofcourse!Isawthatschoolswereadmittedintheafternoons,andthoughtyoumightcome;butIgotsodeeplyinterestedthatIdidn’trememberwhereIwas。Howitcarriesoneback,doesn’tit!Icouldexamineitforhours,butIhaveonlyafewminutes,unfortunately;forIaminthemiddleofajobouthere。’
`Yourcousinissoterriblycleverthatshecriticizesitunmercifully,’
saidPhillotson,withgood-humouredsatire。`Sheisquitescepticalastoitscorrectness。’
`No,Mr。Phillotson,Iamnot-altogether!Ihatetobewhatiscalledaclevergirl-therearetoomanyofthatsortnow!’answeredSuesensitively。`Ionlymeant-Idon’tknowwhatImeant-exceptthatitwaswhatyoudon’tunderstand!’
`Iknowyourmeaning,’saidJudeardentlyalthoughhedidnot。`AndIthinkyouarequiteright。’
`That’sagoodJude-Iknowyoubelieveinme!’Sheimpulsivelyseizedhishand,andleavingareproachfullookontheschoolmasterturnedawaytoJude,hervoicerevealingatremorwhichsheherselffelttobeabsurdlyuncalledforbysarcasmsogentle。Shehadnottheleastconceptionhowtheheartsofthetwainwentouttoheratthismomentaryrevelationoffeeling,andwhatacomplicationshewasbuildinguptherebyinthefuturesofboth。
Themodelworetoomuchofaneducationalaspectforthechildrennottotireofitsoon,andalittlelaterintheafternoontheywereallmarchedbacktoLumsdon,Judereturningtohiswork。Hewatchedthejuvenileflockintheircleanfrocksandpinafores,filingdownthestreettowardsthecountrybesidePhillotsonandSue,andasad,dissatisfiedsenseofbeingoutoftheschemeofthelatters’liveshadpossessionofhim。PhillotsonhadinvitedhimtowalkoutandseethemonFridayevening,whentherewouldbenolessonstogivetoSue,andJudehadeagerlypromisedtoavailhimselfoftheopportunity。
Meanwhilethescholarsandteachersmovedhomewards,andthenextday,onlookingontheblackboardinSue’sclass,Phillotsonwassurprisedtofinduponit,skilfullydrawninchalk,aperspectiveviewofJerusalem,witheverybuildingshowninitsplace。
`Ithoughtyoutooknointerestinthemodel,andhardlylookedatit?’hesaid。
`Ihardlydid,’saidshe,`butIrememberedthatmuchofit。’