`Thenyouhaven’tgivenuptheidea?-Ithoughtthatperhapsyouhadbythistime。’
  `Ofcoursenot。IfondlythoughtatfirstthatyoufeltasIdoaboutthat,asyouweresomixedupinChristminsterAnglicanism。AndMr。
  Phillotson——’
  `IhavenorespectforChristminsterwhatever,except,inaqualifieddegree,onitsintellectualside,’saidSueBrideheadearnestly。`MyfriendIspokeoftookthatoutofme。HewasthemostirreligiousmanIeverknew,andthemostmoral。AndintellectatChristminsterisnewwineinoldbottles。ThemediaevalismofChristminstermustgo,besloughedoff,orChristminsteritselfwillhavetogo。Tobesure,attimesonecouldn’thelphavingasneakinglikingforthetraditionsoftheoldfaith,aspreservedbyasectionofthethinkersthereintouchingandsimplesincerity;butwhenIwasinmysaddest,rightestmindIalwaysfelt,`Oghastlygloriesofsaints,deadlimbsofgibbetedGods!’’……`Sue,youarenotagoodfriendofminetotalklikethat!’
  `ThenIwon’t,dearJude!’Theemotionalthroat-notehadcomeback,andsheturnedherfaceaway。
  `IstillthinkChristminsterhasmuchthatisglorious;thoughIwasresentfulbecauseIcouldn’tgetthere。’Hespokegently,andresistedhisimpulsetopiqueherontotears。
  `Itisanignorantplace,exceptastothetownspeople,artizans,drunkards,andpaupers,’shesaid,perversestillathisdifferingfromher。`theyseelifeasitis,ofcourse;butfewofthepeopleinthecollegesdo。Youproveitinyourownperson。YouareoneoftheverymenChristminsterwasintendedforwhenthecollegeswerefounded;amanwithapassionforlearning,butnomoney,oropportunities,orfriends。
  Butyouwereelbowedoffthepavementbythemillionaires’sons。’
  `Well,Icandowithoutwhatitconfers。Icareforsomethinghigher。’
  `AndIforsomethingbroader,truer,’sheinsisted。`AtpresentintellectinChristminsterispushingoneway,andreligiontheother;
  andsotheystandstock-still,liketworamsbuttingeachother。’
  `WhatwouldMr。Phillotson——’
  `Itisaplacefulloffetishistsandghost-seers!’
  Henoticedthatwheneverhetriedtospeakoftheschoolmastersheturnedtheconversationtosomegeneralizationsabouttheoffendinguniversity。Judewasextremely,morbidly,curiousaboutherlifeasPhillotson’sproté;gé;eandbetrothed;yetshewouldnotenlightenhim。
  `Well,that’sjustwhatIam,too,’hesaid。`Iamfearfuloflife,spectre-seeingalways。’
  `Butyouaregoodanddear!’shemurmured。
  Hisheartbumped,andhemadenoreply。
  `YouareintheTractarianstagejustnow,areyounot?’sheadded,puttingonflippancytohiderealfeeling,acommontrickwithher。`Letmesee-whenwasIthere?Intheyeareighteenhundredand——’
  `There’sasarcasminthatwhichisratherunpleasanttome,Sue。
  NowwillyoudowhatIwantyouto?AtthistimeIreadachapter,andthensayprayers,asItoldyou。Nowwillyouconcentrateyourattentiononanybookoftheseyoulike,andsitwithyourbacktome,andleavemetomycustom?Youaresureyouwon’tjoinme?’
  `I’lllookatyou。’
  `No。Don’ttease,Sue!’
  `Verywell-I’lldojustasyoubidme,andIwon’tvexyou,Jude,’shereplied,inthetoneofachildwhowasgoingtobegoodforeverafter,turningherbackuponhimaccordingly。AsmallBibleotherthantheonehewasusinglaynearher,andduringhisretreatshetookitup,andturnedovertheleaves。
  `Jude,’shesaidbrightly,whenhehadfinishedandcomebacktoher;`willyouletmemakeyouanewNewTestament,liketheoneImadeformyselfatChristminster?’
  `Ohyes。Howwasthatmade?’
  `IalteredmyoldonebycuttingupalltheEpistlesandGospelsintoseparatebrochures,andrearrangingtheminchronologicalorderaswritten,beginningthebookwithThessalonians,followingonwiththeEpistles,andputtingtheGospelsmuchfurtheron。ThenIhadthevolumerebound。MyuniversityfriendMr——butnevermindhisname,poorboy-saiditwasanexcellentidea。Iknowthatreadingitafterwardsmadeittwiceasinterestingasbefore,andtwiceasunderstandable。’
  `H’m!’saidJude,withasenseofsacrilege。
  `Andwhataliteraryenormitythisis,’shesaid,assheglancedintothepagesofSolomon’sSong。`Imeanthesynopsisattheheadofeachchapter,explainingawaytherealnatureofthatrhapsody。Youneedn’tbealarmed:nobodyclaimsinspirationforthechapterheadings。Indeed,manydivinestreatthemwithcontempt。Itseemsthedrollestthingtothinkofthefour-and-twentyelders,orbishops,orwhatevernumbertheywere,sittingwithlongfacesandwritingdownsuchstuff。’
  Judelookedpained。`YouarequiteVoltairean!’hemurmured。
  `Indeed?ThenIwon’tsayanymore,exceptthatpeoplehavenorighttofalsifytheBible!Ihatesuchhum-bugascouldattempttoplasteroverwithecclesiasticalabstractionssuchecstatic,natural,humanloveasliesinthatgreatandpassionatesong!’Herspeechhadgrownspirited,andalmostpetulantathisrebuke,andhereyesmoist。`IwishIhadafriendheretosupportme;butnobodyiseveronmyside!’
  `ButmydearSue,myverydearSue,Iamnotagainstyou!’hesaid,takingherhand,andsurprisedatherintroducingpersonalfeelingintomereargument。
  `Yesyouare,yesyouare!’shecried,turningawayherfacethathemightnotseeherbrimmingeyes。`Youareonthesideofthepeopleinthetraining-school-atleastyouseemalmosttobe!WhatIinsistonis,thattoexplainsuchversesasthis:`Whitheristhybelovedgone,Othoufairestamongwomen?’bythenote:`Thechurchprofessethherfaith,’issupremelyridiculous!’
  `Wellthen,letitbe!Youmakesuchapersonalmatterofeverything!
  Iam-onlytooinclinedjustnowtoapplythewordsprofanely。Youknowyouarefairestamongwomentome,cometothat!’
  `Butyouarenottosayitnow!’Suereplied,hervoicechangingtoitssoftestnoteofseverity。Thentheireyesmet,andtheyshookhandslikecroniesinatavern,andJudesawtheabsurdityofquarrellingonsuchahypotheticalsubject,andshethesillinessofcryingaboutwhatwaswritteninanoldbookliketheBible。
  `Iwon’tdisturbyourconvictions-Ireallywon’t!’shewentonsoothingly,fornowhewasrathermoreruffledthanshe。`ButIdidwantandlongtoennoblesomemantohighaims;andwhenIsawyou,andknewyouwantedtobemycomrade,I-shallIconfessit?-thoughtthatmanmightbeyou。ButyoutakesomuchtraditionontrustthatIdon’tknowwhattosay。’
  `Well,dear;Isupposeonemusttakesomethingsontrust。Lifeisn’tlongenoughtoworkouteverythinginEuclidproblemsbeforeyoubelieveit。ItakeChristianity。’
  `Well,perhapsyoumighttakesomethingworse。’
  `IndeedImight。PerhapsIhavedoneso!’HethoughtofArabella。
  `Iwon’taskwhat,becausewearegoingtobeverynicewitheachother,aren’twe,andnever,never,vexeachotheranymore?’
  Shelookeduptrustfully,andhervoiceseemedtryingtonestleinhisbreast。
  `Ishallalwayscareforyou!’saidJude。
  `AndIforyou。Becauseyouaresingle-hearted,andforgivingtoyourfaultyandtiresomelittleSue!’
  Helookedaway,forthatepicenetendernessofherswastooharrowing。
  Wasitthatwhichhadbrokentheheartofthepoorleader-writer;andwashetobethenextone?……ButSuewassodear!……Ifhecouldonlygetoverthesenseofhersex,assheseemedtobeabletodosoeasilyofhis,whatacomradeshewouldmake;fortheirdifferenceofopiniononconjecturalsubjectsonlydrewthemclosertogetheronmattersofdailyhumanexperience。Shewasnearertohimthananyotherwomanhehadevermet,andhecouldscarcelybelievethattime,creed,orabsence,wouldeverdividehimfromher。
  Buthisgriefatherincredulitiesreturned。Theysatontillshefellasleepagain,andhenoddedinhischairlikewise。Wheneverhearousedhimselfheturnedherthings,andmadeupthefireanew。Aboutsixo’clockheawokecompletely,andlightingacandle,foundthatherclothesweredry。Herchairbeingafarmorecomfortableonethanhisshestillsleptoninsidehisgreat-coat,lookingwarmasanewbunandboyishasaGanymede。Placingthegarmentsbyherandtouchingherontheshoulderhewentdownstairs,andwashedhimselfbystarlightintheyard。
  JudetheObscureChapter23III-vWhenhereturnedshewasdressedasusual。
  `NowcouldIgetoutwithoutanybodyseeingme?’sheasked。`Thetownisnotyetastir。’
  `Butyouhavehadnobreakfast。’
  `Oh,Idon’twantany!IfearIoughtnottohaverunawayfromthatschool!Thingsseemsodifferentinthecoldlightofmorning,don’tthey?WhatMr。PhillotsonwillsayIdon’tknow!ItwasquitebyhiswishthatIwentthere。HeistheonlymanintheworldforwhomIhaveanyrespectorfear。Ihopehe’llforgiveme;buthe’llscoldmedreadfully,Iexpect!’
  `I’llgotohimandexplain-`beganJude。
  `Ohno,youshan’t。Idon’tcareforhim!Hemaythinkwhathelikes-IshalldojustasIchoose!’
  `Butyoujustthismomentsaid——’
  `Well,ifIdid,IshalldoasIlikeforallhim!IhavethoughtofwhatIshalldo-gotothesisterofoneofmyfellow-studentsinthetraining-school,whohasaskedmetovisither。ShehasaschoolnearShaston,abouteighteenmilesfromhere-andIshallstaytheretillthishasblownover,andIgetbacktothetraining-schoolagain。’
  Atthelastmomenthepersuadedhertolethimmakeheracupofcoffee,inaportableapparatushekeptinhisroomforuseonrisingtogotohisworkeverydaybeforethehouseholdwasastir。
  `Nowadew-bittoeatwithit,’hesaid;`andoffwego。Youcanhavearegularbreakfastwhenyougetthere。’
  Theywentquietlyoutofthehouse,Judeaccompanyinghertothestation。Astheydepartedalongthestreetaheadwasthrustoutofanupperwindowofhislodgingandquicklywithdrawn。Suestillseemedsorryforherrashness,andtowishshehadnotrebelled;tellinghimatpartingthatshewouldlethimknowassoonasshegotre-admittedtothetraining-school。
  Theystoodrathermiserablytogetherontheplatform;anditwasapparentthathewantedtosaymore。
  `Iwanttotellyousomething-twothings,’hesaidhurriedlyasthetraincameup。`Oneisawarmone,theotheracoldone!’
  `Jude,’shesaid。`Iknowoneofthem。Andyoumustn’t!’
  `What?’
  `Youmustn’tloveme。Youaretolikeme-that’sall!’
  Jude’sfacebecamesofullofcomplicatedgloomsthatherswasagitatedinsympathyasshebadehimadieuthroughthecarriagewindow。
  Andthenthetrainmovedon,andwavingherprettyhandtohimshevanishedaway。
  MelchesterwasadismalplaceenoughforJudethatSundayofherdeparture,andtheClosesohatefulthathedidnotgooncetothecathedralservices。Thenextmorningtherecamealetterfromher,which,withherusualpromptitude,shehadwrittendirectlyshehadreachedherfriend’shouse。Shetoldhimofhersafearrivalandcomfortablequarters,andthenadded:-WhatIreallywriteabout,dearJude,issomethingIsaidtoyouatparting。YouhadbeensoverygoodandkindtomethatwhenyouwereoutofsightIfeltwhatacruelandungratefulwomanIwastosayit,andithasreproachedmeeversince。Ifyouwanttoloveme,Jude,youmay:Idon’tmindatall;andI’llneversayagainthatyoumustn’t!
  NowIwon’twriteanymoreaboutthat。Youdoforgiveyourthoughtlessfriendforhercruelty?andwon’tmakehermiserablebysayingyoudon’t?-
  Ever,Sue。Itwouldbesuperfluoustosaywhathisanswerwas;andhowhethoughtwhathewouldhavedonehadhebeenfree,whichshouldhaverenderedalongresidencewithafemalefriendquiteunnecessaryforSue。HefelthemighthavebeenprettysureofhisownvictoryifithadcometoaconflictbetweenPhillotsonandhimselfforthepossessionofher。
  YetJudewasindangerofattachingmoremeaningtoSue’simpulsivenotethanitreallywasintendedtobear。