`Andyouhavegivenupyourcathedralworkhere？’
　　`Yes。Itwasrathersudden-yourmessagecomingunexpectedly。
　　Strictly，Imighthavebeenmadetofinishouttheweek。ButIpleadedurgencyandIwasletoff。Iwouldhavedesertedanydayatyourcommand，dearSue。Ihavedesertedmorethanthatforyou！’
　　`IfearIamdoingyoualotofharm。RuiningyourprospectsoftheChurch；ruiningyourprogressinyourtrade；everything！’
　　`TheChurchisnomoretome。Letitlie！IamnottobeoneofThesoldier-saintswho，rowonrow，Burnupwardeachtohispointofbliss，ifanysuchtherebe！Mypointofblissisnotupward，buthere。’
　　`OhIseemsobad-upsettingmen’scourseslikethis！’saidshe，takingupinhervoicetheemotionthathadbeguninhis。Butsherecoveredherequanimitybythetimetheyhadtravelledadozenmiles。
　　`Hehasbeensogoodinlettingmego，’sheresumed。`Andhere’sanoteIfoundonmydressing-table，addressedtoyou。’
　　`Yes。He’snotanunworthyfellow，’saidJude，glancingatthenote。`AndIamashamedofmyselfforhatinghimbecausehemarriedyou。’
　　`Accordingtotheruleofwomen’swhimsIsupposeIoughttosuddenlylovehim，becausehehasletmegosogenerouslyandunexpectedly，’sheansweredsmiling。`ButIamsocold，ordevoidofgratitude，orsosomething，thateventhisgenerosityhasn’tmademelovehim，orrepent，orwanttostaywithhimashiswife；althoughIdofeelIlikehislarge-mindedness，andrespecthimmorethanever。’
　　`Itmaynotworksowellforusasifhehadbeenlesskind，andyouhadrunawayagainsthiswill，’murmuredJude。
　　`ThatIneverwouldhavedone。’
　　Jude’seyesrestedmusinglyonherface。Thenhesuddenlykissedher；andwasgoingtokissheragain。`No-onlyoncenow-please，Jude！’
　　`That’srathercruel，’heanswered；butacquiesced。`Suchastrangethinghashappenedtome，’Judecontinuedafterasilence。`Arabellahasactuallywrittentoaskmetogetadivorcefromher-inkindnesstoher，shesays。Shewantstohonestlyandlegallymarrythatmanshehasalreadymarriedvirtually；andbegsmetoenablehertodoit。’
　　`Whathaveyoudone？’
　　`Ihaveagreed。IthoughtatfirstIcouldn’tdoitwithoutgettingherintotroubleaboutthatsecondmarriage，andIdon’twanttoinjureherinanyway。Perhapsshe’snoworsethanIam，afterall！Butnobodyknowsaboutitoverhere，andIfinditwillnotbeadifficultproceedingatall。IfshewantstostartafreshIhaveonlytooobviousreasonsfornothinderingher。’
　　`Thenyou’llbefree？’
　　`Yes，Ishallbefree。’
　　`Wherearewebookedfor？’sheasked，withthediscontinuitythatmarkedherto-night。
　　`Aldbrickham，asIsaid。’
　　`Butitwillbeverylatewhenwegetthere？’
　　`Yes。Ithoughtofthat，andIwiredforaroomforusattheTemperanceHotelthere。’
　　`One？’
　　`Yes-one。’
　　Shelookedathim。`OhJude！’Suebentherforeheadagainstthecornerofthecompartment。`Ithoughtyoumightdoit；andthatIwasdeceivingyou。ButIdidn’tmeanthat！’
　　Inthepausewhichfollowed，Jude’seyesfixedthemselveswithastultifiedexpressionontheoppositeseat。`Well！’hesaid……`Well！’
　　Heremainedinsilence；andseeinghowdiscomfitedhewassheputherfaceagainsthischeek，murmuring，`Don’tbevexed，dear！’
　　`Oh-there’snoharmdone，’hesaid。`But-Iunderstooditlikethat……Isthisasuddenchangeofmind？’
　　`Youhavenorighttoaskmesuchaquestion；andIshan’tanswer！’
　　shesaid，smiling。
　　`Mydearone，yourhappinessismoretomethananything-althoughweseemtovergeonquarrellingsooften！-andyourwillislawtome。
　　Iamsomethingmorethanamere-selfishfellow，Ihope。Haveitasyouwish！’Onreflectionhisbrowshowedperplexity。`Butperhapsitisthatyoudon’tloveme-notthatyouhavebecomeconventional！Muchas，underyourteaching，Ihateconvention，Ihopeitisthat，nottheotherterriblealternative！’
　　EvenatthisobviousmomentforcandourSuecouldnotbequitecandidastothestateofthatmystery，herheart。`Putitdowntomytimidity，’
　　shesaidwithhurriedevasiveness；`toawoman’snaturaltimiditywhenthecrisiscomes。ImayfeelaswellasyouthatIhaveaperfectrighttolivewithyouasyouthought-fromthismoment。Imayholdtheopinionthat，inaproperstateofsociety，thefatherofawoman’schildwillbeasmuchaprivatematterofhersasthecutofherunderlinen，onwhomnobodywillhaveanyrighttoquestionher。Butpartly，perhaps，becauseitisbyhisgenerositythatIamnowfree，Iwouldrathernotbeotherthanalittlerigid。Iftherehadbeenarope-ladder，andhehadrunafteruswithpistols，itwouldhaveseemeddifferent，andImayhaveactedotherwise。
　　Butdon’tpressmeandcriticizeme，Jude！AssumethatIhaven’tthecourageofmyopinions。IknowIamapoormiserablecreature。Mynatureisnotsopassionateasyours！’
　　Herepeatedsimply！`Ithought-whatInaturallythought。Butifwearenotlovers，wearenot。Phillotsonthoughtso，Iamsure。See，hereiswhathehaswrittentome。’Heopenedthelettershehadbrought，andread：
　　`Imakeonlyonecondition-thatyouaretenderandkindtoher。
　　Iknowyouloveher。Butevenlovemaybecruelattimes。Youaremadeforeachother：itisobvious，palpable，toanyunbiasedolderperson。
　　Youwereallalong`theshadowythird’inmyshortlifewithher。Irepeat，takecareofSue。’
　　`He’sagoodfellow，isn’the！’shesaidwithlatenttears。Onreconsiderationsheadded，`Hewasveryresignedtolettingmego-tooresignedalmost！Ineverwassonearbeinginlovewithhimaswhenhemadesuchthoughtfularrangementsformybeingcomfortableonmyjourney，andofferingtoprovidemoney。YetIwasnot。IfIlovedhimeversolittleasawife，I’dgobacktohimevennow。’
　　`Butyoudon’t，doyou？’
　　`Itistrue-ohsoterriblytrue！-Idon’t。’
　　`Normeneither，Ihalf-fear！’hesaidpettishly。`Noranybodyperhaps！Sue，sometimes，whenIamvexedwithyou，Ithinkyouareincapableofreallove。’
　　`That’snotgoodandloyalofyou！’shesaid，anddrawingawayfromhimasfarasshecould，lookedseverelyoutintothedarkness。Sheaddedinhurttones，withoutturninground：`Mylikingforyouisnotassomewomen’sperhaps。Butitisadelightinbeingwithyou，ofasupremelydelicatekind，andIdon’twanttogofurtherandriskitby-anattempttointensifyit！Iquiterealizedthat，aswomanwithman，itwasarisktocome。But，asmewithyou，Iresolvedtotrustyoutosetmywishesaboveyourgratification。Don’tdiscussitfurther，dearJude！’
　　`Ofcourse，ifitwouldmakeyoureproachyourself……butyoudolikemeverymuch，Sue？Sayyoudo！Saythatyoudoaquarter，atenth，asmuchasIdoyou，andI’llbecontent！’
　　`I’veletyoukissme，andthattellsenough。’
　　`Justonceorso！’
　　`Well-don’tbeagreedyboy。’
　　Heleantback，anddidnotlookatherforalongtime。Thatepisodeinherpasthistoryofwhichshehadtoldhim-ofthepoorChristminstergraduatewhomshehadhandledthus，returnedtoJude’smind；andhesawhimselfasapossiblesecondinsuchatorturingdestiny。
　　`Thisisaqueerelopement！’hemurmured。`Perhapsyouaremakingacat’spawofmewithPhillotsonallthistime。Uponmyworditalmostseemsso-toseeyousittinguptheresoprim！’
　　`Nowyoumustn’tbeangry-Iwon’tletyou！’shecoaxed，turningandmovingnearertohim。`Youdidkissmejustnow，youknow；andIdidn’tdislikeyouto，Iownit，Jude。OnlyIdon’twanttoletyoudoitagain，justyet-consideringhowwearecircumstanced，don’tyousee！’
　　Hecouldneverresistherwhenshepleadedasshewellknew。
　　Andtheysatsidebysidewithjoinedhands，tillshearousedherselfatsomethought。
　　`Ican’tpossiblygotothatTemperanceInn，afteryourtelegraphingthatmessage！’
　　`Whynot？’
　　`Youcanseewellenough！’
　　`Verywell；there’llbesomeotheroneopen，nodoubt。Ihavesometimesthought，sinceyourmarryingPhillotsonbecauseofastupidscandal，thatundertheaffectationofindependentviewsyouareasenslavedtothesocialcodeasanywomanIknow！’
　　`Notmentally。ButIhaven’tthecourageofmyviews，asIsaidbefore。Ididn’tmarryhimaltogetherbecauseofthescandal。Butsometimesawoman’sloveofbeinglovedgetsthebetterofherconscience，andthoughsheisagonizedatthethoughtoftreatingamancruelly，sheencourageshimtoloveherwhileshedoesn’tlovehimatall。Then，whensheseeshimsuffering，herremorsesetsin，andshedoeswhatshecantorepairthewrong。’
　　`Yousimplymeanthatyouflirtedoutrageouslywithhim，pooroldchap，andthenrepented，andtomakereparation，marriedhim，thoughyoutorturedyourselftodeathbydoingit。’
　　`Well-ifyouwillputitbrutally！-itwasalittlelikethat-thatandthescandaltogether-andyourconcealingfrommewhatyououghttohavetoldmebefore！’
　　Hecouldseethatshewasdistressedandtearfulathiscriticisms，andsoothedher，saying：`There，dear；don’tmind！Crucifyme，ifyouwill！
　　Youknowyouarealltheworldtome，whateveryoudo！’
　　`Iamverybadandunprincipled-Iknowyouthinkthat！’shesaid，tryingtoblinkawayhertears。
　　`IthinkandknowyouaremydearSue，fromwhomneitherlengthnorbreadth，northingspresentnorthingstocome，candivideme！’
　　Thoughsosophisticatedinmanythingsshewassuchachildinothersthatthissatisfiedher，andtheyreachedtheendoftheirjourneyonthebestofterms。Itwasaboutteno’clockwhentheyarrivedatAldbrickham，thecountytownofNorthWessex。AsshewouldnotgototheTemperanceHotelbecauseoftheformofhistelegram，Judeinquiredforanother；andayouthwhovolunteeredtofindonewheeledtheirluggagetotheGeorgefartheron，whichprovedtobetheinnatwhichJudehadstayedwithArabellaonthatoneoccasionoftheirmeetingaftertheirdivisionforyears。
　　Owing，however，totheirnowenteringitbyanotherdoor，andtohispreoccupation，hedidnotatfirstrecognizetheplace。Whentheyhadengagedtheirrespectiveroomstheywentdowntoalatesupper。DuringJude’stemporaryabsencethewaiting-maidspoketoSue。
　　`Ithink，ma’am，Irememberyourrelation，orfriend，orwhateverheis，cominghereoncebefore-late，justlikethis，withhiswife-
　　alady，atanyrate，thatwasn’tyoubynomannerofmeans-jestasmedbewithyounow。’
　　`Ohdoyou？’saidSue，withacertainsicknessofheart。`ThoughIthinkyoumustbemistaken！Howlongagowasit？’
　　`Aboutamonthortwo。Ahandsome，full-figuredwoman。Theyhadthisroom。’
　　WhenJudecamebackandsatdowntosupperSueseemedmopingandmiserable。`Jude，’shesaidtohimplaintively，attheirpartingthatnightuponthelanding，`itisnotsoniceandpleasantasitusedtobewithus！
　　Idon’tlikeithere-Ican’tbeartheplace！AndIdon’tlikeyousowellasIdid！’
　　`Howfidgetedyouseem，dear！Whydoyouchangelikethis？’
　　`Becauseitwascrueltobringmehere！’
　　`Why？’
　　`YouwerelatelyherewithArabella。There，nowIhavesaidit！’
　　`Dearme，why-`saidJudelookingroundhim。`Yes-itisthesame！Ireallydidn’tknowit，Sue。Well-itisnotcruel，sincewehavecomeaswehave-tworelationsstayingtogether。’
　　`Howlongagowasityouwerehere？Tellme，tellme！’
　　`ThedaybeforeImetyouinChristminster，whenwewentbacktoMarygreentogether。ItoldyouIhadmether。’
　　`Yes，yousaidyouhadmether，butyoudidn’ttellmeall。Yourstorywasthatyouhadmetasestrangedpeople，whowerenothusbandandwifeatallinHeaven’ssight-notthatyouhadmadeitupwithher。’
　　`Wedidn’tmakeitup，’hesaidsadly。`Ican’texplain，Sue。’
　　`You’vebeenfalsetome；you，mylasthope！AndIshallneverforgetit，never！’