`Youshouldtry,’repliedthewidow,fromthesereneheightsofasoulconsciousnotonlyofspiritualbutofsocialsuperiority。`Imakenoboastofmyawakening,butI’mnotwhatIwas。AfterCartlett’sdeathIwaspassingthechapelinthestreetnextours,andwentintoitforshelterfromashowerofrain。Ifeltaneedofsomesortofsupportundermyloss,and,as’twasrighterthangin,Itooktogoingthereregular,andfounditagreatcomfort。ButI’veleftLondonnow,youknow,andatpresentIamlivingatAlfredston,withmyfriendAnny,tobenearmyownoldcountry。I’mnotcomeheretothefairto-day。There’stobethefoundation-stoneofanewchapellaidthisafternoonbyapopularLondonpreacher,andI
  droveoverwithAnny。NowImustgobacktomeether。’
  ThenArabellawishedSuegood-bye,andwenton。
  JudetheObscureChapter42V-viiiIntheafternoonSueandtheotherpeoplebustlingaboutKennetbridgefaircouldhearsinginginsidetheplacardedhoardingfartherdownthestreet。
  Thosewhopeepedthroughtheopeningsawacrowdofpersonsinbroadcloth,withhymn-booksintheirhands,standingroundtheexcavationsforthenewchapel-walls。ArabellaCartlettandherweedsstoodamongthem。Shehadaclear,powerfulvoice,whichcouldbedistinctlyheardwiththerest,risingandfallingtothetune,herinflatedbosombeingalsoseendoinglikewise。
  ItwastwohourslateronthesamedaythatAnnyandMrs。Cartlett,havinghadteaattheTemperanceHotel,startedontheirreturnjourneyacrossthehighandopencountrywhichstretchesbetweenKennetbridgeandAlfredston。Arabellawasinathoughtfulmood;butherthoughtswerenotofthenewchapel,asAnnyatfirstsurmised。
  `No-itissomethingelse,’atlastsaidArabellasullenly。`I
  camehereto-dayneverthinkingofanybodybutpoorCartlett,orofanythingbutspreadingtheGospelbymeansofthisnewtabernaclethey’vebegunthisafternoon。Butsomethinghashappenedtoturnmymindanotherwayquite。Anny,I’veheardofunagain,andI’veseenher!’
  `Who?’
  `I’veheardofJude,andI’veseenhiswife。Andeversince,dowhatIwill,andthoughIsungthehymnswi’allmystrength,Ihavenotbeenabletohelpthinkingabout’n;whichI’venorighttodoasachapelmember。’
  `Can’tyefixyourminduponwhatwassaidbytheLondonpreacherto-day,andtrytogetridofyourwanderingfanciesthatway?’
  `Ido。Butmywickedheartwillrambleoffinspiteofmyself!’
  `Well-Iknowwhatitistohaveawantonmindo’myown,too!
  Ifyouon’yknewwhatIdodreamsometimeso’nightsquiteagainstmywishes,you’dsayIhadmystruggles!’Anny,too,hadgrownratherseriousoflate,herloverhavingjiltedher。
  `WhatshallIdoaboutit?’urgedArabellamorbidly。
  `Youcouldtakealockofyourlate-losthusband’shair,andhaveitmadeintoamourningbrooch,andlookatiteveryhouroftheday。’
  `Ihaven’tamorsel!-andifIhad’twouldbenogood……Afterallthat’ssaidaboutthecomfortsofthisreligion,IwishIhadJudebackagain!’
  `Youmustfightvaliantagainstthefeeling,sincehe’sanother’s。
  AndI’veheardthatanothergoodthingforit,whenitafflictsvolupshiouswidows,istogotoyourhusband’sgraveintheduskofevening,andstandalongwhilea-boweddown。’
  `Pooh!IknowaswellasyouwhatIshoulddo;onlyIdon’tdoit!’
  TheydroveinsilencealongthestraightroadtilltheywerewithinthehorizonofMarygreen,whichlaynotfartotheleftoftheirroute。
  Theycametothejunctionofthehighwayandthecross-laneleadingtothatvillage,whosechurch-towercouldbeseenathwartthehollow。Whentheygotyetfartheron,andwerepassingthelonelyhouseinwhichArabellaandJudehadlivedduringthefirstmonthsoftheirmarriage,andwherethepig-killinghadtakenplace,shecouldcontrolherselfnolonger。
  `He’smoreminethanhers!’sheburstout。`Whatrighthasshetohim,Ishouldliketoknow!I’dtakehimfromherifIcould!’
  `Fie,Abby!Andyourhusbandonlysixweeksgone!Prayagainstit!’
  `BedamnedifIdo!Feelingsarefeelings!Iwon’tbeacreepinghypocriteanylonger-sothere!’
  Arabellahadhastilydrawnfromherpocketabundleoftractswhichshehadbroughtwithhertodistributeatthefair,andofwhichshehadgivenawayseveral。Asshespokesheflungthewholeremainderofthepacketintothehedge`I’vetriedthatsorto’physicandhavefailedwi’it。ImustbeasIwasborn!’
  `Hush!Youbeexcited,dear!Nowyoucomealonghomequiet,andhaveacupoftea,anddon’tletustalkaboutunnomore。Wewon’tcomeoutthisroadagain,asitleadstowhereheis,becauseitinflames’eeso。You’llbeallrightagainsoon。’
  Arabelladidcalmherselfdownbydegrees;andtheycrossedtheRidge-way。Whentheybegantodescendthelong,straighthill,theysawploddingalonginfrontofthemanelderlymanofsparestatureandthoughtfulgait。Inhishandhecarriedabasket;andtherewasatouchofslovenlinessinhisattire,togetherwiththatindefinablesomethinginhiswholeappearancewhichsuggestedonewhowashisownhousekeeper,purveyor,confidant,andfriend,throughpossessingnobodyelseatallintheworldtoactinthosecapacitiesforhim。Theremainderofthejourneywasdown-hill,andguessinghimtobegoingtoAlfredstontheyofferedhimalift,whichheaccepted。
  Arabellalookedathim,andlookedagain,tillatlengthshespoke。
  `IfIdon’tmistakeIamtalkingtoMr。Phillotson?’
  Thewayfarerfacedroundandregardedherinturn。`Yes;mynameisPhillotson,’hesaid。`ButIdon’trecognizeyou,ma’am。’
  `IrememberyouwellenoughwhenyouusedtobeschoolmasteroutatMarygreen,andIoneofyourscholars。IusedtowalkuptherefromCresscombeeveryday,becausewehadonlyamistressdownatourplace,andyoutaughtbetter。Butyouwouldn’tremembermeasIshouldyou?-
  ArabellaDonn。’
  Heshookhishead。`No,’hesaidpolitely,`Idon’trecallthename。AndIshouldhardlyrecognizeinyourpresentportlyselftheslimschoolchildnodoubtyouwerethen。’
  `Well,Ialwayshadplentyoffleshonmybones。However,Iamstayingdownherewithsomefriendsatpresent。Youknow,Isuppose,whoImarried?’
  `No。’
  `JudeFawley-alsoascholarofyours-atleastanightscholar-forsomelittletimeIthink?Andknowntoyouafterwards,ifIamnotmistaken。’
  `Dearme,dearme,’saidPhillotson,startingoutofhisstiffness。
  `YouFawley’swife?Tobesure-hehadawife!Andhe-Iunderstood-’
  `Divorcedher-asyoudidyours-perhapsforbetterreasons。’
  `Indeed?’
  `Well-hemedhavebeenrightindoingit-rightforboth;forIsoonmarriedagain,andallwentprettystraighttillmyhusbanddiedlately。Butyou-youweredecidedlywrong!’
  `No,’saidPhillotson,withsuddentestiness。`Iwouldrathernottalkofthis,but-IamconvincedIdidonlywhatwasright,andjust,andmoral。Ihavesufferedformyactandopinions,butIholdtothem;
  thoughherlosswasalosstomeinmorewaysthanone!’
  `Youlostyourschoolandgoodincomethroughher,didyounot?’
  `Idon’tcaretotalkofit。Ihaverecentlycomebackhere-
  toMarygreen。Imean。’
  `Youarekeepingtheschoolthereagain,justasformerly?’
  Thepressureofasadnessthatwouldoutunsealedhim。`Iamthere,’
  hereplied。`Justasformerly,no。Merelyonsufferance。Itwasalastresource-asmallthingtoreturntoaftermymoveupwards,andmylongindulgedhopesareturningtozero,withallitshumiliations。Butitisarefuge。Iliketheseclusionoftheplace,andthevicarhavingknownmebeforemyso-calledeccentricconducttowardsmywifehadruinedmyreputationasaschoolmaster,heacceptedmyserviceswhenallotherschoolswereclosedagainstme。However,althoughItakefiftypoundsayearhereaftertakingabovetwohundredelsewhere,Ipreferittorunningtheriskofhavingmyolddomesticexperiencesrakedupagainstme,asIshoulddoifItriedtomakeamove。’
  `Rightyouare。Acontentedmindisacontinualfeast。Shehasdonenobetter。’
  `Sheisnotdoingwell,youmean?’
  `ImetherbyaccidentatKennetbridgethisveryday,andsheisanythingbutthriving。Herhusbandisill,andsheanxious。Youmadeafoolofamistakeabouther,Itell’eeagain,andtheharmyoudidyourselfbydirtingyourownnestservesyouright,excusingtheliberty。’
  `How?’
  `Shewasinnocent。’
  `Butnonsense!Theydidnotevendefendthecase!’
  `Thatwasbecausetheydidn’tcareto。Shewasquiteinnocentofwhatobtainedyouyourfreedom,atthetimeyouobtainedit。Isawherjustafterwards,andprovedittomyselfcompletelybytalkingtoher。’
  Phillotsongraspedtheedgeofthespring-cart,andappearedtobemuchstressedandworriedbytheinformation。`Still-shewantedtogo,’hesaid。
  `Yes。Butyoushouldn’thavelether。That’stheonlywaywiththesefancifulwomenthatchawhigh-innocentorguilty。She’dhavecomeroundintime。Wealldo!Customdoesit!It’sallthesameintheend!
  However,Ithinkshe’sfondofhermanstill-whateverhemedbeofher。
  Youweretooquickabouther。Ishouldn’thavelethergo!Ishouldhavekeptherchainedon-herspiritforkickingwouldhavebeenbrokesoonenough!There’snothinglikebondageandastone-deaftaskmasterfortaminguswomen。Besides,you’vegotthelawsonyourside。Mosesknew。Don’tyoucalltomindwhathesays?’
  `Notforthemoment,ma’am,Iregrettosay。’
  `Callyourselfaschoolmaster!Iusedtothinko’twhentheyreaditinchurch,andIwascarryingonabit。`Thenshallthemanbeguiltless;
  butthewomanshallbearheriniquity。’Damnroughonuswomen;butwemustgrinandputupwi’it!Hawhaw!Well;she’sgotherdesertsnow。’
  `Yes,’saidPhillotson,withbitingsadness。`Crueltyisthelawpervadingallnatureandsociety;andwecan’tgetoutofitifwewould!’
  `Well-don’tyouforgettotryitnexttime,oldman。’
  `Icannotansweryou,madam。Ihaveneverknownmuchofwomankind。’
  TheyhadnowreachedthelowlevelsborderingAlfredston,andpassingthroughtheoutskirtsapproachedamill,towhichPhillotsonsaidhiserrandledhim;whereupontheydrewup,andhealighted,biddingthemgood-nightinapreoccupiedmood。
  InthemeantimeSue,thoughremarkablysuccessfulinhercake-sellingexperimentatKennetbridgefair,hadlostthetemporarybrightnesswhichhadbeguntosituponhersadnessonaccountofthatsuccess。Whenallher`Christminster’cakeshadbeendisposedofshetookuponherarmtheemptybasket,andtheclothwhichhadcoveredthestandingshehadhired,andgivingtheotherthingstotheboyleftthestreetwithhim。Theyfollowedalanetoadistanceofhalfamile,tilltheymetanoldwomancarryingachildinshortclothes,andleadingatoddlerintheotherhand。
  Suekissedthechildren,andsaid,`Howishenow?’
  `Stillbetter!’returnedMrs。Edlincheerfully。`Beforeyouareupstairsagainyourhusbandwillbewellenough-don’t’eetrouble。’
  Theyturned,andcametosomeold,dun-tiledcottageswithgardensandfruit-trees。Intooneofthesetheyenteredbyliftingthelatchwithoutknocking,andwereatonceinthegeneralliving-room。HeretheygreetedJude,whowassittinginanarm-chair,theincreaseddelicacyofhisnormallydelicatefeatures,andthechildishlyexpectantlookinhiseyes,beingalonesufficienttoshowthathehadbeenpassingthroughasevereillness。
  `What-youhavesoldthemall?’hesaid,agleamofinterestlightinguphisface。
  `Yes。Arcades,gables,eastwindowsandall。’Shetoldhimthepecuniaryresults,andthenhesitated。Atlast,whentheywereleftalone,sheinformedhimoftheunexpectedmeetingwithArabella,andthelatter’swidowhood。
  Judewasdiscomposed。`What-isshelivinghere?’hesaid。
  `No;atAlfredston,’saidSue。
  Jude’scountenanceremainedclouded。`IthoughtIhadbettertellyou?’shecontinued,kissinghimanxiously。
  `Yes……Dearme!ArabellanotinthedepthsofLondon,butdownhere!ItisonlyalittleoveradozenmilesacrossthecountrytoAlfredston。
  Whatisshedoingthere?’
  Shetoldhimallsheknew。`Shehastakentochapel-going,’Sueadded;`andtalksaccordingly。’