Abouthalf-wayontheirjourneytheycrossedamainroadrunningdueeastandwest-theoldroadfromLondontoLand’sEnd。Theypaused，andlookedupanddownitforamoment，andremarkeduponthedesolationwhichhadcomeoverthisoncelivelythoroughfare，whilethewinddippedtoearthandscoopedstrawsandhay-stemsfromtheground。
　　Theycrossedtheroadandpassedon，butduringthenexthalf-mileSueseemedtogrowtired，andJudebegantobedistressedforher。Theyhadwalkedagooddistancealtogether，andiftheycouldnotreachtheotherstationitwouldberatherawkward。Foralongtimetherewasnocottagevisibleonthewideexpanseofdownandturnip-land；butpresentlytheycametoasheepfold，andnexttotheshepherd，pitchinghurdles。Hetoldthemthattheonlyhousenearwashismother’sandhis，pointingtoalittledipaheadfromwhichafaintbluesmokearose，andrecommendedthemtogoonandrestthere。
　　Thistheydid，andenteredthehouse，admittedbyanoldwomanwithoutasingletooth，towhomtheywereascivilasstrangerscanbewhentheironlychanceofrestandshelterliesinthefavourofthehouseholder。
　　`Anicelittlecottage，’saidJude。
　　`Oh，Idon’tknowabouttheniceness。Ishallhavetothatchitsoon，andwherethethatchistocomefromIcan’ttell，forstrawdogetthatdear，that’twillsoonbecheapertocoveryourhousewi’chaineyplatesthanthatch。’
　　Theysatresting，andtheshepherdcamein。`Don’t’eemindI，’
　　hesaidwithadeprecatingwaveofthehand`bidehereaslongasyewill。
　　Butmidyoubethinkingo’gettingbacktoMelchesterto-nightbytrain？
　　Becauseyou’llneverdoitinthisworld，sinceyoudon’tknowthelieofthecountry。Idon’tmindgoingwithyesomeo’theways，buteventhenthetrainmidbegone。’
　　Theystartedup。
　　`Youcanbidehere，youknow，overthenight-can’t’em，Mother？
　　Theplaceiswelcometoye。’Tishardlying，rather，butvolkmaydoworse。’
　　HeturnedtoJudeandaskedprivately：`Beyouamarriedcouple？’
　　`Hsh-no！’saidJude。
　　`Oh-Imeantnothingba’dy-notI！Wellthen，shecangointoMother’sroom，andyouandIcanlieintheouterchimmerafterthey’vegonethrough。Icancallyesoonenoughtocatchthefirsttrainback。
　　You’velostthisonenow。’
　　Onconsiderationtheydecidedtoclosewiththisoffer，anddrewupandsharedwiththeshepherdandhismothertheboiledbaconandgreensforsupper。
　　`Iratherlikethis，’saidSue，whiletheirentertainerswereclearingawaythedishes。`Outsidealllawsexceptgravitationandgermination。’
　　`Youonlythinkyoulikeit；youdon’t：youarequiteaproductofcivilization，’saidJude，arecollectionofherengagementrevivinghissorenessalittle。
　　`IndeedIamnot，Jude。Ilikereadingandallthat，butIcravetogetbacktothelifeofmyinfancyanditsfreedom。’
　　`Doyourememberitsowell？Youseemtometohavenothingunconventionalatallaboutyou。’
　　`Oh，haven’tI！Youdon’tknowwhat’sinsideme。’
　　`What？’
　　`TheIshmaelite。’
　　`Anurbanmissiswhatyouare。’
　　Shelookedseveredisagreement，andturnedaway。
　　Theshepherdarousedthemthenextmorning，ashehadsaid。Itwasbrightandclear，andthefourmilestothetrainwereaccomplishedpleasantly。WhentheyhadreachedMelchester，andwalkedtotheClose，andthegablesoftheoldbuildinginwhichshewasagaintobeimmuredrosebeforeSue’seyes，shelookedalittlescared。`IexpectIshallcatchit！’shemurmured。
　　Theyrangthegreatbellandwaited。
　　`Oh，Iboughtsomethingforyou，whichIhadnearlyforgotten，’
　　shesaidquickly，searchingherpocket。`Itisanewlittlephotographofme。Wouldyoulikeit？’
　　`WouldI！’Hetookitgladly，andtheportercame。Thereseemedtobeanominousglanceonhisfacewhenheopenedthegate。Shepassedin，lookingbackatJude，andwavingherhand。
　　JudetheObscureChapter21III-iiiTheseventyyoungwomen，ofagesvaryinginthemainfromnineteentoone-and-twenty，thoughseveralwereolder，whoatthisdatefilledthespeciesofnunneryknownastheTraining-SchoolatMelchester，formedaverymixedcommunity，whichincludedthedaughtersofmechanics，curates，surgeons，shopkeepers，farmers，dairy-men，soldiers，sailors，andvillagers。Theysatinthelargeschool-roomoftheestablishmentontheeveningpreviouslydescribed，andwordwaspassedroundthatSueBrideheadhadnotcomeinatclosing-time。
　　`Shewentoutwithheryoungman，’saidasecond-year’sstudent，whoknewaboutyoungmen。`AndMissTraceleysawheratthestationwithhim。She’llhaveithotwhenshedoescome。’
　　`Shesaidhewashercousin，’observedayouthfulnewgirl。
　　`Thatexcusehasbeenmadealittletooofteninthisschooltobeeffectualinsavingoursouls，’saidtheheadgirloftheyear，drily。
　　Thefactwasthat，onlytwelvemonthsbefore，therehadoccurredalamentableseductionofoneofthepupilswhohadmadethesamestatementinordertogainmeetingswithherlover。Theaffairhadcreatedascandal，andthemanagementhadconsequentlybeenroughoncousinseversince。
　　Atnineo’clockthenameswerecalled，Sue’sbeingpronouncedthreetimessonorouslybyMissTraceleywithoutelicitingananswer。
　　Ataquarterpastninetheseventystooduptosingthe`EveningHymn，’andthenkneltdowntoprayers。Afterprayerstheywentintosupper，andeverygirl’sthoughtwas，WhereisSueBridehead？Someofthestudents，whohadseenJudefromthewindow，feltthattheywouldnotmindriskingherpunishmentforthepleasureofbeingkissedbysuchakindly-facedyoungmen。Hardlyoneamongthembelievedinthecousinship。
　　Halfanhourlatertheyalllayintheircubicles，theirtenderfemininefacesupturnedtotheflaringgas-jetswhichatintervalsstretcheddownthelongdormitories，everyfacebearingthelegend`TheWeaker’uponit，asthepenaltyofthesexwhereintheyweremoulded，whichbynopossibleexertionoftheirwillingheartsandabilitiescouldbemadestrongwhiletheinexorablelawsofnatureremainwhattheyare。Theyformedapretty，suggestive，patheticsight，ofwhosepathosandbeautytheywerethemselvesunconscious，andwouldnotdiscovertill，amidthestormsandstrainsofafter-years，withtheirinjustice，loneliness，child-bearing，andbereavement，theirmindswouldreverttothisexperienceastosomethingwhichhadbeenallowedtoslippasttheminsufficientlyregarded。
　　Oneofthemistressescameintoturnoutthelights，andbeforedoingsogaveafinalglanceatSue’scot，whichremainedempty，andatherlittledressing-tableatthefoot，which，likealltherest，wasornamentedwithvariousgirlishtrifles，framedphotographsbeingnottheleastconspicuousamongthem。Sue’stablehadamoderateshow，twomenintheirfiligreeandvelvetframesstandingtogetherbesideherlooking-glass。
　　`Whoarethesemen-didsheeversay？’askedthemistress。`Strictlyspeaking，relations’portraitsonlyareallowedonthesetables，youknow。’
　　`One-themiddle-agedman，’saidastudentinthenextbed-
　　`istheschoolmastersheservedunder-Mr。Phillotson。’
　　`Andtheother-thisundergraduateincapandgown-whoishe？’
　　`Heisafriend，orwas。Shehasnevertoldhisname。’
　　`Wasiteitherofthesetwowhocameforher？’
　　`No。’
　　`Youaresure’twasnottheundergraduate？’
　　`Quite。Hewasayoungmanwithablackbeard。’
　　Thelightswerepromptlyextinguished，andtilltheyfellasleepthegirlsindulgedinconjecturesaboutSue，andwonderedwhatgamesshehadcarriedoninLondonandatChristminsterbeforeshecamehere，someofthemorerestlessonesgettingoutofbedandlookingfromthemullionedwindowsatthevastwestfrontofthecathedralopposite，andthespirerisingbehindit。
　　WhentheyawokethenextmorningtheyglancedintoSue’snook，tofinditstillwithoutatenant。Aftertheearlylessonsbygas-light，inhalf-toilet，andwhentheyhadcomeuptodressforbreakfast，thebelloftheentrancegatewasheardtoringloudly。Themistressofthedormitorywentaway，andpresentlycamebacktosaythattheprincipal’sorderswerethatnobodywastospeaktoBrideheadwithoutpermission。
　　When，accordingly，Suecameintothedormitorytohastilytidyherself，lookingflushedandtired，shewenttohercubicleinsilence，noneofthemcomingouttogreetherortomakeinquiry。Whentheyhadgonedownstairstheyfoundthatshedidnotfollowthemintothedining-halltobreakfast，andtheythenlearntthatshehadbeenseverelyreprimanded，andorderedtoasolitaryroomforaweek，theretobeconfined，andtakehermeals，anddoallherreading。
　　Atthistheseventymurmured，thesentencebeing，theythought，toosevere。Aroundrobinwaspreparedandsentintotheprincipal，askingforaremissionofSue’spunishment。Nonoticewastaken。Towardsevening，whenthegeographymistressbegandictatinghersubject，thegirlsintheclasssatwithfoldedarms。
　　`Youmeanthatyouarenotgoingtowork？’saidthemistressatlast。`ImayaswelltellyouthatithasbeenascertainedthattheyoungmanBrideheadstayedoutwithwasnothercousin，fortheverygoodreasonthatshehasnosuchrelative。WehavewrittentoChristminstertoascertain。’
　　`Wearewillingtotakeherword，’saidtheheadgirl。
　　`ThisyoungmanwasdischargedfromhisworkatChristminsterfordrunkennessandblasphemyinpublic-houses，andhehascomeheretolive，entirelytobenearher。’
　　However，theyremainedstolidandmotionless，andthemistresslefttheroomtoinquirefromhersuperiorswhatwastobedone。
　　Presently，towardsdusk，thepupils，astheysat，heardexclamationsfromthefirst-year’sgirlsinanadjoiningclassroom，andonerushedintosaythatSueBrideheadhadgotoutofthebackwindowoftheroominwhichshehadbeenconfined，escapedinthedarkacrossthelawn，anddisappeared。
　　Howshehadmanagedtogetoutofthegardennobodycouldtell，asitwasboundedbytheriveratthebottom，andthesidedoorwaslocked。
　　Theywentandlookedattheemptyroom，thecasementbetweenthemiddlemullionsofwhichstoodopen。Thelawnwasagainsearchedwithalantern，everybushandshrubbeingexamined，butshewasnowherehidden。
　　Thentheporterofthefrontgatewasinterrogated，andonreflectionhesaidthatherememberedhearingasortofsplashinginthestreamattheback，buthehadtakennonotice，thinkingsomeduckshadcomedowntheriverfromabove。
　　`Shemusthavewalkedthroughtheriver！’saidamistress。
　　`Ordrowndedherself，’saidtheporter。
　　Themindofthematronwashorrified-notsomuchatthepossibledeathofSueasatthepossiblehalf-columndetailingthateventinallthenewspapers，which，addedtothescandaloftheyearbefore，wouldgivethecollegeanunenviablenotorietyformanymonthstocome。
　　Morelanternswereprocured，andtheriverexamined；andthen，atlast，ontheoppositeshore，whichwasopentothefields，somelittleboot-trackswerediscernedinthemud，whichleftnodoubtthatthetooexcitablegirlhadwadedthroughadepthofwaterreachingnearlytohershoulders-forthiswasthechiefriverofthecounty，andwasmentionedinallthegeographybookswithrespect。AsSuehadnotbroughtdisgraceupontheschoolbydrowningherself，thematronbegantospeaksuperciliouslyofher，andtoexpressgladnessthatshewasgone。
　　Ontheself-sameeveningJudesatinhislodgingsbytheCloseGate。OftenatthishourafterduskhewouldenterthesilentClose，andstandoppositethehousethatcontainedSue，andwatchtheshadowsofthegirls’headspassingtoandfroupontheblinds，andwishhehadnothingelsetodobuttositreadingandlearningalldaywhatmanyofthethoughtlessinmatesdespised。Butto-night，havingfinishedteaandbrushedhimselfup，hewasdeepintheperusaloftheTwenty-ninthVolumeofPusey’sLibraryoftheFathers，asetofbookswhichhehadpurchasedofasecond-handdealeratapricethatseemedtohimtobeoneofmiraculouscheapnessforthatinvaluablework。Hefanciedheheardsomethingrattlelightlyagainsthiswindow；thenhehearditagain。Certainlysomebodyhadthrowngravel。Heroseandgentlyliftedthesash。
　　`Jude！’frombelow。
　　`Sue！’
　　`Yes-itis！CanIcomeupwithoutbeingseen？’
　　`Ohyes！’
　　`Thendon’tcomedown。Shutthewindow。’