HehadhonourablyacquiescedinSue’sannouncedwishthathewasnotoftentovisitheratthetrainingschool；butatlength，hispatiencebeingsorelytried，hesetoutoneSaturdayafternoontopayheranunexpectedcall。Therethenewsofherdeparture-expulsionasitmightalmosthavebeenconsidered-wasflasheduponhimwithoutwarningormitigationashestoodatthedoorexpectinginafewminutestobeholdherface；andwhenheturnedawayhecouldhardlyseetheroadbeforehim。
　　Suehad，infact，neverwrittenalinetohersuitoronthesubject，althoughitwasfourteendaysold。Ashortreflectiontoldhimthatthisprovednothing，anaturaldelicacybeingasampleareasonforsilenceasanydegreeofblameworthiness。
　　Theyhadinformedhimattheschoolwhereshewasliving，andhavingnoimmediateanxietyabouthercomforthisthoughtstookthedirectionofaburningindignationagainstthetrainingschoolcommittee。InhisbewildermentPhillotsonenteredtheadjacentcathedral，justnowinadirelydismantledstatebyreasonoftherepairs。Hesatdownonablockoffreestone，regardlessofthedustyimprintitmadeonhisbreeches；andhislistlesseyesfollowingthemovementsoftheworkmenhepresentlybecameawarethatthereputedculprit，Sue’sloverJude，wasoneamongstthem。
　　JudehadneverspokentohisformerherosincethemeetingbythemodelofJerusalem。HavinginadvertentlywitnessedPhillotson’stentativecourtshipofSueinthelanetherehadgrownupintheyoungerman’smindacuriousdisliketothinkoftheelder，tomeethim，tocommunicateinanywaywithhim；andsincePhillotson’ssuccessinobtainingatleastherpromisehadbecomeknowntoJude，hehadfranklyrecognizedthathedidnotwishtoseeorhearofhissenioranymore，learnanythingofhispursuits，orevenimagineagainwhatexcellenciesmightappertaintohischaracter。Onthisverydayoftheschoolmaster’svisitJudewasexpectingSue，asshehadpromised；andwhenthereforehesawtheschoolmasterinthenaveofthebuilding，saw，moreover，thathewascomingtospeaktohim，hefeltnolittleembarrassment；whichPhillotson’sownembarrassmentpreventedhisobserving。
　　Judejoinedhim，andtheybothwithdrewfromtheotherworkmentothespotwherePhillotsonhadbeensitting。Judeofferedhimapieceofsackclothforacushion，andtoldhimitwasdangeroustositonthebareblock。
　　`Yes；yes，’saidPhillotsonabstractedly，ashereseatedhimself，hiseyesrestingonthegroundasifheweretryingtorememberwherehewas。`Iwon’tkeepyoulong。ItwasmerelythatIhaveheardthatyouhaveseenmylittlefriendSuerecently。Itoccurredtometospeaktoyouonthataccount。Imerelywanttoaskabouther。’
　　`IthinkIknowwhat！’Judehurriedlysaid。`Aboutherescapingfromthetrainingschool，andhercomingtome？’
　　`Yes。’
　　`Well’-Judeforamomentfeltanunprincipledandfiendishwishtoannihilatehisrivalatallcost。Bytheexerciseofthattreacherywhichloveforthesamewomanrenderspossibletomenthemosthonourableineveryotherrelationoflife，hecouldsendoffPhillotsoninagonyanddefeatbysayingthatthescandalwastrue，andthatSuehadirretrievablycommittedherselfwithhim。Buthisactiondidnotrespondforamomenttohisanimalinstinct；andwhathesaidwas，`Iamgladofyourkindnessincomingtotalkplainlytomeaboutit。Youknowwhattheysay？-thatIoughttomarryher。’
　　`What！’
　　`AndIwishwithallmysoulIcould！’
　　Phillotsontrembled，andhisnaturallypalefaceacquiredacorpselikesharpnessinitslines。`Ihadnoideathatitwasofthisnature！Godforbid！’
　　`No，no！’saidJudeaghast。`Ithoughtyouunderstood？ImeanthatwereIinapositiontomarryher，orsomeone，andsettledown，insteadoflivinginlodgingshereandthere，Ishouldbeglad！’
　　Whathehadreallymeantwassimplythathelovedher。
　　`But-sincethispainfulmatterhasbeenopenedup-whatreallyhappened？’askedPhillotson，withthefirmnessofamanwhofeltthatasharpsmartnowwasbetterthanalongagonyofsuspensehereafter。`Casesarise，andthisisone，whenevenungenerousquestionsmustbeputtomakefalseassumptionsimpossible，andtokillscandal。’
　　Judeexplainedreadily；givingthewholeseriesofadventures，includingthenightattheshepherd’s，herwetarrivalathislodging，herindispositionfromherimmersion，theirvigilofdiscussion，andhisseeingheroffnextmorning。
　　`Wellnow，’saidPhillotsonattheconclusion，`Itakeitasyourfinalword，andIknowIcanbelieveyou，thatthesuspicionwhichledtoherrusticationisanabsolutelybaselessone？’
　　`Itis，’saidJudesolemnly。`Absolutely。SohelpmeGod！’
　　Theschoolmasterrose。Eachofthetwainfeltthattheinterviewcouldnotcomfortablymergeinafriendlydiscussionoftheirrecentexperiences，afterthemanneroffriends；andwhenJudehadtakenhimround，andshownhimsomefeaturesoftherenovationwhichtheoldcathedralwasundergoing，Phillotsonbadetheyoungmangood-dayandwentaway。
　　Thisvisittookplaceabouteleveno’clockinthemorning；butnoSueappeared。WhenJudewenttohisdinneratonehesawhisbelovedaheadofhiminthestreetleadingupfromtheNorthGate，walkingasifnowaylookingforhim。Speedilyovertakingherheremarkedthathehadaskedhertocometohimatthecathedral，andshehadpromised。
　　`Ihavebeentogetmythingsfromthecollege，’shesaid-anobservationwhichhewasexpectedtotakeasananswer，thoughitwasnotone。Findinghertobeinthisevasivemoodhefeltinclinedtogivehertheinformationsolongwithheld。
　　`YouhavenotseenMr。Phillotsonto-day？’heventuredtoinquire。
　　`Ihavenot。ButIamnotgoingtobecross-examinedabouthim；
　　andifyouaskanythingmoreIwon’tanswer！’
　　`Itisveryoddthat-`Hestopped，regardingher。
　　`What？’
　　`Thatyouareoftennotsoniceinyourrealpresenceasyouareinyourletters！’
　　`Doesitreallyseemsotoyou？’saidshe，smilingwithquickcuriosity。`Well，that’sstrange；butIfeeljustthesameaboutyou，Jude。
　　WhenyouaregoneawayIseemsuchacoldhearted——’
　　AssheknewhissentimenttowardsherJudesawthattheyweregettingupondangerousground。Itwasnow，hethought，thathemustspeakasanhonestman。
　　Buthedidnotspeak，andshecontinued：`Itwasthatwhichmademewriteandsay-Ididn’tmindyourlovingme-ifyouwantedto，much！’
　　Theexultationhemighthavefeltatwhatthatimplied，orseemedtoimply，wasnullifiedbyhisintention，andherestedrigidtillhebegan：
　　`Ihavenevertoldyou——’
　　`Yesyouhave，’murmuredshe。
　　`Imean，Ihavenevertoldyoumyhistory-allofit。’
　　`ButIguessit。lknownearly。’
　　Judelookedup。CouldshepossiblyknowofthatmorningperformanceofhiswithArabella；whichinafewmonthshadceasedtobeamarriagemorecompletelythanbydeath？Hesawthatshedidnot。
　　`Ican’tquitetellyouhereinthestreet，’hewentonwithagloomytongue。`Andyouhadbetternotcometomylodgings。Letusgoinhere。’
　　Thebuildingbywhichtheystoodwasthemarket-house，itwastheonlyplaceavailable；andtheyentered，themarketbeingover，andthestallsandareasempty。Hewouldhavepreferredamorecongenialspot，but，asusuallyhappens，inplaceofaromanticfieldorsolemnaisleforhistale，itwastoldwhiletheywalkedupanddownoverafloorlitteredwithrottencabbage-leaves，andamidalltheusualsqualorsofdecayedvegetablematterandunsaleablerefuse。Hebeganandfinishedhisbriefnarrative，whichmerelyleduptotheinformationthathehadmarriedawifesomeyearsearlier，andthathiswifewaslivingstill。Almostbeforehercountenancehadtimetochangeshehurriedoutthewords，`Whydidn’tyoutellmebefore！’
　　`Icouldn’t。Itseemedsocrueltotellit。’
　　`Toyourself，Jude。Soitwasbettertobecrueltome！’
　　`No，deardarling！’criedJudepassionately。Hetriedtotakeherhand，butshewithdrewit。Theiroldrelationsofconfidenceseemedsuddenlytohaveended，andtheantagonismsofsextosexwereleftwithoutanycounter-poisingpredilections。Shewashiscomrade，friend，unconscioussweetheartnolonger；andhereyesregardedhiminestrangedsilence。
　　`Iwasashamedoftheepisodeinmylifewhichbroughtaboutthemarriage，’hecontinued。`Ican’texplainitpreciselynow。Icouldhavedoneitifyouhadtakenitdifferently！’
　　`ButhowcanI？’sheburstout。`HereIhavebeensaying，orwriting，that-thatyoumightloveme，orsomethingofthesort！-justoutofcharity-andallthetime-oh，itisperfectlydamnablehowthingsare！’
　　shesaid，stampingherfootinanervousquiver。
　　`Youtakemewrong，Sue！Ineverthoughtyoucaredformeatall，tillquitelately；soIfeltitdidnotmatter！Doyoucareforme，Sue？-
　　youknowhowImean？-Idon’tlike`outofcharity’atall！’
　　ItwasaquestionwhichinthecircumstancesSuedidnotchoosetoanswer。
　　`Isupposeshe-yourwife-is-averyprettywomanevenifshe’swicked？’sheaskedquickly。
　　`She’sprettyenough，asfarasthatgoes。’
　　`PrettierthanIam，nodoubt！’
　　`Youarenottheleastalike。AndIhaveneverseenherforyears……
　　Butshe’ssuretocomeback-theyalwaysdo！’
　　`Howstrangeofyoutostayapartfromherlikethis！’saidSue，hertremblinglipandlumpythroatbelyingherirony。`You，suchareligiousman。Howwillthedemi-godsinyourPantheon-Imeanthoselegendarypersonsyoucallsaints-intercedeforyouafterthis？NowifIhaddonesuchathingitwouldhavebeendifferent，andnotremarkable，forIatleastdon’tregardmarriageasasacrament。Yourtheoriesarenotsoadvancedasyourpractice！’
　　`Sue，youareterriblycuttingwhenyouliketobe-aperfectVoltaire！Butyoumusttreatmeasyouwill！’
　　Whenshesawhowwretchedhewasshesoftened，andtryingtoblinkawayhersympathetictearssaidwithallthewinningreproachfulnessofaheart-hurtwoman：`Ah-youshouldhavetoldmebeforeyougavemethatideathatyouwantedtobeallowedtoloveme！Ihadnofeelingbeforethatmomentattherailway-station，except-`ForonceSuewasasmiserableashe，inherattemptstokeepherselffreefromemotion，andherlessthanhalf-success。
　　`Don’tcry，dear！’heimplored。
　　`Iam-notcrying-becauseImeantto-loveyou；butbecauseofyourwantof-confidence！’
　　Theywerequitescreenedfromthemarket-squarewithout，andhecouldnothelpputtingouthisarmtowardsherwaist。Hismomentarydesirewasthemeansofherrallying。`No，no！’shesaid，drawingbackstringently，andwipinghereyes。`Ofcoursenot！Itwouldbehypocrisytopretendthatitwouldbemeantasfrommycousin；anditcan’tbeinanyotherway。’
　　Theymovedonadozenpaces，andsheshowedherselfrecovered。
　　ItwasdistractingtoJude，andhisheartwouldhaveachedlesshadsheappearedanyhowbutasshedidappear；essentiallylarge-mindedandgenerousonreflection，despiteapreviousexerciseofthosenarrowwomanlyhumoursonimpulsethatwerenecessarytogivehersex。
　　`Idon’tblameyouforwhatyoucouldn’thelp，’shesaid，smiling。
　　`HowshouldIbesofoolish？Idoblameyoualittlebitfornottellingmebefore。But，afterall，itdoesn’tmatter。Weshouldhavehadtokeepapart，yousee，evenifthishadnotbeeninyourlife。’
　　`No，weshouldn’t，Sue！Thisistheonlyobstacle。’
　　`YouforgetthatImusthavelovedyou，andwantedtobeyourwife，eveniftherehadbeennoobstacle，’saidSue，withagentleseriousnesswhichdidnotrevealhermind。`Andthenwearecousins，anditisbadforcousinstomarry。And-Iamengagedtosomebodyelse。Astoourgoingontogetherasweweregoing，inasortoffriendlyway，thepeoplerounduswouldhavemadeitunabletocontinue。Theirviewsoftherelationsofmanandwomanarelimited，asisprovedbytheirexpellingmefromtheschool。Theirphilosophyonlyrecognizesrelationsbasedonanimaldesire。
　　Thewidefieldofstrongattachmentwheredesireplays，atleast，onlyasecondarypart，isignoredbythem-thepartof-whoisit？-VenusUrania。’
　　Herbeingabletotalklearnedlyshowedthatshewasmistressofherselfagain；andbeforetheypartedshehadalmostregainedhervivaciousglance，herreciprocityoftone，hergaymanner，andhersecond-thoughtattitudeofcriticallargenesstowardsothersofherageandsex。
　　Hecouldspeakmorefreelynow。`Therewereseveralreasonsagainstmytellingyourashly。OnewaswhatIhavesaid；another，thatitwasalwaysimpresseduponmethatIoughtnottomarry-thatIbelongedtoanoddandpeculiarfamily-thewrongbreedformarriage。’
　　`Ah-whousedtosaythattoyou？’
　　`Mygreat-aunt。ShesaiditalwaysendedbadlywithusFawleys。’
　　`That’sstrange。Myfatherusedtosaythesametome！’