ItwastothisbreezyandwhimsicalspotthatJudeascendedfromtheneareststationforthefirsttimeinhislifeaboutfouro’clockoneafternoon，andenteringonthesummitofthepeakafteratoilsomeclimb，passedthefirsthousesoftheaerialtown；anddrewtowardstheschool-house。
　　Thehourwastooearly；thepupilswerestillinschool，hummingsmall，likeaswarmofgnats；andhewithdrewafewstepsalongAbbeyWalk，whenceheregardedthespotwhichfatehadmadethehomeofallhelovedbestintheworld。Infrontoftheschools，whichwereextensiveandstone-built，grewtwoenormousbeecheswithsmoothmouse-colouredtrunks，assuchtreeswillonlygrowonchalkuplands。Withinthemullionedandtransomedwindowshecouldseetheblack，brown，andflaxencrownsofthescholarsoverthesills，andtopassthetimeawayhewalkeddowntothelevelterracewheretheabbeygardensoncehadspread，hisheartthrobbinginspiteofhim。
　　Unwillingtoentertillthechildrenweredismissedheremainedheretillyoungvoicescouldbeheardintheopenair，andgirlsinwhitepinaforesoverredandbluefrocksappeareddancingalongthepathswhichtheabbess，prioress，subprioress，andfiftynunshaddemurelypacedthreecenturiesearlier。Retracinghisstepshefoundthathehadwaitedtoolong，andthatSuehadgoneoutintothetownattheheelsofthelastscholar，Mr。Phillotsonhavingbeenabsentalltheafternoonatateachers’
　　meetingatShottsford。
　　Judewentintotheemptyschoolroomandsatdown，thegirlwhowassweepingthefloorhavinginformedhimthatMrs。Phillotsonwouldbebackagaininafewminutes。Apianostoodnear-actuallytheoldpianothatPhillotsonhadpossessedatMarygreen-andthoughthedarkafternoonalmostpreventedhimseeingthenotesJudetouchedtheminhishumbleway，andcouldnothelpmodulatingintothehymnwhichhadsoaffectedhiminthepreviousweek。
　　Afiguremovedbehindhim，andthinkingitwasstillthegirlwiththebroomJudetooknonotice，tillthepersoncamecloseandlaidherfingerslightlyuponhisbasshand。Theimposedhandwasalittleoneheseemedtoknow，andheturned。
　　`Don’tstop，’saidSue。`Ilikeit。IlearntitbeforeIleftMelchester。Theyusedtoplayitinthetrainingschool。’
　　`Ican’tstrumbeforeyou！Playitforme。’
　　`Ohwell-Idon’tmind。’
　　Suesatdown，andherrenderingofthepiece，thoughnotremarkable，seemeddivineascomparedwithhisown。She，likehim，wasevidentlytouched-toherownsurprise-bytherecalledair；andwhenshehadfinished，andhemovedhishandtowardshers，itmethisownhalf-way。Judegraspedit-justashehaddonebeforehermarriage。
　　`Itisodd，’shesaid，inavoicequitechanged，`thatIshouldcareaboutthatair；because——’
　　`Becausewhat？’
　　`Iamnotthatsort-quite。’
　　`Noteasilymoved？’
　　`Ididn’tquitemeanthat。’
　　`Oh，butyouareoneofthatsort，foryouarejustlikemeatheart！’
　　`Butnotathead。’
　　Sheplayedonandsuddenlyturnedround；andbyanunpremeditatedinstincteachclaspedtheother’shandagain。
　　Sheutteredaforcedlittlelaughassherelinquishedhisquickly。
　　`Howfunny！’shesaid。`Iwonderwhatwebothdidthatfor？’
　　`Isupposebecausewearebothalike，asIsaidbefore。’
　　`Notinourthoughts！Perhapsalittleinourfeelings。’
　　`Andtheyrulethoughts……Isn’titenoughtomakeoneblasphemethatthecomposerofthathymnisoneofthemostcommonplacemenIevermet！’
　　`What-youknowhim？’
　　`Iwenttoseehim。’
　　`Oh，yougoose-todojustwhatIshouldhavedone！Whydidyou？’
　　`Becausewearenotalike，’hesaiddrily。
　　`Nowwe’llhavesometea，’saidSue。`Shallwehaveithereinsteadofinmyhouse？Itisnotroubletogetthekettleandthingsbroughtin。
　　Wedon’tliveattheschoolyouknow，butinthatancientdwellingacrossthewaycalledOld-GrovePlace。Itissoantiqueanddismalthatitdepressesmedreadfully。Suchhousesareverywelltovisit，butnottolivein-
　　Ifeelcrushedintotheearthbytheweightofsomanypreviouslivestherespent。Inanewplaceliketheseschoolsthereisonlyyourownlifetosupport。Sitdown，andI’lltellAdatobringthetea-thingsacross。’
　　Hewaitedinthelightofthestove，thedoorofwhichsheflungopenbeforegoingout，andwhenshereturned，followedbythemaidenwithtea，theysatdownbythesamelight，assistedbytheblueraysofaspirit-lampunderthebrasskettleonthestand。
　　`Thisisoneofyourwedding-presentstome，’shesaid，signifyingthelatter。
　　`Yes，’saidJude。
　　Thekettleofhisgiftsangwithsomesatireinitsnote，tohismind；andtochangethesubjecthesaid，`DoyouknowofanygoodreadableeditionoftheuncanonicalbooksoftheNewTestament？Youdon’treadthemintheschoolIsuppose？’
　　`Ohdearno！-’twouldalarmtheneighbourhood……Yes，thereisone。Iamnotfamiliarwithitnow，thoughIwasinterestedinitwhenmyformerfriendwasalive。Cowper’sApocryphalGospels。’
　　`ThatsoundslikewhatIwant。’Histhoughts，howeverrevertedwithatwingetothe`formerfriend’-bywhomshemeant，asheknew，theuniversitycomradeofherearlierdays。HewonderedifshetalkedofhimtoPhillotson。
　　`TheGospelofNicodemusisverynice，’shewentontokeephimfromhisjealousthoughts，whichshereadclearly，asshealwaysdid。Indeedwhentheytalkedonanindifferentsubject，asnow，therewaseverasecondsilentconversationpassingbetweentheiremotions，soperfectwasthereciprocitybetweenthem。`Itisquitelikethegenuinearticle。Allcutupintoverses，too；sothatitislikeoneoftheotherevangelistsreadinadream，whenthingsarethesame，yetnotthesame。But，Jude，doyoutakeaninterestinthosequestionsstill？AreyougettingupApologetica？’
　　`Yes。IamreadingDivinityharderthanever。’
　　Sheregardedhimcuriously。
　　`Whydoyoulookatmelikethat？’saidJude。
　　`Oh-whydoyouwanttoknow？’
　　`IamsureyoucantellmeanythingImaybeignorantofinthatsubject。Youmusthavelearntalotofeverythingfromyourdeardeadfriend！’
　　`Wewon’tgetontothatnow！’shecoaxed。`Willyoubecarvingoutatthatchurchagainnextweek，whereyoulearnttheprettyhymn？’
　　`Yes，perhaps。’
　　`Thatwillbeverynice。ShallIcomeandseeyouthere？Itisinthisdirection，andIcouldcomeanyafternoonbytrainforhalfanhour？’
　　`No。Don’tcome！’
　　`What-aren’twegoingtobefriends，then，anylonger，asweusedtobe？’
　　`No。’
　　`Ididn’tknowthat。Ithoughtyouwerealwaysgoingtobekindtome！’
　　`No，Iamnot。’
　　`WhathaveIdone，then？IamsureIthoughtwetwo——’Thetremoloinhervoicecausedhertobreakoff。
　　`Sue，Isometimesthinkyouareaflirt，’saidheabruptly。
　　Therewasamomentarypause，tillshesuddenlyjumpedup；andtohissurprisehesawbythekettle-flamethatherfacewasflushed。
　　`Ican’ttalktoyouanylonger，Jude！’shesaid，thetragiccontraltonotehavingcomebackasofold。`Itisgettingtoodarktostaytogetherlikethis，afterplayingmorbidGoodFridaytunesthatmakeonefeelwhatoneshouldn’t！……Wemustn’tsitandtalkinthiswayanymore。Yes-
　　youmustgoaway，foryoumistakeme！Iamverymuchthereverseofwhatyousaysocruelly-Oh，Jude，itwascrueltosaythat！YetIcan’ttellyouthetruth-IshouldshockyoubylettingyouknowhowIgivewaytomyimpulses，andhowmuchIfeelthatIshouldn’thavebeenprovidedwithattractivenessunlessitweremeanttobeexercised！Somewomen’sloveofbeinglovedisinsatiable；andso，often，istheirloveofloving；
　　andinthelastcasetheymayfindthattheycan’tgiveitcontinuouslytothechamber-officerappointedbythebishop’slicencetoreceiveit。
　　Butyouaresostraightforward，Jude，thatyoucan’tunderstandme！……
　　Nowyoumustgo。Iamsorrymyhusbandisnotathome。’
　　`Areyou？’
　　`IperceiveIhavesaidthatinmereconvention！HonestlyIdon’tthinkIamsorry。Itdoesnotmatter，eitherway，sadtosay！’
　　Astheyhadoverdonethegraspofhandssometimesooner，shetouchedhisfingersbutlightlywhenhewentoutnow。Hehadhardlygonefromthedoorwhen，withadissatisfiedlook，shejumpedonaformandopenedtheironcasementofawindowbeneathwhichhewaspassinginthepathwithout。`Whendoyouleaveheretocatchyourtrain，Jude？’sheasked。
　　Helookedupinsomesurprise。`Thecoachthatrunstomeetitgoesinthree-quartersofanhourorso。’
　　`Whatwillyoudowithyourselfforthetime？’
　　`Oh-wanderabout，Isuppose。PerhapsIshallgoandsitintheoldchurch。’
　　`Itdoesseemhardofmetopackyouoffso！Youhavethoughtenoughofchurches，Heavenknows，withoutgoingintooneinthedark。Staythere。’
　　`Where？’
　　`Whereyouare。Icantalktoyoubetterlikethisthanwhenyouwereinside……Itwassokindandtenderofyoutogiveuphalfaday’sworktocometoseeme！……YouareJosephthedreamerofdreams，dearJude。AndatragicDonQuixote。AndsometimesyouareSt。Stephen，who，whiletheywerestoninghim，couldseeHeavenopened。Oh，mypoorfriendandcomrade，you’llsufferyet！’
　　Nowthatthehighwindow-sillwasbetweenthem，sothathecouldnotgetather，sheseemednottomindindulginginafranknessshehadfearedatclosequarters。
　　`Ihavebeenthinking，’shecontinued，stillinthetoneofonebrimfuloffeeling，`thatthesocialmouldscivilizationfitsusintohavenomorerelationtoouractualshapesthantheconventionalshapesoftheconstellationshavetotherealstar-patterns。IamcalledMrs。RichardPhillotson，livingacalmweddedlifewithmycounterpartofthatname。
　　ButIamnotreallyMrs。RichardPhillotson，butawomantossedabout，allalone，withaberrantpassions，andunaccountableantipathies……Nowyoumustn’twaitlonger，oryouwilllosethecoach。Comeandseemeagain。
　　Youmustcometothehousethen。’
　　`Yes！’saidJude。`Whenshallitbe？’
　　`To-morrowweek。Good-bye-good-bye！’Shestretchedoutherhandandstrokedhisforeheadpitifully-justonce。Judesaidgood-bye，andwentawayintothedarkness。
　　PassingalongBimportStreethethoughtheheardthewheelsofthecoachdeparting，and，trulyenough，whenhereachedtheDuke’sArmsintheMarketPlacethecoachhadgone。Itwasimpossibleforhimtogettothestationonfootintimeforthistrain，andhesettledhimselfperforcetowaitforthenext-thelasttoMelchesterthatnight。