`AndI，too，mustupandoff！’repliedtheother，springingoutofbedsosuddenlythatthesoftpartsofherpersonshook。Suejumpedasideintrepidation。`Lord，Iamonlyawoman-notasix-footsojer！……Justamoment，dear，’shecontinued，puttingherhandonSue’sarm。
　　`IreallydidwanttoconsultJudeonalittlematterofbusiness，asI
　　toldhim。Icameaboutthatmorethananythingelse。WouldherunuptospeaktomeatthestationasIamgoing？Youthinknot。Well，I’llwritetohimaboutit。Ididn’twanttowriteit，butnevermind-Iwill。’
　　JudetheObscureChapter37V-iiiWhenSuereachedhomeJudewasawaitingheratthedoortotaketheinitialsteptowardstheirmarriage。Sheclaspedhisarm，andtheywentalongsilentlytogether，astruecomradesoft-timesdo。Hesawthatshewaspreoccupied，andforboretoquestionher。
　　`OhJude-I’vebeentalkingtoher，’shesaidatlast。`IwishIhadn’t！Andyetitisbesttoberemindedofthings。’
　　`Ihopeshewascivil。’
　　`Yes。I-Ican’thelplikingher-justalittlebit！She’snotanungenerousnature；andIamsogladherdifficultieshaveallsuddenlyended。’SheexplainedhowArabellahadbeensummonedback，andwouldbeenabledtoretrieveherposition。`Iwasreferringtoouroldquestion。
　　WhatArabellahasbeensayingtomehasmademefeelmorethaneverhowhopelesslyvulgaraninstitutionlegalmarriageis-asortoftraptocatchaman-Ican’tbeartothinkofit。IwishIhadn’tpromisedtoletyouputupthebannsthismorning！’
　　`Oh，don’tmindme。Anytimewilldoforme。Ithoughtyoumightliketogetitoverquickly，now。’
　　`Indeed，Idon’tfeelanymoreanxiousnowthanIdidbefore。
　　PerhapswithanyothermanImightbealittleanxious；butamongtheveryfewvirtuespossessedbyyourfamilyandmine，dear，IthinkImaysetstaunchness。SoIamnotabitfrightenedaboutlosingyou，nowIreallyamyoursandyoureallyaremine。Infact，IameasierinmymindthanIwas，formyconscienceisclearaboutRichard，whonowhasarighttohisfreedom。Ifeltweweredeceivinghimbefore。’
　　`Sue，youseemwhenyouarelikethistobeoneofthewomenofsomegrandoldcivilization，whomIusedtoreadaboutinmybygone，wasted，classicaldays，ratherthanadenizenofamereChristiancountry。IalmostexpectyoutosayatthesetimesthatyouhavejustbeentalkingtosomefriendwhomyoumetintheViaSacra，aboutthelatestnewsofOctaviaorLivia；orhavebeenlisteningtoAspasia’seloquence，orhavebeenwatchingPraxiteleschisellingawayathislatestVenus，whilePhrynemadecomplaintthatshewastiredofposing。’
　　Theyhadnowreachedthehouseoftheparishclerk。Suestoodback，whileherloverwentuptothedoor。Hishandwasraisedtoknockwhenshesaid：`Jude！’
　　Helookedround。
　　`Waitaminute，wouldyoumind？’
　　Hecamebacktoher。
　　`Justletusthink，’shesaidtimidly。`Ihadsuchahorriddreamonenight！……AndArabella——’
　　`WhatdidArabellasaytoyou？’heasked`Oh，shesaidthatwhenpeopleweretiedupyoucouldgetthelawofamanbetterifhebeatyou-andhowwhencouplesquarrelled……
　　Jude，doyouthinkthatwhenyoumusthavemewithyoubylaw，weshallbesohappyaswearenow？Themenandwomenofourfamilyareverygenerouswheneverythingdependsupontheirgoodwill，buttheyalwayskickagainstcompulsion。Don’tyoudreadtheattitudethatinsensiblyarisesoutoflegalobligation？Don’tyouthinkitisdestructivetoapassionwhoseessenceisitsgratuitousness？’
　　`Uponmyword，love，youarebeginningtofrightenme，too，withallthisforeboding！Well，let’sgobackandthinkitover。’
　　Herfacebrightened。`Yes-sowewill！’saidshe。Andtheyturnedfromtheclerk’sdoor，Suetakinghisarmandmurmuringastheywalkedonhomeward：
　　Canyoukeepthebeefromranging，Orthering-dovesneckfromchanging？
　　No！Norfetter’dlove……Theythoughtitover，orpostponedthinking。Certainlytheypostponedaction，andseemedtoliveoninadreamyparadise。Attheendofafortnightorthreeweeksmattersremainedunadvanced，andnobannswereannouncedtotheearsofanyAldbrickhamcongregation。
　　WhilsttheywerepostponingandpostponingthusaletterandanewspaperarrivedbeforebreakfastonemorningfromArabella。SeeingthehandwritingJudewentuptoSue’sroomandtoldher，andassoonasshewasdressedshehasteneddown。Sueopenedthenewspaper；Judetheletter。
　　Afterglancingatthepapersheheldacrossthefirstpagetohimwithherfingeronaparagraph；buthewassoabsorbedinhisletterthathedidnotturnawhile。
　　`Look！’saidshe。
　　Helookedandread。ThepaperwasonethatcirculatedinSouthLondononly，andthemarkedadvertisementwassimplytheannouncementofamarriageatSt。John’sChurch，WaterlooRoad，underthenames，`CARTLETT-
　　DONN’；theunitedpairbeingArabellaandtheinn-keeper。
　　`Well，itissatisfactory，’saidSuecomplacently。`Though，afterthis，itseemsratherlowtodolikewise，andIamglad。However，sheisprovidedfornowinaway，Isuppose，whateverherfaults，poorthing。
　　Itisnicerthatweareabletothinkthat，thantobeuneasyabouther。
　　Iought，too，towritetoRichardandaskhimhowheisgettingon，perhaps？’
　　ButJude’sattentionwasstillabsorbed。Havingmerelyglancedattheannouncementhesaidinadisturbedvoice：`Listentothisletter。
　　WhatshallIsayordo？’
　　TheThreeHorns，Lambeth。DearJudeIwon’tbesodistantastocallyouMr。Fawley，-Isendto-dayanewspaper，fromwhichusefuldocumentyouwilllearnthatIwasmarriedoveragaintoCartlettlastTuesday。Sothatbusinessissettledrightandtightatlast。ButwhatIwriteaboutmoreparticularisthatprivateaffairIwantedtospeaktoyouonwhenIcamedowntoAldbrickham。Icouldn’tverywelltellittoyourladyfriend，andshouldmuchhavelikedtoletyouknowitbywordofmouth，asIcouldhaveexplainedbetterthanbyletter。Thefactis，Jude，that，thoughIhaveneverinformedyoubefore，therewasaboybornofourmarriage，eightmonthsafterIleftyou，whenIwasatSydney，livingwithmyfatherandmother。Allthatiseasilyprovable。
　　AsIhadseparatedfromyoubeforeIthoughtsuchathingwasgoingtohappen，andIwasoverthere，andourquarrelhadbeensharp，Ididnotthinkitconvenienttowriteaboutthebirth。Iwasthenlookingoutforagoodsituation，somyparentstookthechild，andhehasbeenwiththemeversince。ThatwaswhyIdidnotmentionitwhenImetyouinChristminster，noratthelawproceedings。Heisnowofanintelligentage，ofcourse，andmymotherandfatherhavelatelywrittentosaythat，astheyhaveratherahardstruggleoverthere，andIamsettledcomfortablyhere，theydon’tseewhytheyshouldbeencumberedwiththechildanylonger，hisparentsbeingalive。Iwouldhavehimwithmehereinamoment，butheisnotoldenoughtobeofanyuseinthebarnorwillbeforyearsandyears，andnaturallyCartlettmightthinkhimintheway。Theyhave，however，packedhimofftomeinchargeofsomefriendswhohappenedtobecominghome，andImustaskyoutotakehimwhenhearrives，forIdon’tknowwhattodowithhim。Heislawfullyyours，thatIsolemnlyswear。Ifanybodysaysheisn’t，callthembrimstoneliars，formysake。WhateverImayhavedonebeforeorafterwards，IwashonesttoyoufromthetimeweweremarriedtillIwentaway，andIremain，yours，&；c。，ArabellaCartlett。Sue’slookwasoneofdismay。`Whatwillyoudo，dear？’sheaskedfaintly。
　　Judedidnotreply，andSuewatchedhimanxiously，withheavybreaths。
　　`Ithitsmehard！’saidheinanunder-voice。`Itmaybetrue！Ican’tmakeitout。Certainly，ifhisbirthwasexactlywhenshesays，he’smine。Icannotthinkwhyshedidn’ttellmewhenImetheratChristminster，andcameonherethateveningwithher！……Ah-Idoremembernowthatshesaidsomethingabouthavingathingonhermindthatshewouldlikemetoknow，ifeverwelivedtogetheragain。’
　　`Thepoorchildseemstobewantedbynobody！’Suereplied，andhereyesfilled。
　　Judehadbythistimecometohimself。`Whataviewoflifehemusthave，mineornotmine！’hesaid。`Imustsaythat，ifIwerebetteroff，Ishouldnotstopforamomenttothinkwhosehemightbe。Iwouldtakehimandbringhimup。Thebeggarlyquestionofparentage-whatisit，afterall？Whatdoesitmatter，whenyoucometothinkofit，whetherachildisyoursbybloodornot？Allthelittleonesofourtimearecollectivelythechildrenofusadultsofthetime，andentitledtoourgeneralcare。
　　Thatexcessiveregardofparentsfortheirownchildren，andtheirdislikeofotherpeople’s，is，likeclass-feeling，patriotism，save-your-own-soul-ism，andothervirtues，ameanexclusivenessatbottom。’
　　SuejumpedupandkissedJudewithpassionatedevotion。`Yes-
　　soitis，dearest！Andwe’llhavehimhere！Andifheisn’tyoursitmakesitallthebetter。Idohopeheisn’t-thoughperhapsIoughtnottofeelquitethat！Ifheisn’t，Ishouldlikesomuchforustohavehimasanadoptedchild！’
　　`Well，youmustassumeabouthimwhatismostpleasingtoyou，mycuriouslittlecomrade！’hesaid。`Ifeelthat，anyhow，Idon’tliketoleavetheunfortunatelittlefellowtoneglect。JustthinkofhislifeinaLambethpothouse，andallitsevilinfluences，withaparentwhodoesn’twanthim，andhas，indeed，hardlyseenhim，andastepfatherwhodoesn’tknowhim。`LetthedayperishwhereinIwasborn，andthenightinwhichitwassaid，Thereisamanchildconceived！’That’swhattheboy-myboy，perhaps，willfindhimselfsayingbeforelong！’
　　`Ohno！’
　　`AsIwasthepetitioner，Iamreallyentitledtohiscustody，Isuppose。’
　　`Whetherorno，wemusthavehim。Iseethat。I’lldothebestIcantobeamothertohim，andwecanaffordtokeephimsomehow。I’llworkharder。Iwonderwhenhe’llarrive？’
　　`Inthecourseofafewweeks，Isuppose。’
　　`Iwish-Whenshallwehavecouragetomarry，Jude？’
　　`Wheneveryouhaveit，IthinkIshall。Itremainswithyouentirely，dear。Onlysaytheword，andit’sdone。’
　　`Beforetheboycomes？’
　　`Certainly。’
　　`Itwouldmakeamorenaturalhomeforhim，perhaps，’shemurmured。
　　Judethereuponwroteinpurelyformaltermstorequestthattheboyshouldbesentontothemassoonashearrived，makingnoremarkwhateveronthesurprisingnatureofArabella’sinformation，norvouchsafingasinglewordofopinionontheboy’spaternity，noronwhether，hadheknownallthis，hisconducttowardsherwouldhavebeenquitethesame。
　　Inthedown-trainthatwastimedtoreachAldbrickhamstationaboutteno’clockthenextevening，asmall，palechild’sfacecouldbeseeninthegloomofathird-classcarriage。Hehadlarge，frightenedeyes，andworeawhitewoollencravat，overwhichakeywassuspendedroundhisneckbyapieceofcommonstring：thekeyattractingattentionbyitsoccasionalshineinthelamplight。Inthebandofhishathishalf-ticketwasstuck。
　　Hiseyesremainedmostlyfixedonthebackoftheseatopposite，andneverturnedtothewindowevenwhenastationwasreachedandcalled。Ontheotherseatweretwoorthreepassengers，oneofthemaworkingwomanwhoheldabasketonherlap，inwhichwasatabbykitten。Thewomanopenedthecovernowandthen，whereuponthekittenwouldputoutitshead，andindulgeinplayfulantics。Atthesethefellow-passengerslaughed，exceptthesolitaryboybearingthekeyandticket，who，regardingthekittenwithhissaucereyes，seemedmutelytosay：`Alllaughingcomesfrommisapprehension。
　　Rightlylookedatthereisnolaughablethingunderthesun。’
　　Occasionallyatastoppagetheguardwouldlookintothecompartmentandsaytotheboy，`Allright，myman。Yourboxissafeinthevan。’Theboywouldsay，`Yes，’withoutanimation，wouldtrytosmile，andfail。
　　HewasAgemasqueradingasJuvenility，anddoingitsobadlythathisrealselfshowedthroughcrevices。Aground-swellfromancientyearsofnightseemednowandthentoliftthechildinthishismorning-life，whenhisfacetookabackviewoversomegreatAtlanticofTime，andappearednottocareaboutwhatitsaw。