第20章

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。’