第30章

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’titenoughtomakeoneblasphemethatthecomposerofthathymnisoneofthemostcommonplacemenIeve