第46章

Theywentbacktowheretheotherswerestanding，talkinginundertones：

andonesaid-Suecouldnothearwhich-`She’shiswife，Isuppose？’

`SomesayYes：somesayNo，’wasthereplyfromthecharwoman。

`Not？Thensheoughttobe，orsomebody’s-that’sveryclear！’

`They’veonlybeenmarriedaveryfewweeks，whetherorno。’

`AstrangepairtobepaintingtheTwoTables！IwonderBilesandWilliscouldthinkofsuchathingashiringthose！’

ThechurchwardensupposedthatBilesandWillisknewofnothingwrong，andthentheother，whohadbeentalkingtotheoldwoman，explainedwhatshemeantbycallingthemstrangepeople。

Theprobabledriftofthesubduedconversationwhichfollowedwasmadeplainbythechurchwardenbreakingintoananecdote，inavoicethateverybodyinthechurchcouldhear，thoughobviouslysuggestedbythepresentsituation：

`Well，now，itisacuriousthing，butmygrandfathertoldmeastrangetaleofamostimmoralcasethathappenedatthepaintingoftheCommandmentsinachurchoutbyGaymead-whichisquitewithinawalkofthisone。InthemdaysCommandmentsweremostlydoneingiltlettersonablackground，andthat’showtheywereoutwhereIsay，beforetheowldchurchwasrebuilded。ItmusthavebeensomewhereaboutahundredyearsagothatthemCommandmentswanteddoingupjustasoursdohere，andtheyhadtogetmenfromAldbrickhamtodo’em。NowtheywishedtogetthejobfinishedbyaparticularSunday，sothemenhadtoworklateSaturdaynight，againsttheirwill，forovertimewasnotpaidthenas’tisnow。Therewasnotruereligioninthecountryatthatdate，neitheramongpa’sons，clerks，norpeople，andtokeepthemenuptotheirworkthevicarhadtolet’emhaveplentyofdrinkduringtheafternoon。Aseveningdrawedontheysentforsomemorethemselves；rum，byallaccount。Itgotlaterandlater，andtheygotmoreandmorefuddled，tillatlasttheywenta-puttingtheirrum-bottleandrummersuponthecommuniontable，anddrawedupatrestleortwo，andsateroundcomfortableandpouredoutagainrightheartybumpers。Nosoonerhadtheytossedofftheirglassesthan，sothestorygoestheyfelldownsenseless，oneandall。Howlongtheybodesotheydidn’tknow，butwhentheycametothemselvestherewasaterriblethunder-storma-raging，andtheyseemedtoseeinthegloomadarkfigurewithverythinlegsandacuriousvoot，a-standingontheladder，andfinishingtheirwork。Whenitgotdaylighttheycouldseethattheworkwasreallyfinished，andcouldn’tatallmindfinishingitthemselves。Theywenthome，andthenextthingtheyheardwasthatagreatscandalhadbeencausedinthechurchthatSundaymorning，forwhenthepeoplecameandservicebegan，allsawthattheTenCommandmentswezpaintedwiththe`nots’leftout。Decentpeoplewouldn’tattendservicethereforalongtime，andtheBishophadtobesentfortoreconsecratethechurch。That’sthetraditionasIusedtohearitasachild。Youmusttakeitforwhatitiswo’th，butthiscaseto-dayhasremindedmeo’t，asIsay。’

Thevisitorsgaveonemoreglance，asiftoseewhetherJudeandSuehadleftthe`nots’outlikewise，andthenseverallyleftthechurch，eventheoldwomanatlast。SueandJude，whohadnotstoppedworking，sentbackthechildtoschool，andremainedwithoutspeaking；till，lookingathernarrowly，hefoundshehadbeencryingsilently。

`Nevermind，comrade！’hesaid。`Iknowwhatitis！’

`Ican’tbearthatthey，andeverybody，shouldthinkpeoplewickedbecausetheymayhavechosentolivetheirownway！Itisreallytheseopinionsthatmakethebestintentionedpeoplereckless，andactuallybecomeimmoral！’

`Neverbecastdown！Itwasonlyafunnystory。’

`Ah，butwesuggestedit！IamafraidIhavedoneyoumischief，Jude，insteadofhelpingyoubycoming！’

Tohavesuggestedsuchastorywascertainlynotveryexhilarating，inaseriousviewoftheirposition。However，inafewminutesSueseemedtoseethattheirpositionthismorninghadaludicrousside，andwipinghereyesshelaughed。

`Itisdroll，afterall，’shesaid，`thatwetwo，ofallpeople，withourqueerhistory，shouldhappentobeherepaintingtheTenCom