第53章

Somefewdayslater，intheduskofthesummerevening，theyweresittinginthesamesmallroomdown-stairs，whenaknockcametothefrontdoorofthecarpenter’shousewheretheywerelodging，andinafewmomentstherewasatapatthedooroftheirroom。Beforetheycouldopenitthecomerdidso，andawoman’sformappeared。

`IsMr。Fawleyhere？’

JudeandSuestartedashemechanicallyrepliedintheaffirmative，forthevoicewasArabella’s。

Heformallyrequestedhertocomein，andshesatdowninthewindowbench，wheretheycoulddistinctlyseeheroutlineagainstthelight；

butnocharacteristicthatenabledthemtoestimatehergeneralaspectandair。Yetsomethingseemedtodenotethatshewasnotquitesocomfortablycircumstanced，norsobouncinglyattired，asshehadbeenduringCartlett’slifetime。

Thethreeattemptedanawkwardconversationaboutthetragedy，ofwhichJudehadfeltittobehisdutytoinformherimmediately，thoughshehadneverrepliedtohisletter。

`Ihavejustcomefromthecemetery，’shesaid。`Iinquiredandfoundthechild’sgrave。Icouldn’tcometothefuneral-thankyouforinvitingmeallthesame。Ireadallaboutitinthepapers，andIfeltIwasn’twanted……No-Icouldn’tcometothefuneral，’repeatedArabella，who，seemingutterlyunabletoreachtheidealofacatastrophicmanner，fumbledwithiterations。`ButIamgladIfoundthegrave。As’tisyourtrade，Jude，you’llbeabletoputupahandsomestoneto’em。’

`Ishallputupaheadstone，’saidJudedrearily。

`Hewasmychild，andnaturallyIfeelforhim。’

`Ihopeso。Wealldid。’

`Theothersthatweren’tmineIdidn’tfeelsomuchfor，aswasnatural。’

`Ofcourse。’

AsighcamefromthedarkcornerwhereSuesat。

`IhadoftenwishedIhadminewithme，’continuedMrs。Cartlett。

`Perhaps’twouldn’thavehappenedthen！ButofcourseIdidn’twishtotakehimawayfromyourwife。’

`Iamnothiswife，’camefromSue。

TheunexpectednessofherwordsstruckJudesilent。

`Oh，Ibegyourpardon，I’msure，’saidArabella。`Ithoughtyouwere！’

JudehadknownfromthequalityofSue’stonethathernewandtranscendentalviewslurkedinherwords；butallexcepttheirobviousmeaningwas，naturally，missedbyArabella。Thelatter，afterevincingthatshewasstruckbySue’savowal，recoveredherself，andwentontotalkwithplacidbluntnessabout`her’boy，forwhom，thoughinhislifetimeshehadshownnocareatall，shenowexhibitedaceremonialmournfulnessthatwasapparentlysustainingtotheconscience。Shealludedtothepast，andinmakingsomeremarkappealedagaintoSue。Therewasnoanswer：Suehadinvisiblylefttheroom。

`Shesaidshewasnotyourwife？’resumedArabellainanothervoice。`Whyshouldshedothat？’

`Icannotinformyou，’saidJudeshortly。

`Sheis，isn’tshe？Sheoncetoldmeso。’

`Idon’tcriticizewhatshesays。’

`Ah-Isee！Well，mytimeisup。Iamstayinghereto-night，andthoughtIcoulddonolessthancall，afterourmutualaffliction。

IamsleepingattheplacewhereIusedtobebarmaid，andto-morrowI

gobacktoAlfredston。Fatheriscomehomeagain，andIamlivingwithhim。’

`HehasreturnedfromAustralia？’saidJudewithlanguidcuriosity。

`Yes。Couldn’tgetonthere。Hadaroughtimeofit。Motherdiedofdys-whatdoyoucallit-inthehotweather，andFatherandtwooftheyoungoneshavejustgotback。Hehasgotacottageneartheoldplace，andforthepresentIamkeepinghouseforhim。’

Jude’sformerwifehadmaintainedastereotypedmannerofstrictgoodbreedingevennowthatSuewasgone，andlimitedherstaytoanumberofminutesthatshouldaccordwiththehighestrespectability。WhenshehaddepartedJude，muchrelieved，wenttothestairsandcalledSue-feelinganxiousastowhathadbecomeofher。

Therewasnoanswer，andthecarpenterwhokeptthelodgingssaidshehadnotcomein。Judewaspuzzled，andbecamequitealarmedatherabsence，forthehourwasgrowinglate。Thecarpenterc