Jude the Obsure

He found an ample supply of theological books in the city book-shops,

and with these his studies were recommenced in a different spirit and

direction from his former course. As a relaxation from the Fathers,

and such stock works as Paley and Butler, he read Newman, Pusey, and

many other modern lights. He hired a harmonium, set it up in his

lodging, and practised chants thereon, single and double.

II

"To-morrow is our grand day, you know. Where shall we go?"

"I have leave from three till nine. Wherever we can get to and come

back from in that time. Not ruins, Jude--I don't care for them."

"Well--Wardour Castle. And then we can do Fonthill if we like--all

in the same afternoon."

"Wardour is Gothic ruins--and I hate Gothic!"

"No. Quite otherwise. It is a classic building--Corinthian, I

think; with a lot of pictures."

"Ah--that will do. I like the sound of Corinthian. We'll go."

Their conversation had run thus some few weeks later, and next

morning they prepared to start. Every detail of the outing was

a facet reflecting a sparkle to Jude, and he did not venture to

meditate on the life of inconsistency he was leading. His Sue's

conduct was one lovely conundrum to him; he could say no more.

There duly came the charm of calling at the college door for her; her

emergence in a nunlike simplicity of costume that was rather enforced

than desired; the traipsing along to the station, the porters'

"B'your leave!," the screaming of the trains--everything formed the

basis of a beautiful crystallization. Nobody stared at Sue, because

she was so plainly dressed, which comforted Jude in the thought that

only himself knew the charms those habiliments subdued. A matter

of ten pounds spent in a drapery-shop, which had no connection

with her real life or her real self, would have set all Melchester

staring. The guard of the train thought they were lovers, and put

them into a compartment all by themselves.

"That's a good intention wasted!" said she.

Jude did not respond. He thought the remark unnecessarily cruel,

and partly untrue.

They reached the park and castle and wandered through the

picture-galleries, Jude stopping by preference in front of the

devotional pictures by Del Sarto, Guido Reni, Spagnoletto,

Sassoferrato, Carlo Dolci, and others. Sue paused patiently beside

him, and stole critical looks into his face as, regarding the

Virgins, Holy Families, and Saints, it grew reverent and abstracted.

When she had thoroughly estimated him at this, she would move on and

wait for him before a Lely or Reynolds. It was evident that her

cousin deeply interested her, as one might be interested in a man

puzzling out his way along a labyrinth from which one had one's self

escaped.