Jude the Obsure

"He has been so good in letting me go," she resumed. "And here's a

note I found on my dressing-table, addressed to you."

"Yes. He's not an unworthy fellow," said Jude, glancing at the note.

"And I am ashamed of myself for hating him because he married you."

"According to the rule of women's whims I suppose I ought to suddenly

love him, because he has let me go so generously and unexpectedly,"

she answered smiling. "But I am so cold, or devoid of gratitude, or

so something, that even this generosity hasn't made me love him, or

repent, or want to stay with him as his wife; although I do feel I

like his large-mindedness, and respect him more than ever."

"It may not work so well for us as if he had been less kind, and you

had run away against his will," murmured Jude.

"That I NEVER would have done."

Jude's eyes rested musingly on her face. Then he suddenly kissed

her; and was going to kiss her again. "No--only once now--please,

Jude!"

"That's rather cruel," he answered; but acquiesced. "Such a strange

thing has happened to me," Jude continued after a silence. "Arabella

has actually written to ask me to get a divorce from her--in kindness

to her, she says. She wants to honestly and legally marry that man

she has already married virtually; and begs me to enable her to do

it."

"What have you done?"

"I have agreed. I thought at first I couldn't do it without getting

her into trouble about that second marriage, and I don't want to

injure her in any way. Perhaps she's no worse than I am, after all!

But nobody knows about it over here, and I find it will not be a

difficult proceeding at all. If she wants to start afresh I have

only too obvious reasons for not hindering her."

"Then you'll be free?"

"Yes, I shall be free."

"Where are we booked for?" she asked, with the discontinuity that

marked her to-night.

"Aldbrickham, as I said."

"But it will be very late when we get there?"

"Yes. I thought of that, and I wired for a room for us at the

Temperance Hotel there."

"One?"

"Yes--one."

She looked at him. "Oh Jude!" Sue bent her forehead against the

corner of the compartment. "I thought you might do it; and that I

was deceiving you. But I didn't mean that!"