Jude the Obsure

"How are you now, dear?" said she. "It is I--Arabella."

"Ah!--where--oh yes, I remember! You gave me shelter... I am

stranded--ill--demoralized--damn bad! That's what I am!"

"Then do stay here. There's nobody in the house but father and me,

and you can rest till you are thoroughly well. I'll tell them at

the stoneworks that you are knocked up."

"I wonder what they are thinking at the lodgings!"

"I'll go round and explain. Perhaps you had better let me pay up, or

they'll think we've run away?"

"Yes. You'll find enough money in my pocket there."

Quite indifferent, and shutting his eyes because he could not bear

the daylight in his throbbing eye-balls, Jude seemed to doze again.

Arabella took his purse, softly left the room, and putting on her

outdoor things went off to the lodgings she and he had quitted the

evening before.

Scarcely half an hour had elapsed ere she reappeared round the

corner, walking beside a lad wheeling a truck on which were piled all

Jude's household possessions, and also the few of Arabella's things

which she had taken to the lodging for her short sojourn there.

Jude was in such physical pain from his unfortunate break-down of

the previous night, and in such mental pain from the loss of Sue and

from having yielded in his half-somnolent state to Arabella, that

when he saw his few chattels unpacked and standing before his eyes in

this strange bedroom, intermixed with woman's apparel, he scarcely

considered how they had come there, or what their coming signalized.

"Now," said Arabella to her father downstairs, "we must keep plenty

of good liquor going in the house these next few days. I know his

nature, and if he once gets into that fearfully low state that he

does get into sometimes, he'll never do the honourable thing by me

in this world, and I shall be left in the lurch. He must be kept

cheerful. He has a little money in the savings bank, and he has

given me his purse to pay for anything necessary. Well, that will

be the licence; for I must have that ready at hand, to catch him

the moment he's in the humour. You must pay for the liquor. A few

friends, and a quiet convivial party would be the thing, if we could

get it up. It would advertise the shop, and help me too."

"That can be got up easy enough by anybody who'll afford victuals and

drink... Well yes--it would advertise the shop--that's true."