Jude the Obsure

Their eyes followed the movements of the little girl as she spread

the breakfast-cloth on the table they had been using, without wiping

up the slops of the liquor. The curtains were undrawn, and the

expression of the house made to look like morning. Some of the

guests, however, fell asleep in their chairs. One or two went to the

door, and gazed along the street more than once. Tinker Taylor was

the chief of these, and after a time he came in with a leer on his

face.

"By Gad, they are coming! I think the deed's done!"

"No," said Uncle Joe, following him in. "Take my word, he turned

rusty at the last minute. They are walking in a very unusual way;

and that's the meaning of it!"

They waited in silence till the wedding-party could be heard entering

the house. First into the room came Arabella boisterously; and her

face was enough to show that her strategy had succeeded.

"Mrs. Fawley, I presume?" said Tinker Taylor with mock courtesy.

"Certainly. Mrs. Fawley again," replied Arabella blandly, pulling

off her glove and holding out her left hand. "There's the padlock,

see... Well, he was a very nice, gentlemanly man indeed. I mean

the clergyman. He said to me as gentle as a babe when all was done:

'Mrs. Fawley, I congratulate you heartily,' he says. 'For having

heard your history, and that of your husband, I think you have both

done the right and proper thing. And for your past errors as a wife,

and his as a husband, I think you ought now to be forgiven by the

world, as you have forgiven each other,' says he. Yes: he was a very

nice, gentlemanly man. 'The Church don't recognize divorce in her

dogma, strictly speaking,' he says: 'and bear in mind the words of

the service in your goings out and your comings in: What God hath

joined together let no man put asunder.' Yes: he was a very nice,

gentlemanly man... But, Jude, my dear, you were enough to make a cat

laugh! You walked that straight, and held yourself that steady, that

one would have thought you were going 'prentice to a judge; though I

knew you were seeing double all the time, from the way you fumbled

with my finger."

"I said I'd do anything to--save a woman's honour," muttered Jude.

"And I've done it!"

"Well now, old deary, come along and have some breakfast."

"I want--some--more whisky," said Jude stolidly.