Jude replied that he had not the least objection to her going. He
thought it a wise course, since she wished to go, and one that might
be to the advantage of both. He enclosed in the packet containing
the letter the money that had been realized by the sale of the pig,
with all he had besides, which was not much.
From that day he heard no more of her except indirectly, though her
father and his household did not immediately leave, but waited till
his goods and other effects had been sold off. When Jude learnt
that there was to be an auction at the house of the Donns he packed
his own household goods into a waggon, and sent them to her at the
aforesaid homestead, that she might sell them with the rest, or as
many of them as she should choose.
He then went into lodgings at Alfredston, and saw in a shopwindow the
little handbill announcing the sale of his father-in-law's furniture.
He noted its date, which came and passed without Jude's going near
the place, or perceiving that the traffic out of Alfredston by
the southern road was materially increased by the auction. A few
days later he entered a dingy broker's shop in the main street
of the town, and amid a heterogeneous collection of saucepans, a
clothes-horse, rolling-pin, brass candlestick, swing looking-glass,
and other things at the back of the shop, evidently just brought in
from a sale, he perceived a framed photograph, which turned out to be
his own portrait.
It was one which he had had specially taken and framed by a local man
in bird's-eye maple, as a present for Arabella, and had duly given
her on their wedding-day. On the back was still to be read, "_Jude
to Arabella_," with the date. She must have thrown it in with the
rest of her property at the auction.
"Oh," said the broker, seeing him look at this and the other articles
in the heap, and not perceiving that the portrait was of himself:
"It is a small lot of stuff that was knocked down to me at a cottage
sale out on the road to Marygreen. The frame is a very useful one,
if you take out the likeness. You shall have it for a shilling."
The utter death of every tender sentiment in his wife, as brought
home to him by this mute and undesigned evidence of her sale of
his portrait and gift, was the conclusive little stroke required
to demolish all sentiment in him. He paid the shilling, took the
photograph away with him, and burnt it, frame and all, when he
reached his lodging.