They had now reached the low levels bordering Alfredston,and passing through the outskirts approached a mill,to which Phillotson said his errand led him;whereupon they drew up,and he alighted,bidding them good-night in a preoccupied mood.
In the meantime Sue,though remarkably successful in her cake-selling experiment at Kennetbridge fair,had lost the temporary brightness which had begun to sit upon her sadness on account of that success.When all her 'Christminster'cakes had been disposed of she took upon her arm the empty basket,and the cloth which had covered the standing she had hired,and giving the other things to the boy left the street with him.They followed a lane to a distance of half a mile,till they met an old woman carrying a child in short clothes,and leading a toddler in the other hand.
Sue kissed the children,and said,'How is he now?'
'Still better!'returned Mrs.Edlin cheerfully.'Before you are upstairs again your husband will be well enough -don't 'ee trouble.'
They turned,and came to some old,dun-tiled cottages with gardens and fruit-trees.Into one of these they entered by lifting the latch without knocking,and were at once in the general living-room.Here they greeted Jude,who was sitting in an arm-chair,the increased delicacy of his normally delicate features,and the childishly expectant look in his eyes,being alone sufficient to show that he had been passing through a severe illness.
'What -you have sold them all?'he said,a gleam of interest lighting up his face.
'Yes.Arcades,gables,east windows and all.'She told him the pecuniary results,and then hesitated.At last,when they were left alone,she informed him of the unexpected meeting with Arabella,and the latter's widowhood.
Jude was discomposed.'What -is she living here?'he said.
'No;at Alfredston,'said Sue.
Jude's countenance remained clouded.'I thought I had better tell you?'she continued,kissing him anxiously.
'Yes....Dear me!Arabella not in the depths of London,but down here!It is only a little over a dozen miles across the country to Alfredston.
What is she doing there?'
She told him all she knew.'She has taken to chapel-going,'Sue added;'and talks accordingly.'
'Well,'said Jude,'perhaps it is for the best that we have almost decided to move on.I feel much better to-day,and shall be well enough to leave in a week or two.Then Mrs.Edlin can go home again -dear faithful old soul -the only friend we have in the world!'
'Where do you think to go to?'Sue asked,a troublousness in her tones.
Then Jude confessed what was in his mind.He said it would surprise her,perhaps,after his having resolutely avoided all the old places for so long.But one thing and another had made him think a great deal of Christminster lately,and,if she didn't mind,he would like to go back there.Why should they care if they were known?It was oversensitive of them to mind so much.
They could go on selling cakes there,for that matter,if he couldn't work.
He had no sense of shame at mere poverty;and perhaps he would be as strong as ever soon,and able to set up stone-cutting for himself there.
'Why should you care so much for Christminster?'she said pensively.
'Christminster cares nothing for you,poor dear!'
'Well,I do,I can't help it.I love the place -although I know how it hates all men like me -the so-called self-taught,-how it scorns our laboured acquisitions,when it should be the first to respect them;how it sneers at our false quantities and mispronunciations,when it should say,I see you want help,my poor friend!...Nevertheless,it is the centre of the universe to me,because of my early dream:and nothing can alter it.Perhaps it will soon wake up,and be generous.I pray so!...I should like to go back to live there -perhaps to die there!In two or three weeks I might,I think.It will then be June,and I should like to be there by a particular day.'
His hope that he was recovering proved so far well grounded that in three weeks they had arrived in the city of many memories;were actually treading its pavements,receiving the reflection of the sunshine from its wasting walls.
