"Oh I suppose not. She looks quite a girl."
"They are only lovers, or lately married, and have the child in
charge, as anybody can see."
All continued to move ahead. The unwitting Sue and Jude, the couple
in question, had determined to make this agricultural exhibition
within twenty miles of their own town the occasion of a day's
excursion which should combine exercise and amusement with
instruction, at small expense. Not regardful of themselves alone,
they had taken care to bring Father Time, to try every means of
making him kindle and laugh like other boys, though he was to
some extent a hindrance to the delightfully unreserved intercourse
in their pilgrimages which they so much enjoyed. But they soon
ceased to consider him an observer, and went along with that tender
attention to each other which the shyest can scarcely disguise, and
which these, among entire strangers as they imagined, took less
trouble to disguise than they might have done at home. Sue, in her
new summer clothes, flexible and light as a bird, her little thumb
stuck up by the stem of her white cotton sunshade, went along as if
she hardly touched ground, and as if a moderately strong puff of wind
would float her over the hedge into the next field. Jude, in his
light grey holiday-suit, was really proud of her companionship, not
more for her external attractiveness than for her sympathetic words
and ways. That complete mutual understanding, in which every glance
and movement was as effectual as speech for conveying intelligence
between them, made them almost the two parts of a single whole.
The pair with their charge passed through the turnstiles, Arabella
and her husband not far behind them. When inside the enclosure the
publican's wife could see that the two ahead began to take trouble
with the youngster, pointing out and explaining the many objects of
interest, alive and dead; and a passing sadness would touch their
faces at their every failure to disturb his indifference.
"How she sticks to him!" said Arabella. "Oh no--I fancy they are not
married, or they wouldn't be so much to one another as that... I
wonder!"
"But I thought you said he did marry her?"
"I heard he was going to--that's all, going to make another attempt,
after putting it off once or twice... As far as they themselves are
concerned they are the only two in the show. I should be ashamed of
making myself so silly if I were he!"
"I don't see as how there's anything remarkable in their behaviour.
I should never have noticed their being in love, if you hadn't said
so."