As it would be necessary that he should continue for a time to work
at his trade while reading up Divinity, which he had neglected at
Christminster for the ordinary classical grind, what better course
for him than to get employment at the further city, and pursue this
plan of reading? That his excessive human interest in the new place
was entirely of Sue's making, while at the same time Sue was to be
regarded even less than formerly as proper to create it, had an
ethical contradictoriness to which he was not blind. But that much
he conceded to human frailty, and hoped to learn to love her only as
a friend and kinswoman.
He considered that he might so mark out his coming years as to begin
his ministry at the age of thirty--an age which much attracted him as
being that of his exemplar when he first began to teach in Galilee.
This would allow him plenty of time for deliberate study, and for
acquiring capital by his trade to help his aftercourse of keeping the
necessary terms at a theological college.
Christmas had come and passed, and Sue had gone to the Melchester
Normal School. The time was just the worst in the year for Jude to
get into new employment, and he had written suggesting to her that
he should postpone his arrival for a month or so, till the days had
lengthened. She had acquiesced so readily that he wished he had not
proposed it--she evidently did not much care about him, though she
had never once reproached him for his strange conduct in coming to
her that night, and his silent disappearance. Neither had she ever
said a word about her relations with Mr. Phillotson.
Suddenly, however, quite a passionate letter arrived from Sue.
She was quite lonely and miserable, she told him. She hated the
place she was in; it was worse than the ecclesiastical designer's;
worse than anywhere. She felt utterly friendless; could he come
immediately?--though when he did come she would only be able to
see him at limited times, the rules of the establishment she found
herself in being strict to a degree. It was Mr. Phillotson who had
advised her to come there, and she wished she had never listened to
him.
Phillotson's suit was not exactly prospering, evidently; and Jude
felt unreasonably glad. He packed up his things and went to
Melchester with a lighter heart than he had known for months.
This being the turning over a new leaf he duly looked about for
a temperance hotel, and found a little establishment of that
description in the street leading from the station. When he had
had something to eat he walked out into the dull winter light over
the town bridge, and turned the corner towards the Close. The
day was foggy, and standing under the walls of the most graceful
architectural pile in England he paused and looked up. The lofty
building was visible as far as the roofridge; above, the dwindling
spire rose more and more remotely, till its apex was quite lost in
the mist drifting across it.