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The next afternoon the familiar Christminster fog still hung over all things. Sue's slim shape was only just discernible going towards the station. Jude had no heart to go to his work that day. Neither could he go anywhere in the direction by which she would be likely to pass.
"At present intellect in Christminster is pushing one way, and religion the other; and so they stand stock-still, like two rams butting each other." "What would Mr. Phillotson " "It is a place full of fetishists and ghost-seers!" He noticed that whenever he tried to speak of the schoolmaster she turned the conversation to some generalizations about the offending university.
He seemed to see his way to living comfortably in Christminster in the course of a year or two, and knocking at the doors of one of those strongholds of learning of which he had dreamed so much. He might, of course, have gone there now, in some capacity or other, but he preferred to enter the city with a little more assurance as to means than he could be said to feel at present.
The blacksmith, the farm bailiff, and the schoolmaster himself were standing in perplexed attitudes in the parlour before the instrument. The master had remarked that even if he got it into the cart he should not know what to do with it on his arrival at Christminster, the city he was bound for, since he was only going into temporary lodgings just at first.
That episode in her past history of which she had told him of the poor Christminster graduate whom she had handled thus, returned to Jude's mind; and he saw himself as a possible second in such a torturing destiny. "This is a queer elopement!" he murmured. "Perhaps you are making a cat's paw of me with Phillotson all this time. Upon my word it almost seems so to see you sitting up there so prim!"
"He's for Christminster, I hear, as soon as he can get there." "Have you heard that lately quite lately?" asked Arabella with a jealous, tigerish indrawing of breath. "Oh no! But it has been known a long time that it is his plan. He's on'y waiting here for an opening. Ah well: he must walk about with somebody, I s'pose. Young men don't mean much now-a-days.
I have staying power in abundance, thank God! and it is that which tells.... Yes, Christminster shall be my Alma Mater; and I'll be her beloved son, in whom she shall be well pleased." In his deep concentration on these transactions of the future Jude's walk had slackened, and he was now standing quite still, looking at the ground as though the future were thrown thereon by a magic lantern.
His fixed idea was to get away to some obscure spot and hide, and perhaps pray; and the only spot which occurred to him was Marygreen. He called at his lodging in Christminster, where he found awaiting him a note of dismissal from his employer; and having packed up he turned his back upon the city that had been such a thorn in his side, and struck southward into Wessex.
Next morning, according, he went on to Christminster, intending to return to Alfredston soon enough to keep the suggested appointment with Sue. The city of learning wore an estranged look, and he had lost all feeling for its associations.
When he had wistfully watched the workmen for some time he took courage, and ascended the ladder till he stood beside them. "Well, my lad, and what may you want up here?" "I wanted to know where the city of Christminster is, if you please." "Christminster is out across there, by that clump. You can see it at least you can on a clear day. Ah, no, you can't now."