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He had that afternoon driven in a cart from Alfredston to the village nearest the city in this direction, and was now walking the remaining four miles rather from choice than from necessity, having always fancied himself arriving thus.
One week's end Jude was as usual walking out to his aunt's at Marygreen from his lodging in Alfredston, a walk which now had large attractions for him quite other than his desire to see his aged and morose relative.
"Well that tale, ye know; he that was gibbeted just on the brow of the hill by the Brown House not far from the milestone between Marygreen and Alfredston, where the other road branches off. But Lord, 'twas in my grandfather's time; and it medn' have been one of your folk at all." "I know where the gibbet is said to have stood, very well," murmured Jude. "But I never heard of this.
They looked away from each other to hide their emotion, took each other's hand without further speech, and went on together awhile, till she glanced at him with furtive solicitude. "I arrived at Alfredston station last night, as you asked me to, and there was nobody to meet me! But I reached Marygreen alone, and they told me Aunt was a trifle better.
He longed for the hour of the homeward train to Alfredston, where he might probably meet Sue.
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.
"I'll stay I won't be unkind!" she said, her mouth quivering and her tears flowing as she allowed him to come closer. "But why did you come, and do this wrong thing, after doing such a right thing as you have done?" "What right thing?" "Marrying Arabella again. It was in the Alfredston paper. She has never been other than yours, Jude in a proper sense.
"I had a letter from Anny at Alfredston to-day. She had just heard that the wedding was to be yesterday: but she didn't know if it had come off." "I don't wish to talk of it." "No, no: of course you don't. Only it shows what kind of woman " "Don't speak of her I say! She's a fool! And she's an angel, too, poor dear!"
He had no money left in his pocket, his small savings, deposited at one of the banks in Christminster, having fortunately been left untouched. To get to Marygreen, therefore, his only course was walking; and the distance being nearly twenty miles, he had ample time to complete on the way the sobering process begun in him. At some hour of the evening he reached Alfredston.
There was a stone-mason of a humble kind in Alfredston, and as soon as he had found a substitute for himself in his aunt's little business, he offered his services to this man for a trifling wage. Here Jude had the opportunity of learning at least the rudiments of freestone-working.
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