He leant back, and did not look at her for a long time. 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!'

`Now you mustn't be angry - I won't let you!' she coaxed, turning and moving nearer to him. `You did kiss me just now, you know; and I didn't dislike you to, I own it, Jude. Only I don't want to let you do it again, just yet - considering how we are circumstanced, don't you see!'

He could never resist her when she pleaded (as she well knew). And they sat side by side with joined hands, till she aroused herself at some thought.

`I can't possibly go to that Temperance Inn, after your telegraphing that message!'

`Why not?'

`You can see well enough!'

`Very well; there'll be some other one open, no doubt. I have sometimes thought, since your marrying Phillotson because of a stupid scandal, that under the affectation of independent views you are as enslaved to the social code as any woman I know!'

`Not mentally. But I haven't the courage of my views, as I said before. I didn't marry him altogether because of the scandal. But sometimes a woman's love of being loved gets the better of her conscience, and though she is agonized at the thought of treating a man cruelly, she encourages him to love her while she doesn't love him at all. Then, when she sees him suffering, her remorse sets in, and she does what she can to repair the wrong.'

`You simply mean that you flirted outrageously with him, poor old chap, and then repented, and to make reparation, married him, though you tortured yourself to death by doing it.'

`Well - if you will put it brutally! - it was a little like that - that and the scandal together - and your concealing from me what you ought to have told me before!'

He could see that she was distressed and tearful at his criticisms, and soothed her, saying: `There, dear; don't mind! Crucify me, if you will! You know you are all the world to me, whatever you do!'

`I am very bad and unprincipled - I know you think that!' she said, trying to blink away her tears.

`I think and know you are my dear Sue, from whom neither length nor breadth, nor things present nor things to come, can divide me!'

Though so sophisticated in many things she was such a child in others that this satisfied her, and they reached the end of their journey on the best of terms. It was about ten o'clock when they arrived at Aldbrickham, the county town of North Wessex. As she would not go to the Temperance Hotel because of the form of his telegram, Jude inquired for another; and a youth who volunteered to find one wheeled their luggage to the George farther on, which proved to be the inn at which Jude had stayed with Arabella on that one occasion of their meeting after their division for years.

Owing, however, to their now entering it by another door, and to his preoccupation, he did not at first recognize the place. When they had engaged their respective rooms they went down to a late supper. During Jude's temporary absence the waiting-maid spoke to Sue.