(`Hurrah!')

`Let that day be darkness; let not god regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it. Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein.'

(`Hurrah!')

`Why died I not from the womb? Why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly? ... For now should I have lain still and been quiet. I should have slept: then had I been at rest!'

(`Hurrah!')

`There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.... the small and the great are there; and the servant is free from his master. Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul?'

Meanwhile Arabella, in her journey to discover what was going on, took a short cut down a narrow street and through an obscure nook into the quad of Cardinal. It was full of bustle, and brilliant in the sunlight with flowers and other preparations for a ball here also. A carpenter nodded to her, one who had formerly been a fellow-workman of Jude's. A corridor was in course of erection from the entrance to the hall staircase, of gay red and buff bunting. Waggon-loads of boxes containing bright plants in full bloom were being placed about, and the great staircase was covered with red cloth. She nodded to one workman and another, and ascended to the hall on the strength of their acquaintance, where they were putting down a new floor and decorating for the dance.

The cathedral bell close at hand was sounding for five o'clock service.

`I should not mind having a spin there with a fellow's arm round my waist,' she said to one of the men. `But Lord, I must be getting home again - there's a lot to do. No dancing for me!'

When she reached home she was met at the door by Stagg, and one or two other of Jude's fellow stoneworkers. `We are just going down to the river,' said the former, `to see the boat-bumping. But we've called round on our way to ask how your husband is.'

`He's sleeping nicely, thank you,' said Arabella.

`That's right. Well now, can't you give yourself half an hour's relaxation, Mrs. Fawley, and come along with us? 'Twould do you good.'

`I should like to go,' said she. `I've never seen the boat-racing, and I hear it is good fun.'

`Come along!'

`How I wish I could!' She looked longingly down the street. `Wait a minute, then. I'll just run up and see how he is now. Father is with him, I believe; so I can most likely come.'

They waited, and she entered. Downstairs the inmates were absent as before, having, in fact, gone in a body to the river where the procession of boats was to pass. When she reached the bedroom she found that her father had not even now come.

`Why couldn't he have been here!' she said impatiently. `He wants to see the boats himself - that's what it is!'

However, on looking round to the bed she brightened, for she saw that Jude was apparently sleeping, though he was not in the usual half-elevated posture necessitated by his cough. He had slipped down, and lay flat. A second glance caused her to start, and she went to the bed. His face was quite white,