Page:Hardy - Jude the Obscure, 1896.djvu/226

 "No doubt you will!"

"Was it like this when you were married?"

"Good God, Sue—don't be so awfully merciless!... There, dear one, I didn't mean it!"

"Ah—you are vexed!" she said, regretfully, as she blinked away an access of eye moisture moisture. "And I promised never to vex you!... I suppose I ought not to have asked you to bring me in here. Oh, I oughtn't! I see it now. My curiosity to hunt up a new sensation always leads me into these scrapes. Forgive me!... You will, won't you, Jude?"

The appeal was so remorseful that Jude's eyes were even wetter than hers as he pressed her hand for Yes.

"Now we'll hurry away, and I won't do it any more!" she continued, humbly; and they came out of the building, Sue intending to go on to the station to meet Phillotson. But the first person they encountered on entering the main street was the school-master himself, whose train had arrived sooner than Sue expected. There was nothing really to demur to in her leaning on Jude's arm; but she withdrew her hand, and Jude thought that Phillotson had looked surprised.

"We have been doing such a funny thing!" said she, smiling candidly. "We've been to the church, rehearsing, as it were. Haven't we, Jude?"

"How?" said Phillotson, curiously.

Jude inwardly deplored what he thought to be unnecessary frankness; but she had gone too far not to explain all, which she accordingly did, telling him how they had marched up to the altar.

Seeing how puzzled Phillotson seemed, Jude said, as cheerfully as he could, "I am going to buy her another little present. Will you both come to the shop with me?"

"No," said Sue, "I'll go on to the house with him." And requesting her lover not to be a long time, she departed with the school-master.

Jude soon joined them at his rooms, and shortly after