They told him it was a red brick building some little way further on.

Also that the gentleman himself had just passed along the street not

five minutes before.

"Which way?" asked Jude with alacrity.

"Straight along homeward from church."

Jude hastened on, and soon had the pleasure of observing a man in a

black coat and a black slouched felt hat no considerable distance

ahead. Stretching out his legs yet more widely he stalked after.

"A hungry soul in pursuit of a full soul!" he said. "I must speak

to that man!"

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He could not, however, overtake the musician before he had entered

his own house, and then arose the question if this were an expedient

time to call. Whether or not he decided to do so there and then, now

that he had got here, the distance home being too great for him to

wait till late in the afternoon. This man of soul would understand

scant ceremony, and might be quite a perfect adviser in a case in

which an earthly and illegitimate passion had cunningly obtained

entrance into his heart through the opening afforded for religion.

Jude accordingly rang the bell, and was admitted.

The musician came to him in a moment, and being respectably dressed,

good-looking, and frank in manner, Jude obtained a favourable

reception. He was nevertheless conscious that there would be a

certain awkwardness in explaining his errand.

"I have been singing in the choir of a little church near

Melchester," he said. "And we have this week practised 'The Foot

of the Cross,' which I understand, sir, that you composed?"

"I did--a year or so ago."

"I--like it. I think it supremely beautiful!"

"Ah well--other people have said so too. Yes, there's money in

it, if I could only see about getting it published. I have other

compositions to go with it, too; I wish I could bring them out; for

I haven't made a five-pound note out of any of them yet. These

publishing people--they want the copyright of an obscure composer's

work, such as mine is, for almost less than I should have to pay a

person for making a fair manuscript copy of the score. The one you

speak of I have lent to various friends about here and Melchester,

and so it has got to be sung a little. But music is a poor staff to

lean on--I am giving it up entirely. You must go into trade if you

want to make money nowadays. The wine business is what I am thinking

of. This is my forthcoming list--it is not issued yet--but you can

take one."




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