"He has been so good in letting me go," she resumed. "And here's a

note I found on my dressing-table, addressed to you."

"Yes. He's not an unworthy fellow," said Jude, glancing at the note.

"And I am ashamed of myself for hating him because he married you."

"According to the rule of women's whims I suppose I ought to suddenly

love him, because he has let me go so generously and unexpectedly,"

she answered smiling. "But I am so cold, or devoid of gratitude, or

so something, that even this generosity hasn't made me love him, or

repent, or want to stay with him as his wife; although I do feel I

like his large-mindedness, and respect him more than ever."

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"It may not work so well for us as if he had been less kind, and you

had run away against his will," murmured Jude.

"That I NEVER would have done."

Jude's eyes rested musingly on her face. Then he suddenly kissed

her; and was going to kiss her again. "No--only once now--please,

Jude!"

"That's rather cruel," he answered; but acquiesced. "Such a strange

thing has happened to me," Jude continued after a silence. "Arabella

has actually written to ask me to get a divorce from her--in kindness

to her, she says. She wants to honestly and legally marry that man

she has already married virtually; and begs me to enable her to do

it."

"What have you done?"

"I have agreed. I thought at first I couldn't do it without getting

her into trouble about that second marriage, and I don't want to

injure her in any way. Perhaps she's no worse than I am, after all!

But nobody knows about it over here, and I find it will not be a

difficult proceeding at all. If she wants to start afresh I have

only too obvious reasons for not hindering her."

"Then you'll be free?"

"Yes, I shall be free."

"Where are we booked for?" she asked, with the discontinuity that

marked her to-night.

"Aldbrickham, as I said."

"But it will be very late when we get there?"

"Yes. I thought of that, and I wired for a room for us at the

Temperance Hotel there."

"One?"

"Yes--one."

She looked at him. "Oh Jude!" Sue bent her forehead against the

corner of the compartment. "I thought you might do it; and that I

was deceiving you. But I didn't mean that!"




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