The headstone and epitaph orders fell off: and two or three months
later, when autumn came, Jude perceived that he would have to return
to journey-work again, a course all the more unfortunate just now,
in that he had not as yet cleared off the debt he had unavoidably
incurred in the payment of the law-costs of the previous year.
One evening he sat down to share the common meal with Sue and the
child as usual. "I am thinking," he said to her, "that I'll hold on
here no longer. The life suits us, certainly; but if we could get
away to a place where we are unknown, we should be lighter hearted,
and have a better chance. And so I am afraid we must break it up
here, however awkward for you, poor dear!"
Sue was always much affected at a picture of herself as an object of
pity, and she saddened.
"Well--I am not sorry," said she presently. "I am much depressed
by the way they look at me here. And you have been keeping on this
house and furniture entirely for me and the boy! You don't want
it yourself, and the expense is unnecessary. But whatever we do,
wherever we go, you won't take him away from me, Jude dear? I could
not let him go now! The cloud upon his young mind makes him so
pathetic to me; I do hope to lift it some day! And he loves me so.
You won't take him away from me?"
"Certainly I won't, dear little girl! We'll get nice lodgings,
wherever we go. I shall be moving about probably--getting a job
here and a job there."
"I shall do something too, of course, till--till-- Well, now I can't
be useful in the lettering it behoves me to turn my hand to something
else."
"Don't hurry about getting employment," he said regretfully. "I
don't want you to do that. I wish you wouldn't, Sue. The boy and
yourself are enough for you to attend to."
There was a knock at the door, and Jude answered it. Sue could hear
the conversation: "Is Mr. Fawley at home? ... Biles and Willis the building
contractors sent me to know if you'll undertake the relettering
of the ten commandments in a little church they've been restoring
lately in the country near here."
Jude reflected, and said he could undertake it.
"It is not a very artistic job," continued the messenger. "The
clergyman is a very old-fashioned chap, and he has refused to let
anything more be done to the church than cleaning and repairing."