The lamps now began to be lighted, and turning to the west front

he walked round. He took it as a good omen that numerous blocks

of stone were lying about, which signified that the cathedral was

undergoing restoration or repair to a considerable extent. It seemed

to him, full of the superstitions of his beliefs, that this was an

exercise of forethought on the part of a ruling Power, that he might

find plenty to do in the art he practised while waiting for a call to

higher labours.

Then a wave of warmth came over him as he thought how near he now

stood to the bright-eyed vivacious girl with the broad forehead

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and pile of dark hair above it; the girl with the kindling glance,

daringly soft at times--something like that of the girls he had

seen in engravings from paintings of the Spanish school. She was

here--actually in this Close--in one of the houses confronting this

very west facade.

He went down the broad gravel path towards the building. It was

an ancient edifice of the fifteenth century, once a palace, now

a training-school, with mullioned and transomed windows, and a

courtyard in front shut in from the road by a wall. Jude opened the

gate and went up to the door through which, on inquiring for his

cousin, he was gingerly admitted to a waiting-room, and in a few

minutes she came.

Though she had been here such a short while, she was not as he had

seen her last. All her bounding manner was gone; her curves of

motion had become subdued lines. The screens and subtleties of

convention had likewise disappeared. Yet neither was she quite the

woman who had written the letter that summoned him. That had plainly

been dashed off in an impulse which second thoughts had somewhat

regretted; thoughts that were possibly of his recent self-disgrace.

Jude was quite overcome with emotion.

"You don't--think me a demoralized wretch--for coming to you as I

was--and going so shamefully, Sue?"

"Oh, I have tried not to! You said enough to let me know what had

caused it. I hope I shall never have any doubt of your worthiness,

my poor Jude! And I am glad you have come!"

She wore a murrey-coloured gown with a little lace collar. It was

made quite plain, and hung about her slight figure with clinging

gracefulness. Her hair, which formerly she had worn according to the

custom of the day was now twisted up tightly, and she had altogether

the air of a woman clipped and pruned by severe discipline,

an under-brightness shining through from the depths which that

discipline had not yet been able to reach.




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