At Aldbrickham and Elsewhere

"Thy aerial part, and all the fiery parts which are
mingled in thee, though by nature they have an upward
tendency, still in obedience to the disposition of the
universe they are over-powered here in the compound
mass the body."--M. ANTONINUS (Long).

I

How Gillingham's doubts were disposed of will most quickly appear by
passing over the series of dreary months and incidents that followed
the events of the last chapter, and coming on to a Sunday in the
February of the year following.

Sue and Jude were living in Aldbrickham, in precisely the same
relations that they had established between themselves when she
left Shaston to join him the year before. The proceedings in the
law-courts had reached their consciousness, but as a distant sound
and an occasional missive which they hardly understood.

They had met, as usual, to breakfast together in the little house
with Jude's name on it, that he had taken at fifteen pounds a year,
with three-pounds-ten extra for rates and taxes, and furnished with
his aunt's ancient and lumbering goods, which had cost him about
their full value to bring all the way from Marygreen. Sue kept
house, and managed everything.

As he entered the room this morning Sue held up a letter she had just
received.

"Well; and what is it about?" he said after kissing her.

"That the decree _nisi_ in the case of Phillotson _versus_ Phillotson
and Fawley, pronounced six months ago, has just been made absolute."