ItwastothisbreezyandwhimsicalspotthatJudeascendedfromtheneareststationforthefirsttimeinhislifeaboutfouro’clockoneafternoon，andenteringonthesummitofthepeakafteratoilsomeclimb，passedthefirsthousesoftheaerialtown；anddrewtowardstheschool-house。
Thehourwastooearly；thepupilswerestillinschool，hummingsmall，likeaswarmofgnats；andhewithdrewafewstepsalongAbbeyWalk，whenceheregardedthespotwhichfatehadmadethehomeofallhelovedbestintheworld。Infrontoftheschools，whichwereextensiveandstone-built，grewtwoenormousbeecheswithsmoothmouse-colouredtrunks，assuchtreeswillonlygrowonchalkuplands。Withinthemullionedandtransomedwindowshecouldseetheblack，brown，andflaxencrownsofthescholarsoverthesills，andtopassthetimeawayhewalkeddowntothelevelterracewheretheabbeygardensoncehadspread，hisheartthrobbinginspiteofhim。
Unwillingtoentertillthechildrenweredismissedheremainedheretillyoungvoicescouldbeheardintheopenair，andgirlsinwhitepinaforesoverredandbluefrocksappeareddancingalongthepathswhichtheabbess，prioress，subprioress，andfiftynunshaddemurelypacedthreecenturiesearlier。Retracinghisstepshefoundthathehadwaitedtoolong，andthatSuehadgoneoutintothetownattheheelsofthelastscholar，Mr。Phillotsonhavingbeenabsentalltheafternoonatateachers’
meetingatShottsford。
Judewentintotheemptyschoolroomandsatdown，thegirlwhowassweepingthefloorhavinginformedhimthatMrs。Phillotsonwouldbebackagaininafewminutes。Apianostoodnear-actuallytheoldpianothatPhillotsonhadpossessedatMarygreen-andthoughthedarkafternoonalmostpreventedhimseeingthenotesJudetouchedtheminhishumbleway，andcouldnothelpmodulatingintothehymnwhichhadsoaffectedhiminthepreviousweek。