couldn’thelpit，althoughIhavebeen-pretendingIamhappy-Nowyou’llhaveacontemptformeforever，Isuppose！’Shebentdownherfaceuponherhandsastheylayuponthecloth，andsilentlysobbedinlittlejerksthatmadethefragilethree-leggedtablequiver。
`Ihaveonlybeenmarriedamonthortwo！’shewenton，stillremainingbentuponthetable，andsobbingintoherhands。`Anditissaidthatwhatawomanshrinksfrom-intheearlydaysofhermarriage-sheshakesdowntowithcomfortableindifferenceinhalfadozenyears。Butthatismuchlikesayingthattheamputationofalimbisnoaffliction，sinceapersongetscomfortablyaccustomedtotheuseofawoodenlegorarminthecourseoftime！’
Judecouldhardlyspeak，buthesaid，`Ithoughttherewassomethingwrong，Sue！Oh，Ithoughttherewas！’
`Butitisnotasyouthink！-thereisnothingwrongexceptmyownwickedness，Isupposeyou’dcallit-arepugnanceonmypart，forareasonIcannotdisclose，andwhatwouldnotbeadmittedasonebytheworldingeneral！……Whattorturesmesomuchisthenecessityofbeingresponsivetothismanwheneverhewishes，goodasheismorally！-thedreadfulcontracttofeelinaparticularwayinamatterwhoseessenceisitsvoluntariness！……Iwishhewouldbeatme，orbefaithlesstome，ordosomeopenthingthatIcouldtalkaboutasajustificationforfeelingasIdo！Buthedoesnothing，exceptthathehasgrownalittlecoldsincehehasfoundouthowIfeel。That’swhyhedidn’tcometothefuneral……
Oh，Iamverymiserable-Idon’tknowwhattodo！……Don’tcomenearme，Jude，becauseyoumustn’t。Don’t-don’t！’