At Melchester Summary
In Chapter I, Jude again considers relocating to be closer to Sue. She plans to become a teacher and is enrolling at Melchester University. Jude decides to enroll at Melchester Theological Seminary. He now sees being a poor country priest as a higher calling than a university professor. Sue, however, writes to him while he is saving up to do this to tell him that she is miserable and to please come to visit her. She informs him that Phillotson has proposed to her and plans to marry in two years. Jude is sad but can find a place to live and work repairing churches.
In Chapter II, Jude and Sue set out on a walk in the country. They wander farther than they intend and miss the train. A shepherd lets them spend the night in his cottage. Chapter III begins with Sue missing her curfew. The mistress discovers her absence. When Sue returns, she is punished by being confined to her room. However, she escapes and goes to Jude's lodgings.
Jude and Sue take a stroll around the countryside in Chapter 2. They ended up missing their train because they wandered off too far. They are invited to spend the night in the shepherd's home. Sue stays out past her curfew, and the mistress discovers this. As punishment for Sue's return, she will be locked in her room. But she manages to get away and seek refuge at Jude's apartment.
In Chapter IV, Sue relates to Jude her time living with a college student in London. Her mentor passed away too soon after teaching her so much. Despite this, Sue is still a virgin because she is afraid of allowing another person to control her. She expresses her contempt for Christminster, which she sees as nothing more than an Anglican propaganda outlet. The conversation quickly escalates when Jude shares his religious beliefs, which are more conservative than Sue's. Sue wants to influence Jude's thinking to make it more like hers.
In the opening pages of Chapter V, Sue is on her way to Shaston, where she plans to visit a friend. She is worried that she will be barred from returning to the training school. Sue promptly sends Jude a letter retracting her caution that he does not love her. They return to Shaston, where she tells him she was kicked out of the training college and advised to marry quickly to protect her honor. Due to Jude's delay in confessing his emotions for her, she is likely to wed Phillotson. Once again, he leaves the meeting feeling discouraged, only to receive an apology letter shortly after.
The sixth chapter follows Phillotson as he returns to his birthplace, Shaston, and opens a school. Upon learning that Sue has been ejected from the training school, he feels a deep sense of loss because he loves her very much. In the stonemason's backyard, Jude is found and questioned about the incident. Jude gives it to him straight. After finding Sue, Jude tells her about his past marriage to Arabella. Sue is initially suspicious of Jude, but she eventually agrees with him.
Sue announces to Jude in Chapter VII that she and Phillotson are getting married very soon. She asks Jude if he will give them away at the wedding. Despite the pain, he agrees. Jude prepares for the wedding by rehearsing the ceremony with Sue and purchasing a gift for the bride.
Following the nuptials, everyone heads back to Jude's apartment for a celebratory feast. Sue remembers she needs a handkerchief just as she and Phillotson are about to climb...
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into the carriage and leave. She almost confides something in Jude as she dashes back inside the house to grab it, but she holds back and instead joins her husband on their outing.
In Chapter VIII, Jude returns to Marygreen to check on his ailing aunt. He visits Christminster during his stay and meets Arabella, a bartender, there. She moved back to the States after spending time with her new husband in Australia. Despite Jude's opposition, the two decide to spend the night together.
Jude runs across Sue, who is also on her way to see Aunt Drusilla. Sue inquires about her aunt about the motivations behind getting married. Sue leaves the room in tears after hearing Aunt Drusilla say that marrying someone you do not love is unacceptable. Finally, she goes back to Shaston. Arabella writes Jude that her husband has arrived in London from Australia and that they intend to marry.
Chapter X finds Jude back in Melchester after he decides the priesthood is not for him emotionally. He participates in the church choir, and when he hears a hymn whose author he particularly admires, he travels to Kennetbridge to express his gratitude. The composer is initially friendly but stops talking to Jude after discovering that Jude is broke. He has concluded that the music industry is a dead end and is instead considering a career in the wine industry. He wished Jude might turn out to be a viable client. Now disillusioned, Jude writes Sue, asking if he can see her. Sue agrees to let Jude visit.
