e with alacrity.

"Straight along homeward from church."

Jude hastened on, and soon had the pleasure of observing a man in a
black coat and a black slouched felt hat no considerable distance
ahead. Stretching out his legs yet more widely he stalked after.
"A hungry soul in pursuit of a full soul!" he said. "I must speak
to that man!"

He could not, however, overtake the musician before he had entered
his own house, and then arose the question if this were an expedient
time to call. Whether or not he decided to do so there and then, now
that he had got here, the distance home being too great for him to
wait till late in the afternoon. This man of soul would understand
scant ceremony, and might be quite a perfect adviser in a case in
which an earthly and illegitimate passion had cunningly obtained
entrance into his heart through the opening afforded for religion.

Jude accordingly rang the bell, and was admitted.

The musician came to him in a moment, and being respectably dressed,
good-looking, and frank in manner, Jude obtained a favourable
reception. He was nevertheless conscious that there would be a
certain awkwardness in explaining his errand.

"I have been singing in the choir of a little church near
Melchester," he said. "And we have this week practised 'The Foot
of the Cross,' which I understand, sir, that you composed?"

"I did--a year or so ago."

"I--like it. I think it supremely beautiful!"

"Ah well--other people have said so too. Yes, there's money in
it, if I could only see about getting it published. I have other
compositions to go with it, too; I wish I could bring them out; for
I haven't made a five-pound note out of any of them yet. These
publishing people--they want the copyright of an obscure composer's
work, such as mine is, for almost less than I should have to pay a
person for making a fair manuscript copy of the score. The one you
speak of I have lent to various friends about here and Melchester,
and so it has got to be sung a little. But music is a poor staff to
lean on--I am giving it up entirely. You must go into trade if you
want to make money nowadays. The wine business is what I am thinking
of. This is my forthcoming list--it is not issued yet--but you can
take one."

He handed Jude an advertisement list of several pages in booklet
shape, ornamentally margined with a red line, in which were set forth
the various clarets, champagnes, ports, sherries, and other wi