Red Hat Girl

Red Hat Girl
Nude on the Beach
One Moment in Time
Dear Sue!" he said. "You must take off all your things! And let me see--you must borrow some from the landlady. I'll ask her." ¡¡¡¡ "No, no! Don't let her know, for God's sake! We are so near the school that they'll come after me!" ¡¡¡¡ "Then you must put on mine. You don't mind?" ¡¡¡¡ "Oh no." ¡¡¡¡ "My Sunday suit, you know. It is close here." In fact, everything was close and handy in Jude's single chamber, because there was not room for it to be otherwise. He opened a drawer, took out his best dark suit, and giving the garments a shake, said, "Now, how long shall I give you?" ¡¡¡¡ "Ten minutes." ¡¡¡¡ Jude left the room and went into the street, where he walked up and down. A clock struck half-past seven, and he returned. Sitting in his only arm-chair he saw a slim and fragile being masquerading as himself on a Sunday, so pathetic in her defencelessness that his heart felt big with the sense of it. On two other chairs before the fire were her wet garments. She blushed as he sat down beside her, but only for a moment. ¡¡¡¡ "I suppose, Jude, it is odd that you should see me like this and all my things hanging there? Yet what nonsense! They are only a woman's clothes-- sexless cloth and linen.... I wish I didn't feel so ill and sick! Will you dry my clothes now? Please do, Jude, and I'll get a lodging by and by. It is not late yet." ¡¡¡¡ "No, you shan't, if you are ill. You must stay here. Dear, dear Sue, what can I get for you?"