Three years after his marriage, Jude, now proficient in stonework, travels to Christminster to pursue his scholarly interests and learn more about his cousin, Sue Bridehead, residing there. He meanders through the historic colleges, engaging in imagined dialogues with spectral scholars until a policeman stops him. That evening, haunted by images of academia, he drifts into sleep. The following morning Jude refocuses his efforts to find Phillotson and Sue.

Jude harbors aspirations to attend the university and, in the meantime, seeks employment as a stonemason in Christminster. Disheartened by the town’s decay and his own financial limitations, he resolves to prioritize saving money above all else. Despite warnings from his great aunt, Jude seeks out Sue at her work, and is captivated by her beauty and apparent saintliness. Tempted yet restrained by their familial ties, his existing marriage, and the ominous history of their family’s marital misfortunes, Jude grapples with conflicting emotions about Sue.

Jude attends services at Sue’s church and wrestles with his desire to approach her. In a flashback, Sue purchases sculptures of Venus and Apollo, struggling to conceal them from her devout landlady, Miss Fontover.