Isabellookedatherhusbandandhesitated。ThensherepliedintermsthatIamproudtorecordinhonorofAmericanwomanhood:“Youmustn’tfibabout——it，Basil“(heroically)；“Icouldn’trespectyouifyoudid“
(tenderly)；“but“(withdecision)“youmustslipoutofitsomeway！“
TheladiesoftheEllisonparty，towhomsheputthecaseintheparlor，agreedwithherperfectly。TheyalsohaddonealittleshoppinginQuebec，andtheymeanttodomoreatMontrealbeforetheyreturnedtotheStates。Mrs。EllisonwasdisposedtolookuponIsabel’scompunctionsasakindoftreasontothesex，tobeforgivenonlybecausesoquicklyrepented。
TheEllisonsweregoinguptheSaguenaybeforecomingontoBoston，andurgedourfriendshardtogowiththem。“No，thatmustbeforanothertime，“saidIsabel。“Mr。Marchhastobehomebyacertainday；andweshalljustgetbackinseason。“ThenshemadethempromisetospendadaywithherinBoston，andtheColonelcomingtosaythathehadacarriageatthedoorfortheirexcursiontoLorette，thetwopartiesbadegood-bywithaffectionandmanyexplicithopesofmeetingsoonagain。
“Whatdoyouthinkofthem，dearest？“demandedIsabel，asshesalliedoutwithBasilforafinallookatQuebec。
“Theyoungladyisthenicest；andtheotheriswellenough，too。Sheisagooddeallikeyou，butwiththesenseofhumorleftout。You’veonlyenoughtosaveyou。“
“Well，herhusbandisjollyenoughforbothofthem。He’sfunnierthanyou，Basil，andhehasn’tanyofyourlittlelanguidairsandaffectations。Idon’tknowbutI’mabitdisappointedinmychoice，darling；butIdaresayIshallworkoutofit。Infact，Idon’tknowbuttheColonelisalittletoojolly。Thisdrollingeverythingisratherfatiguing。“Andhavingbegun，theydidnotstoptilltheyhadtakentheirfriendstopieces。Dismayed，then，theyhastilyreconstructedthem，andsaidthattheywereamongthepleasantestpeopletheyeverknew，andtheywerereallyverysorrytopartwiththem，andtheyshoulddoeverythingtomakethemhaveagoodtimeinBoston。
TheyweresaunteringtowardsDurhamTerracewheretheyleanedlongupontheironparapetandblestthemselveswiththebeautyoftheprospect。
Atenderhazehunguponthelandscapeandsubduedittillthescenewasasadreambeforethem。Asinadreamtheriverlay，anddream-liketheshippingmovedorrestedonitsdeep，broadbosom。Faroffstretchedthehappyfieldswiththeirdimwhitevillages；fartherstillthemellowheightsmeltedintothelowhoveringheaven。ThetinnedroofsoftheLowerTowntwinkledinthemorningsun；aroundthemoneveryhand，onthatMondayforenoonwhentheStateswerestirringfromoceantooceaninfeverishindustry，drowsedthegraycitywithinherwalls；fromtheflag-
staffofthecitadelhungtheredbannerofSaintGeorgeinsleep。
Theirheartswerestrangelyanddeeplymoved。ItseemedtothemthattheylookeduponthelaststrongholdofthePast，andthatafarofftothesouthwardtheycouldhearthemarchinghostsoftheinvadingPresent；
andasnoyoungandlovingsoulcanrelinquisholdthingswithoutapang，theysighedalongmutefarewelltoQuebec。
Nextsummertheywouldcomeagain，yes；but，ahme’everyoneknowswhatnextsummeris！
PartoftheburlesquetrouperodedownintheomnibustotheGrandTrunkFerrywiththem，andweregood-naturedtothelast，havingshakenhandsallroundwiththewaiters，chambermaids，andportersofthehotel。Theyoungfellowwiththebadamiablefacecameinacalash，andrefusedtooverpaythedriverwithagaydecisionthatmadehimBasil’senvytillhesawhistribulationingettingthetroupe’sluggagechecked。Therewerefortypieces，anditalwaysremainedamystery，consideringthesmallamountofclothingnecessarytothosepeopleonthestage，whatcouldhavefilledtheirtrunks。TheyoungmanandthetwoEnglishblondesofAmericanbirthfoundplacesinthesamecarwithourtourists，andenlivenedthejourneywiththeirfrolics。Whentheyoungmanpretendedtofallasleep，theywrappedhisgoldencurlyheadinashawl，andvexedhimwithmanythumpsandthrusts，tillheboughtabrieftrucewithahandfulofalmonds；andtheladieshavingnootherwaytoeatthem，oneofthemsaucilysnatchedoffhershoe，andcrackedthemhammerwisewiththeheel。Itwasallsopleasantthatitoughttohavebeenallright；
andintheirmerryworldofoutlawryperhapsthingsarenotsobadasweliketothinkthem。
ThecountryintowhichthetrainplungesassoonasQuebecisoutofsightisverystupidlysavage，andourfriendshadlittleelsetodobuttowatchthegambolsoftheplayers，tilltheycametotheriverSt。
Francis，whosewanderinglovelinesstheroadfollowsthroughaninfiniteseriesofsoftandbeautifullandscapes，andfindseverywhereglassinginitssmoothcurrenttheelmsandwillowsofitsgentleshores。Atoneplace，whereitscalmbrokeintofoamyrapids，therewasahugesawmill，coveringthestreamwithlogsandrefuse，andthebankswithwholecitiesoflumber；whichalsotheyacceptedasnomeanelementsofthepicturesque。Theyclungthemosttenderlytotracesofthepeasantlifetheywereleaving。WhensomeFrenchboyscameaboardwithwildraspberriestosellinlittlebirch-barkcanoes，theythrilledwithpleasure，andboughtthem，butsighedthen，andsaid，“WhatthingcharacteristicofthelocallifewilltheysellusinMainewhenwegetthere？Asectionofpiepoeticallywraptinabroadleafofthesquash-
vine，orpop-corninitsnativetissue-paper，andadvertisingthenewDollarStoreinPortland？“Theysawthequaintnessvanishfromthefarm-
houses；firstthedormer-windows，thenthecurveofthesteeproof，thenthesteeproofitself。ByandbytheycametoastorewithaGrecianporticoandfoursquarepinepillars。Theyshudderedandlookednomore。
TheguiltilydreadedexaminationofbaggageatIslandPondtookplaceatnineo’clock，withoutcostingthemacentofdutyorapangofconscience。Atthatcharmingstationthetrunksarepiledhiggledy-
piggledyintoaroombesidethetrack，whereafewinspectorswithstiflinglampsofsmokykeroseneawaitthepassengers。Therearenoporterstoarrangethebaggage，andeachladyandgentlemandigsouthisbox，andopensitbeforethelordlyinspector，whostirsupitscontentswithanunpleasanthandandpassesit。Hemakesyoufeelthatyouareoncemoreinthelandofofficialinsolence，andthat，whateveryouarecollectively，youarenothingpersonally。Isabel，whohadsentherhusbanduponthisbusinesswithquakingmeeknessofheart，experiencedtheboldindignationofvirtueathisaccountofthewaypeopleweremadetheirownbaggage-smashers，andwouldnotbeamusedwhenhepaintedthevileterrorsofeachhusbandashetremblinglyunlockedhiswife’sstoreofcontraband。
Themorninglightshowedthemthebroadelmymeadowsofwestern-lookingMaine；andtheGrandTrunkbroughtthem，ofcourse，anhourbehindtimeintoPortland。AllbreakfastlesstheyhurriedaboardtheBostontrainontheEasternRoad，andallalongthatline(whichisbuilttoshowhowuninterestingtheearthcanbewhensheis’ennuyee’ofbothseaandland)，Basil’slifebecameastruggletoconstructamealfromthefragmentaryopportunitiesoftwentydifferentstationswheretheystoppedfiveminutesforrefreshments。Atoneplaceheachievedtwocupsofshamelesschickory，atanotherthreesardines，atathirdadessertofelderlybananas。
“Homeagain，homeagain，fromaforeignshore！“
theysoftlysangasthesuccessivecoursesofthisfeastweredisposedof。
Thedrouthandheat，whichtheyhadbrieflyescapedduringtheirsojourninCanada，broodedsovereignuponthetiresomelandscape。Theredgraniterockswereasifred-hot；thebanksofthedeepcutswerelikeashheaps；overthefieldsdancedthesultryatmosphere；theyfanciedthattheyalmostheardthegrasshopperssingabovetherattleofthetrain。WhentheyreachedBostonatlast，theyweredustierthanmostofuswouldliketobeahundredyearshence。Thewholecitywasequallydusty；andtheyfoundthetreesinthesquarebeforetheirowndoorgraywithdust。ThebitofVirginia-creeperplantedunderthewindowhungshriveleduponitstrellis。
ButIsabel’sauntmetthemwitharefreshingshoweroftearsandkissesinthehall，throwingasolidarmabouteachofthem。“Oyoudears！“
thegoodsoulcried，“youdon’tknowhowanxiousI’vebeenaboutyou；somanyaccidentshappeningallthetime。I’veneverreadthe’EveningTranscript’tillthenextmorning，forfearIshouldfindyournamesamongthekilledandwounded。“
“Oaunty，you’retoogood，always！“whimperedIsabel；andneitherofthewomentooknoteofBasil，whosaid，“Yes，it’sprobablytheonlythingthatpreservedourlives。“
Thelittletingeofdiscontent，whichhadcoloredtheirsentimentofreturnfadednowinthekindlylightofhome。Theirholidaywasover，tobesure，buttheirblisshadbutbegan；theyhadentereduponthatlonglifeofholidayswhichishappymarriage。Bythetimedinnerwasendedtheywerebothenthusiasticathavinggotback，andtakingtheirauntbetweenthemwalkedupanddowntheparlorwiththeirarmsroundhermassivewaist，andtalkedoutthegladnessoftheirsouls。
ThenBasilsaidhereallymustrundowntotheofficethatafternoon，andheissuedallaglowuponthestreet。Hewassofullofhavingbeenlongawayandofhavingjustreturned，thatheunconsciouslytriedtoimparthismoodtoBoston，andthedustycomposureofthestreetandhouses，ashestrodealong，bewilderedhim。Helongedforsomefamiliarfacetowelcomehim，andinthehorse-carintowhichhesteppedhewascharmedtoseeanacquaintance。Thiswasamanforwhomordinarilyhecarednothing，andwhomhewouldperhapsratherhavegoneoutupontheplatformtoavoidthanhavespokento；butnowheplungedathimwitheffusion，andwrunghishand，smilingfromeartoear。
Theotherremainedcoldlyunaffected，afterafirststartofsurpriseathiscordiality，andthenreviledthedustandheat。“ButI’mgoingtotakealittlerundowntoNewport，to-morrow，foraweek，“hesaid。“Bytheway，youlookasifyouneededalittlechange。Aren’tyougoinganywherethissummer？“
“Soyousee，mydear，“observedBasil，whenhehadrecountedthefacttoIsabelattea，“ourtravelsareincommunicablyourown。Wehadbestsaynothingaboutourlittlejaunttootherpeople，andtheywon’tknowwe’vebeengone。Evenifwetried，wecouldn’tmakeourwedding-journeytheirs。“
Shegavehimagreatkissofrecompenseandconsolation。“Whowantsit，“
shedemanded，“tobeTheirWeddingJourney？“
