Isawonemiddle-agedcoupleonGoatIsland，whileyouweredownattheCaveoftheWinds，orsomewhere，withthechildren。Theyweresittingonsomesteps，heastepbelowher，andheseemedtowanttoputhisheadonherknee；butIgazedathimsternly，andhedidn’tdare。Weshouldlooklikethem，ifweyieldedtoanyoutburstofaffection。Don’tyouthinkweshouldlooklikethem？“
“Idon’tknow，“saidBasil。“Youarecertainlyalittlewrinkled，mydear。“
“Andyouareveryfat，Basil。“
Theyglancedateachotherwithaflashofresentment，andthentheybothlaughed。“Wecouldn’tlookyoungifwequarreledaweek，“hesaid。
“Wehadbettercontentourselveswithfeelingyoung，asIhopeweshalldoifwelivetobeninety。Itwillbethelossofothersiftheydon’tseeourbloomuponus。ShallIgetyouapaperofcherries，Isabel？Thechildrenseemtobeenjoyingthem。“
Isabelspranguponheroffspringwithacryofdespair。“Oh，whatshallIdo？Nowweshallnothaveawinkofsleepwiththemto-night。Whereisthatnux？“Shehuntedforthemedicineinherbag，andthechildrensubmitted；fortheyhadeatenallthecherries，andtheytooktheirmedicinewithoutamurmur。“Iwonderatyourlettingthemeatthesourthings，Basil，“saidtheirmother，whenthechildrenbadrunofftothenewsstandagain。
“Iwonderthatyouleftmetoseewhattheyweredoing，“promptlyretortedtheirfather。
“Itwasyournonsenseaboutthebrides，“saidIsabel；“andIthinkthishasbeenalessontous。Don’tletthemgetanythingelsetoeat，dearest。“
“Theyaresafe；theyhavenomoremoney。TheyarefrugallyconfiningthemselvestotheadmirationoftheJapanesebowsandarrowsyonder。WhyhaveourIndianstakentomakingJapanesebowsandarrows？“
Isabeldespisedthesmallpleasantry。“Thenyousawnobodyatthehotel？“sheasked。
“NoteventheEllisons，“saidBasil。
“Ah，yes，“saidIsabel；“thatwaswherewemetthem。Howlongagoitseems！AndpoorlittleKitty！Iwonderwhathasbecomeofthem？ButI’mgladthey’renothere。That’swhatmakesyourealizeyourage:
meetingthesamepeopleinthesameplaceagreatwhileafter，andseeinghowold——they’vegrown。Idon’tthinkIcouldbeartoseeKittyEllisonagain。I’mgladshedidn’tcometovisitusinBoston，though，afterwhathappened，shecouldn’t，poorthing！Iwonderifshe’severregrettedherbreakingwithhiminthewayshedid。It’saverypainfulthingtothinkof，——suchaninconclusiveconclusion；italwaysseemedasiftheyoughttomeetagain，somewhere。“
“Idon’tbelievesheeverwishedit。“
“Amancan’ttellwhatawomanwishes。“
“Well，neithercanawoman，“returnedBasil，lightly。
Hiswiferemainedserious。“Itwasaveryfinepoint，——averylittlethingtorejectamanfor。IfeltthatwhenIfirstreadherletteraboutit。“
Basilyawned。“Idon’tbelieveIeverknewjustwhatthepointwas。“
“Ohyes，youdid；butyouforgeteverything。YouknowthattheymettwoBostonladiesjustaftertheywereengaged，andshebelievedthathedidn’tintroduceherbecausehewasashamedofhercountrifiedappearancebeforethem。“
“Itwasaprettyfinepoint，“saidBasil，andhelaughedprovokingly。
“Hemightnothavemeanttoignoreher，“answeredIsabelthoughtfully；
“hemighthavechosennottointroduceherbecausehefelttooproudofhertosubjecthertoanypossiblemisappreciationfromthem。Youmighthavelookedatitinthatway。“
“Whydidn’tyoulookatitinthatway？Youadvisedheragainstgivinghimanotherchance。Whydidyou？“
“Why？“repeatedIsabel，absently。“Oh，awomandoesn’tjudgeamanbywhathedoes，butbywhatheis！Iknewthatifshedismissedhimitwasbecausesheneverreallyhadtrustedorcouldtrusthislove；andI
thoughtshehadbetternotmakeanothertrial。“
“Well，verypossiblyyouwereright。Atanyrate，youhavetheconsolationofknowingthatit’stoolatetohelpitnow。“
“Yes，it’stoolate，“saidIsabel；andherthoughtswentbacktohermeetingwiththeyounggirlwhomshehadlikedsomuch，andwhoseafterhistoryhadinterestedhersopainfully。Itseemedtoherahardworldthatcouldcometonothingbetterthanthatforthegirlwhomshehadseeninherfirstglimpseofitthatnight。Wherewasshenow？Whathadbecomeofher？Ifshehadmarriedthatman，wouldshehavebeenanyhappier？Marriagewasnotthepoeticdreamofperfectunionthatagirlimaginesit；sheherselfhadfoundthatout。Itwasastateoftrial，ofprobation；itwasanordeal，notanecstasy。IfsheandBasilhadbrokeneachother’sheartsandparted，wouldnotthefragmentsoftheirliveshavebeenonamuchfiner，muchhigherplane？Hadnotthecommonplace，every-dayexperiencesofmarriagevulgarizedthemboth？
Tobesure，therewerethechildren；butiftheyhadneverhadthechildren，shewouldneverhavemissedthem；andifBasilhad，forexample，diedjustbeforetheyweremarried——Shestartedfromthiswickedreverie，andrantowardsherhusband，whosebroad，honestback，withnovisibleneckorshirt-collar，wasturnedtowardsher，ashestood，withhisheadthrownup，studyingatime-tableonthewall；shepassedherarmconvulsivelythroughhis，andpulledhimaway。
“It’stimetobegettingourbagsouttothetrain，Basil！Come，Bella！
Tom，we’regoing！“
Thechildrenreluctantlyturnedfromthenewsman’strumpery，andtheyallwentouttothetrack，andtookseatsonthebenchesunderthecolonnade。
Whiletheywaited；thetrainforBuffalodrewin，andtheyremainedwatchingittillitstarted。Inthelastcarthatpassedthem，whenitwasfairlyunderway，afacelookedfullatIsabelfromoneofthewindows。Inthatmomentofastonishmentsheforgottoobservewhetheritwassadorglad；sheonlysaw，orbelievedshesaw，thelightofrecognitiondawnintoitseyes，andthenitwasgone。
“Basil！“shecried，“stopthetrain！ThatwasKittyEllison！“
“Ohno，itwasn’t，“saidBasil，easily。“Itlookedlikeher；butitlookedatleasttenyearsolder。“
“Why，ofcourseitwas！We’realltenyearsolder，“returnedhiswifeinsuchindignationathisstupiditythatsheneglectedtoinsistuponhisstoppingthetrain，whichwasrapidlydiminishingintheperspective。
Hedeclareditwasonlyafanciedresemblance；shecontendedthatthiswasintheneighborhoodofEriecreek，anditmustbeKitty；andthusoneoftheirmostinveteratedisagreementsbegan。
Theirowntraindrewintothedepot，andtheydisputeduponthefactinquestiontilltheyenteredonthepassageoftheSuspensionBridge。ThenBasilroseandcalledthechildrentohisside。Onthelefthand，faruptheriver，thegreatFallshows，withitsmistsatitsfootanditsrainbowonitsbrow，assilentandstillasifitwerevastlypaintedthere；andbelowthebridgeontheright，leaptheRapidsinthenarrowgorge，likeseasonarockyshore。“Lookonbothsides，now，“hesaidtothechildren。“Isabelyoumustseethis！“
IsabelhadbeenpreparingforthepassageofthisbridgeeversincesheleftBoston。“Never！“sheexclaimed。Sheinstantlyclosedhereyes，andhidherfaceinherhandkerchief。Thankstothisprecautionofhers，thetraincrossedthebridgeinperfectsafety。
End
