Inamomentithadcome，thefirstseriousdisputeoftheirweddedlife。
　　Ithadcomeasallsuchcalamitiescome，fromnothing，anditwasontheminfulldisastereretheyknew。Suchaverylittlewhileago，thereintheconventgarden，theirliveshadbeendrawncloserinsympathythaneverbefore；andnowthatblessedtimeseemedagessince，andtheywerefurtherasunderthanthosewhohaveneverbeenfriends。“Ithought，“
　　bitterlymusedIsabel，“thathewouldhavedoneanythingforme。““Whocouldhavedreamedthatawomanofhersensewouldbesounreasonable，“
　　hewondered。Bothhadtempers，asIknowmydearestreaderhasifalady，andneitherwouldyield；andso，presently，theycouldhardlytellhow，fortheywereaghastatitall，Isabelwasaloneinherroomamidsttheruinsofherlife，andBasilaloneintheone-horsecarriage，tryingtodriveawayfromthewreckofhishappiness。Allwasover；thedreamwaspast；thecharmwasbroken。Thesweetnessoftheirlovewasturnedtogall；whateverhadpleasedthemintheirlovingmoodswasloathsomenow，andthethingstheyhadpraisedamomentbeforewerehateful。Inthatbalefullight，whichseemedtodwelluponalltheyeversaidordidinmutualenjoyment，howpoorandstupidandemptylookedtheirwedding-
　　journey！Basilspentfiveminutesinarraigninghiswifeandconvictingherofeveryfollyandfault。Hissoulwasinawhirl，“FortobewrothwithoneweloveDothworklikemadnessinthebrain。“
　　Inthemidstofhisbitterandfuriousupbraidingshefoundhimselfsuddenlybecomeherardentadvocate，andreadytodenounceherjudgeasaheartlessmonster。“Onourweddingjourney，too！Goodheavens，whatanincrediblebruteIam！“Thenhesaid，“WhatanassIam！“Andthepathosofthecasehavingyieldedtoitsabsurdity，hewashelpless。
　　InfiveminutesmorehewasatIsabel’sside，theone-horsecarriagedriverdismissedwithahandsomepour-boire，andapairoflustybayswithaglitteringbarouchewaitingatthedoorbelow。Heswiftlyaccountedforhispresence，whichsheseemedtofindthemostnaturalthingthatcouldbe，andshemethissurrenderwiththeopennessofaheartthatforgivesbutdoesnotforget，ifindeedthemostgraciousartistheonlyoneunknowntothesex。
　　Sherosewithasmilefromtheruinsofherlife，amidstwhichshehadheart-brokenlysatdownwithallherthingson。“Iknewyou’dcomeback，“shesaid。
　　“SodidI，“heanswered。“Iammuchtoogoodandnobletosacrificemypreferencetomyduty。“
　　“Ididn’tcareparticularlyforthetwohorses，Basil，“shesaid，astheydescendedtothebarouche。“Itwasyourrefusingthemthathurtme。“
　　“AndIdidn’twanttheone-horsecarriage。Itwasyourinsistingsothatprovokedme。“
　　“Doyouthinkpeopleeverquarreledbeforeonaweddingjourney？“askedIsabelastheydrovegaylyoutofthecity。
　　“Never！Ican’tconceiveofit。Isupposeifthiswerewrittendown，nobodywouldbelieveit。“
　　“No，nobodycould，“saidIsabel，musingly，andsheaddedafterapause，“Iwishyouwouldtellmejustwhatyouthoughtofme，dearest。Didyoufeelasyoudidwhenourlittleaffairwasbrokenoff，longago？Didyouhateme？“
　　“Idid，mostcordially；butnothalfsomuchasIdespisedmyselfthenextmoment。Astoitsbeinglikealover’squarrel，itwasn’t。Itwasmorebitter，somuchmorelovethanloversevergivehadtobetakenback。Besides，ithadnodignity，andalover’squarrelalwayshas。
　　Alover’squarrelalwaysspringsfromamoreseriouscause，andhasanairofromantictragedy。Thishadnograceofthekind。Itwasapoorshabbylittlesquabble。“
　　“O，don’tcallitso，Basil！Ishouldlikeyoutorespectevenaquarrelofoursmorethanthat。Itwastragicalenoughwithme，forIdidn’tseehowitcouldeverbemadeup。IknewIcouldn’tmaketheadvances。
　　Idon’tthinkitisquitefemininetobethefirsttoforgive，isit？“
　　“I’msureIcan’tsay。Perhapsitwouldberatherunladylike。“
　　“Well，yousee，dearest，whatIamtryingtogetatisthis:whetherweshallloveeachotherthemoreorthelessforit。Ithinkweshallgetonallthebetterforawhile，onaccountofit。ButIshouldhavesaiditwastotallyoutofcharacterit’ssomethingyoumighthaveexpectedofaveryyoungbridalcouple；butafterwhatwe’vebeenthrough，itseemstooimprobable。“
　　“Verywell，“saidBasil，who，havingmadealltheconcessions，couldnotenjoythequarrelasshedid，simplybecauseitwastheirs；“let’sbehaveasifithadneverbeen。“
　　“Ono，wecan’t。Tome，it’sasifwehadjustwoneachother。“
　　Infactitgaveawonderfulzestandfreshnesstothatrideroundthemountain，andshedabeneficentglowupontherestoftheirjourney。
　　Thesuncameoutthroughthethinclouds，andlightedupthevastplainthatsweptawaynorthandeast，withthepurpleheightsagainsttheeasternsky。Theroyalmountainlifteditsgracefulmassbesidethem，andhidthecitywhollyfromsight。Peasant-villages，intheshadeofbeautifulelms，dottedtheplainineverydirection，andatintervalscreptuptothesideoftheroadalongwhichtheydrove。ButthesehadbeencorruptedbyamoreambitiousarchitecturesinceBasilsawthemlast，andwerenolongerpurelyFrenchinappearance。Then，nearlyeveryhousewasatanneryinamodestway，andpoeticallypublishedthefactbythedisplayofasheep’stailoverthefrontdoor，likeabushatawine-
　　shop。Now，ifthetanneriesstillexisted，thepoetryofthecheeps’
　　tailshadvanishedfromtheportals。Butourfriendswereconsoledbymeetingnumbersofthepeasantsjoltinghomefrommarketinthepaintedcarts，whicharedoubtlessofthepatternofthecartsfirstbuilttheretwohundredyearsago。Theyweregratefulfortheimmortaloldwooden，crookedandbrownwiththelaborofthefields，whoaboundedinthesevehicles；whenahugegirljumpedfromthetailofhercart，andshowedthethick，clumsyanklesofatruepeasant-maid，theycouldonlysighouttheirunspeakablesatisfaction。
　　Gardensemboweredandperfumedthelowcottages，throughtheopendoorsofwhichtheycouldseetheexquisiteneatnessofthelifewithin。Oneofthedoorsopenedintoaschool-house，wheretheybeheldwithrapturetheschool-mistress，bookinhand，andwithaquaintcaponhergrayhead，andencircledbyherflockoflittleboysandgirls。
　　Byandbyitbegantorainagain；andnowwhiletheirdriverstoppedtoputupthetopofthebarouche，theyenteredacountrychurchwhichhadtakentheirfancy，andwalkeduptheaislewiththestepsthatblendwithsilenceratherthanbreakit，whiletheyheardonlythesoftwhisperoftheshowerwithout。Therewasnoonetherebutthemselves。Theurnofholywaterseemednottohavebeentroubledthatday，andnopenitentkneltattheshrine，beforewhichtwinkledsofaintlyonelightedlamp。
　　Thewhiteroofswelledintodimarchesovertheirheads；thepaledaylikeavisiblehushstolethroughthepaintedwindows；theyheardthemselvesbreatheastheycreptfrompicturetopicture。
　　Anarrowdooropenedatthesideofthehighaltar，andaslenderyoungpriestappearedinalongblackrobe，andwithshavenhead。He，tooashemovedwithnoiselessfeet，seemedapartofthesilence；andwhenheapproachedwithdreamyblackeyesfixeduponthem，andbowedcourteously，itseemedimpossibleheshouldspeak。Buthespoke，thepaleyoungpriest，thedark-robedtradition，thetonsuredvisionofanageandachurchthatarepassing。
　　“DoyouunderstandFrench，monsieur？“
　　“Averylittle，monsieur。“
　　“AverylittleismorethanmyEnglish，“hesaid，yethepolitelywenttheroundofthepictureswiththem，andgavethemthenamesofthepaintersbetweenhiscrossingsatthedifferentaltars。AtthehighaltartherewasaveryfairCrucifixion；beforethisthepriestbentoneknee。“Finepicture，finealtar，finechurch，“hesaidinEnglish。Atlasttheystoppednextthepoor-box。Astheircoinsclinkedagainstthosewithin，hesmiledserenelyuponthegoodheretics。Thenhebowed，and，asifhehadrelapsedintothepast，hevanishedthroughthenarrowdoorbywhichhehadentered。
　　BasilandIsabelstoodspeechlessamomentonthechurchsteps。Thenshecried，“O，whydidn’tsomethinghappen？“
　　“Ah，mydear！whatcouldhavekeenhalfsogoodasthenothingthatdidhappen？Supposeweknewhimtohavetakenordersbecauseofadisappointmentinlove:howcommonitwouldhavemadehim；everybodyhasbeencrossedinloveonceortwice。“Hebadethedrivertakethembacktothehotel。“Thisistheverybouquetofadventurewhyshouldwecareforthegrosserbody？Idaresayifweknewallaboutyonderpaleyoungpriest，weshouldnotthinkhimhalfsointerestingaswedonow。“
　　Atdinnertheyspenttheintervalsofthecoursesinguessingthenationalityofthedifferentpersons，andinwonderingiftheCanadiansdidnotmakeitamatterofconscientiousloyaltytoout-EnglishtheEnglisheveninthematterofpale-aleandsherry，andinrotundityofpersonandfreshnessofface，justastheyemulatedtheminthecutoftheirclothesandwhiskers。Musttheyfoundeventheirhealthuponthehealthofthemother-country？
　　Ourfriendsbegantodetectsomethingservileinitall，andbutthattheyweresuchamiablepersons，theloyallyperfectdigestionofMontrealwouldhavegonefartoimpairtheirown。
　　Theloyalty，whichhadalreadyappearedtotheminthecathedral，suggesteditselfinmanywaysuponthestreet，whentheywentoutafterdinnertodothatlittleshoppingwhichIsabelhadplannedtodoinMontreal。Thebooksellers’windowswerefullofCanadianeditionsofourauthors，andEnglishcopiesofEnglishworks，insteadofourpiratededitions；thedry-goodsstoresweregaywithfabricsintheLondontasteandgarmentsoftheLondonshape；herewasthesignofaphotographertotheQueen，thereofahattertoH。R。H。thePrinceofWales；abarberwas“underthepatronageofH。R。H。thePrinceofWales，H。E。theDukeofCambridge，andthegentryofMontreal。“’Ichdien’wasthemottoofarestaurateur；ahosierhadgallantlylabeledhisstockintradewith’Honisoitquimalypense’。AgaintheynotedtheEnglishsolidityofthecivicedifices，andalreadytheyhadobservedintheforeignpopulationadifferencefromthatathome。TheysawnoGermanfacesonthestreets，andtheIrishfaceshadnotthattruculencewhichtheywearsometimeswithus。Theyhadnotlosttheirnativesimplenessandkindliness；theIrishmenwhodrovethepubliccarriageswereascivilasourownBostonhackmen，andbehavedasrespectfullyundertheshadowofEnglandhere，astheyworldhavedoneunderitinIreland。TheproblemwhichvexesusseemstohavebeensolvedpleasantlyenoughinCanada。