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，andallalongthatlinewhichisbuilttoshowhowuninterestingtheearthcanbewhensheis’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？“