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