第5章

Theybotheducatedthemselvesforcontinuedandtranquilhappinessbytheexampleandpreceptoftheirfriends；andthetimepassedswiftlyinthepleasantlearning，andinthenoveltyofthelifeledbytheLeonards。

Thisindeedmeritsacloserstudythancanbegivenhere，foritisthelifeledbyvastnumbersofprosperousNewYorkerswholoveboththeexcitementofthecityandthereposeofthecountry，andwhoaspiretounitetheenjoymentofbothintheirdailyexistence。Thesuburbsofthemetropolisstretchlandwardfiftymilesineverydirection；andeverywherearehandsomevillaslikeLeonard’s，inhabitedbymenlikehimself，whomstrictstudyofthetime-tableenablestospendalltheirworkinghoursinthecityandalltheirsmokingandsleepinghoursinthecountry。

ThehomeandtheneighborhoodoftheLeonardsputontheirbestlooksforourbridalpair，andtheywerecharmed。Theyallenjoyedthevisit，saidguestsandhosts，theywereallsorrytohaveitcometoanend；yettheyallresignedthemselvestothisconclusion。Practically，ithadnootherresultthantodetainthetravellersintotheveryheartofthehotweather。Inthatweatheritwaseasytodoanythingthatdidnotrequireanactiveeffort，andresignationwassonaturalwiththemercuryatninety，thatIaannotsurebuttherewassomethingsinfulinit。

TheyhadgivenuptheircherishedpurposeofgoingtoAlbanybythedayboat，whichwasrepresentedtothemineveryimpossiblephase。Itwouldbedreadfullycrowded，andwheneveritstoppedtheheatwouldbeinsupportable。BesidesitwouldbringthemtoAlbanyatanhourwhentheymusteitherspendthenightthere，orpushontoNiagarabythenighttrain。“Youhadbettergobytheeveningboat。ItwillbelightalmosttillyoureachWestPoint，andyou’llseeallthebestscenery。

Thenyoucangetagoodnight’srest，andstartfreshinthemorning。“

Sotheywerecounseled，andtheyassented，astheywouldhavedoneiftheyhadbeenadvised:“Youhadbettergobythemorningboat。It’sdeliciouslycool，travelling；youseethewholeoftheriver，youreachAlbanyforsupper，andyoupushthroughtoNiagarathatnightandaredonewithit。

TheytookleaveofLeonardatbreakfastandofhiswifeatnoon，andfifteenminuteslatertheywererushingfromtheheatofthecountryintotheheatofthecity，wheresomeaffairsandpleasuresweretoemploythemtilltheeveningboatshouldstart。

Theirspiritswerelow，fortheterriblespellofthegreatheatbroodeduponthem。Allabroadburnedthefiercewhitelightofthesun，inwhichnotonlytheearthseemedtoparchandthirst，buttheveryairwithered，andwasfaintandthintothetroubledrespiration。TheirtrainwasfullofpeoplewhohadcomelongjourneysfrombroilingcitiesoftheWest，andwhoweredustyandashenandreekingintheslumbersatwhichsomeofthemstillvainlycaught。Oneveryonelayanawfullanguor。Hereandtherestirredafan，likethebrokenwingofadyingbird；nowandthenaswelteringyoungmothershiftedherhotbabyfromonearmtoanother；

aftereverystationthedesperateconductorswungthroughthelongaisleandpunchedtheticket，whicheachpassengerseemedtoyieldhimwithatacitmalediction；asufferingchildhungabouttheemptytank，whichcouldonlygaspoutacinderydroportwoofice-water。Thewindbuffetedfaintlyatthewindows；whenthedoorwasopened，theclatteroftherailsstruckthroughandthroughthecarlikeademoniacyell。

Yetwhentheyarrivedatthestationbytheferry-side，theyseemedtohaveentereditsstiflingdarknessfromfreshandvigorousatmosphere，socloseanddeadandminedwiththecarbonicbreathofthelocomotiveswastheairoftheplace。Thethinoldwoodenwallsthatshutouttheglareofthesuntransmittedanintensifiedwarmth；theroofseemedtohoverlowerandlower，andinitscoal-smoked，rafteryhollowtogenerateaheatdeadlierthanthatpoureduponitfromtheskies。

Inaconvenientplaceinthestationhungathermometer，beforewhicheverypassenger，ongoingaboardtheferry-boat，pausedasatashrine，andmutelypaidhisdevotions。Atthealtarofthisfetichourfriendsalsopaused，andsawthatthemercurywasaboveninety，andexultingwiththepridethatsavagestakeinthecruelmightoftheiridols，bowedtheirsoulstothegreatgodHeat。

Ontheboattheyfoundaplacewherethebreathoftheseastruckcoolacrosstheirfaces，andmadethemforgetthethermometerforthebrieftimeofthetransit。Butpresentlytheydrewnearthatstrange，irregularrowofwoodenbuildingsandjuttingpierswhichskirtstheriverontheNewYorkaide，andbeforetheboat’smotionceasedtheairgrewthickandwarmagain，andtaintedwiththefoulnessofthestreetonwhichthebuildingsfront。Uponthistheboat’spassengersissued，passingupthroughagangway，ononesideofwhichathrongofreturn-

passengerswaspentbyagateofironbarn，likeaherdofwildanimals。

Theywerestreamingwithperspiration，and，accordingtotheirdifferenttemperaments，hadfacesofdeepcrimsonordeadlypallor。

“Nowthequestionis，mydear，“saidBasilwhen，freeofthepress，theylingeredforamomentintheshadeoutside，“whetherwehadbetterwalkuptoBroadway，atanimmediatesacrificeoffibre，andgetastagethere，ortakeoneofthesecarshere，andbelandedalittlenearer，withhalftheexertion。Bythisrouteweshallhavesightsendsmellswhichtheothercan’tofferus，butwhicheverwetakeweshallbesorry。“

“ThenIsaytakethis，“decidedIsabel。“Iwanttobesorryupontheeasiestpossibleterms，thisweather。“

Theyhailedthefirstcarthatpassed，andgotintoit。Wellforthembothifshecouldhaveexercisedthisphilosophywithregardtothewholeday’sbusiness，orifshecouldhavegivenupherplansforit，withthesameresignationshehadpracticedinregardtothedayboat！Itseemstomeaproofofthesmalladvanceourracehasmadeintruewisdom，thatwefinditsohardtogiveupdoinganythingwehavemeanttodo。Itmattersverylittlewhethertheaffairisoneofenjoymentorofbusiness，wefeelthesamebitterneedofpursuingittotheend。Themerefactofintentiongivesitaflavorofduty，anddutiolatry，asonemaycallthedevotion，haspassedsodeeplyintoourlifethatwehavescarcelyasenseanymoreofthesweetnessofevenaneglectedpleasure。

Wewillnottastethefine，guiltyraptureofadeliberatedereliction；

thegentlesinofomissionisallbutblottedfromthecalendarofourcrimes。IfIhadbeenColumbus，Ishouldhavethoughttwicebeforesettingsail，whenIwasquitereadytodoso；andasforPlymouthRock，Ishouldhavesternlyresistedtheblandishmentsofthosetwinsirens，StarvationandCold，whobeckonedthePuritansshoreward，andassoonaseverIcameinsightoftheirgraniteperchshouldhaveturnedbacktoEngland。Butitisnowtoolatetorepairtheseerrors，andso，ononeofthehottestdaysoflastyear，beholdmyobduratebridalpair，inaTenthorTwentiethAvenuehorse-car，settingforthuponthefulfillmentofaseriesofintentions，anyofwhichhadwiselierbeenleftunaccomplished。IsabelhadsaidtheywouldcalluponcertainpeopleinFiftiethStreet，andthenshopslowlydown，ice-creamingandstagingandvariouslycoolingandcalmingbytheway，untiltheyreachedtheticket-

officeonBroadway，whencetheycouldindefinitelybetakethemselvestothesteamboatanhourortwobeforeherdeparture。Shefeltthattheyhadyieldedsufficientlytocircumstancesandconditionsalreadyonthisjourney，andshewasresolvedthatthepresenthalf-dayinNewYorkshouldbethehalf-dayofheroriginaldesign。

Itwasnotthemostadvisablething，asIhaveallowed，butitwasinevitable，anditaffordedthemaspectaclewhichisbynomeanswantinginsublimity，andwhichiscertainlyunique，——thespectacleofthatgreatcityonahotday，defiantoftheelements，andprosperingonwitheveryformoflabor，andataterriblecostoflife。Themancarryingthehodtothetopofthewallsthatranklygrowandgrowasfromhislife’sblood，willonlylaydownhisloadwhenhefeelsthemortalglareofthesunblazeinuponheartandbrain；theplethoricmillionaireforwhomhetoilswillplotandplaninhisofficetillheswoonsatthedesk；thetremblingbeastmuststaggerforwardwhiletheflame-facedtormentorontheboxhasstrengthtolashhimon；inallthosevastpalacesofcommercethereareceaselesssaleandpurchase，packingandunpacking，liftingupandlayingdown，arrivinganddepartingloads；inthousandsofshopsistheunsparedandunsparingwearinessofselling；inthestreet，filledbythehurryandsufferingoftensofthousands，isthewearinessofbuying。

Theirafternoon’sexperiencewassomethingthatBasilandIsabelcould，whenitwaspast，lookupononlyasakindofvision，magnificentattimes，andatothertimesfullofindignityandpain。Theyseemedtohavedreamedofalonghorse-carpilgrimagethroughthatsqualidstreetbytheriver-side，wherepresentlytheycametoamarket，openingupontheviewhideousvistasofcarnage，andthenintoawideavenue，withprocessionsofcarsliketheirowncomingandgoingupanddownthecentreofafoolishanduselessbreadth，whichmadeeventhetallbuildings(risinggauntlyupamongtheolderhousesofoneortwostories)oneitherhandlooklow，andletinthesuntobakethedustthatthehotbreathsofwindcaughtupandgentswirlingintotheshabbyshops。Heretheydreamedoftheeternaldemolitionandconstructionofthecity，andfartheronofvacantlotsfullofgraniteboulders，clamberedoverbygoats。Intheirdreamtheyhadfellow-passengers，whosesufferingsmadethemodiousandwhomtheyweregladtoleavebehindwhentheyalightedfromthecar，andrunningoutoftheblazeoftheavenue，quenchedthemselvesintheshadeofthecross-street。Alittlestripofshadowlayalongtherowofbrown-stonefronts，buttherewereintervalswherethevacantlotscastnoshadow。Withgreatbestowalofthoughttheystudiedhopelesslyhowtoavoidthesespacesasiftheyhadbeendifficulttorrentsorvastexpansesofdesertsand；theycreptslowlyalongtilltheycametosuchaplace，anddashedswiftlyacrossit，andthen，fainterthanbefore，movedon。Theyseemednowandthentostandatdoors，andtobetoldthatpeoplewereoutandagainthattheywerein；andtheyhadasenseofcooldarkparlors，andtheairyrustlingoflight-muslinedladies，ofchatandoffansandice-water，andthentheycameforthagain；andevermore “Thedayincreasedfromheattoheat“

Atlasttheywereawareofanendoftheirvisits，andofapurposetogodowntownagain，andofseekingthenearestcarbyendlessblocksofbrown-stonefronts，whichwiththeireternalbrownstoneflightsofsteps，andtheirhandsome，intolerableuniformity，oppressedthemlikeaprocessionofhousestryingtopassagivenpointandnevergettingby。

Uponthesestreetstherewas，seldomasoultobeseen，sothatwhentheirringingatadoorhadevokedanswer，ithadstartledthemwithavague，sadsurprise。Inthedistanceoneitherhandtheycouldseecarsandcartsandwagonstoilingupanddowntheavenues，andonthenextintersectingpavementsometimesalaborerwithhisjacketslungacrosshisshoulder，oradogthathadplainlymadeuphismindtogomad。Uptothetimeoftheirgettingintooneofthosephantasmalcarsforthereturndown-townwardstheyhadkeptupashowoftalkintheirwretcheddream；theyhadspokenofotherhotdaysthattheyhadknownelsewhere；

andtheyhadwonderedthatthetragicalcharacterofheathadbeensolittlerecognized。TheysaidthatthedailyNewYorkmurdermightevenatthatmomentbesomewheretakingplace；andthatnomurderofthewholehomicidalyearcouldhavesuchpropercircumstance；theymorbidlywonderedwhatthatday’smurderwouldbe，andinwhatswarmingtenement-