第13章

“Well，uponmyword，mydear，“hesaid，“Ithinkwe’vefallenprettylow。

I’veneverfeltsuchapoor，shabbyruffianbefore。Goodheavens！Tothinkofourimmortalsoulsbeingmovedtomirthbysuchathingasthis，——sostupid，sobarrenofallreasonoflaughter。Andthenthecrueltyofit！Whatferociousimbecilesweare！WhomhaveImarried？

Awomanwithneitherheartnorbrain！“

“OBasil，dear，payhimbackthemoney-do。“

“Ican’t。That’stheworstofit。He’smoneyenough，andmightjustlytakeoffense。Whatbreaksmyheartisthatwecouldhavethedepravitytosmileatthemistakeofafriendlessstranger，whosupposedhehadatlastmetwithanactofpurekindness。It’sathingtoweepover。Lookatthesegrinningwretches！Whatafiendisheffecttheirsmileshave，throughtheircindersandsweat！O，it’stheterribleweather；thedespotismofthedustandheat；thewickednessoftheinfernalair。Whatasqualidandloathsomecompany！“

AtBuffalo，wheretheyarrivedlate，theyfoundthemselveswithseveralhours’timeontheirhandsbeforethetrainstartedforNiagara，andinthefirstmomentsoftedium，Isabelforgotherselfintosaying，“Don’tyouthinkwe’dhavedonebettertogodirectlyfromRochestertotheFalls，insteadofcomingthisway？“

“Whycertainly。Ididn’tproposecomingthisway。“

“Iknowit，dear。Iwasonlyasking，“saidIsabel，meekly。“ButI

shouldthinkyou’dhavegenerosityenoughtotakealittleoftheblame，whenIwantedtocomeoutofaromanticfeelingforyou。“

Thisromanticfeelingreferredtothefactthat，manyyearsbefore，whenBasilmadehisfirstvisittoNiagara，hehadapproachedfromthewestbywayofBuffalo；andIsabel，whotenderlybegrudgedhishavingexistedbeforesheknewhim，andlongedtoallyherselfretrospectivelywithhispast，wasresolvedtodrawnearthegreatcataractbynootherroute。

Shefetchedalittlesighwhichmightmeantheweatherorhishard-

heartedness。Thesightouchedhim，andhesuggestedacarriage-ridethroughthecity；sheassentedwitheagerness，foritwaswhatshehadbeenthinkingof。Shehadneverseenalakesidecitybefore，andshewastakenbysurprise。“IfeverweleaveBoston，“shesaid，“wewillnotliveatRochester，asIthoughtlastnight；we’llcometoBuffalo。“Shefoundthattheplacehadallthepicturesquenessofasea-port，withouttheuglinessthatattendstherisingandfallingtides。Adeliciousfreshnessbreathedfromthelake，whichlyingsosmooth，fadedintotheskyatlast，withnolinebetweensharperthanthatwhichdividesdrowsingfromdreaming。Butthecolorwasthemostcharmingthing，thatdelicateblueofthelake，withoutthedepthofthesea-blue，butinfinitelysofterandlovelier。Thenearerexpansesrippledwithdaintywaves，silverandlucent；thefurtherlevelsmade，withthesun-dimmedsummersky，avaguehorizonofturquoiseandamethyst，litbythewhitesailsofships，andstainedbythesmokeofsteamers。

“Takemeawaynow，“saidIsabel，whenhereyeshadfeasteduponallthis，“anddon’tletmeseeanotherthingtillIgettoNiagara。Nothinglesssublimeisworthytheeyesthathavebeheldsuchbeauty。“

However，onthewaytoNiagarasheconsentedtoglimpsesoftheriverwhichcarriesthewatersofthelakefortheirmightyplunge，andwhichshowsitselfverynoblyfromtimetotimeasyoudrawtowardthecataract，withwoodedorcultivatedislands，andrichfarmsalongitslowshores，andatlastflashesupontheeyetheshiningwhiteoftherapids，——ahint，nomore，ofthesplendorandawfulnesstoberevealed。

VI。NIAGARA。

Asthetrainstopped，Isabel’sheartbeatwithachild-likeexultation，asIbelieveeveryone’sheartmustwhoisworthytoarriveatNiagara。

Shehadbeentryingtofancy，fromtimetotime，thatsheheardtheroarofthecataract，andnow，whenshealightedfromthecar，shewassuresheshouldhavehearditbutforthevulgarlittlenoisesthatattendthearrivaloftrainsatNiagaraaswellaseverywhereelse。“Nevermind，dearest；youshallbestunnedwithitbeforeyouleave，“promisedherhusband；and，notwhollydisconsolate，sherodethroughthequaintstreetsofthevillage，whereitremainsaquestionwhetherthelowlinessoftheshopsandprivatehousesmakesthehotelslooksovast，orthebignessofthehotelsdwarfsalltheotherbuildings。Theimmensecaravansariesswellingupfromamongthelittlebazaars(wheretheysellfeatherfans，andminiaturebarkcanoes，andjarsandvasesandbraceletsandbroochescarvedoutofthelocalrocks)，madeourfriendswiththeirtrunksveryconsciousoftheirdisproportiontotheaccommodationsofthesmallest。Theywerethesoleoccupantsoftheomnibus，andtheywereembarrassedtobereceivedattheirhotelwithaburstofminstrelsyfromawholebandofmusic。Isabelfeltthatasinglestringedinstrumentofsometimidnotewouldhavebeenenough；andBasilwasgoingtoexpresshisownmodestpreferenceforajew’s-harp，whenthemusicceasedwithasuddenclashofthecymbals。Butthenextmomentitburstoutwithfreshsweetness，andinalightingtheyperceivedthatanotheromnibushadturnedthecornerandwasdrawinguptothepillaredporticoofthehotel。Asmallfamilydismounted，andthefeetofthelasthadhardlytouchedthepavementwhenthemusicagainendedasabruptlyasthoseflourishesoftrumpetsthatusherplayer-kingsuponthestage。Isabelcouldnothelplaughingatthismelodiousparsimony。“Ihopetheydon’tletonthecataractandshutitoffinthisfrugalstyle；dothey，Basil？“sheasked，andpassedjestingthroughapompofunoccupiedportersandtallboys。Apparentlytherewerenotmanypeoplestoppingatthishotel，orelsetheywerealloutlookingattheFallsorconfinedtotheirrooms。However，ourtravellerstookinthealmostweirdemptinessoftheplacewiththeirusualgratitudetofortuneforallqueernessinlife，andfollowedtothepleasantquartersassignedthem。Therewastimebeforesupperforaglanceatthecataract，andafterabrieftoilettheysalliedoutagainupontheholidaystreet，withitsparadeofgaylittleshops，andthencepassedintothegrovebesidetheFalls，enjoyingateveryinstanttheirfeelingofarrivalatasublimedestination。

InthissenseNiagaradeservesalmosttorankwithRome，themetropolisofhistoryandreligion；withVenice，thechiefcityofsentimentandfantasy。Ineitheryouareatoncemadeathomebyaperceptionofitsgreatness，inwhichthereisnoqualityofaggression，astherealwaysseemstobeinminorplacesaswellasinminormen，andyougratefullyacceptitssublimityasafactinnowaycontrastingwithyourowninsignificance。

Ourfriendswerebesetofcoursebymanycarriage-drivers，whomtheyrepelledwiththekindlyfirmnessofexperiencedtravel。IsabelevenfeltacompassionforthesepoorfellowswhohadseenNiagarasomuchastohaveforgottenthatthefirsttimeonemustseeitaloneoronlywiththenextoffriendship。ShewasvolubleinherpityofBasilthatitwasnotasnewtohimastoher，tillbetweenthetreestheysawawhitecloudofspray，shotthroughandthroughwithsunset，rising，rising，andshefelthervoicesoftlyandsteadilybeatendownbythediapasonofthecataract。

IamnotsurebutthefirstemotiononviewingNiagaraisthatoffamiliarity。Everafter，itsstrangenessincreases；butinthatearliestmomentwhenyoustandbythesideoftheAmericanfall，andtakeinsomuchofthewholeasyourgiantscancompass，animpressionofhavingseenitoftenbeforeiscertainlyveryvivid。Thismaybeaneffectofthatgrandeurwhichputsyouatyoureaseinitspresence；butitalsoundoubtedlyresultsinpartfromlifelongacquaintancewitheveryvarietyoffutilepictureofthescene。Youhaveitsoutwardformclearlyinyourmemory；theshores，therapids，theislands，thecurveoftheFalls，andthestoutrainbowwithoneendrestingontheirtopandtheotherlostinthemiststhatrisefromthegulfbeneath。OnthewholeIdonotaccountthissortoffamiliarityamisfortune。Thesurpriseisnonethelessasurprisebecauseitiskepttillthelast，andthemarvel，makingitselffinallyfeltineverynerve，andnotatoncethroughasinglesense，allthemorefullypossessesyou。ItisasifNiagarareservedhermagnificence，andpreferredtowinyourheartwithherbeauty；andsoIsabel，whowasinstinctivelypreparedforthereverse，sufferedavaguedisappointment，foralittleinstant，asshelookedalongthevergefromthewaterthatcaressedtheshoreatherfeetbeforeitflungitselfdown，tothewoodedpointthatdividestheAmericanfromtheCanadianFall，beyondwhichshoweddimlythroughitsveilofgoldenandsilvermiststheemeraldwallofthegreatHorse-Shoe。“Howstillitis！“shesaid，amidsttheroarthatshookthegroundundertheirfeetandmadetheleavestrembleoverhead，and“Howlonesome！“amidstthepeopleloungingandsaunteringaboutineverydirectionamongthetrees。Infactthatprodigiouspresencedoesmakeasolitudeandsilenceroundeveryspiritworthytoperceiveit，anditgivesakindofdignitytoallitsbelongings，sothattherocksandpebblesinthewater’sedge，andtheweedsandgrassesthatnodaboveit，haveavaluefarbeyondthatofsuchcommonthingselsewhere。InalltheaspectsofNiagarathereseemsagravesimplicity，whichisperhapsareflectionofthespectator’ssoulforonceutterlydismantledofaffectationandconvention。Inthevulgarreactionfromthis，youareofcourseastrivial，ifyoulike，atNiagara，asanywhere。

SlowlyIsabelbecameawarethatthesacredgrovebesidethefallwasprofanedbysomeverycommonpresencesindeed，thattossedbitsofstoneandsticksintotheconsecratedwaters，andstruggledforhandkerchiefsandfans，andhereandthereputtheirarmsabouteachother’swaists，andmadeashowoflaughingandjoking。Theywereapicnicpartyofrude，sillyfolksoftheneighborhood，andshestoodponderingtheminsadwonderifanythingcouldbeworse，whensheheardavoicesayingtoBasil，“Takeyounext，Sir？Plentyoflightyet，andthewind’sdowntheriver，sothespraywon’tinterfere。Makeacapitalpictureofyou；

fallsinthebackground。“Itwasthelocalphotographerurgingthemtosucceedtheyoungcouplehehadjustposedatthebrink:thegentlemanwassittingdown，withhislegscrossedandhishandselegantlydisposed；

theladywasstandingathisside，withonearmthrownlightlyacrosshisshoulder，whilewiththeotherhandshethrusthiscaneintotheground；

youcouldseeitwasgoingtobeasplendidphotograph。

Basilthankedtheartist，andIsabelsaid，trustingasusualtohissympathyforperceptionofhertrainofthought，“Well，I’llnevertrytobehigh-strungagain。Butshouldn’tyouhavethought，dearest，thatI

mightexpecttobehigh-strungwithsuccessatNiagaraifanywhere？“

Shepassivelyfollowedhimintothelong，queer，downward-slopingedificeontheborderofthegrove，unflinchinglymountedthecarthatstoodready，anddescendedtheincline。Emergingintothelightagain，shefoundherselfatthefootofthefallbywhosetopshehadjuststood。