Inamomentithadcome，thefirstseriousdisputeoftheirweddedlife。
Ithadcomeasallsuchcalamitiescome，fromnothing，anditwasontheminfulldisastereretheyknew。Suchaverylittlewhileago，thereintheconventgarden，theirliveshadbeendrawncloserinsympathythaneverbefore；andnowthatblessedtimeseemedagessince，andtheywerefurtherasunderthanthosewhohaveneverbeenfriends。“Ithought，“
bitterlymusedIsabel，“thathewouldhavedoneanythingforme。““Whocouldhavedreamedthatawomanofhersensewouldbesounreasonable，“
hewondered。Bothhadtempers，asIknowmydearestreaderhas(ifalady)，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。
