Atfirstshewasgladtherewereotherpeopledownthere，asifsheandBasilwerenotenoughtobearitalone，andshecouldalmosthavespokentothetwohopelesslyprettybrides，withparasolsandimpertinentlittleboots，whomtheirattendanthusbandswerehelpingoverthesharpandslipperyrocks，sobarebeyondthespray，sogreenandmossywithinthefallofmist。Butinanotherbreathsheforgotthem；asshelookedonthatdizziedsea，hurlingitselffromthehighsummitinhugewhiteknots，andbreaksandmasses，andplungingintothegulfbesideher，whileitsentcontinuallyupastrongvoiceoflamentation，andcrawledawayinvasteddies，withsomehowalookofhumanterror，bewilderment，andpain。Itwasbathedinsnowyvaportoitscrest，butnowandthenheavycurrentsofairdrewthisaside，andtheysawtheoutlineoftheFallsalmostasfarastheCanadaside。Theyrememberedafterwardshowtheywereabletomakeuseofbutonesenseatatime，andhowwhentheystrovetotakeintheformsofthedescendingflood，theyceasedtohearit；butassoonastheyreleasedtheireyesfromthisservice，everyfibreinthemvibratedtothesound，andthespectacledissolvedawayinit。Theywereaware，too，ofastrangecapriciousnessintheirsenses，andofatendencyofeachtopalterwiththethingsperceived。Theeyecouldnolongertaketruthfulnoteofquality，andnowbeheldthetumblingdelugeasaGothicwallofcareenmarble，white，motionless，andnowasafalloflightestsnow，withmovementinallitsatoms，andscarcesomuchcohesionaswouldholdthemtogether；andagaintheycouldnotdiscernifthiscoursewerefromaboveorfrombeneath，whetherthewaterrosefromtheabyssordroppedfromtheheight。Theearcouldgivethebrainnoassuranceofthesoundthatfelledit，andwhetheritweregreatorlittle；theprevailingsoftnessofthecataract’stoneseemedsomuchopposedtoideasofprodigiousforceorofprodigiousvolume。Itwasonlywhenthesight，soidleinitsownbehalf，cametotheaidoftheothersense，andshowedthemthemutemovementofeachother’slips，thattheydimlyappreciatedthedepthofsoundthatinvolvedthem。
“Ithinkyoumighthavebeenhigh-strungthere，forasecondortwo，“
saidBasil，when，ascendingtheincline；hecouldmakehimselfheard。
“Wewilltrythebridgenext。“
Overtheriver，sostillwithitsoilyeddiesanddelicatewreathsoffoam，justbelowtheFallstheyhaveinlateyearswovenawebofwirehighinair，andhungabridgefromprecipicetoprecipice。Ofallthebridgesmadewithhandsitseemsthelightest，mostethereal；itisideallygraceful，anddroopsfromitsslighttowerslikeagarland。Itisworthytocommand，asitdoes，thewholegrandeurofNiagara，andtoshowthetravellerthevastspectacle，fromthebeginningoftheAmericanFalltothefarthestlimitoftheHorse-Shoe，withalltheawfulpompoftherapids，thesolemndarknessofthewoodedislands，themysteryofthevaporousgulf，theindomitablewildnessoftheshores，asfarastheeyecanreachupordownthefatalstream。