acquaintancesofthehotelparlorandtheRapids-elevator，andhadglancedtentativelytowardsthem。Whereuponthematronofthepartyhadmadeadvancesthatendedintheirallsittingdowntogetherandwonderingwhentheboatwouldstart，andwhattimetheywouldgettoMontrealnextevening，withothermattersthatstrangersgoinguponthesamejourneymayproperlymarveloverincompany。Theintroductionhavingthusaccomplisheditself，theyexchangedaddresses，anditappearedthatRichardwasColonelEllison，ofMilwaukee，andthatFannywashiswife。
MissKittyEllisonwasofWesternNewYork，notfarfromErie。Therewasadiversionpresentlytowardsthedifferentstate-rooms；butthenewacquaintancessatvis-a-vasatthetable，andaftersuppertheladiesdrewtheirchairstogetheronthepromenadedeck，andenjoyedthefresheveningbreeze。Thesunsetmagnificentuponthelowwesternshorewhichtheyhadnowleftanhouraway，andabroadstripeofcolorstretchedbehindthesteamer。Afewthin，luminouscloudsdarkenedmomentlyalongthehorizon，andthenmixedwiththeland。Thestarscameoutinaclearsky，andalightwindsoftlybuffetedthecheeks，andbreathedlifeintonervesthattheday’sheathadwasted。Itscarcelywrinkledthetranquilexpanseofthelake，onwhichloomed，farornear，afull-sailedschooner，andpresentlymeltedintothetwilight，andleftthesteamersolitaryuponthewaters。Thecompanywassmall，andnotremarkableenoughinanywaytotakethethoughtsofanyoneoffhisowncomfort。
Adeepsenseofthecozinessofthesituationpossessedthemallwhichwasifpossibleintensifiedbythespectacleofthecaptain，seatedontheupperdeck，andsmokingacigarthatflashedandfaintedlikeastationaryfire-flyinthegatheringdusk。Howverydistant，inthismood，werethemostrecentevents！Niagaraseemedafableofantiquity；
theridefromRochesteramythoftheMiddleAges。Inthispool，happyworldofquietlake，ofstarryskies，ofairthatthesoulitselfseemedtobreathe，therewassuchconsciousnessofreposeasifoneweresteepedinrestandsoakedthroughandthroughwithcalm。
ThepointsoflikenessbetweenIsabelandMrs。Ellisonshortlymadethemmutuallyuninteresting，and，leavingherhusbandtotheothers，IsabelfranklysoughtthecompanionshipofMissKitty，inwhomshefoundacharmofmannerwhichpuzzledatfirst，butwhichshepresentlyfanciedmustbeperfecttrustofothersminglingwithapeculiarself-reliance。