Lifehadnotusedthemillinthistime，andthefairishtreatmenttheyhadreceivedwasnotwhollyunmerited。Thetwelveyearspasthadmadethemolder，astheyearsmustinpassing。Basilwasnowforty-two，andhismoustachewaswellsprinkledwithgray。Isabelwasthirty-nine，andthepartingofherhairhadthinnedandretreated；butshemanagedtogiveitaneffectofyouthfulabundancebycombingitlowdownuponherforehead，androughingittherewithawetbrush。Bygaslightshewasstillverypretty；shebelievedthatshelookedmoreinteresting，andshethoughtBasil’sgraymoustachedistinguished。Hehadgrownstouter；hefilledhisdouble-breastedfrockcoatcompactly，andfromtimetotimehehadthebuttonssetforward；hishandswereroundeduponthebacks，andhenolongerworehisoldnumberofglovesbytwosizes；noamountofpowderormanipulationfromtheyoungladyintheshopwouldinducethemtogoon。Butthisdidnotmattermuchnow，forheseldomworeglovesatall。Hewasgladthatthefashionsufferedhimtospareinthatdirection，forhewasobligedtolooksomewhatcarefullyaftertheout-
goes。Theinsurancebusinesswasnotwhatithadbeen，andthoughBasilhadcomfortablyestablishedhimselfinit，hehadnotmademoney。Hesometimesthoughtthathemighthavedonequiteaswellifhehadgoneintoliterature；butitwasnowtoolate。Theyhadnotaverylargefamily:theyhadaboyofeleven，whotookafterhisfather，andagirlofnine，whotookaftertheboy；butwiththeAmericanfeelingthattheirchildrenmusthavethebestofeverything，theymadeitanexpensivefamily，andtheyspentnearlyallBasilearned。
Thenarrownessoftheirmeans，aswellastheirhouseholdcares，hadkeptthemfromtakingmanylongjourneys。TheypassedtheirwintersinBoston，andtheirsummersontheSouthShore，cheaperthantheNorthShore，andnearenoughforBasiltogoupanddowneverydayforbusiness；buttheypromisedthemselvesthatsomedaytheywouldrevisitcertainpointsontheirweddingjourney，andperhapssomewherefindtheirlostsecond-youthonthetrack。Itwasnotthattheycaredtobeyoung，buttheywishedthechildrentoseethemastheyusedtobewhentheythoughtthemselvesveryold；andonelovelyafternooninJunetheystartedforNiagara。
Ithadbeenveryhotforseveraldays，butthatmorningtheeastwindcamein，andcrispedtheairtillitseemedtorustleliketinsel，andtheskywasassincerelyandsolidlyblueasifithadbeenchromoed。
Theyfeltthattheywerereallylookingupintotheroofoftheworld，whentheyglancedatit；butwhenanoldgentlemanhastilykissedayoungwoman，andcommendedhertotheconductorasbeingonewhowasgoingallthewaytoSanFranciscoalone，andthenriskedhislifebysteppingoffthemovingtrain，thevastnessofthegreatAmericanfactbegantoaffectIsabeldisagreeably。“Isn’tittoobig，Basil？“shepleaded，peeringtimidlyoutofthelittlemunicipalconsciousnessinwhichshehadbeensolonghoused——Inthatseclusionshehadsufferedcertainoriginaltendenciestoincreaseuponher；hernervesweremoresensitiveandelectrical；herapprehensionshadmultipliedquitebeyondtheratioofthedangersthatbesether；andBasilhadcounteduponatoniceffectofthechangethejourneywouldmakeintheirdailylives。Shelookedruefullyoutofthewindowatthefamiliarsuburbswhiskingoutofsight，andthecontinentalimmensitythatadvanceddevouringlyuponher。Buttheyhadthebestsectionintheverycentreofthesleeping-car，——shedrewwhatconsolationshecouldfromthefact，——andthechildren’sprematuredemandforlunchhelpedhertoforgetheranxieties；theybegantobehungryassoonasthetrainstarted。Shefoundthatshehadnotputupsandwichesenough；andwhenshetoldBasilthathewouldhavetogetoutsomewhereandbuysomecoldchicken，heaskedherwhatintheworldhadbecomeofthatwholehamshehadhadboiled。Itseemedtohim，hesaid，thattherewasenoughofittosubsistthemtoNiagaraandback；