Theybotheducatedthemselvesforcontinuedandtranquilhappinessbytheexampleandpreceptoftheirfriends；andthetimepassedswiftlyinthepleasantlearning，andinthenoveltyofthelifeledbytheLeonards。
Thisindeedmeritsacloserstudythancanbegivenhere，foritisthelifeledbyvastnumbersofprosperousNewYorkerswholoveboththeexcitementofthecityandthereposeofthecountry，andwhoaspiretounitetheenjoymentofbothintheirdailyexistence。Thesuburbsofthemetropolisstretchlandwardfiftymilesineverydirection；andeverywherearehandsomevillaslikeLeonard’s，inhabitedbymenlikehimself，whomstrictstudyofthetime-tableenablestospendalltheirworkinghoursinthecityandalltheirsmokingandsleepinghoursinthecountry。
ThehomeandtheneighborhoodoftheLeonardsputontheirbestlooksforourbridalpair，andtheywerecharmed。Theyallenjoyedthevisit，saidguestsandhosts，theywereallsorrytohaveitcometoanend；yettheyallresignedthemselvestothisconclusion。Practically，ithadnootherresultthantodetainthetravellersintotheveryheartofthehotweather。Inthatweatheritwaseasytodoanythingthatdidnotrequireanactiveeffort，andresignationwassonaturalwiththemercuryatninety，thatIaannotsurebuttherewassomethingsinfulinit。
TheyhadgivenuptheircherishedpurposeofgoingtoAlbanybythedayboat，whichwasrepresentedtothemineveryimpossiblephase。Itwouldbedreadfullycrowded，andwheneveritstoppedtheheatwouldbeinsupportable。BesidesitwouldbringthemtoAlbanyatanhourwhentheymusteitherspendthenightthere，orpushontoNiagarabythenighttrain。“Youhadbettergobytheeveningboat。ItwillbelightalmosttillyoureachWestPoint，andyou’llseeallthebestscenery。
Thenyoucangetagoodnight’srest，andstartfreshinthemorning。“
Sotheywerecounseled，andtheyassented，astheywouldhavedoneiftheyhadbeenadvised:“Youhadbettergobythemorningboat。It’sdeliciouslycool，travelling；youseethewholeoftheriver，youreachAlbanyforsupper，andyoupushthroughtoNiagarathatnightandaredonewithit。
TheytookleaveofLeonardatbreakfastandofhiswifeatnoon，andfifteenminuteslatertheywererushingfromtheheatofthecountryintotheheatofthecity，wheresomeaffairsandpleasuresweretoemploythemtilltheeveningboatshouldstart。
Theirspiritswerelow，fortheterriblespellofthegreatheatbroodeduponthem。Allabroadburnedthefiercewhitelightofthesun，inwhichnotonlytheearthseemedtoparchandthirst，buttheveryairwithered，andwasfaintandthintothetroubledrespiration。TheirtrainwasfullofpeoplewhohadcomelongjourneysfrombroilingcitiesoftheWest，andwhoweredustyandashenandreekingintheslumbersatwhichsomeofthemstillvainlycaught。Oneveryonelayanawfullanguor。Hereandtherestirredafan，likethebrokenwingofadyingbird；nowandthenaswelteringyoungmothershiftedherhotbabyfromonearmtoanother；
aftereverystationthedesperateconductorswungthroughthelongaisleandpunchedtheticket，whicheachpassengerseemedtoyieldhimwithatacitmalediction；asufferingchildhungabouttheemptytank，whichcouldonlygaspoutacinderydroportwoofice-water。Thewindbuffetedfaintlyatthewindows；whenthedoorwasopened，theclatteroftherailsstruckthroughandthroughthecarlikeademoniacyell。
Yetwhentheyarrivedatthestationbytheferry-side，theyseemedtohaveentereditsstiflingdarknessfromfreshandvigorousatmosphere，socloseanddeadandminedwiththecarbonicbreathofthelocomotiveswastheairoftheplace。Thethinoldwoodenwallsthatshutouttheglareofthesuntransmittedanintensifiedwarmth；theroofseemedtohoverlowerandlower，andinitscoal-smoked，rafteryhollowtogenerateaheatdeadlierthanthatpoureduponitfromtheskies。
Inaconvenientplaceinthestationhungathermometer，beforewhicheverypassenger，ongoingaboardtheferry-boat，pausedasatashrine，andmutelypaidhisdevotions。Atthealtarofthisfetichourfriendsalsopaused，andsawthatthemercurywasaboveninety，andexultingwiththepridethatsavagestakeinthecruelmightoftheiridols，bowedtheirsoulstothegreatgodHeat。
Ontheboattheyfoundaplacewherethebreathoftheseastruckcoolacrosstheirfaces，andmadethemforgetthethermometerforthebrieftimeofthetransit。Butpresentlytheydrewnearthatstrange，irregularrowofwoodenbuildingsandjuttingpierswhichskirtstheriverontheNewYorkaide，andbeforetheboat’smotionceasedtheairgrewthickandwarmagain，andtaintedwiththefoulnessofthestreetonwhichthebuildingsfront。Uponthistheboat’spassengersissued，passingupthroughagangway，ononesideofwhichathrongofreturn-
passengerswaspentbyagateofironbarn，likeaherdofwildanimals。
Theywerestreamingwithperspiration，and，accordingtotheirdifferenttemperaments，hadfacesofdeepcrimsonordeadlypallor。
“Nowthequestionis，mydear，“saidBasilwhen，freeofthepress，theylingeredforamomentintheshadeoutside，“whetherwehadbetterwalkuptoBroadway，atanimmediatesacrificeoffibre，andgetastagethere，ortakeoneofthesecarshere，andbelandedalittlenearer，withhalftheexertion。Bythisrouteweshallhavesightsendsmellswhichtheothercan’tofferus，butwhicheverwetakeweshallbesorry。“
“ThenIsaytakethis，“decidedIsabel。“Iwanttobesorryupontheeasiestpossibleterms，thisweather。“
Theyhailedthefirstcarthatpassed，andgotintoit。Wellforthembothifshecouldhaveexercisedthisphilosophywithregardtothewholeday’sbusiness，orifshecouldhavegivenupherplansforit，withthesameresignationshehadpracticedinregardtothedayboat！Itseemstomeaproofofthesmalladvanceourracehasmadeintruewisdom，thatwefinditsohardtogiveupdoinganythingwehavemeanttodo。Itmattersverylittlewhethertheaffairisoneofenjoymentorofbusiness，wefeelthesamebitterneedofpursuingittotheend。Themerefactofintentiongivesitaflavorofduty，anddutiolatry，asonemaycallthedevotion，haspassedsodeeplyintoourlifethatwehavescarcelyasenseanymoreofthesweetnessofevenaneglectedpleasure。
Wewillnottastethefine，guiltyraptureofadeliberatedereliction；
thegentlesinofomissionisallbutblottedfromthecalendarofourcrimes。IfIhadbeenColumbus，Ishouldhavethoughttwicebeforesettingsail，whenIwasquitereadytodoso；andasforPlymouthRock，Ishouldhavesternlyresistedtheblandishmentsofthosetwinsirens，StarvationandCold，whobeckonedthePuritansshoreward，andassoonaseverIcameinsightoftheirgraniteperchshouldhaveturnedbacktoEngland。Butitisnowtoolatetorepairtheseerrors，andso，ononeofthehottestdaysoflastyear，beholdmyobduratebridalpair，inaTenthorTwentiethAvenuehorse-car，settingforthuponthefulfillmentofaseriesofintentions，anyofwhichhadwiselierbeenleftunaccomplished。IsabelhadsaidtheywouldcalluponcertainpeopleinFiftiethStreet，andthenshopslowlydown，ice-creamingandstagingandvariouslycoolingandcalmingbytheway，untiltheyreachedtheticket-
officeonBroadway，whencetheycouldindefinitelybetakethemselvestothesteamboatanhourortwobeforeherdeparture。Shefeltthattheyhadyieldedsufficientlytocircumstancesandconditionsalreadyonthisjourney，andshewasresolvedthatthepresenthalf-dayinNewYorkshouldbethehalf-dayofheroriginaldesign。
Itwasnotthemostadvisablething，asIhaveallowed，butitwasinevitable，anditaffordedthemaspectaclewhichisbynomeanswantinginsublimity，andwhichiscertainlyunique，——thespectacleofthatgreatcityonahotday，defiantoftheelements，andprosperingonwitheveryformoflabor，andataterriblecostoflife。Themancarryingthehodtothetopofthewallsthatranklygrowandgrowasfromhislife’sblood，willonlylaydownhisloadwhenhefeelsthemortalglareofthesunblazeinuponheartandbrain；theplethoricmillionaireforwhomhetoilswillplotandplaninhisofficetillheswoonsatthedesk；thetremblingbeastmuststaggerforwardwhiletheflame-facedtormentorontheboxhasstrengthtolashhimon；inallthosevastpalacesofcommercethereareceaselesssaleandpurchase，packingandunpacking，liftingupandlayingdown，arrivinganddepartingloads；inthousandsofshopsistheunsparedandunsparingwearinessofselling；inthestreet，filledbythehurryandsufferingoftensofthousands，isthewearinessofbuying。
Theirafternoon’sexperiencewassomethingthatBasilandIsabelcould，whenitwaspast，lookupononlyasakindofvision，magnificentattimes，andatothertimesfullofindignityandpain。Theyseemedtohavedreamedofalonghorse-carpilgrimagethroughthatsqualidstreetbytheriver-side，wherepresentlytheycametoamarket，openingupontheviewhideousvistasofcarnage，andthenintoawideavenue，withprocessionsofcarsliketheirowncomingandgoingupanddownthecentreofafoolishanduselessbreadth，whichmadeeventhetallbuildingsrisinggauntlyupamongtheolderhousesofoneortwostoriesoneitherhandlooklow，andletinthesuntobakethedustthatthehotbreathsofwindcaughtupandgentswirlingintotheshabbyshops。Heretheydreamedoftheeternaldemolitionandconstructionofthecity，andfartheronofvacantlotsfullofgraniteboulders，clamberedoverbygoats。Intheirdreamtheyhadfellow-passengers，whosesufferingsmadethemodiousandwhomtheyweregladtoleavebehindwhentheyalightedfromthecar，andrunningoutoftheblazeoftheavenue，quenchedthemselvesintheshadeofthecross-street。Alittlestripofshadowlayalongtherowofbrown-stonefronts，buttherewereintervalswherethevacantlotscastnoshadow。Withgreatbestowalofthoughttheystudiedhopelesslyhowtoavoidthesespacesasiftheyhadbeendifficulttorrentsorvastexpansesofdesertsand；theycreptslowlyalongtilltheycametosuchaplace，anddashedswiftlyacrossit，andthen，fainterthanbefore，movedon。Theyseemednowandthentostandatdoors，andtobetoldthatpeoplewereoutandagainthattheywerein；andtheyhadasenseofcooldarkparlors，andtheairyrustlingoflight-muslinedladies，ofchatandoffansandice-water，andthentheycameforthagain；andevermore“Thedayincreasedfromheattoheat“
Atlasttheywereawareofanendoftheirvisits，andofapurposetogodowntownagain，andofseekingthenearestcarbyendlessblocksofbrown-stonefronts，whichwiththeireternalbrownstoneflightsofsteps，andtheirhandsome，intolerableuniformity，oppressedthemlikeaprocessionofhousestryingtopassagivenpointandnevergettingby。
Uponthesestreetstherewas，seldomasoultobeseen，sothatwhentheirringingatadoorhadevokedanswer，ithadstartledthemwithavague，sadsurprise。Inthedistanceoneitherhandtheycouldseecarsandcartsandwagonstoilingupanddowntheavenues，andonthenextintersectingpavementsometimesalaborerwithhisjacketslungacrosshisshoulder，oradogthathadplainlymadeuphismindtogomad。Uptothetimeoftheirgettingintooneofthosephantasmalcarsforthereturndown-townwardstheyhadkeptupashowoftalkintheirwretcheddream；theyhadspokenofotherhotdaysthattheyhadknownelsewhere；
andtheyhadwonderedthatthetragicalcharacterofheathadbeensolittlerecognized。TheysaidthatthedailyNewYorkmurdermightevenatthatmomentbesomewheretakingplace；andthatnomurderofthewholehomicidalyearcouldhavesuchpropercircumstance；theymorbidlywonderedwhatthatday’smurderwouldbe，andinwhatswarmingtenement-