Wharton answered this original observation of nature by a lecture which may be read to more advantage in his printed works.  It ended by Catherine requiring him to draw for her the design of a dress which should have the soul of Niagara in its folds, and while he was engaged in this labor, which absorbed Catherine’s thoughts and gave her extreme amusement, Esther strolled on with Strong, and for nearly an hour walked up and down the road, or leaned against the rock in sheltered places where the sun was warm.  At first they went on talking of the scenery, then Esther wanted to know about the geology, and quickly broke in on Strong’s remarks upon this subject by questions which led further and further away from it.  The river boiled at their feet; the sun melted the enormous icicles which hung from the precipice behind them; a mass of frozen spray was banked up against the American fall opposite them, making it look like an iceberg, and snow covered every thing except the perpendicular river banks and the dark water.  The rainbow hung over the cataract, and the mist rose from the furious waters into the peace of the quiet air.

“You know what has happened?” she asked.

Strong nodded assent.  He was afraid to tell her how much he knew.

“Do you think I have done wrong?”

“How can I tell without knowing all your reasons?” he asked.  “It looks to me as though you were uncertain of yourself and cared less for him than he for you.  If I were in his place I should follow you close up, and refuse to leave you.”

Esther gave a little gasp:  “You don’t think he will do that? if he does, I shall run away again.”

“Why run away? if you really want to get rid of him, why not make him run away?”

“Because I don’t want to make him run away from me, and because I don’t know how.  If I could only get him away from his church!  All I know about it is that I can’t be a clergyman’s wife, but the moment that I try to explain why, he proves to me that my reasons are good for nothing.”

“Are you sure he’s not right?” asked Strong.

“Perfectly sure!” replied Esther earnestly.  “I can’t reason it out, but I feel it.  I believe you could explain it if you would, but when I asked you, in the worst of my trouble, you refused to help me.”

“I gave you all the help I could, and I am ready to give you whatever you want more,” replied Strong.

“Tell me what you think about religion!”

Strong drew himself together with a perceptible effort:  “I think about it as little as possible,” said he.

“Do you believe in a God?”

“Not in a personal one.”

“Or in future rewards and punishments?”

“Old women’s nursery tales!”

“Do you believe in nothing?”

“There is evidence amounting to strong probability, of the existence of two things,” said Strong, slowly, and as though in his lecture-room.