HeisaVirginianandwilltellyounoendoffinestoriesandnotasyllableoftruthinoneofthem。WeareallpatrioticaboutWashingtonandliketohidehisfaults。IfIweren\'tquitesureyouwouldneverrepeatit，Iwouldnottellyouthis。ThetruthisthatevenwhenGeorgeWashingtonwasasmallboy，histemperwassoviolentthatnoonecoulddoanythingwithhim。Heoncecutdownallhisfather\'sfruit-treesinafitofpassion，andthen，justbecausetheywantedtofloghim，hethreatenedtobrainhisfatherwiththehatchet。Hisagedwifesufferedagoniesfromhim。MygrandfatheroftentoldmehowhehadseentheGeneralpinchandswearathertillthepoorcreaturelefttheroomintears；andhowonceatMountVernonhesawWashington，whenquiteanoldman，suddenlyrushatanunoffendingvisitor，andchasehimofftheplace，beatinghimallthetimeovertheheadwithagreatstickwithknotsinit，andalljustbecauseheheardthepoormanstammer；henevercouldabides-s-stammering。“
CarringtonandGoreburstintoshoutsoflaughteroverthisdescriptionoftheFatherofhiscountry，butVictoriacontinuedinhergentledrawltoenlightenLordDunbeginregardtoothersubjectswithinformationequallymendacious，untilhedecidedthatshewasquitethemosteccentricpersonhehadevermet。TheboatarrivedatMountVernonwhileshewasstillengagedinadescriptionofthesocietyandmannersofAmerica，andespeciallyoftheruleswhichmadeanofferofmarriagenecessary。Accordingtoher，LordDunbegwasinimminentperil；gentlemen，andespeciallyforeigners，wereexpected，inalltheStatessouthofthePotomac，toofferthemselvestoatleastoneyoungladyineverycity：“andIhadonlyyesterday，“saidVictoria，“aletterfromalovelygirlinNorthCarolina，adearfriendofmine，whowrotemethatshewasrightputoutbecauseherbrothershadcalledonayoungEnglishvisitorwithshotguns，andshewasafraidhewouldn\'trecover，and，afterall，shesayssheshouldhaverefusedhim。“
MeanwhileMadeleine，ontheothersideoftheboat，undisturbedbythelaughterthatsurroundedMissDare，chattedsoberlyandseriouslywithLordSkyeandSenatorRatcliffe。LordSkye，too，alittleintoxicatedbythebrilliancyofthemorning，brokeoutintoadmirationofthenobleriver，andaccusedAmericansofnotappreciatingthebeautiesoftheirowncountry。
“Yournationalmind，“saidhe，“hasnoeyelids。Itrequiresabroadglareandabeatenroad。Itprefersshadowswhichyoucancutoutwithaknife。Itdoesn\'tknowthebeautyofthisVirginiawintersoftness。“
Mrs。Leeresentedthecharge。America，shemaintained，hadnotwornherfeelingsthreadbarelikeEurope。Shehadstillherstorytotell；shewaswaitingforherBurnsandScott，herWordsworthandByron，herHogarthandTurner。“Youwantpeachesinspring，“saidshe。“Giveusourthousandyearsofsummer，andthencomplain，ifyouplease，thatourpeachisnotasmellowasyours。Evenourvoicesmaybesoftthen，“sheadded，withasignificantlookatLordSkye。