In
the first place she was a Frenchwoman, and accustomed to say pleasant
things; then she was just relieved from an element she detested, and the
land was pleasant in her eyes. But the principal reason is still in
reserve: Mademoiselle Viefville, like most Europeans, had regarded America
not merely as a provincial country, and this without a high standard of
civilization for a province, as the truth would have shown, but as a
semi-barbarous quarter of the world; and the things she saw so much
surpassed her expectations, that she was delighted, as it might be,
by contrast.
As we shall have a future occasion to speak of the dwelling of Mr.
Effingham, and to accompany the reader much further in the histories of
our several characters, we shall pass over the feelings of Eve when fairly
established that night under her own roof. The next morning, however, when
she descended to breakfast, she was met by John Effingham, who gravely
pointed to the following paragraph in one of the daily journals.
"The Montauk, London packet, which has been a little out of time, arrived
yesterday, as reported in our marina news. This ship has met with various
interesting adventures, that, we are happy to hear, will shortly be laid
before the world by one of her passengers, a gentleman every way qualified
for the task.
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