y all republicans, is my humble prayer, Signor
Capitano; but I can hardly believe that so graceful and gracious-looking
a frigate can possibly belong to such wretches."

"Ah! Signore, if that were all, I fear we should have to yield the palm
to the French," answered Raoul, laughing; "for the best-looking craft in
His Majesty's service are republican prizes. Even should this frigate
turn out to be the Proserpine herself, she can claim no better origin.
But I think the vice-governatore has not done well in deserting the
batteries, since this stranger does not answer our signals as she
should. The last communication has proved quite unintelligible to him."

Raoul was nearer to the truth than he imagined perhaps, for certainly
Ithuel's numbers had made nonsense, according to the signal book of the
Proserpine; but his confident manner had an effect on Vito Viti, who was
duped by his seeming earnestness, as well as by a circumstance which,
rightly considered, told as much against as it did in favor of his
companion.

"And what is to be done, Signore?" demanded the podesta, stopping short
in the street.

"We must do as well as we can, under the circumstances. My duty is to
look out for ze Ving-and-Ving, and yours to look out for the town.
Should the stranger actually enter the bay and bring his broadside to
bear on this steep hill, there is not a chamber window that will not
open on the muzzles of his guns. You will grant me permission to haul
into the inner harbor, where we shall be sheltered by the buildings from
his shot, and then perhaps it will be well enough to send my people into
the nearest battery. I look for bloodshed and confusion ere long."

All this was said with so much apparent sincerity that it added to the
podesta's mystification. Calling a neighbor to him, he sent the latter
up the hill with a message to Andrea Barrofaldi, and then he hurried
down toward the port, it being much easier for him, just at that moment,
to descend than to ascend. Raoul kept at his side, and together they
reached the water's edge.

The podesta was greatly addicted to giving utterance to any predominant
opinion of the moment, being one of those persons who _feel_ quite as
much as they _think_. On the present occasion he did not spare the
frigate, for, having caught at the bait that his companion had so
artfully thrown out to him, he was loud in the expression of his
distrust. All the signalling and showing of colors he now beli