g his Jack-o'-Lantern where it
might so readily be extinguished by the hand of man. Instead of taking
shelter against any new roving republican who might come along behind
the buildings of the port, as had been expected, he shot past the end of
the quay and anchored within a few fathoms of the very spot he had
quitted that morning, merely dropping his kedge under foot as before.
Then he stepped confidently into his boat and pulled for the landing.

"Eh, Signor Capitano," cried Vito Viti, as he met his new protege with
an air of cordiality as soon as the foot of the latter touched the
shore, "we looked for the pleasure of receiving you into our bosom, as
it were, here in the haven. How ingeniously you led off that _sans
culotte_ this morning! Ah, the Inglese are the great nation of the
ocean, Colombo notwithstanding! The vice-governatore told me all about
your illustrious female admiral, Elisabetta, and the Spanish armada; and
there was Nelsoni; and now we have Smees!"

Raoul accepted these compliments, both national and personal, in a very
gracious manner, squeezing the hand of the podesta with suitable
cordiality and condescension, acting the great man as if accustomed to
this sort of incense from infancy. As became his public situation, as
well as his character, he proposed paying his duty immediately to the
superior authorities of the island.

"King George, my master," continued Raoul, as he and Vito Viti walked
from the quay toward the residence of Andrea Barrofaldi, "is
particularly pointed on this subject, with us all, in his personal
orders. 'Never enter a port of one of my allies, Smeet,' he said, the
very last time I took leave of him, 'without immediately hastening with
your duty to the commandant of the place. You never lose anything by
being liberal in politeness; and England is too polished a country to be
outdone in these things by even the Italians, the parents of modern
civilization.'"

"You are happy in having such a sovrano, and still more so in being
allowed to approach his sacred person."

"Oh! as to the last, the navy is his pet; he considers us captains in
particular as his children. 'Never enter London, my dear Smeet,' he said
to me, 'without coming to the palace, where you will always find a
father'--you know he has one son among us who was lately a captain, as
well as myself."

"San Stefano! and he the child of a great king! I did not know that, I
confess, Signore."

"Why, it is a law i