He found Raoul still
standing on the entrance, examining the sea, There were two or three
coasters, feluccas, as usual, stealing along the coast, in the Italian
fashion, equally afraid of the barbarians of the south shore and of the
French of the north. All these would have been good prizes; but, to do
the privateersman justice, he was little in the habit of molesting
mariners of so low a class. There was one felucca, however, that was
just rounding the promontory, coming in from the north; and with the
people of this craft he determined to have some communication as soon as
he returned to the port, with a view to ascertain if she had fallen in
with the frigate. Just as he had come to this resolution, the podesta
joined him, and he was ushered into the house.

It is unnecessary to give the discourse which succeeded. It related more
to literature and matters in general than to anything connected with our
tale, the worthy vice-govenatore being disposed to reward the
ingenuousness of the young sailor, by furnishing him as much instruction
as the time and circumstances would allow. Raoul bore this very well,
waiting patiently for the light to disappear, when he felt a perfect
confidence of again meeting Ghita on the promenade. As he had discovered
how much more safety there was in diffidence than in pretension, he
found his task of deception comparatively easy; and by letting the
vice-governatore have his own way, he not only succeeded in gaining that
functionary over to a full belief in his assumed nationality, but in
persuading him to believe the "Signor Smees" a young man of even more
erudition than he had at first supposed. By means as simple and natural
as these, Raoul made more progress in the good graces of Andrea
Barrofaldi in the next two hours, than he could have done in a year by
setting up his own knowledge and reading as authority.

There is little doubt that the vice-governatore found this interview
agreeable, from the time he was disposed to waste on it; and, it is
certain, Raoul thought it some of the hardest duty in which he had ever
been engaged. As for Vito Viti, he was edified, and he did not care to
conceal it, giving frequent manifestations of his satisfaction by
expressions of delight; occasionally venturing a remark, as if expressly
to betray his own ignorance.

"I have often known you great, vice-governatore," he cried, when Andrea
had closed a dissertation on the earlier history of all the northe