d I had to under-run about a hundred of his
lying yarns before I could even enter the end of an idea of my own--"

"You speak Italian, sir, like a Neapolitan born; and I depended on your
doing everything as it should have been."

"Not so much like a Neapolitan, I hope, Captain Cuffe, as like a Tuscan
or a Roman," returned Griffin, biting his lip. "After an hour of pretty
hard and lawyer-like work, and overhauling all the documents, I did
succeed in convincing the two Elban gentry of my own character, and of
that of the lugger!"

"And while you were playing advocate, Master Raoul Yvard coolly lifted
his anchor and walked out of the bay as if he were just stepping into
his garden to pick a nosegay for his sweetheart!"

"No, sir, nothing of the sort happened. As soon as I had satisfied the
Signor Barrofaldi, the vice-governatore--"

"Veechy-govern-the-tory. D--n all veechys, and d--n all the
governatorys, too; do speak English, Griffin, on board an English ship,
if you please, even should your Italian happen to be Tuscan. Call the
fellow vice-governor at once, if that be his rank."

"Well, sir, as soon as I had satisfied the vice-governor that the lugger
was an enemy, and that we were friends, everything went: smoothly
enough. He wanted to sink the lugger as she lay at her anchor."

"And why the devil didn't he do it? Two or three heavy shot would have
given her a stronger dose than she could bear."

"You know, Captain Cuffe, it has all along been your wish to take her
alive. I thought it would tell so well for the ship to have it to say
she had _caught_ le Feu-Follet, that I opposed the project. I know Mr.
Winchester hopes to get her as a reward for carrying her, himself."

"Aye, and that would make you first. Well, sir, even if you didn't sink
her it was no reason for letting her escape."

"We could not prevent it, Captain Cuffe. I had a lookout set upon
her--one of the very best men in Porto Ferrajo, as everybody will tell
you, sir; and I made the signals of the lamp and the blue-lights, as
agreed upon; and, the ship answering, I naturally thought all was as it
should be, until--"

"And who burnt the rockets off here where we are at this moment? They
deceived me, for I took them to be signals of their presence from the
Weasel or the Sparrow. When I saw those rockets, Griffin, I was just as
certain of the Few-Folly as I am now of having my own ship!"

"Yes, sir, those rockets did all the mischief; for I have