e gig was lowered, and Cuffe,
accompanied by Griffin as an interpreter, landed to pay the usual visit
of ceremony to the authorities.

The wind being so light, several hours were necessary to effect all
these changes; and by the time the two officers were ascending the
terraced street the day had advanced sufficiently to render the visit
suitable as to time. Cuffe appearing in full uniform, with epaulettes
and sword, his approach attracted notice; and Vito Viti hurried off to
apprise his friend of the honor he was about to receive. The
vice-governatore was not taken by surprise, therefore, but had some
little time to prepare his excuses for being the dupe of a fraud as
impudent as that which Raoul Yvard had so successfully practised on him.
The reception was dignified, though courteous; and it had none the less
of ceremony, from the circumstance that all which was said by the
respective colloquists had to be translated before it could be
understood. This circumstance rendered the few first minutes of the
interview a little constrained; but each party having something on his
mind, of which it was his desire to be relieved, natural feeling soon
got the better of forms.

"I ought to explain to you, Sir Cuffe, the manner in which a recent
event occurred in our bay here," observed the vice-governatore; "since,
without such explanation, you might be apt to consider us neglectful of
our duties, and unworthy of the trust which the Grand Duke reposes in
us. I allude, as you will at once understand, to the circumstance that
le Feu-Follet has twice been lying peaceably under the guns of our
batteries, while her commander, and, indeed, some of her crew, have been
hospitably entertained on shore."

"Such things must occur in times like these, Mr. Veechy-Governatory; and
we seamen set them down to the luck of war," Cuffe answered graciously,
being much too magnanimous, under his own success, to think of judging
others too harshly. "It might not be so easy to deceive a
man-of-war's-man like myself; but I dare say, Veechy-Governatory, had it
been anything relating to the administration of your little island here,
even Monsieur Yvard would have found you too much for him!"

The reader will perceive that Cuffe had got a new way of pronouncing the
appellation of the Elban functionary; a circumstance that was owing to
the desire we all have, when addressing foreigners, to speak in their
own language rather than in our own. The worthy c