he veechy, however, has forgotten a part of the story, as it must have
been sir _John_, or Sir _Thomas_ Smees, at least."

"No, sir; that is the way with the French and the Italians, who do not
understand our manner of using Christian names with titles, as in our
Sir Edwards and Lord Harries and Lady Betties."

"Blast the French! I can believe anything of _them,_ though I should
have thought that these _Italians_ knew better. However, it may be well
to give the veechy a hint of what we have been saying, or it may seem
rude--and, hark'ye, Griffin, while you _are_ about it, rub him down a
little touching books and that sort of thing; for the surgeon tells me
he has heard of him in Leghorn as a regular leaf-cutter."

The lieutenant did as ordered, throwing in an allusion to Andrea's
reputation for learning, that, under the circumstances, was not
ill-timed, and which, as it was well enough expressed, was exceedingly
grateful to his listener just at that awkward moment.

"My claims to literature are but small, Signore," answered Andrea, with
humility, "as I beg you will inform Sir Kooffe; but they were sufficient
to detect certain assumptions of this corsair; a circumstance that came
very near bringing about an exposure at a most critical moment. He had
the audacity, Signore, to wish to persuade _me_ that there was a certain
English orator of the same name and of equal merit of him of Roma and
Pompeii--one Sir Cicero!"

"The barone!" again exclaimed Cuffe, when this new offence of Raoul's
was explained to him. "I believe the rascal was up to anything. But
there is an end of him now, with all his Sir Smees and Sir Ciceros into
the bargain. Just let the veechy into the secret of the fellow's
fate, Griffin."

Griffin then related to the vice-governatore the manner in which it was
supposed that le Feu-Follet, Raoul Yvard, and all his associates had
been consumed like caterpillars on a tree. Andrea Barrofaldi listened,
with a proper degree of horror expressed in his countenance; but Vito
Viti heard the tale with signs of indifference and incredulity that he
did not care to conceal. Nevertheless, Griffin persevered, until he had
even given an account of the manner in which he and Cuffe examined the
lugger's anchorage, in the bootless attempt to discover the wreck.

To all this the two functionaries listened with profound attention and a
lively surprise. After looking at each other several times, and
exchanging significant g