iance. Then he reflected a moment, in order to plan
another mode of proceeding, and pursued the inquiry.

"My neighbor Vito Viti is right," he said, "and we will stick to the
lugger. Tommaso Tonti is a mariner of experience, and the oldest pilot
of Elba. He tells us that the lugger is a craft much in use among the
French, and not at all among the English, so far as he has ever
witnessed."

"In that Tommaso Tonti is no seaman. Many luggers are to be found among
the English; though more, certainly, among the French. But I have
already given the Signor Viti to understand that there is such an island
as Guernsey, which was once French, but which is now English, and that
accounts for the appearances he has observed. We are Guernsey-men--the
lugger is from Guernsey--and, no doubt, we have a Guernsey look. This is
being half French, I allow."

"That alters the matter altogether. Neighbor Viti, this is all true
about the island, and about its habits and its origin; and if one could
be as certain about the names, why, nothing more need be said. Are Giac
Smees, and Ving-y-Ving, Guernsey names?"

"They are not particularly so," returned the sailor, with difficulty
refraining from laughing in the vice-governatore's face; "Jaques Smeet'
being so English, that we are the largest family, perhaps, in all
Inghilterra. Half the nobles of the island are called Smeet', and not a
few are named Jaques. But little Guernsey was conquered; and our
ancestors who performed that office brought their names with them,
Signore. As for Ving-and-Ving, it is _capital_ English."

"I do not see, Vito, but this is reasonable. If the capitano, now, only
had his commission with him, you and I might go to bed in peace, and
sleep till morning."

"Here, then, Signore, are your sleeping potions," continued the laughing
sailor, drawing from his pocket several papers. "These are my orders
from the admiral; and, as they are not secret, you can cast your eyes
over them. This is my commission, Signor Vice-governatore--this is the
signature of the English minister of marine--and here is my own, 'Jaques
Smeet'' as you see, and here is the order to me, as a lieutenant, to
take command of the Ving-and-Ving."

All the orders and names were there, certainly, written in a clear, fair
hand, and in perfectly good English. The only thing that one who
understood the language would have been apt to advert to, was the
circumstance that the words which the sailor pronounce