that would become
necessary to carry on punishment under such a system! To be consistent,
even the devils ought to be imaginary."

"_Comment, signori!"_ exclaimed Raoul, smiling, and arousing to a sudden
interest in the discourse; "did any English bishop ever broach such a
doctrine? Imaginary devils, and imaginary places of punishment, are
coming near to our revolutionary France! After this, I hope our
much-abused philosophy will meet with more respect."

"My neighbor has not understood the theory of which he speaks," answered
Andrea, too good, a churchman not to feel uneasiness at the direction
things were taking: "and so, worthy Vito Viti, I feel the necessity of
explaining the whole matter at some length. Sir Smees," so the Italians
called Raoul, out of courtesy still, it being awkward for them, after
all that had passed, to address him by his real name--"Sir Smees will
excuse us for a few minutes; perhaps it may serve to amuse him to hear
to what a flight the imagination of a subtle-minded man can soar."

Raoul civilly expressed the satisfaction it would give him to listen,
and stretching himself on the gun-tackle, in order to be more at ease,
he leaned back with his head fairly within the port, while his feet were
braced against the inner truck of the gun-carriage. This threw him into
a somewhat recumbent attitude, but it being understood as intended to
render what was but an inconvenient seat at the best tolerably
comfortable, no one thought it improper.

It is unnecessary for us to repeat here all that Andrea Barrofaldi
thought proper to say in his own justification, and in explanation of
the celebrated theory of Bishop Berkeley. Such a task was not performed
in a minute; and, in truth, prolixity, whenever he got upon a favorite
theme, was apt to be one of the vice-governatore's weaknesses. He was
far from acquiescing in the doctrine, though he annoyed his old neighbor
exceedingly, by presenting the subject in such a way as to render it
respectable in appearance, if not conclusive in argument. To the latter
it was peculiarly unpleasant to imagine, even for the sake of argument,
that there was no such island as Elba, and that he was not its podesta;
and all his personal and egotistical propensities came in aid of his
official reluctance, to disgust him thoroughly with a theory that he did
not hesitate to say "was an outrage on every honest man's nature."

"There are fellows in the world, Signor Andrea," the s