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"Quite true, Signori," answered Andrea, with gentle benevolence, "but with dispositions like yours, Sir Smees, it is not so very difficult to imitate what we admire. I will write out a list of works which I would recommend to your perusal; and, by touching at Livorno or Napoli, you will obtain all the books at reasonable prices.
Did I ever call her le Feu-Follet?" "Non always ze Ving-y-Ving; never anything else; but " "Your pardon, Signore; have the goodness to answer my questions. I called the felucca ze Ving-and-Ving; and I called myself le Capitaine Smeet; is it not true?" "Si Ving-y-Ving and il Capitano Smees Sir Smees, a signore of an illustrious English family of that name, if I remember right."
"Si you did say your name was Giac Smees, and you did not say you were Raoul Yvard. But, Signore, I saw you firing your cannon at the boats of this frigate, with French colors flying, and that is some signs of an enemy, as we understand these matters in Porto Ferrajo." Raoul felt that this was a direct blow; still, it wanted the connecting link to make it testimony.
The vice-governatore told me all about your illustrious female admiral, Elisabetta, and the Spanish armada; and there was Nelsoni; and now we have Smees!"
As he had discovered how much more safety there was in diffidence than in pretension, he found his task of deception comparatively easy; and by letting the vice-governatore have his own way, he not only succeeded in gaining that functionary over to a full belief in his assumed nationality, but in persuading him to believe the "Signor Smees" a young man of even more erudition than he had at first supposed.
"Eh he called himself Sir Smees, a capitano in the service of the English king." "What vessel did he pretend to command?" "Ze Ving-y-Ving a lugger, which I have since had reason to think is le Feu-Follet, a corsair under the French flag. Monsieur did me the favor to make two visits to Porto Ferrajo in the character of Sir Smees."
You will have the complaisance to make my duty to Monsieur Cuffe oui, pardie! and to ces braves Italiens, who are so much ze amis of Sir Smees! Touchez-la." Raoul laughed, for his heart was light, and sundry droll conceits danced through his brain.
"I have often known you great, vice-governatore," he cried, when Andrea had closed a dissertation on the earlier history of all the northern nations, which lasted fully half an hour, "but never so great as you are to-night! Signore, you have been most illustrious this evening! Is it not so, Signor Smees?
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."
"You have found 'Sir Smees," said Vito Viti, with earnestness, "all that your wisdom and prudence could desire, I trust? For my part, I consider him a most interesting youth; one destined at some future time to lead fleets and dispose of the fortunes of nations." "He is more amiable and even better informed than I had thought, neighbor Vito Viti.
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