without venturing out of his depth: therefore, he pursued the discourse in Italian.

"Your language, Signore," observed Andrea Barrofaldi, with warmth, "is no doubt a very noble one; for the language in which Shakspeare and Milton wrote, cannot be else; but, you will permit me to say that it has a uniformity of sound with words of different letters, which I find as unreasonable as it is embarrassing to a foreigner."

“I have heard such complaints before," answered the captain, not at all sorry to find the examination, which had proved so awkward to himself, likely to be transferred to a language about which he cared not at all, and have little to say in its defence. But, as an example of what you mean -"

"Why, Signore, here are several words that I have written on this bit of paper, which sound nearly alike, though, as you perceive, they are quite differently spelled. Bix, bax, box, bux, and bocks," continued Andrea, endeavouring to pronounce, "big," "bag," "bog," "bug," and "box," all of which, it seemed to him, had a very close family resemblance in sound, though certainly spelled with different letters; "these are words, Signore, that are enough to drive a foreigner to abandon your tongue in despair."

"Indeed they are; and I often told the person who taught me the language -”

"How! did you not learn your own tongue as we all get our native forms of speech, by ear, when a child?" demanded the vice-governor, his suspicions suddenly revived.

"Without question, Signore; but I speak of books, and of learning to read. When 'big, bag,' 'bug,' 'bog,' and, 'box," reading from the paper in a steady voice, and a very tolerable pronunciation, "first came before me, I felt all the embarrassment of which you speak."

"And did you only pronounce these words when first taught to read them?"

This question was an awkward one to answer; but Vito Viti began to weary of a discourse in which he could take no part, and, most opportunely, he interposed an objection of his own.

"Signor Barrofaldi," he said, "stick to the lugger. All our motives of suspicion came from Tommaso Tonti, and all of his from the rig of Signor Smees' vessel. If the lugger can be explained, what do we care about bixy, buxy, boxy!"

The vice-governor was not sorry to get creditably out of the difficulties of the language, and, smiling on his friend, he made a gentle bow of compliance. Then he reflected a moment in order to plan another mode of proceeding, and pursued the inquiry.

"My neighbour 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 Guernseymen - 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. Neighbour 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-governor'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-andVing, 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 perfectly would have been apt to advert to, was the circumstance that the words which the sailor pronounced "Jaques Smeet," were written, plainly enough, "Jack Smith," an innovation on the common practice, which, to own the truth, had proceeded from his own obstinacy, and had been done in the very teeth of the objections of the scribe who had forged the papers. But Andrea was still too little of an English scholar to understand the blunder, and the "Jack" passed with him quite as currently as would “John," "Edward," or any other appellation. As to the Wing-and-Wing, all was right; though, as the words were pointed out and pronounced by both parties, one pertinaciously insisted on calling them "Ving-and Ving," and the other, "Ving-y-Ving." All this evidence had a great tendency towards smoothing down every difficulty, and 'Maso Tonti's objections were pretty nearly forgotten by both the Italians, when the papers were returned to, and pocketed again by, their proper

owner.

"It was an improbable thing that an enemy, or a corsair, would venture into this haven of ours, Vito Viti," said the vice-governor, in a self-approving manner; "for we have a reputation for being vigilant, and for knowing our business as well as the authorities of Livorno, or Genova, or Napoli."

"And that too, Signore, with nothing in the world to gain but hard knocks and a prison," added the Captain Smeet, with one of his most winning smiles a smile that even softened the heart of the podestà, while it so far warmed that of his superior as to induce him to invite the stranger to share his own frugal supper. The invitation was accepted as frankly as it had been given; and, the table being ready in an adjoining room, in a few minutes Il Capitano Smees and Vito Viti were sharing the vice-governor's evening meal.

From this moment, if distrust existed any longer in the breasts of the two functionaries of Porto Ferrajo, it was so effectually smothered as to be known only to themselves. The light fare of an Italian kitchen and the light wines of Tuscany just served to strengthen the system, and enliven the spirits; the conversation becoming general and lively, as the business of the moment proceeded. At that day tea was known throughout southern Europe as an ingredient only for the apothecary's keeping; nor was it often to be found among his stores; and the convives, used as a substitute, large draughts of the pleasant mountain liquors of the adjacent main, which produced an excitement scarcely greater, while it may be questioned if it did as much injury to the health. The stranger, however, both eat and drank sparingly; for, while he affected to join cordially in the discourse and the business of restoration, he greatly desired to be at liberty to pursue his own designs.

Andrea Barrofaldi did not let so excellent an opportunity to show his acquirements to the podestà go by neglected. He talked much of England, its history, religion, government, laws, climate, and industry; making frequent appeals to the Capitano Smees for the truth of his opinions. In most cases the parties agreed surprisingly, for the stranger started with a deliberate intention to assent to everything; but even this compliant temper had its embarrassments, since the vice-governor so put his interrogatories as occasionally to give to acquiescence the appearance of dissent. The other floundered through his difficulties tolerably well, notwithstanding; and so successful was he in particular in flattering Andrea's self-love by expressions of astonishment that a foreigner should understand his own country so well better, indeed, in many respects than he understood it himself - and that he should be so familiar with its habits, institutions, and geography, that

by the time the flask was emptied, the superior functionary whispered to his inferior, that the stranger manifested so much information and good sense he should not be surprised if he turned out, in the long-run, to be some secret agent of the British government employed to make philosophical inquiries as to the trade and navigation of Italy, with a view to improve the business relations between the two countries.

"You are an admirer of nobility, and a devotee of aristocracy," added Andrea Barrofaldi, in pursuit of the subject then in hand; "if the truth were known, a scion of some noble house yourself, Signore?"

"1? - Peste! - I hate an aristocrat, Signor Vice-governatore, as I do the devil!"

This was said just after the freest draught the stranger had taken, and with an unguarded warmth that he himself immediately regretted.

"This is extraordinary in an Inglese! Ah - I see how it is --you are in the opposizione, and find it necessary to say this. It is most extraordinary, good Vito Viti, that these Inglese are divided into two political castes, that contradict each other in everything. If one maintains that an object is white, the other side swears it is black; and so vice versa. Both parties profess to love their country better than anything else; but the one that is out of power abuses even power itself until it falls into its own hands."

"This is so much like Giorgio Grondi's course towards me, Signore, that I could almost swear he was one of these very opposizione! I never approve of a thing that he does not condemn, or condemn that he does not approve. Do you confess this much, Signor Capitano?"

"Il vice-governatore knows us better than we know ourselves, I fear. There is too much truth in his account of our politics; but, Signore," rising from his chair, "I now crave your permission to look at your town, and to return to my vessel. The darkness has come, and discipline must be observed."

As Andrea Barrofaldi had pretty well exhausted his stores of knowledge, no opposition was made; and, returning his thanks,