Turning, then, to the podesta, he put his questions in English, that they might go fairly through the same process of interpretation as the rest of the examination.
"You say, Signor Podesta," he commenced, "that you saw me in the town of Porto Ferrajo and in the island of Elba ?" "Si--in which town I have the honor to be one of the authorities." "You say I professed to command a vessel in the service of the King of England; a felucca, called ze Ving-and-Ving ?" "Si--ze Ving-y-Ving--the commander of that felucca." "I understood you to say, Mr.Podesta," put in Lyon, "that the craft was a lugger ?" "A felucca-lugger, Signor Capitano--nothing more nor less than that, on my honor." "And all these honorable officers well know," observed Raoul, ironically, "that a felucca-lugger and a lugger such as le Feu-Follet is understood to be are very different things.

Now, Signore, you have never heard me say that I am a Frenchman ?" "Non--you have not been so weak as to confess that to one who hates the name of the Francese.

Cospetto! If all the Grand Duke's subjects detested his enemies as I do, he would be the most powerful prince in Italy!" "No doubt, Signore; and now suffer me to inquire if you heard any other name for that felucca than ze Ving-and-Ving.

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." Raoul smiled, for he was confident this notion proceeded principally from the self-illusion of the two Italians themselves; the little he had said on the subject having been drawn out more by their suggestions than by any design on his part.