Still he did not deem it prudent to contradict the podesta, who, as yet, had testified to nothing that could possibly criminate him.
"If a young man has the vanity to wish to be thought noble," answered Raoul, calmly, "it may prove his folly, but it does not prove him a spy.
You did not hear me confess myself a Frenchman, you say: now did you not hear me say I was born in Guernsey ?" "Si--the Signore did say that the family of Smees came from that island--as the vice-governatore calls it, though I acknowledge I never heard of such an island.

There are Sicilia, Sardegna, Elba, Caprea, Ischia, Irlanda, Inghilterra, Scozia, Malta, Capraya, Pianosa, Gorgona, and America, with several more in the east; but I never heard of such an island as Guernsey.

Si, Signore; we are humble people, and I hope modest people in the island of Elba, but we do know something of the rest of the world, notwithstanding.

If you wish to hear these matters touched on ingeniously, however, you will do well to call in the vice-governatore for half an hour and invite him to open his stores of knowledge.

San Antonio!--I doubt if Italy has his equal--at islands, in particular." "Good," continued Raoul; "and now tell these officers, Signore Podesta, if you can say on your oath, that I had anything to do with that felucca, ze Ving-and-Ving, at all." "I cannot, Signore, except from your own words.