"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. Podestà," 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 Françese. 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?"