by study; "the fact must be conceded. There is the fable of Hercules and the waggoner to confirm it. Did our men first strive, and then pray, more would be done than by first praying and then striving;— and now, Signor Capitano, a word on your language, of which I have some small knowledge, and which, doubtless, you speak like a native.”

"Sairtainlee," answered the captain, with perfect self-composure, changing the form of speech from the Italian to the English with a readiness that proved how strong he felt himself on this point; "one cannot fail to speak ze tongue of his own mozair.”

This was said without any confusion of manner, and with an accent that might very well mislead a foreigner, and it sounded imposing to the vice-governor, who felt a secret consciousness that he could not have uttered such a sentence to save his own life, without venturing out of his depth: therefore, he pursued the discourse in Italian.

"Your language, Signore," observed An

drea 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 -"

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"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.

6

"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.

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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.

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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-and-Ving, it is capital English."

6

"I do not see, Vito, but this is reasonable. If the capitano, now, only had his commission